I would like to give this a couple more days. As is, is fine, but I would like to hold on for a few days and see if anyone interested just hasn't happened by the boards and check in here recently. (I started this about 30 hrs ago and am shocked we already have 7 people ready to go.)
Actually, in the mean time is there a good place for me to see how PBEM games work exactly? Do I end my turn, then save it and send it out? How do we know who gets it next? Basic stuff like that has me a little anxious to see how this works exactly. Also, we still need to exchange email addresses and confirm. I figure we can go ahead and get started doing that stuff. Let me know if there is anything else we need to do or if any of the stuff I just posted is frivolous for some reason.
Everyone should send you a PM or email.
This should contain their email addresses, their timezone, and what time of day they generally play Civ.
Then you should collect these and send one email to everyone with all the contact name/email addresses in - but not post these publicly on the forum.
The game play order comes from what order you set the names up in the admin screen when you start the game.
The basic play order should be follow-the-sun, or east to west, as this is the best chance we have of getting one complete turn cycle per day.
So if you have four players with timezones Australia, England, East Coast, West Coast - this would be gmt+10, gmt, gmt-5, gmt-8
Doesn't matter which one starts, as long as you then follow that order.
If you have more than 4 players, one turn per day is pushing it, but it might happen.
This order is based on the idea that people normally play in the evenings when they get home from school or work.
The only time to vary this order is if someone insists that they * only * play in (for example) the morning their time. That would act as a modifier, so would act as a +10 on the time zone.
Let me know if you have more questions.
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When you press the End Turn button, the game is automatically saved, and then you can attach it to an email to the next person.
The save game name is automatically formed partly from the name of the next person, so that should be clear enough.
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Please note one bug in 3.19.
If you play a turn and end it (thus creating a save file for the next person)
..and then replay it if you forgot something, without first deleting the first save file.
The next player, when he opens it, will be prompted for your password not his, and will be unable to play the game.
So if you forgot something and need to replay it, you need to delete the next players save first.
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Remember to set an Admin password.
If someone disappears without handing over properly, the admin password will enable you to let a new player take over.
I believe these forums have an admin password repository, so the game can be preserved if the originator disappears, but i am not sure where this is.