PBEM Game Discussion, Tips and Introductions

[Michkov]

Has anyone experience with dropbox shared folders and PBEM games?

I've been running a 2 player game(s) for a couple of years now using a shared dropbox folder and a symbolic link to the PBEMs savegame folder. The way its set up the next players save is automatically shared no need to up/download which is pretty neat IMO. I've never tried it with more than 2 players.

 

[Eclipse4449]

Has anyone playing Civ moved to the Windows 8 platform ?

 

[Tigranes]

No, never tried any of those previous two cases. We wont switch to W8 even in Uni -- even our IT would not recommend if your's is not a touch screen device.

 

[Imperator Knoedel]

Dropbox seems to be an interesting alternative to email for PBEMs.

So far I've only heard bad things about Windows8. Personally I'm gonna stick with 7 as long as a I can.

 

[Eclipse4449]

I brought this up because I have the "Steam" App and thought I was downloading Civ4 and BTS to my iPhone, Hense I wondered if this game was ported for touchscreen enabled devises???

 

[Michkov]

You can play Civ4 on the IPhonde?

 

[Imperator Knoedel]

I brought this up because I have the "Steam" App and thought I was downloading Civ4 and BTS to my iPhone, Hense I wondered if this game was ported for touchscreen enabled devises???

You can play Civ4 on the IPhonde?

No, no you can't. I don't know what Eclipse downloaded, but it certainly wasn't BtS.

 

[Eclipse4449]

No, no you can't. I don't know what Eclipse downloaded, but it certainly wasn't BtS.

No I downloaded Civilization 4 (on my iphone) I was given a progress bar and a pause option, quickly I went and deleted a bunch of things so it had enough room and was hoping to do the same for BTS.

in the Steam App I pulled up my Library and because I was connected to a strong WiFi it updated my Library and download icons and/or pause icon. I paused the download and resumed it and it must have finished BUT It isn't really there, it can't be done, I don't where 3.?? gigs of data went or why it showed me a progress bar. I still have all the space I provided for it,

 

[Nighthawk419]

Has anyone experience with dropbox shared folders and PBEM games?

I've been running a 2 player game(s) for a couple of years now using a shared dropbox folder and a symbolic link to the PBEMs savegame folder. The way its set up the next players save is automatically shared no need to up/download which is pretty neat IMO. I've never tried it with more than 2 players.

I've done this with a 2 player game with another local guy I've played with before and it worked very very well. Unfortunately I dont know enough about it to see how it would work with more than 2 players... and of course my playing partner in that game lost interest in civ, so the game died, so sad. Now I have this dropbox icon as a constant reminder that my only true friends are here... and they are people like Knoedel. Ugh.

 

[gpcii]

I've done this with a 2 player game with another local guy I've played with before and it worked very very well. Unfortunately I dont know enough about it to see how it would work with more than 2 players... and of course my playing partner in that game lost interest in civ, so the game died, so sad. Now I have this dropbox icon as a constant reminder that my only true friends are here... and they are people like Knoedel. Ugh.

That is a very sad story

 

[kiwitt]

If you no longer have an interest in continuing a particular game or many games what is the best action to take; Notify the host or retire in-game.

 

[Nighthawk419]

If you no longer have an interest in continuing a particular game or many games what is the best action to take; Notify the host or retire in-game.

I would say notifying the host is the best action to take, so they can find a suitable replacement potentially. If they are unable or unwilling to find a replacement, then retiring to the AI is perfectly reasonable. The game admin should have an admin password to enter any turn they need, so ultimately they should be fine without you either way though.

 

[Imperator Knoedel]

Why is this thread still not pinned?

Anyway, I'm looking for a bunch of neutral people to judge a situation in one of my games that has completely spiraled out of control. The game in question is "The future will be better tomorrow."

In a nutshell Tigranes and Luthor made a deal wherein the former gifts the latter a whole lot of units, so the latter can declare war on me and defeat me, at that time a vassal of Tigranes, with those units. However Luthor had a change of heart and decided to backstab Tigranes, who now calls him a cheater and refuses to continue playing with him because it was in his opinion an unbreakable player to player deal.

You should check out the posts discussing it, which begin here and go all the way to the last page.

 

[Eclipse4449]

What Tigranes did is ok in my mind but he gave Luthor to many units, and it doesn't matter who's idea it was because the plan was agreed. Consider a lighter example, one player gifts happiness Luxuries and the receiving player whips units and uses those units to take those Luxuries for himself.
In both of those examples the first player did not take measures to protect himself from this possibility. In the real world you can sell something illegal or on the black market nevertheless it was still a sale! If caught you'll go to jail. If you dabble on the dark side why wouldn't that be your fate.

Except the decision that was made and take the loss, the remaining players who had nothing to do with it should not be held back due to these action, a game is formed and committed to by all players, quitting because "you" are not winning or can not win is absolutely lame

 

[gpcii]

What Tigranes did is ok in my mind but he gave Luthor to many units, and it doesn't matter who's idea it was because the plan was agreed. Consider a lighter example, one player gifts happiness Luxuries and the receiving player whips units and uses those units to take those Luxuries for himself.
In both of those examples the first player did not take measures to protect himself from this possibility. In the real world you can sell something illegal or on the black market nevertheless it was still a sale! If caught you'll go to jail. If you dabble on the dark side why wouldn't that be your fate.

Except the decision that was made and take the loss, the remaining players who had nothing to do with it should not be held back due to these action, a game is formed and committed to by all players, quitting because "you" are not winning or can not win is absolutely lame

I am confused, what is your final verdict. Are you saying that Tigranes has the right to force another player to keep an agreement? Or are you saying that Tigranes took a risk in making that agreement and then should accept the loss.

I too am ok with the agreement, but that is not the issue of debate. The issue is that Tigranes claims to have made a permanent and binding agreement of which the other player is not allowed to back out. Furthermore, the rest of the players who were not involved in this agreement are being expected to enforce it as some sort of "house rule".

Can you please clarify your ruling?

 

[Tigranes]

Furthermore, the rest of the players who were not involved in this agreement are being expected to enforce it as some sort of "house rule".

Can you please clarify your ruling?

I never asked for any enforcement, did I? I simply said me and Luthor will not continue playing together and fellow players have a right to know why.

By the way I dont know why are you are always stressing "permanent" nature of agreement. It was for 20 turns only. And besides. There are permanent alliances in game mechanics, why is the very concept is so unacceptable to you? If leader of Armenia offers Germany to be her vassal to stop the initial war between our civs -- it is the game. Game then has rules about how you can get free from me. But, what if I turn around and tell you, ok gpcii -- if you want me to spare your elimination lets bind us with player to player agreement and never fight again. Then you have 2 options. You can say I always role play so I don't even accept the possibility of player to player deals. Or you can say ok, lets do it. But you cannot have it both ways, regardless of community, can you?

 

[Nighthawk419]

Something that is allowed or disallowed by game mechanics is completely different than anything that is "agreed upon" between two players. The game mechanics are there because the creators think thats the best approach, and whether or not any of us agree, we are bound to them because its the game we play. But then again, thats why there are mods.

"House Rules" are things that are agreed upon by all players prior to joining or starting the game and are a condition of playing. These are perfectly valid and reasonable and need to apply to all players and be agreed upon by all players.

However any "player to player agreements" are not house rules, they are between the players. Some players might see these agreements as unbreakable. Some players may be completely willing to break these agreements for their own chances of winning the game (ie. a backstab). There is nothing that says any agreements made in secrecy need to be followed through. You either make an agreement and trust the person, or you don't, thats on you.

Thats my opinion anyway, and I think its the same opinion as most PBEM players.

 

[methinkso]

I agree completely with everything Nighthawk says. And I think knowing that a certain player is willing to backstab you in such a way should provide a valuable lesson for how you handle "cooperating" with that player again and trusting them in future games.

 

[Eclipse4449]

I think what we are missing here is the actual agreement, how it was stated, composed and the reply. No we don't really want to see it but if I can imagine well enough, the elements of this deal was as real as it would need to be for such a transaction. Therefore this is why there is a problem.

Still regardless this gift or trade or lease or loan changes the power graph from one extreme to another and once view or if viewed gives new thoughts as to what happens next.

I personally do not find fault in what Luthor did because what these players did is something I do in every game I play. I gift or loan units of all types and various quantities and borrow or lease or receive gifts of all unit types. But I would never gift more units than I could defend myself from. What is the process? Walk your units to your shared border and gift them the lot. Whose border are they on now? Eeek!

The only exception I can think of is if I was paying high maintenance on ancient units and had the capability of fast building the next Era units, even then that would be risky due to many weak units can do far more damage than a few more powerful units because a more powerful unit only gets one attack.

Blah blah blah I think it is a lesson learned and the game should carry on, maybe another game changer will occur. It's just a game and you can't possibly think you'll win them all, you can try but you can't quit if you can't win or players will label you as a quitter. Play on and make the best of it.
That is my neutral party opinion.

 

[Eclipse4449]

The Paratrooper and other unit ability to AIR DROP? How does this work? Or why doesn't it work?

Must the destination have an airport or can it be anywhere within drop range?
I'm puzzled.