Play by Email Problem

[ulex]

Hello guys, I'm playing a Play-by-Email game with a C3C PC player. I have C3Complete with the latest patch (1.22revA).

I have created the game, and then we started exchanging the .sav files. I received his file for 3950BC and everything OK, I save it and send it to him. Now I received his .sav file for 3900 BC and I make my turn, and when I try to save the file it hangs indefinitely the game (but I can listen the hard drive working). I restart the computer, I go check the folder with the file and there is the file with almost 1 GB size!!!

Any clue guys on what's happening? Thanks

 

[AlanH]

If you post his save here I can have a look at it. There were some problems with PC -> Mac file compatibility that my FileValet utility was set up to fix, but they were supposedly fixed in Rev A. Maybe you've found another one.

 

[ulex]

Here's the file.

If you need my password I will email it.

Thanks
Jorge

 

[AlanH]

That save does include the extra garbage that we've found in PC multiplayer saves before. Before Rev A, it had the effect of allowing you to load up the save you received from the previous player and play your turn, but then when you tried to save it, the save failed.

I haven't heard from anyone else that the Rev A still gives problems for PBEM cross-platform games, but it seems from your experience that maybe it does. I suggest the following steps:

1. Make sure that you are actually running the Rev A version. If you select Get Info for the Civ3 Complete application you should see two key pieces of information:

Kind: Application (Universal)
...
Version: 1.22 Rev. A (v10667), © .... etc.

If you are not running the Rev A version then you certainly need to do so.

2. Download my FileValet utility (see my sig). Run that, and drop the file you sent me onto its window. It will clean out the extra data that was causeing the pre-Rev A. problem, and hopefully this will allow you to play and save your turn. If you wish, I can confirm that this fixes the problem if you send me your password. A PM would do, or my email is alanh <at> civfanatics <dot> net.

If FileValet fixes it for this turn then you should use it before playing each file that you receive in future.

 

[ulex]

I have used FileValet with this file and it informs that the file is "Corrupt", and then it doesn't let do more. I'm absolutelly sure I'm using the latest patch. To be sure, I have installed Civ 3 complete as a fresh install and then applyed the patch again.

Now I have started a PBEML with another windows C3C, and this error is happening again. Again FileValet informs that the file is "Corrupt".

The curious is that I'm playing with yet another windows user and I have had no problems whatsoever, I'm entering AD time with him.

 

[AlanH]

In its default state FileValet should fix the file you drop on it. You shouldn't need to do anything else. Did you try the file again after you did that?

If you send me a file and a password as I suggested above I can investigate for you.

Yes, this "corruption" doesn't seem to happen consistently on PCs. I've no idea what causes it.

 

[ulex]

Alan, i sent you a "corrupted" file sent by my Windows adversary, and my password for that file, to your email. As I told, I started playing with three Windows players, and I'm having these problems with two.

You say FileValet should correct the corrupted file, but I think it doesn't change the file whatsoever, because I repeatedly drop the file into FileValet and it is always corrupt.

Thanks

 

[AlanH]

I used FileValet on the save you sent me, and was then able to open it and play a turn. When I hit next turn I was able to save and exit, and produced a new file.

Please open FileValet, then drop the file onto the FileValet window. That should clean it.

Dropping the file straight onto the FileValet application icon opens it, and displays its status, but doesn't seem to save it as a clean file. I'm not sure why, I'll have to investigate - it's a while since I wrote that software. Sorry

 

[ulex]

OK it's now working! Thank you Alan, great utility. I can now continue my games, with the extra work of checking all files first.

Does FileVault erase any relevant information from the files?

 

[AlanH]

Great!

FileValet only removes some data that appears to do nothing. I have never had any indication that it has done any harm.

I've had another look at the code, and I recall now why dropping the file onto the application's icon doesn't work. I wanted to be able to Open a file from the file menu and then perform other actions in future. I probably didn't look hard enough, but I couldn't find a way in Cocoa to tell the difference between selecting the File/Open menu command, and dropping a file on the application's icon. I came to the conclusion that Apple's Human Interface guidelines probably require them to behave the same.