PBEM problem with orders resolution

[Major Tom]

My opponent and I have been trying our first PBEM game and we're having trouble getting orders executed. When the host clicks "end turn" his orders are executed, but the opponent's are not. Instead, AI orders are executed for the opponent.

We've both tried hosting and we've had the same probem in each direction.

I've read some other threads related to this problem, and I'm sure we must be doing something wrong. I'm just not sure what it is, although I have some ideas.

We're going to try again tonight, and I have a couple of specific questions:

1) We have not used compression. When you use the in-game "enable turn compression" option, does the game automatically decompress the file on the other end, or do you have to use winzip or some other program to decompress it before copying it to the folder?

2) Do both players have to have the same name for their saved game sub-diretory?

3) Do you have to exit the game and/or close the program between each step, or can you alt-tab out to do your file transfers?

4) After the Host has copied the Opponent's .ORD file into the directory and restarted the game, can he still issue orders and save them, or does he have to issue all of his orders and save them before copying in the opponent's .ORD file?

Looking at the instrucitons in the manual, and picking up some things here on the message board, I come up with this detailed outline of the PBEM process. Am I missing anything here?

1. STEP 1 = HOST
1.1. Launch game program.
1.2. In the Options menu, select “enable turn compression.”
1.3. Select “New Game.”
1.4. Choose campaign or scenario from menu.
1.5. Select your side.
1.6. Enter a name for the saved game. This will automatically generate a subfolder of that name in C:\Program Files\AGEod's American Civil War\ACW\Saves\
1.6.1. Do NOT rename this directory or any of the files outside of the game.
1.7. Do nothing else in the game -- Exit game without saving.
1.8. Close game program.
1.9. From the new save game directory, there should be only two files, both .TRN files. Send the opponent his .TRN file (USA or CSA).
2. STEP 2 = OPPONENT
2.1. Copy the .TRN to the C:\Program Files\AGEod's American Civil War\ACW\Saves\ directory. You can create a new sub-directory for the game if you wish.
2.2. Launch game program.
2.3. In the Options menu, select “enable turn compression.”
2.4. Select “load Game.”
2.5. Choose the correct game from the menu.
2.6. Complete all of your orders.
2.7. Save and exit game.
2.8. Close game program.
2.9. From the save directory, send your new .ORD file to Host.
3. STEP 3 = HOST (concurrent with STEP 2)
3.1. Launch game program.
3.2. Select “Load Game” and choose the correct game.
3.3. Issue all of your orders.
3.4. Save the game (do not use “Save As”).
3.5. Exit the game and close the program.
4. STEP 4 = HOST
4.1. Copy opponent’s ORD file into saved game folder.
4.2. Launch game program.
4.3. Select “Load Game” and choose the correct game.
4.4. Do NOT issue any new orders during this step.
4.5. Click “End Turn.”
4.6. Exit the game and close the program – without saving (game is automatically saved at End Turn).
4.7. Send opponent new .TRN file.
5. Repeat Steps 2-4.
5.1. If prompted when copying files to folder, write over previous files.

I know that outline is almost absurdly detailed, but after trying half a dozen times and not getting it right, I want to make sure I have all the steps.

Thanks for your help!

[Redeemer]

I'll give this a shot, someone correct me if I am wrong.

1. STEP 1 = HOST
1.1. Launch game program.
1.2. In the Options menu, select “enable turn compression.”
1.3. Select “New Game.”
1.4. Choose campaign or scenario from menu.
1.5. Select your side.
1.6. After entering the game, do a "save as" and name the game for easy recognition.
1.6.1. Do NOT rename this directory or any of the files outside of the game.
1.7. Do nothing else in the game -- Exit game without saving.
[color="red"]1.8. Close game program.[/color] Not necessary
1.9. From the new save game directory, there should be only two files, both .TRN files. Send the opponent his .TRN file (USA or CSA).
2. STEP 2 = OPPONENT
2.1. Copy the .TRN to the C:\Program Files\AGEod's American Civil War\ACW\Saves\ directory. You can create a new sub-directory for the game if you wish.
2.2. Launch game program.
2.3. In the Options menu, select “enable turn compression.”
2.4. Select “load Game.”
2.5. Choose the correct game from the menu.
2.6. Complete all of your orders.
2.7. Save and exit game.
2.9. From the save directory, send your new .ORD file to Host.
4. STEP 4 = HOST
4.1. Copy opponent’s ORD file into saved game folder or PBEM game folder if you renamed it.
4.2. Launch game program.
4.3. Select “Load Game” and choose the correct game.
3.3. Issue all of your orders.
4.5. Click “End Turn.”
4.6. Exit the game
4.7. Send opponent new .TRN file.
5. Repeat Steps 2-4.
5.1. If prompted when copying files to folder, write over previous files.

I rearranged some. The Host should only issue his orders after copying the opponents to the game folder.

[soundoff]

Hi Major Tom,

The answer to your questions are I believe as follows:

1. Yes if you use turn compression the game automatically decompresses it. So lets say you are the not hosting the game. You have turn compression on. You do your move and then e-mail the compressed file to the game host. All the game host has to do is save it to the saved game file and it will load up. I would like to add though, dont give a name for the compressed file just leave it blank. If I recall correctly some folks have had problems if a password is actually entered.

2. Nope both players can have different names for their saved game files. Makes not a jot of difference.

3. Once the turn has been done by the host he/she can alt/tab out to send the non hosting player the correct ORD file. What he/she cannot do though is load in the non hosting players ORD file whilst the game is running. If you try to do that the game does not recognise that orders have actually been issued.

As a guide the hosting player can always see whether or not an opponents orders have been loaded correctly. Enter your moves etc and save it. Then quit the game and return to the startup screen. Click on the 'load saved game' option and you will see against your side a red paper clip. This shows that orders have been entered for that side. Now in PBEM once the host has entered and saved his/her own orders and then loaded in the non hosts orders there should be a red paper clip icon on the left of both sides.


4. Yes, the host can issue/amend orders at any time.


5. The STEPS are correct. All I would say referencing above that as the host can do his/her moves at any time all that matters is that the 'next turn' button is not clicked before the opponents ORD file has been loaded in.

So in my own PBEM games for example when I'm hosting I'll do STEP1. Then I'll send the TRN file to my opponent. Whilst I'm waiting for the ORD file to be returned I will do my move and save it. This then also gives me time to mull over what I've done revise it etc. Then when I get my opponents ORD file back I load it into the correct saved game directory. Fire up the game making sure that against both sides there are the two 'red paper clips'. Process the turn and keep rinsing and repeating. That way I'm always able to send back the results pretty speedily in most cases.

To avoid possible poblems with the AI conducting moves when you are playing PBEM its actually best if the host turns off the AI in the options menu.

Have fun

[Major Tom]

Thanks, Redeemer and Soundoff, for your responses. They do rule out one or two things I thought might be causing the problem. At this point, I can only assume it’s either because we aren’t using compression or because my opponent was alt-tabbing with the game still running. I know he was alt-tabbing to do file transfers but I assumed it was from the main game menu, not from in-game. But, we had the same problem with me hosting and I did not alt-tab.

I am still a bit confused about the timing of the host entering orders. I had read in another thread that the host should only enter orders before loading the opponent’s .ORD file. Redeemer says the opposite, and Soundoff says the host can enter his orders any time. This might just be a semantic misunderstanding – by “issue orders” I mean everything up to but not including hitting the end turn button.

[Redeemer]

I can only relate my own experiences, which are limited to this point, so take them for what they are worth. When I have hosted, if I tried to make moves and then load the opponents orders, sometimes my orders would not take hold and I would have to redo them, however, I have had no problems loading the opponents first and then completing mine.

[soundoff]

Whether or not you have turn compression turned on or off should not make a difference. Out of personal choice I use WinRar but before I went down that route I used the in game compression feature and in the very early days no compression. I had no problems at all with any method other than perhaps without any sort of compression the files are very large that you are sending. Maybe I was just lucky.

As regards entering orders and doing 'anything' up to but not hitting the 'end turn' button. Redeemer might have had different experiences but I've always found as host you can enter/amend your orders, moves, call drafts, attacks etc either before or after your opponents ORD file is loaded.

Hope you get it sorted as I find that when you are playing against another human this game rocks.