PBEM Problem.

[Hobbes]

Hi I'm attempting my first PBEM game with my opponent playing as host. I am English and he French in the Montcalm scenario. He sent me the ENG .TRN file - I made my move and sent back the .ORD file. He sent back the .TRN file and all seemed well I made my move and sent back the .ORD file. However on the next turn the .TRN file he sent, my units were plotted to move to locations I had not sent them to. We tried to go back to the previous .ORD file but the next .TRN file he sent now had new movement orders not like the previous turn but still not orders I had given. We both suspect that somehow the AI has issued these orders. Another anomaly is that the .TRN he sends to me does not show up on the load screen unless I
hit the IA button. Anyone have any idea what is going on? I would hate this to happen on turn 101 of a game! leure:

Thanks, Chris

[Pocus]

good analysis, the AI took your seat. I would say that your opponent have not added the 2nd turn ORD files in the right directory in this case (this is what happened to all people having the problem, if I recall well).

Send me the saved game, I will run the 2nd turn for you, so that I can check that the orders are correctly processed.

[Hobbes]

Thanks Pocus, I imagine that is the case. We restarted some time ago. This has also happened in another PBEM I am playing. Would it be possible to issue and error message if the host tries to end a turn in a PBEM game when there is no opponent .ord file present rather than just creating an AI turn?
I know PBEM is being improved so maybe this will be included.

Cheers, Chris

[Pocus]

pbem is being worked upon, but by another part-time dev. As for myself I will add a warning yes, it can't do harm!

[Hobbes]

The current problem was caused by myself - sending the .trn instead of the .ord. This is an easy mistake to make when you are hosting some PBEM but not others.

I'm not sure how the software can know if the game is PBEM or an AI game?
So should it expect a .ord to be present or not?

If this is a problem maybe a message could be produced when a .ord IS present informing the host that a PBEM turn will be generated. The absence of a .ord would create an AI .trn but the host would hopefully notice something is wrong by the absence of the PBEM turn generation message.

Chris

[Pocus]

on the other hand the host could have spotted that he was adding a .trn and not an .ord file

I will put in another color a turn which has not an order file. This will allow the host to check rapidly if everything is fine when he load his turn to process it.

[Hobbes]

We just had another problem with PBEM. I now think there are 3 ways this happens :-

1. Host forgets to copy the .ord file or copies it to the wrong location.

2. Host has already made his move and hits end turn after copying the .ord to the correct location. He then makes his next move - then absent-mindedly hits end turn again at the end of that.

3. Non-Host sends .trn instead of .ord

I think 2. might be the most common problem but if you fix 1 by warning of the lack of a .ord this will also fix 2 and 3.

This is causing quite a bit of mahem in our games!
Cheers, Chris

[Pocus]

be vigileant

there is an update planned on that for 1.10, rest assured tough...

[Hobbes]

We try! Many thanks Pocus.

[jhdeerslayer]

Good to hear. This process needs to be dummy proof as too many ways to make mistakes. But... you already know that. Good luck!