PBEM anyone? Multi-Player anyone? Newbie me...

[Sarxis]

Anyone interested in playing me a PBEM and/or MP game? I have never played a PBEM game before and I have tried playing through a MP game recently but the game bombed on my opponent and I so we did not finish it. Post follow-up if interested.

[hygum]

I want to play e-mail AC-X with you. I want to be university

[flop]

hey,
I'll join you guys. This'll be my first PBEM as well. I play SMAC only, hygum is that ok for you ? I'll play any faction except Believers. I think it's ok when we're three, that way it'll be reasonably fast.
I'd like to play my turn every day in the evening/night hours GMT.
Does anyone of u 2 know how to set up and manage the game? Pesonally I haven't looked into this .
hear from u soon
flop

[This message has been edited by flop (edited January 16, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by flop (edited January 16, 2000).]

[Sarxis]

I have read the PBEM FAQ thread that is floating around here and that's about it. I need to review/experiment how to start a PBEM but besides that I think I am OK to go. The only problem now is what the game settings will be (i.e. SMAC/SMAX? blind research? spoils? etc.). Here are the settings that I prefer:
No spoils (what the heck are probe teams for if spoils is enabled?)
All victories enabled(for expedience)
Cooperative is fine
No Do or Die (not fun if a mindworm takes you out early)
No tech stagnation
And everything else is fine on default or up to you guys.
As far as if it will be SMAC v.4 or SMAX v.2 (patch 'em if you got 'em) that will be up to you two; I'll play either.
Follow up with comments and input and I will check up on all PBEM info I can find.

[Sarxis]

I found this in another thread:
Starting a Game-
1) Host should advertise the type of game and rules he wants to
use. This way you will only get players that want to play that
style of game and if you do that there is a less of a chance that
someone will drop out.

2) After you have gotten all the players and assigned them their
faction send an Email to them all showing who all is playing, their
faction, and Email address. Put the list of players in order
because that will be the mailing order of the turns.

3) The host starts the game and sets up all the players with
their faction. If the host is not Gaian then he just saves and
exits the game and sends it to the Gaians who will always be the
first player.

4)Save the game with a name and make sure that everyone in
the game saves it that way
also. Reason for this is many of us will be in more than one game
and you can always tell what turn for what game is coming in.

5)The host should collect everyones password in case someone
drops out. This gives him the chance to find a replacement
player.


The First Turn

1) Host mails the turn to the first player. After he mails the turn
he then sends a message to everyone else (can just be a
subject line type message) saying something like this (name of
game) sent to Hive. This way everyone will know who is
supposed to have the turn in case it gets lost in cyberspace or
there is a long delay. This continues everytime someone finishes
their turn and passes it on.

2)When player 2 gets the turn, unzip it (always good to zip the
file) into the Save game directory of where you installed SMAC.
Load it up and it will ask you for a password, type one in, verify
it, and hit OK. Play the turn and make sure you "END" your turn.

After you end your turn will take you back to the password
screen. VERY IMPORTANT OR TURN ONE ONLY -- just hit save
and exit!!!

3) Zip up the turn and send it to the next player and send the
message that the turn has been sent to everyone playing.
----------------------------------

[hygum]

you Anunikoba, just start the game, i find your preferences good enough for me.

How do i see which patch-version i have?


[This message has been edited by hygum (edited January 17, 2000).]

[flop]

yo,
I'll go along with mostly all the settings, I hate blind research, though. It keeps you from directing your faction where you want it to go; especially when we're playing with human players it will be fun to watch how different strategies suceed.
All victory conditions is a good idea.
Make it a map with abundant natural life and weak erosive forces, if you ask me. Plus the smaller the map, the earlier we'll meet each other.
You can start me up as the Morganites or Hive if you want.
Oh yes and the difficulty level should be Librarian at least, with anything below that the AI factions are easy meat.
Let's go
flop

[Sarxis]

To check to make sure you have version 4 of SMAC ( are we then playing a SMAC game? ) just start up a game, any game, and press help in the 'Menu' pop-up of the interface. Or you can press ctrl-F4 or ctrl-shft-F4 ( I don't remember which ) to find out.
Ok, so here is what I got:
I will play the Peacekeepers
flop, let me know for sure if you want Morgan or Yang.
hygum will be UoP
No blind research (I like to pick my techs too)
I will generate the map like flop has listed.
Librarian level..?? ok?
And, if it is ok, a 'large' random map with %70+ water and average rainfall. I think that, because we will use all seven factions with 3 human factions this will give us plenty of room. I just beat a Librarian level game in 200 years on a large map by conquest. If I am not mistaken we, the human factions, will aleady have contact with
each other right from the begining, so playing on a large map won't hinder relations with each other.
I have the IP adresses you two have listed under your Apolyton profiles, so once I have flop's decision on who he will play I will send the first turn to whoever goes first. I will also post a message here and to the other player that the game is finally underway. Remember, don't save and then send the game file to the next player until you have hit the 'End Turn' button. And use passwords.

Sorry about the delay for this response.

[flop]

Anuninkoba,
Morgan it is.
I suggest you take the first turn and send it on to me or hygum, since we are on GMT and you are a couple hours earlier than we are.
Something else:
Do you two think we might manage to find a date and time where we can spend a couple of hours online together, maybe have a chat window open and play a couple of turns successively? That way we could make it through the first 20/25 turns when you don't do that much movement anyway and the game could be sped up a little. Just a silly idea, if you don't have enough time to waste on such activities, forget about it.
flop

[This message has been edited by flop (edited January 18, 2000).]

[Sarxis]

That would be fine by me, how 'bout you hygum? I am getting the game set up now and will find out who will go first. I will then send the game to them and then post here and to the other player that the game has started.
Good luck to us all.. and may the fungus be with you!

[Sarxis]

Turn one has been sent to Provost hygum. Game is underway.

[Sarxis]

Problem with the game; seems that the Map Editor has been activated. Very strange.