Automated PBEM for the Steam version?

[InfoBit]

I love this game! I wanted to play it with some friends, but honestly, it is annoying to have to e-mail each other the save file.

Is there going to be an officially-maintained automated version of this process anytime soon, maybe with the Steam release?

I and my friends also play a PBEM-like game, Dominions 5. But even there, the annoyance of e-mailing turns disappeared with community-maintained servers and Discord bots. I think this game would benefit from some officially-maintained automation for multiplayer.

As an example, I want to mention Age of Wonders - Planetfall. The multiplayer part of the game is automated, and you even get a Steam notification when it is your turn. Anyway, I hope this is something we could see in the future. [&o]

[mssm45]

Use DropBox instead of emails.

[zgrssd]

You propably want to make a sugestion for this. But I wanted to write one for the AOW:PF approach myself.


@mssm45: Just changing the place where the savegame is stored without changing the process increases the hassle, instead of decreasing it.

[InfoBit]

The AoW:PF approach is great. Everyone can be online simultaneously, or play their turn and exit the game.

If you write that suggestion, I will second it!

[Fizbun]

In our Discord chat they just send the savegame into the channel.
You don't have to email, you basically could upload it as a .txt on pastebin and send it to someone and they could save it as .SE1 file

[Malevolence]

You have my vote, but I'll add it would be nice if the history displayed the same automatic battle information and visual display that we see when taking our own turns. Nice to have in PvE, essential in PvP.

[zgrssd]

I made the post:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4850196

ORIGINAL: Malevolence

You have my vote, but I'll add it would be nice if the history displayed the same automatic battle information and visual display that we see when taking our own turns. Nice to have in PvE, essential in PvP.

This would have to be a general change to how the Combat History works (and what it contains).

Entirely unrelated to how you exchange that savefile.

[InfoBit]

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

I made the post:

Thanks a lot! I will comment there.

[diamondspider]

I think it is a terrific idea to try to support hassle-free multiplayer on Steam. There have been many games that my friends simply refuse to play due to email hassle, including the excellent Solium Infernum that they really like but the email hassle makes them refuse to play it with me.

How difficult can it be to share a game play file in SteamCloud? (don't answer that, I know that absolutely nothing is actually "easy" in development).

[zgrssd]

ORIGINAL: diamondspider

I think it is a terrific idea to try to support hassle-free multiplayer on Steam. There have been many games that my friends simply refuse to play due to email hassle, including the excellent Solium Infernum that they really like but the email hassle makes them refuse to play it with me.

How difficult can it be to share a game play file in SteamCloud? (don't answer that, I know that absolutely nothing is actually "easy" in development).

The cloud is not suited for that. To my knowledge it deals with your savegames only.

The thing is, nobody made any headway in this regard until Planetfall hit last year. It is the first actuall improovement of the PBEM format for...I think decades? Maybe even since it was invented?
That is how long it took to figure out the right improovement to make (without change the whole Savegame system and gameplay loop).

[diamondspider]

I don't think that is true at all. I've played tons of games like this that work perfectly multiplayer on Steam. Of course just using SteamCloud won't work, but it would be pretty similar.

[eddieballgame]

One benefit of a simple file transfer system such as via email is, no need to worry or contend with a particular server being down.
It can happen & the "hassle" of replacing a small saved file (which is in the main directory) is...minuscule.

[zgrssd]

ORIGINAL: eddieballgame

One benefit of a simple file transfer system such as via email is, no need to worry or contend with a particular server being down.
It can happen & the "hassle" of replacing a small saved file (which is in the main directory) is...minuscule.

The thing is: The addtion of automation would not remove the option to manually go back to PBEM.
You can still move around the savegame ye-olde-men style.

[eddieballgame]

I am curious if anyone has tried a PBEM game with more than 2 players & how that worked out.

[DTurtle]

I'm in two 4-player PBEMs. We have a discord channel for each game, and everybody simply posts the save game and messages the next player in line that their turn is up.

It works very well.

[eddieballgame]

ORIGINAL: DTurtle

I'm in two 4-player PBEMs. We have a discord channel for each game, and everybody simply posts the save game and messages the next player in line that their turn is up.

It works very well.

Excellent & thank you.