'Game failed to load' Error in PBEM play

[Galka]

Folks, Have had this error crop up twice in the two PBEM games I've played. Once during the first couple of turns, Today after about 6 turns. Is there any way to recover the game, or any idea of the problem that has caused the error message?

[Pack Rat]

I had to start an e-mail game with myself to see how W@W handles it. Not having the files that are giving you problems, I can't reproduce it. It doesn't allow you to restart? Both games are dead? How stable is the game running besides e-mail games? What are the game sides and time periods? Are you sending all three files or using a zip program. I'm guessing that these questions are unimportant and that we'll need a person from the team to track this one, but don't know unless I ask. Maybe someone else has run into it and has an answer. Lets hope. If you still have the zipped file or the e-mail with the attachment delate the offending files and reinstall them and try again. It should also be possable to have the files sent again. Let us know, please.

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Hell On Wheels

[Pack Rat]

Oh yeah, this is kind of like asking if the computer is plugged in, but where are you putting the files and are you overwriting the old files?

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Hell On Wheels

[Paul Vebber]

All three files (.dat, .aux and.cmt) must go in the email folder. though once you get started it automatically saves them in the right place, though you have unzip your opponents turn in the right place!

You and your opponenet need matching OOB files, and once you start you have continnue the pbem game form the same install.

If you really have a problem you can reload and attempt to play - ignore the errors) each file in succession. That way a corrupt file will not cause a game to be unfinishable, but it increasiningly discoureges cheating by replaying turns the further in to the game you get.

When (I'm hoping not if) we get TCP/IP play working, that will not be an issue, but the most "secure" play right now is secure exchanging turns "in real time" using ICQ or the like" if you are exchanging turns every 20-30 minutes, its doubtful your opponent will have time to replay turns...

We felt keeping a "backdoor" to allow "broken" games to be resumed outweighed "100%" cheat proof, but potentially unfinishable if an honest mistake is made, pbem games.

If you trust your opponent and don't want to deal with the large size of the encrypted "secure" game files, just DON"T enter a password when setting up the game and exchange the TWO (.dat and .cmt) files form the SAVE folder (not EMAIL) and you can play "unsecure" with the old "small" file size.

So far in playtesting the pbem has worked very well!