PBEM - .rep file

[nukkxx5058]

Hi,
in a pbem game, we send 2 files. A .sve and a .rep
I understqnd the .sve is the save but what is the .rep for and how to use it ?
thx

[Ralegh]

I think - but don;t know - that the rep file is crucial to the event report. (If you open it in notepad, it starts with "GloryReportSaveFileIDTag" and lots of event report type of data.)

Certainly, you don't need to DO anything to use it - just have it in the same folder as the SVE file, and the game does the rest.

[ggallagher]

Except for ther fact, that as far as I have seen, the replay function doesn't work at all in PBEM.

Has anyone ever actually seen a PBEM replay?

[Ralegh]

I said Event Report, not replay. COG doesn't have a replay feature AFAIK - although it is a neat idea.

[ggallagher]

LOL......a re-read of the PBEM section of the rulebook indicates you are correct....just goes to show that the old adage about "assumptions" is right. I assumed that 1) there is a replay function for PBEM, and 2) that this was reinforced by the ".REP" file extension.

Oh well....put it down for a "nice to have" for some future expansion.

[nukkxx5058]

yep, a replay would be nice...

[2gaulle]

yep, a replay would be nice...

not nice, but necessary. unfortunatly, so far, we couldn't consider COG as a pbem game[:(]

[Ralegh]

2gaulle is a little negative today.
I am playing in a couple of PBEMs at the moment, and loving it.
And when we get a few more features in a patch, it will be even better.

Now, what other features do we need to make PBEM really good?

[2gaulle]

2gaulle is a little negative today.

not negative, honest

[nukkxx5058]

ORIGINAL: Ralegh

Now, what other features do we need to make PBEM really good?

a) What about an automatic SMTP file sending feature ?

b) possibility to switch to temporarily switch to AI (a kind of "holidays" mode) when we know a player will not be able to play the next turn(s) because of e.g. holidays leave.

[ericbabe]

The .rep stands for "reports". Sorry for the confusion.

I want to add a replay feature to PBEM. It is technically intensive and will take some work, and I haven't yet figured out the best way to implement it. There are a few other big things on my plate, such as adding an undo feature, that I want to add before a PBEM replay. The replay would really just show the move phase and perhaps how the AI resolves the quick combats...seeing this isn't necessary for playing the game, and frankly when I play my single-player games I shut off all the watch-movement options anyway. So (at least as far as my playing style goes) the current PBEM implementation isn't much different than my single-player style. Never-the-less, I agree that a replay would be a very good feature.

Possibility of switching players to AI is a good idea and I've added it to the list of features I'd like to add.


Eric

[ggallagher]

In addition to replay, and a slight variation on the SMTP suggestion - Rather than an SMTP capability (I think writing a robust, error-trapping SMTP daemon would be overkill), I suggest a simple "Mailto:" call to the resident email client, populating it with the email address of the next recipient. If the actual PBEM files could be attached via this protocol, so much the better

[nukkxx5058]

ORIGINAL: ggallagher

In addition to replay, and a slight variation on the SMTP suggestion - Rather than an SMTP capability (I think writing a robust, error-trapping SMTP daemon would be overkill), I suggest a simple "Mailto:" call to the resident email client, populating it with the email address of the next recipient. If the actual PBEM files could be attached via this protocol, so much the better

yep, that would be perfect ...

[ggallagher]

Eric:
Can understand the complexity of doing the replay function. Perhaps a compromise ("half-way measure"), might be to display movement arrows for unit moves and crossed swords for battle locations, that would allow the player to click on them for more detailed reports as to nature of the units movement and the battle results.

[bluemonday]

ORIGINAL: ggallagher

LOL......a re-read of the PBEM section of the rulebook indicates you are correct....just goes to show that the old adage about "assumptions" is right. I assumed that 1) there is a replay function for PBEM, and 2) that this was reinforced by the ".REP" file extension.

Actually, there is nothing in the PBEM section of the manual that says there isn't an email replay, and with the state of wargames these days, it should be pretty much assumed that there is a replay feature for PBEM. If there isn't then it's a serious omission.

I agree with 2gaulle - this game is really crippled in PBEM. While I am also enjoying my PBEM experiences (I am in two games), that's because I enjoy the game. And I enjoy it much less without an email replay.

I think that at the minimum, a replay feature and an auto-mailer (even if it is like the auto-attach to the default mail program that the SSG games from Matrix use) are pretty much necessities for PBEM. Those features are what make the SSG games so great for e-mail. Laser Squad Nemesis has the same features. Combat Mission games have the same feature. A replay is a necessary function for PBEM. Not being able to see how your orders were executed really hurts the game in e-mail play.

I also agree that the ability to turn a nation over to the AI is a good idea. Maybe use a similar concept to Dominions 2 where you have the option of setting a "master password" that would allow a player to override a password and set the nation to AI if the human player simply dropped out without notice.

[Reg Pither]

Even though I've never played any game by PBEM, even I can see that a replay feature must be one of the most essential requirements for this type of play.