Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: JeF

The "run until" feature was certainly asked by Markshot. It is clearly his type of play. Here is hoping that you don't have to push the "run until button" and confirm each time. As soon as you have fixed a period of time, you can repeateadly hit the play button and the game will pause automatically.

Not that I plan to use this feature though. I'm just trying to throw some fuel in the fire. [;)]

JeF.

I don't need any more fuel at this stage, thanks JeF. [;)]

No it does not remember the last adjustment duration. I'll add that to the wish list.

Dave could you expand that reference to "a PBEM style game". Are you suggesting that player 1 plans his moves and say advances the game for, lets say 2 hours. At the end of the move Player one saves as PBEM file and sends to opponent for his 2 hour move and sends it back, etc.,etc.? Of course there is no pausing during the two hour play out or is the player in control allowed to manipulate his forces?

What would the size of the PBEM move files be?

SeaMonkey,

For PBEM I would recommend an arrangement where Player 1 issues his orders ( Play is Paused ), saves the Game, emails it to Player 2. Player 2 issues his orders and then sets the RunUntil time to whatever time interval the players agree on ( eg 2 hours hence ). Player 2 should not intervene while the game is running ( hard hey? [;)] ). He then issues his next orders, saves the Game and emails it back to Player 1. Player 1 then issues his orders and runs until another 2 hours, issues orders again, saves and emails back to Player 2 and so on.

The Saved Game file varies in size according to the scenario, but typically would be around 2Mb.

Even better would be if you could set the RunUntil time to a fixed value at start for PBEM-games.
Then the usual routine where players input the orders, and end the files back and forth.
The program then runs the playback without any options to interfere other than stopping/rewinding/slow-motion etc.
Combat Mission does this and it functions well although you need more file transfers than in a 'I go you go' system.

Erik,

You're probably right but we won't be providing a playback feature at this stage.

You could overcome that with a bit more swapping of savegames.

1. Player 1 issues orders & emails the savegame.
2. Player 2 issues orders & emails the savegame.
3. Both players run it for 2 hours, then go back to Step 1.

Regards
33

ORIGINAL: Golf33
You could overcome that with a bit more swapping of savegames.

1. Player 1 issues orders & emails the savegame.
2. Player 2 issues orders & emails the savegame.
3. Both players run it for 2 hours, then go back to Step 1.

Shouldn't step 3 be : one player runs it for 2 hours, goto step 1 ?

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

"The "run until" feature was certainly asked by Markshot. It is clearly his type of play. Here is hoping that you don't have to push the "run until button" and confirm each time. As soon as you have fixed a period of time, you can repeateadly hit the play button and the game will pause automatically."

No, actually, I did not request this.

Although I do break the game into time intervals, I do that best on events after the fact. This is as opposed to arbitrary intervals before the fact.

ORIGINAL: sterckxe

ORIGINAL: Golf33
You could overcome that with a bit more swapping of savegames.

1. Player 1 issues orders & emails the savegame.
2. Player 2 issues orders & emails the savegame.
3. Both players run it for 2 hours, then go back to Step 1.

Shouldn't step 3 be : one player runs it for 2 hours, goto step 1 ?

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

Sure, if you want player 1 to have to give orders based solely on a 2-hourly 'snapshot' of the game situation, having never seen it running [:)]

Both players running the game simply allows both players to see events as they develop, overcoming the lack of a replay feature.

Regards
33

OK, I got it Steve...its like an IGO-UGO with a WeGo viewing system, the turn isn't run until both players issue their orders and then swap emails, each viewing the agreed turn time span at their convenience. Then do it again, over and over. Only thing that bothers me is that 2MB file, I'm on dial-up.

Before we go too far with all this. We are yet to implement the mechanics of any PBEM system. So discussion here is fine but that is all it is. We want to provide a PBEM system that is effective but it has to be do-able within the very limited time we have left - and that is not much. I'll go so far as to say that we may end up having to drop it if we run out of time.

Here's a peek at the new Command Screen Graphics lovingly prepared by Marc Schwanebeck.

Awesome!!!!

[:D]

Yep, looking very good indeed!

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

We want to provide a PBEM system that is effective but it has to be do-able within the very limited time we have left - and that is not much.

Any idea - very roughly - how long till the game goes gold? Can't wait to get me mitts on it.

It should already be out. [:@] But then like combat, no plan survives contact with the enemy ( in this case "bugs" ). [:)] We are still finishing off the interface for the Resupply system and then we have to test all the Resupply code I have written. It's at least another month. [:(] But good things are worth waiting for. [:)]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

It should already be out. [:@] But then like combat, no plan survives contact with the enemy ( in this case "bugs" ). [:)] We are still finishing off the interface for the Resupply system and then we have to test all the Resupply code I have written. It's at least another month. [:(] But good things are worth waiting for. [:)]

Dave-

Take as much time as you need. I'd rather wait for something done right, ala HTTR, then provided something like a Paradox title and spend months at a time twiddling my thumbs waiting for another patch.

To quote an article on video console gaming...

What I am not looking forward to is an era when it will be presumed that all gamers have broadband connections, thus giving the video game industry the same "we can always release a patch later" quality control that has crippled the PC gaming industry. If I wanted a job as a game debugger, I would have paid more attention in math class.

And thanks for all your hard work too!!!!

A month isn't bad.. I thought it might be 6 or so

Good luck with the bugs, hope u splat them

Graphics look great!

My german not being what it used to be, is there a "real-o-meter" there (I'm guessing the bottom right, but...)

TANX
Andrew

Yeah, Kill 'em all! No mercy for the bugs!

BTW, awesome screenies