PBEM and Dial Up

[Icedawg]

I recently moved out to the middle of nowhere and only have dial up as the sole internet accessibilty option. I have been using high speed service at work, but have been completely lacking internet access at home. I've been debating setting up a dial up connection at home (almost exclusively to play PBEM games - WiTP and CMAK), but the brutally slow speed has kept me from doing so.

So, the question is this. For those of you out there who play WiTP PBEM using dial up, how horrible is it? Does it take absolutely forever to download a turn, or is it not that bad? Translation - would it be worthwhile and bearable? Or would it just be a waste of $50 per month and lots of aggravation waiting for turns?

[Kapten Q]

I've been on dial up for quite some time, it's worthwhile and bearable.

Q

[ChezDaJez]

Hi,

BradfordKay and I are engaged in a PBEM. I'm (Jap) on high-speed internet but Brad (Allies) is on dial-up. I send the WitP001 and WitP002 (our save file) plus the combat report. He says it takes about 20 mintutes to download a turn from me. It takes me about 30-45 seconds to download the WitP002 file from him.

Recently, he started having occasional issues with the download hanging up so I now send two message, one with the combat report and WitP001 file and the second with just the WitP002 file. That way he can download the combat report and watch the replay before he has to download the game file. If it hangs up, he doesn't have to wait the full 20 minutes for anotheer download.

I think he was as hesitant to get into PBEM as you are due to dial-up but I bet if you ask him, he'll say it's worth it. (Of course, as I continue to kick his butt, he may not think so for long!!!.... sorry, Brad)

Chez

[Charbroiled]

I get a magnificent dial-up of 14k-21k at home. It takes about 20 minutes to down load 1 file at a time, or 30 minutes to download the save and the combat save at the same time. Download isn't a problem. The problem I have is attaching file to send to my opponent. Most of the time, the file will start attaching, then it will "time out" or something after about 10 minutes and I have to start all over again....until it eventually attaches. This happens with Outlook Express, Yahoo, and my web server. My work around is that I have DSL at work. I'll take the files into work on a thumb drive and send from there.

[PzB74]

Mercy!

May I NEVER see a dial up modem again in my life [:D]

[Wolfie1]

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

I get a magnificent dial-up of 14k-21k at home. It takes about 20 minutes to down load 1 file at a time, or 30 minutes to download the save and the combat save at the same time. Download isn't a problem. The problem I have is attaching file to send to my opponent. Most of the time, the file will start attaching, then it will "time out" or something after about 10 minutes and I have to start all over again....until it eventually attaches. This happens with Outlook Express, Yahoo, and my web server. My work around is that I have DSL at work. I'll take the files into work on a thumb drive and send from there.

Try Mozilla Thunderbird as a mail programme, much more stable than Outlook Express.

[Charbroiled]

Thanks, I'll try it.

Anything is more stable then Outlook Express.

[Nikademus]

How do you get Thunderbird to work with Hotmail? I tried downloading the plug in but keep getting an error msg saying Thunderbird cannot use it which is odd because it's on Mozillas page.

[Wolfie1]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

How do you get Thunderbird to work with Hotmail? I tried downloading the plug in but keep getting an error msg saying Thunderbird cannot use it which is odd because it's on Mozillas page.

Sorry, can't help - I use my regular e-mail with thunderbird and have no problems. Maybe it's because hotmail is a Microsoft product and they don't want you to use a rival product?

[RUPD3658]

I had AOL dial up until about a month ago. Took 10 minutes to downlaod and 15 to upload. I too had high speed at work, so when I could I downloaded the files to my travel drive and did down/uploaded the files at work.

[Knavey]

50 bucks for dial up!  OUCH!

[bradfordkay]

My dialup connection usually connects at 28.8kbps, and rarely at 31.6kbps. It does take about 20-30 minutes to dl the turns, and about 10 minutes to upload my return. I use Netscape 7.1, and have no problems with the upload timing out, but sometimes the dl freezes. The splitting it into two seperate messages seems to work better.

" (Of course, as I continue to kick his butt, he may not think so for long!!!.... sorry, Brad)"

Now tell everyone who is the only one to have lost a capital ship in our game...



BTW... at $50 per month for dialup, you might want to look into satellite internet.

[ChezDaJez]

Now tell everyone who is the only one to have lost a capital ship in our game...

Yeah, well, [:-] the Emporer denies that it was by enemy action. Seems some lowly seaman clogged the toilet and they couldn't find the plunger... yeah, that's it, that's how it happened... [:D] Please rest assured that all crappers now have plungers readily available and all toilet paper has been removed from our ships...

Chez

[bradfordkay]

Remind me not to step aboard one of your ships without NBC gear! [:'(]


3 Feb, 1942
Pearl Harbor

All Forces in the Pacific

Any Japanese sailors that surrender WILL be sent immediately to the showers and their clothes burned. Every ship will be issued extra dungarees in small sizes so as to provide captured sailors with some manner of clothing...

C. Nimitz, Adm
ComCenPac

[1EyedJacks]

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

I recently moved out to the middle of nowhere and only have dial up as the sole internet accessibilty option. I have been using high speed service at work, but have been completely lacking internet access at home. I've been debating setting up a dial up connection at home (almost exclusively to play PBEM games - WiTP and CMAK), but the brutally slow speed has kept me from doing so.

So, the question is this. For those of you out there who play WiTP PBEM using dial up, how horrible is it? Does it take absolutely forever to download a turn, or is it not that bad? Translation - would it be worthwhile and bearable? Or would it just be a waste of $50 per month and lots of aggravation waiting for turns?

Dude - get satellite access. Signal bounce would piss you off if you are trying to play live real-time (like Xbox) but for PBEM games you'd be fine.

[pauk]

I was forced to use dial up after i've moved in the new appartment. Ordered new fast connection before 5 months and still waiting for it (famous triple play via optic cables).... i really hate dial up not only because it is soo slow - my telephone bill is increased significantly....

but i have no choice at the moment and i would never resign from WiTP.....

[Icedawg]

I asked some folks on this forum about satellite internet access a few weeks ago and the picture they painted wasn't terribly good. They mentioned that it's not appreciably faster than dial up and that it is prone to being out of service in bad weather (and I live in upstate NY - a place where bad weather is pretty much assumed).

[Icedawg]

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

My work around is that I have DSL at work. I'll take the files into work on a thumb drive and send from there.

Ouch! Only one turn per day? You're going to take 3 or 4 years to finish the darned game!

[Nikademus]

thats part of why 2-day turns can be attractive. My average handle time is also 1 turn per day. If i'm lucky, i might get a 2nd in, work and school permitting.

[Charbroiled]

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

Ouch! Only one turn per day? You're going to take 3 or 4 years to finish the darned game!

All of my opponents are patent people and because of family/work commitments for both of us, we know going into the game that it will be a slow process.

I won't (can't) play someone that wants a "high-speed" game.