Matrix Games Forums

There used to be a page at the blitz that showed step by step with pictures, on how to setup a PBEM game. I know it really helped me when I first started. Anyone know where that page went to after the forum change?

Since no one replied I decided to help a gamer out and write out the steps. I had to stop posting for dinner and when I returned my computer had shut down. Fearing that something is wrong with my box, I posted snippets over several posts. Maybe someday I will add pictures.

This is what I really want to learn. I had posted on The Blitz that I was trying to get into pbem.

You are why I posted this.

oh , okay.[:)]

I used to have something that I made up for Zap but I can't find it.

I recommend that you have a zip program, and attach the zip to the email to avoid corruption of the file. Agree with your opponent on the game, sides, size and who is going to start the game. If you start:

Start the game, select play scenario, select PBEM and start a new game. Back in a minute...

I/we have to assume that you know your way around a computer and how to navigate to a folder.

Let's say that you and I play a simple test game. You start by running Rising Sun and follow the above to get to the scenario menu.

You will see Bootcamp1 listed first and notice on the right that it says "first side Allies" Click OK

I get an error popup for a file pbem.yyy and no choice for PBEM

I exit game and right click my desktop shortcut, then select run as administrator which then asks if it is ok to allow this program to make changes to the computer. This is necessary in order to have save files.

I follow the above, start bootcamp1 and get a selection popup. You will be Allies and starting side. If you were Axis you would not get to do any movement, just save a file. This is where you set FOW and the other options. The player that starts the battle sets the options. They cannot be changed by the other player or at a later turn.

When you finish your turn, click the clock symbol on the lower right to end your turn. You get a popup for a save file name.

You want to name the file something short and simple, but something that will tell both players what the file is. If you play more than one person or/and more than one battle, you don't want to mix the files up.

At the blitz they start the file name with !! so that it sorts the file to the top of your Rising Sun folder. For us it would be something like
!!j2dVScptcurtRS and saved as a .bte file.

Give me about 20 minutes and I will send you a test game.

You then get a popup for an encryption key. All this is, is a password for your turn. Always use a password even if it is just a letter or two. Honest players won't try to open your file but players forget to click the clock, end the game and send the opponent what turns out to be a save file. Without a password, the opponent opens the file and sees the enemy forces. OOPS.

Exit the game from the top left dropdown menu.

If you did everything correctly, you will be back at the main menu.

Open your Rising Sun folder. For me that is C:\Matrix Games\John Tiller's Campaign Series\Rising Sun

Find the file and zip it. I use 7zip and can right click the file and select "add to blahblah.zip"

I open my Hotmail in a browser, start a new email and attach the zip file. Talk smack and send it away.

Your opponent will hopefully do his turn, send you an email with a zip containing the same name file. Extract that file into Rising Sun, overwriting the current file. If something is wrong, you have a backup of your turn in the zip that you should still have.

Start the game but this time select PBEM and resume game.

Tip: right click the game folder inside the main JTCS folder and select send to... desktop shortcut. Now you have a quick way to get to your folder for zipping the file and deleting the old zips.
Tip: If you play 3D mode with bases on, hover your mouse pointer over the bases button, press enter will select "ok", if you click the bases button quick enough, it will turn them on before the replay starts.

Hey, are you wolfman?

Nope. But you can play him the same way. Good luck!

can I send you the file to see if I did it correctly?

Sure. junk2drive at Hotmail dot com

Sent

Is it maybe in your spam?

Nope not there. Don't use the matrix email button. Just use your normal email and send it to the address I wrote out above, all lower case.

Sorry, Hotmail should be hotmail

Ok. resent.

Still nothing.