Page 1 of 1

PBEM security problem

Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 8:04 am
by arethusa
I've been playing PBEM for about a year now with no problems until last week.

All of a sudden, every time I start a new battle, it looks okay when I send it off. However, when it comes back from my opponent, it opens up with me choosing my opponent's units, even though he already did that. I tried continuing on and it worked for me to deploy 'his units' that I bought. I sent it back, and he returned that he now had my original units.

We tried with me starting several different battles and all seemed to go the same way with my password opening up to his side of the battle.

Then we reversed it with my opponent starting the battle and it worked normally so the problem seems to be only if I start the battle from my computer.

Anybody seen this before or got any ideas how to fix it?

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 4:11 am
by tracer
Here's something to check: when you unzip his files, make sure they are over-writing the ones you sent to him. In the past I've received turns that have been zipped with the 'path' option in WinZip turned on...instead of going directly into my SP\email folder, a sub-folder containing the files gets created. You can also check this in the WinZip window (make sure there is nothing under the 'path' column).

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 6:16 am
by arethusa
Thanks. I hadn't thought of that but it doesn't seem to be the case. When I unzip, it checks to make sure that I want to overwrite the files that are already there. This is exactly the same message I've been getting for the last year.

As a test, I've had him create a new battle and we've sent that back and forth a couple of times. It appears to be working fine if he creates the battle (which he doesn't want to do) but it doesn't when I create it. Seems like it's something specific at my end then but only if I'm the originator, not if I'm simply making turns.

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 6:39 am
by tracer
When you create the battle, are you saving it in slot 3-12? These are the only ones you can use for PBEM.

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 1:54 pm
by Klinkenhoffen
Make sure that your opponent is pressing the quit deploy button and not the quit battle button when he finishes his deployment.

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 4:03 pm
by arethusa
Originally posted by Klinkenhoffen
Make sure that your opponent is pressing the quit deploy button and not the quit battle button when he finishes his deployment.


Yes, I am saving the games in slot #3 and #4, Tracer. Thanks.

Kinkenhoffenn that might be where the problem originated. My opponent is doing it correctly but when I was picking my units, I ran out of time before I had done my deployment and had to quit the battle with the intention of finishing it later.

That would explain why that battle didn't work anymore but now it seems that none of them work if I'm the originator. I've tried it 4 times now.

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 6:20 pm
by Lars
arethusa

Set a game up and send it to me and I'll take a look at it. If it works OK between you and me, then you might look for the problem in the other end. :)

My E-mail: lars.harrysson@telia.com