FOFC Civ4 PBEM, Raging Barbarians Style

[gstelmack]

There have been more people expressing interest in a PBEM game. I was thinking of getting another one rolling. Key settings would be Tilted Axis, everything random (except maybe size, can base it on how many players we get), and activating the "raging barbarians" mod for some solid military action.

Any interest?

Settings

Version: 1.52
Map: Tilted Axis, all parameters except size randomized
Size: Standard (8 players)
Game Speed: Normal
Options: default, except for:

Raging Barbarians: On
Civs: random for everyonePlayers

gstelmack - gstelmack AT nc.rr.com
Yossarian - david at davidlearnsgames.com
vexroid - will_brown_03 AT hotmail.com
WVUFan - nightgatecomics AT gmail.com
Sachmo - mrsachmo AT hotmail.com ([email protected])
JeeberD - JeeberD AT hotmail.com
DraftDodger - draftdodger AT gmail.com

[Yossarian]

Im interested

david at davidlearnsgames.com

[vex]

I'm in.

will_brown_03 at hotmail.com

[WVUFAN]

I'm game.

[Passacaglia]

I'm interested, too.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'm in

[gstelmack]

If interested, post your e-mail address, and I'll keep the top list updated. I'll also update with the current settings, which are open for discussion but unlikely to change much. I'm taking the "here are some settings, if you want to play join in, if you don't feel free to start another game" approach. Sure seems like there is room for 5-10 games going here...

[JeeberDMack]

Count me in. I can't get enough PBEM action...

JeeberD AT hotmail.com

[Passacaglia]

agage1 AT gmail.com

[gstelmack]

I'll give until Tuesday night (Dec 27) for people to sign up, and then sometime Wednesday I'll get the game rolling.

[Draft Dodger]

I'm game - draftdodger AT gmail

[Marc Vaughan]

My email is marc.vaughan at sigames dot com

[Yossarian]

david at davidlearnsgames.com

[Draft Dodger]

will the build we are using matter?

[vex]

Epic speed, meh;)

[Yossarian]

I'm happy to go with whatever settings really but I would caution against Epic simply because PBEM is by its very nature slow. And if we play epic, then it will take many a week before we even find each other.

[gstelmack]

will the build we are using matter?
I would assume everyone is patched to 1.52 for this, and it may likely matter as the game moves forward.

As to the game speed, I'm open for discussion on it. While Epic slows down the early game, it gives at least a chance to play with some of the middle and late units rather than them becoming obsolete as soon as you can build them. But I understand for PBEM we might want normal, so I'm listening...

[WVUFAN]

My email is nightgatecomics AT gmail.com ([email protected])

[Yossarian]

I've never played a game of multiplayer civ that lasted long past gunpowder! but maybe all my friends are warmongers...

[gstelmack]

Okay, Normal speed it is. I'll get this rolling shortly...

[vex]

Are we playing with the Raging Barbarians option or mod?

[gstelmack]

Are we playing with the Raging Barbarians option or mod?
Option. I'm just checking the box in-game.

Map size ended up being standard. First turn sent. Let me know if I screwed anything up...

[Marc Vaughan]

Did I make it into the game? - just checking as my inbox is empty currently ...

[vex]

Did I make it into the game? - just checking as my inbox is empty currently ...
Yeah, the order is in the first post of the thread. WVUfan will send it to you after he takes his turn and so on.

[Marc Vaughan]

Ok - cool, first time I've tried this so it should be interesting ..

[vex]

And it seems that I have had the file for 2 1/2 hours. Now, I just need to get home so I can get rampaged by the puny barbarians:)

[vex]

Sent to WVUFan.

[Draft Dodger]

so, I've never done a pbem before - does the game walk me through it all?

[WVUFAN]

I'll be home in about an hour and I'll run my turn. :-)

[gstelmack]

so, I've never done a pbem before - does the game walk me through it all?
Essentially, when you get the e-mail, just double-click the attachment and it'll launch the game, let you know whose turn it is (should be yours), and do your turn normally. When you end you turn, it'll tell you who to e-mail the file to. The file is under My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civ IV\Saves\pbem\FOFC Raging Barbarians. Make sure you get the correct (most recent) year, as it puts a new one here every turn.

There is the capability to specify an SMTP server, user name, and password in one of the menu options off the Escape menu in a PBEM game. If you set that up correctly, you can e-mail the turn from that same menu item and not have to go hunt down the file manually and e-mail it.

[Draft Dodger]

cool. thanks for that info

[WVUFAN]

Where is that option to set your email settings?

[WVUFAN]

Sent to Passacaglia

[gstelmack]

Where is that option to set your email settings?
Hit "Escape" while in-game, and click the "Your details" button.

[WVUFAN]

Thanks, man. Any update on when the turn is gonna come around?

[gstelmack]

I think Pass is holding up two games now. Probably on a Christmas vacation or sumtin'

[Passacaglia]

No, I'm here. Trying to fix my desktop computer! Sorry for the delay.

[gstelmack]

No, I'm here. Trying to fix my desktop computer! Sorry for the delay.
That was my second guess ;)

[Yossarian]

any progress?

[gstelmack]

Still waiting for Pass as far as I know.

[vex]

Believe so.

[Passacaglia]

Hey guys, my computer is messed up, and I don't think I'll be able to fix it -- at least not for a while. So count me out. Sorry if you have to start over!

[gstelmack]

Okay, guess the easiest thing is to start over with Pass out. Everything will be the same, just one less player in the game.

[gstelmack]

Okay, restarted, first turn sent.

[vex]

But we had gone *SO* far:D

[Yossarian]

who has the ball?

[JeeberD]

bump!

[sachmo71]

I can replace deadbeat owners. I'm just saying... :)

[Draft Dodger]

this is fun!

[gstelmack]

who has the ball?Good question. I haven't seen anything since I sent you the first turn on the restart (the second turn you should have received). Where'd it go from there?

[sachmo71]

and i can replace anyone who wants to quit. Just soes ya know. :D

[Yossarian]

I sent it to vex.

[Yossarian]

I'm thinking we take up the above offer.... I've never had a game die on turn ONE before!

[vex]

I sent it to vex.
Last thing I got from you was on the 28th, before the restart. Did you send the restart one to me? Because I never got that one.

[vex]

Yoss?

[Yossarian]

My 'sent items' says it was sent on the 3rd of January at 11.37am from [email protected]

I'll resend again.

[Yossarian]

sent

[Yossarian]

we should all reply to the sender when we recieve it (at least for the first few turns). That way if an email goes straight to the spam bin or something, folk will notice.

[JeeberD]

Good idea, I'll be sure to do that once my turn comes around...

[vex]

we should all reply to the sender when we recieve it (at least for the first few turns). That way if an email goes straight to the spam bin or something, folk will notice.

I totally agree, that's what I've been doing in both my games.

[vex]

My 'sent items' says it was sent on the 3rd of January at 11.37am from [email protected]

I'll resend again.
Ah, the email you listed up in the first post is different, I added it to my contacts so I didn't have to worry about it ending in my bulk folder.

[Yossarian]

yeah, i have about half a dozen addresses and unless i remember to choose when sending, the recipient is likely to recieve any one of them at random!

[vex]

yeah, i have about half a dozen addresses and unless i remember to choose when sending, the recipient is likely to recieve any one of them at random!
OK, I'll just remember to check my junk mail more often:p

[WVUFAN]

Sent file to Marc Vaughan.

[Yossarian]

who has it now? is this game a bogie before it even starts?

[Draft Dodger]

zzzzz

[sachmo71]

and i can replace anyone who wants to quit. Just soes ya know. :D

........

[JeeberD]

I don't know if marc tried to send it to me or not, but I haven't received a file yet...

[Marc Vaughan]

Errr I've recieved no email, PM's or anything since this started, I'd presumed it had defuncted itself ....

[gstelmack]

We did not accept the defuncting.

WVUFan, can you verify the email address you sent to, and then we can have Marc check his SPAM filter?

[WVUFAN]

Yeah, I sent the file to [email protected] on January 12. Do I need to resend?

[gstelmack]

Yeah, I sent the file to [email protected] on January 12. Do I need to resend?
I'd go ahead and send it again.

[Marc Vaughan]

I've got it - will try and get it turned around tonight or tomorrow morning (sorry have been busy with work (PSP FM game) this evening so far) ..

[Marc Vaughan]

apologies - I still havent' got around to playing my turn .... the only machine I've got which can play Civ 4 is my home PC and simply its crunch time for FM PSP at the moment and I haven't been home and awake long enough to do it.

If someone else wants to take over my position then I'm more than happy to drop out - if not then I'll try and get it done at some point soon.

Apologies again, should know better than to get involved in an online game around releases .... I just love Civ and wanted to be involved.

[JeeberD]

Bump

Sach?

[sachmo71]

I can take over. Someone set me up the file. [email protected]

[gstelmack]

If WVUFan can forward the file on to sachmo, when it gets back around to me I can edit the game config (I think) to update the in-game data.

[WVUFAN]

I'll send it when I get home. :-)

[sachmo71]

file not received :(

[gstelmack]

Maybe he hasn't returned home yet...

[WVUFAN]

Sorry. Forgot all about it. I get home at 2 AM EST tonight (work night shift here at Amazon). I will send it ASAP then. :-)

[WVUFAN]

There are times when I realize I'm not nearly as smart as I think I am. I have the original email I sent to Marc Vaughn laying in my GMail account, with the file. Forwarding now to Sachmo.

God, I'm so stupid sometimes.

[sachmo71]

sended! to Jeebs!

[JeeberD]

Off to DD in a matter of minutes...

[Draft Dodger]

I have it...but I'm on the way out the door. I'll pass it along tomorrow

[gstelmack]

And it's on its way to Yossarian. But I forgot to rename Marc to Sachmo, so watch that again this turn and I'll try to remember to fix it next time around...

[Yossarian]

recieved (woohoo, only 28 daysfor the turnaround!) will send when i get back tonight.

[Yossarian]

Sent to Vexroid

we gots ourselves a game...

[vex]

And sent to WVUFan.

[WVUFAN]

File sent to Sachmo.

[sachmo71]

I will take my turn this evening.

[vex]

where we at?

[sachmo71]

in my inbox. sorry. :(

[sachmo71]

sent to jeebie

[Draft Dodger]

bump

[JeeberD]

snet

[Draft Dodger]

sent

[Noop]

This thread is to funny.

[gstelmack]

And it's on to Yossarian.

Sachmo, it looks like you can change your civ's info yourself. At the ESCape menu (which also shows when you end your turn), click the "Your Details" button and you can edit your name there. Apparently I can't do it once the game has started.

[vex]

Sent to WVU.

[sachmo71]

And it's on to Yossarian.

Sachmo, it looks like you can change your civ's info yourself. At the ESCape menu (which also shows when you end your turn), click the "Your Details" button and you can edit your name there. Apparently I can't do it once the game has started.

I'll give it a shot!

[WVUFAN]

File sent to Sachimo.

[JeeberD]

It's in my inbox and will be going out to DD shortly...

[gstelmack]

Almost forgot, it's on its way to Yossarian.

[vex]

off to WVU.

[WVUFAN]

Sachmo, it's all yours.

[sachmo71]

Sent to jeebs! we're moving now!

[JeeberD]

And on it flies to DD!

[gstelmack]

It's in Yossarian's hands now.

Go game go!

[vex]

And off to WVU.

[WVUFAN]

And off to WVU.
I'll play my turn when I get home.

[WVUFAN]

Off to Sachmo.

[sachmo71]

off to jeebs. stupid job

[Draft Dodger]

it's going to stall after that, because I'm going to be out of town until Sunday. sorry.

[JeeberD]

Hoser. If I get it out to you now will you be able to do anything with it or is it already too late?

[gstelmack]

it's going to stall after that, because I'm going to be out of town until Sunday. sorry.
A 4-day delay for this game isn't a stall, it's barely a noticable hiccup ;)

[JeeberD]

Sitting in DD's inbox now, waiting for him to come home...

[JeeberD]

*drums fingers against desk waiting for DD to get home* ;)

[Draft Dodger]

thanks for your patience. I'll have it moving along tonight.

[gstelmack]

And it's on to Yossarian!

[vex]

sent to wvu

[WVUFAN]

Off to Sachmo.

[sachmo71]

it's in jeebs box. it feels good.

[WVUFAN]

Off to Sachmo.

Developed Hunting finally. :-)

[Yossarian]

will be away until monday - sent my turn to vex this mornign though

[sachmo71]

otw to jeebs

[JeeberD]

Sent to the DDmeister

[gstelmack]

will be away until monday - sent my turn to vex this mornign though
The new turn is in your inbox waiting for you to return.

[Yossarian]

I decided not to go (it was a stag trip to dublin. I'd love to go, but I have no money and crashed my car at 5mph in a multistory car park - leading to no end of grief since, even though it is totally roadworthy, the miniscule body work damage is deemed uneconomical to fix and the insurance company have written of my little car...)

meaning... i've sent file to vex

[vex]

Great, I'll have it on to WVU within a couple of hours.

[vex]

Sorry about the delay. Got home and my internet was down til this morning.

[sachmo71]

sended to jeeberd

[JeeberD]

It'll be in DD's box in a half hour at the latest...

[gstelmack]

It's on to Yossarian...

[JeeberD]

Flying along the Muggle "intranewts" to DumbleDore as we speak!

[gstelmack]

And it's on to Yossarian.

[vex]

I have the file, I'm just waiting to get my computer up and running again. Hopefully in the next couple of days.

[JeeberD]

Bump

Is the file still in Vexy's hands?

[vex]

Yes, very sorry, it will be on it's way on Thurs.

[JeeberD]

We're moving again, huzzah!

[gstelmack]

It's off to Yossarian!

[vex]

where are we at?

[JeeberD]

I sent a file off to DD probably about a week ago...

*shurg*

[gstelmack]

My last send was April 2 (last Sunday) off to Yosarian. Vex, have you seen anything from Yossarian since then? If not, it's in his hands.

[Yossarian]

I sent it to vex on april 2nd at 22.44 uk time

[Yossarian]

i've re-sent ti again

[gstelmack]

i've re-sent ti again

Did we die off? Vex, did you get this?

[Yossarian]

he emailed me back to say he had the resend

[JeeberD]

I haven't seen anything in quite a while...

[sachmo71]

ok, i ran my turn, but apparently didn't send it to jeebs. I'll send it tonight.

[JeeberD]

I'll be getting the file to DD here shortly...

Edit: Nevermind. The e-mail from Sachmo in my box wasn't what I thought it was. Once I get the file from him I'll get the file off to DD...

[Yossarian]

One thing we need to be aware of (asside from folk forgetting to email each other) is the new patch.

There's a patch that many of us will want to download. I don't know if it breaks existing PBEM games. I have a game running on the previous patch to the one we play and I had to copy / paste my entire civ folder to maintain compatability with that one (I run the 1.42 version of civ only to play that pbem game).

i'm willing to do the same here if we can't maintain compatability with the new patch - but this is a note to everyone to be aware - I don't know if it's ok to patch, but noone should do so until we do know.

[WVUFAN]

One thing we need to be aware of (asside from folk forgetting to email each other) is the new patch.

There's a patch that many of us will want to download. I don't know if it breaks existing PBEM games. I have a game running on the previous patch to the one we play and I had to copy / paste my entire civ folder to maintain compatability with that one (I run the 1.42 version of civ only to play that pbem game).

i'm willing to do the same here if we can't maintain compatability with the new patch - but this is a note to everyone to be aware - I don't know if it's ok to patch, but noone should do so until we do know.

I'm not for using a new patch, because I use a no-CD patch for my game, as quite a number of people do. I use no-CD patches for all games I buy that require the CD in the drive, because it wears down the disks.

So my suggestion is not patch until the game is up.

[Yossarian]

well, if that's the case then I guess if anyone does want to patch, be sure to copy / paste the entire civ folder - then manually run that version for the pbem game.

this is what I do for another game on a previous patch

[Draft Dodger]

I'm not for using a new patch, because I use a no-CD patch for my game, as quite a number of people do. I use no-CD patches for all games I buy that require the CD in the drive, because it wears down the disks.

So my suggestion is not patch until the game is up.

ditto for me.

[sachmo71]

I've patched mine. I guess I'll go ahead and give up my spot now.

[JeeberD]

I haven't patched and the file I got from Sach worked fine yesterday... :confused:

Edit: Don't go, Sachmo!

[Yossarian]

worse case scenario - if someone DOES need to unpatch, I can upload a 500meg or so zip file somewhere with the old version

[Yossarian]

ping?

[vex]

I sent it to WVU on whatever day I got it from you.

[gstelmack]

I've only seen one turn after we got it rolling again. Not sure who the hold up is this time...

[JeeberD]

I got it from Sach the other day and it kept crashing to my desktop when I tried to load it. I'll give it another go here in a bit...

[JeeberD]

One thing we need to be aware of (asside from folk forgetting to email each other) is the new patch.

There's a patch that many of us will want to download. I don't know if it breaks existing PBEM games. I have a game running on the previous patch to the one we play and I had to copy / paste my entire civ folder to maintain compatability with that one (I run the 1.42 version of civ only to play that pbem game).

i'm willing to do the same here if we can't maintain compatability with the new patch - but this is a note to everyone to be aware - I don't know if it's ok to patch, but noone should do so until we do know.

OK, the IHOF PBEM game I'm in has switched over to the patched version seemingly without any issues. Does anyone have any problems if I go ahead and patch my game?

[sachmo71]

Or WVU can send the turn file to someone else and I can give them my password. I don't want to hold up the game. I updated w\o thinking.

[JeeberD]

It's not giving me the version warning that Bucc was getting in the IHOF game, but I'ma almost certain that's what the problem is.

I really don't see what the issue is with us patching.

[Franklinnoble]

No CD cracks have to be re-written for every patch.

[Yossarian]

If you actually have the game, then patching isn't really an issue - i hate to have to dig cd's out too but verses not patching, i'd usually just patch.

if you're running a pirate version then i guess i see the hesitation...

I bought the game but I run via a hard drive ISO of the cd. This means that I get no-cd privileges without having to worry about nocd cracks. But I do own the game just in case...

[gstelmack]

Okay, let's patch!

[JeeberD]

If you actually have the game, then patching isn't really an issue - i hate to have to dig cd's out too but verses not patching, i'd usually just patch.

if you're running a pirate version then i guess i see the hesitation...

I bought the game but I run via a hard drive ISO of the cd. This means that I get no-cd privileges without having to worry about nocd cracks. But I do own the game just in case...

Franky owns the game. He's concerned because we're running a PBEM over at Sports Digs that both he and his wife are in. We've been really good about getting at least one turn a day taken (if not two) because Franky has the disk at work and then can send the file off to Sharon at home who can take her turn without the disk thanks to the crack...

[Draft Dodger]

I won't patch my laptop until the nocd becomes available, but I guess if you guys are all excited to do it, I can suffer through with using the CD on my desktop for a while.

[Draft Dodger]

Dola. Franky?

[Yossarian]

if the end result is that we don't patch - i can get folk a zip file of the pre-patch civ folder. We just need to make sure everyone is on the same version.

Anyone who CANNOT or WILL NOT patch needs to post soon or it'll cause some grief.

[Franklinnoble]

I'm going to poke around for a fresh noCD crack later today...

[Draft Dodger]

did we upgrade? because the file Jeebie sent me isn't working

[gstelmack]

did we upgrade? because the file Jeebie sent me isn't working

Yes. If Franklin has trouble running the patch, we'll figure out what to do then.

[Draft Dodger]

ok. I'll patch and try again when I get home.

[JeeberD]

I thought that patching was the consensus.

*shrug*

[Draft Dodger]

I knew it was...just wasn't aware it had happened yet. my bad.

[WVUFAN]

I'm out then. I will NOT patch until the no-cd EXE comes out. Doing so will screw up the other active PBEM game I'm in.

[gstelmack]

Anyone want WVUFan's spot then? Chime in and I'll update the list. You MUST be willing to patch to the latest and keep up with patches...

[Yossarian]

There are instructions on "game copy world" to make a nocd if you have the original cd.

You could do this - plus you can copy the entire folder prior to patching (like I do) for maintaining compatability with othe pbem games

[JeeberD]

plus you can copy the entire folder prior to patching (like I do) for maintaining compatability with othe pbem games

That's what I did and have had no problems...

[Yossarian]

ping?

[WVUFAN]

There are instructions on "game copy world" to make a nocd if you have the original cd.

You could do this - plus you can copy the entire folder prior to patching (like I do) for maintaining compatability with othe pbem games

There's no NOCD cracks right now for 1.61, unfortunately. As soon as there is, I'll patch up, but I'm not really up for wasting a good bulk of my limited space on one single PBEM game, when two others I play made a decision not to patch until after the game ended.

[gstelmack]

I've posted a separate thread to see if anyone wants to take your spot so we can continue.

[Yossarian]

Fair nuff - but like I said, if you have the original CD, you and your buddies could patch and make your OWN no cd. The tools are all available.

But cest la vie.

[WVUFAN]

Fair nuff - but like I said, if you have the original CD, you and your buddies could patch and make your OWN no cd. The tools are all available.

But cest la vie.

I'm patched now. Could someone resend the file, and we can get this back going. If there's an additional patch, I'll patch it up and just make a new Civ folder (probably what I should have done to begin with).

[gstelmack]

Any interest in me converting this from PBEM to pitboss to help speed things up a bit?

[JeeberD]

Works for me...

[Franklinnoble]

You can convert a PBEM to pitboss?

[WVUFAN]

Yup. You can load any MP game and make it a Pitboss game.

[Yossarian]

what is the current delay anyway?

[gstelmack]

It's getting vex to send the last turn back to WVUFan now that he's patched up. Or to go back up the chain if needed.

[Yossarian]

ping

[Draft Dodger]

he's dead, jim

[WVUFAN]

Which is a shame, it was a nice start. No one can host it as a Pitboss game?

[Yossarian]

No one can host it as a Pitboss game?

I think someone (uh... you?) is offering to host these?

This is dead because there are one or maybe two guys who can't / won't take their turns for various reasons.

the game has really only just started but in time terms it would be a real bitch to just chuck it - can we identify where / who the log jam is and find replacements?

I don't give a monkey's ass if we play pbem or pitboss - pitboss probably ensures a faster turnaround, but the issue with this particular game isn't turnaround time (we were getting one or two turns a week) it is a 'dead node' in the network.

[WVUFAN]

Yeah I offered -- got the tools to host multiple games after I posted. :-)

either way is cool. Maybe have a check-in to see who is still playing and who isn't would be a good start. From there we can see what to do next.

PBEM is a slow pace, which might fit people better. With Pitboss you're guaranteed a turn a day if you want.

[Yossarian]

OK, well I'm still playing (obviously)