The PEBA PBEM thread

[Mike Dunn]

As in play-by-email. Commish suggested a separate thead so here goes:

I'm interested in multiplayer PC strategy gaming but play by email fits my schedule better than a gaming night. Others may be in that boat as well. If anyone else is interested, please post here and we can discuss possible games.

I have Age of Wonders Shadow Magic, which I believe has PBEM. I have EU3, but not sure that has PBEM. I have Civ IV (not V though) which I believe has PBEM and never really got into it, but I'd be willing to try. I also might be interested in trying the Fall from Heaven fantasy mod for it. I also have Armageddon Empires, not sure if that has PBEM.

Then, there's this new game that might catch on, not sure of the developer, which I believe can be done by email.

[John]

In the gaming group thread, Frank mentioned play-by-email Diplomacy. Diplomacy isn't actually a computer game, but it can still be run through email. Another option for PEBA PBEM (that's a tongue-twister!) to consider.

[Bill]

In the gaming group thread, Frank mentioned play-by-email Diplomacy. Diplomacy isn't actually a computer game, but it can still be run through email. Another option for PEBA PBEM (that's a tongue-twister!) to consider.

As I mentioned in the other thread, there is a web-based version of this too. That would be much easier than email.

[Lions]

It's at the DPJudge, I believe. I've played a couple of times (although not recently) and the system works quite well.

For those of you unfamiliar with Diplomacy, it's a war game set at the start of the 20th Century. It's often compared to Risk since everyone knows Risk, but there are no rolls of the dice. It requires 7 players each manning a nation, and the only element of chance in the game is which nation you start out as. All of the nations start with 3 units (except Russia, which gets 4), and every unit has the same strength, and each map region can contain only one unit. You take control of a map region by moving your unit to that region, however all moves are processed simultaneously, and sometimes this creates conflict. If you and someone else attempt to move to the same region, you bounce, and no one moves in. To get around this, you can offer support by an adjacent unit, giving your move a strength of 2. If your strength is greater than that of your opponent, you move in. Similarly, if you try to move a unit to a map region that is already occupied, you must get support from additional units to dislodge that unit, which can also have support from other units helping it to defend. Certain regions of the map have what are known as "Supply Centers" (SC's), and you get one additional unit per SC that you have captured in a calendar year (two turns per year). Some are home SC's (the ones each nation owns at the start), and some are neutral SC's, which are there for whoever gets them first. As you lose supply centers, you must remove units from the map. Units are never really destroyed, even when dislodged from a map region, unless they have nowhere to retreat to. As you gain them, you can build new units in any of your unoccupied home SC's. Because of the limited number of units and the map diagram, it's impossible to make any progress in the game without getting help from your opponents. So the crux of the game is centered around working with your opponents to have them help you beat them. The game ends when any one nation controls more than half the SC's on the map, all nations agree to name a single victor, or all nations agree to call it a draw among the remaining players (there are some stalemate lines that cannot be crossed when properly defended).

Online/PBEM diplomacy uses an email "Judge", which processes properly formatted text commands sent via email. The judge can be configured for varying amount of time for diplomacy before each set of orders are processed (kind of like an OOTP sim). The judge also generates online maps which show both the current state of the game, and the moves that people ordered for their units. It's actually not a bad side game even if a more traditional PC game is played.

[Tyler]

Online/PBEM diplomacy uses an email "Judge", which processes properly formatted text commands sent via email. The judge can be configured for varying amount of time for diplomacy before each set of orders are processed (kind of like an OOTP sim). The judge also generates online maps which show both the current state of the game, and the moves that people ordered for their units. It's actually not a bad side game even if a more traditional PC game is played.

I'd completely be down for something like this. Anything that doesn't require a working video card, really.

[John]

Moved the Diplomacy conversation into the PBEM thread. There seems to be some interest in this. I would be very happy to see that interest pursued. I know nothing about Diplomacy, but I'll be taking a look at Frank's link after tonight's sim. If you think you might be interested, sound off so that we know.

[Alan Ehlers]

Not immediately interested in AoW-SM or Diplomacy, but I thought I might list the games I'm PBEM-available for (though probably long shots )

The Operational Art of War III
Gary Grigsby's War in the East
HPS' Modern Campaigns (Fulda Gap, North German Plain, Danube Front)
HPS' Napoleonics games (Russian Campaign, Eckmühl, Austerlitz, Wagram, Waterloo, Jena&Auerstedt)
HPS' Pike & Musket: The Renaissance
John Tiller's Campaign Series
Solium Infernum
AGEOD's Wars in America (Birth of America 2)
AGEOD's Napoleon's Campaigns

[Mike Dunn]

Sascha, how is Solium Infernum?

[Alan Ehlers]

It's pretty fun if you have a bunch of people who don't take games too seriously or personal. However, it's not so good against the AI. So, unless you have a few people to play with I'd stay away and get "Armageddon Empires" from the same developer instead.

We played a few rounds over at Wargamer.com, but I haven't playe din a year, so I have no idea how the patches changed it.

[Mike Branda]

I would love a game like the old school romance of the three kingdoms type. Where you control army, food, and land. season effected your food supply and locusts could ruin land and what not was a very very good game/series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_of ... _series%29

[Alan Ehlers]

I would love a game like the old school romance of the three kingdoms type. Where you control army, food, and land. season effected your food supply and locusts could ruin land and what not was a very very good game/series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_of ... _series%29

The latest version for PC outside Asia is RotTK XI:
http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-ROTTKXI/ro ... ingdoms-xi

[Mike Branda]

I have it :)


I love games like this

[DanD]

I feel like a n00b for admitting I don't know this, but how does a PBEM work? Is there a game master that compiles everyone's moves, or is there a game engine that parses our e-mails and calculates everything?

[Jim]

The Operational Art of War III

I really liked AOW. Think it would be good to play against other humans.

I'd be interested in playing by email, and exploring new games.

[Bill]

It's at the DPJudge, I believe. I've played a couple of times (although not recently) and the system works quite well.

The one I played is at playdiplomacy.com