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PBEM Question - 6/4/2011 7:52:41 PM

russellesq

Posts: 15
Joined: 2/27/2011
Status: offline

I just recently purchased ATG. This game looks great! My buddies and I religiously play Company of Heroes every week online. We have a blast doing it while talking through Skype. It is however something that we have been doing for over two years and it is time to look into other games. I thought a turn based game would be a good change of pace. That is when I ran into ATG.

The problem now is that I have never played a PBEM game before. There are four of us. Can someone explain the mechanics of playing a PBEM game to me? The main concern is if a PBEM game will be quick and smooth enough while we are all online. Do you guys all get together and play online at the same time during a PBEM game or does everyone just do their moves solo? Some help explaining the process would be awesome, thanks!

Post #: 1

RE: PBEM Question - 6/4/2011 10:27:16 PM

british exil

Posts: 1686
Joined: 5/4/2006
From: Lower Saxony Germany
Status: offline

Hi,

you can play your turn, email to the next player and so on. You only need to be online to send your mail.

Quite easy, exciting when you get the next turn via mail as you're never sure how the game is playing out.

Mat

_____________________________

"It is not enough to expect a man to pay for the best, you must also give him what he pays for." Alfred Dunhill

WitE,UV,AT,ATG,FoF,FPCRS

(in reply to russellesq)

Post #: 2

RE: PBEM Question - 6/5/2011 6:53:23 PM

russellesq

Posts: 15
Joined: 2/27/2011
Status: offline

Thanks. I understand that you do not all have to be online at the same time. The question is if PBEM is conducive to social war gaming? Or is too much time spent waiting for the other person to move that it would be a waste of time to be hanging out together while playing?

(in reply to british exil)

Post #: 3

RE: PBEM Question - 6/5/2011 10:20:37 PM

RufusTFirefly

Posts: 1048
Joined: 8/29/2008
From: Germany
Status: offline

It does not make sense that you are online all at the same time and wait for the next player to perform and send the turn.

I am playing a pbem of WaW as player of Germany, Italy and Japan, my opponent has Britain, Russia and USA (not yet in; France is already defeated). Normally it takes around an hour to do the turns of Germany and Italy, while Japan is awake but not yet at war and could be done quickly. But it will change and turns will take more time than an hour soon. I think my opponent needs as much time as I do.

The advantage of a pbem is that you can decide when you want to perform next turn and send it. Maybe a talk in Skype is just interesting, so stay ther and execute the turn later. But you should make sure that every player tries to execute his trun the same day he gets it. So maybe you will manage to have a turnaround in a day, otherwise two or three days would be normal as well in case four players are involved and are reliable.

Please make sure to have pbem protection activated and each player knows that a turn should only be opened once. When it is opened you have to execute all movement and save the turn. Saving inbetween and reopening the turn is looked upon as cheating, as well as using the undo option (is there any in this game? not sure at the moment).

So the social part is the talking behind the screen to make some appointments with another player to form an alliance or to write some note about successful battles or make some comment on opponents moves in the mail with turn attached.

(in reply to russellesq)

Post #: 4

RE: PBEM Question - 6/6/2011 8:57:09 AM

EmTom

Posts: 40
Joined: 5/25/2011
Status: offline

Perhaps a hot-seat would be better for you. It is quite possible to play a turn in a few minutes on smaller maps and such a hot-seat game would certainly be a great social activity.

It is also possible to set up kind of a coop play against AI in which case you would all be able to play on one side and kind of simultaneously. Every one of you can become a front leader with his own objectives etc or one of you may be the supreme commander deciding on production and grand strategy while the rest would command portions of your forces to fulfill given objectives...

Options are unlimited with this wonderful game! :)

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I'm with you since People's Tactics and I love it!

(in reply to RufusTFirefly)

Post #: 5

RE: PBEM Question - 6/6/2011 1:43:08 PM

russellesq

Posts: 15
Joined: 2/27/2011
Status: offline

Thanks for the comments! I guess then this would be something that we would play on the side.

(in reply to EmTom)

Post #: 6

RE: PBEM Question - 6/6/2011 3:34:08 PM

SailingGuy

Posts: 483
Joined: 2/11/2008
Status: offline

You might want to look at Matrix tactical game: Frozen Synapse. It's a turn based game, but is very conducive to play while you and your opponent are on line together.

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Phil
aka SailingGuy

To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
~Aldous Huxley

(in reply to russellesq)

Post #: 7

RE: PBEM Question - 6/7/2011 1:12:48 AM

Adam Rinkleff

Posts: 375
Joined: 7/24/2007
Status: offline

You might like a small diplomacy style game where each turn the players argue with each other and conduct secret diplomacy. Im making a scenario like that and will post here when its finished.

(in reply to SailingGuy)

Post #: 8