Replaying Moves (Full Version)

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pak19652002 -> Replaying Moves (11/2/2005 10:29:13 PM)

One of the nice features of CyberBoard is that it allows you to view and replay the moves of your opponent (or your own moves, for that matter). CWIF doesn't allow for this. In a PBEM game, it is easy to lose track of unit locations, combat results, forced rebases, etc. The only way at present to overcome this problem is for the phasing player to write a email detailing moves and results. There is a kind of shorthand that has evolved to help along these lines. Here are two typical examples from my game with Lars:

_____________________
Peter:

all land.

GS 46,65 4fact r 3,7,8 Div flips.

GS Bilbao 2 2fact FB's SP r 5,3 1,2 and 10,2 Both flip.

RR Krasnodar factory to Tashkent.

attack Bilbao +paradrop +SB + HQ sup, +8 A r 17 Bilbaoans dance in the street welcoming the Allies.

Lars
________________________

Peter:

GS 57,66 3fact r 6,2 Inf flips.

GS 65,26 A/A -1/+1 r 6/10 CW FB aborts.

GS 54,28 3fact r 10,3 Mot flips.

GS 55,27 4fact r 4,8 Inf flips.

GS 55,28 5fact r 4,8,1 Gun and Arm flips.

GS 56,28 3fact r 3,1 Art amd Mech flip.

GS 57,27 3 fact r 6,10 ----

attack 55,27

attack 65,26 +HQ sup

attack 58,67

Axis Support?

Lars
_____________________________

I did not select two of the longer emails. Multi-round A2A and naval combats result in even more detailed messages. Although effective in getting the point across, such dialogue is unwieldy and time consuming. Also, I find myself looking at every single unit on both sides to see if anything happened to them since it is not feasible for the phasing player to write down every single movement. This takes a lot of time you can really get burned if you don't do it.

Is it possible to somehow record moves and results and transmit them automatically? Players could then watch the segment unfold and keep track of where units are moving and what actions are being taken. You get the point.

Thanks,

Peter

P.S. Yes, Lars is killing me again by the beginning of 1944.




Shannon V. OKeets -> RE: Replaying Moves (11/3/2005 5:37:16 AM)

Here is the first section of the 28 page document I have written on the game record log. The other pages list all the record log entry types. There are over 450 unique entries for MWIF. If you are desperate for something to read, I am willing to send a copy of the document in PDF format to anyone who asks (Steve@PatternDiscovery.us).

===============
Game Record Log and History File
(as of October 9, 2005)

I Overview

MWIF maintains a record log of all events that change the game state. Each record log entry is a text string, comma delimited, that records an atomic level of detail. For example, “E1512, ULMv, T1000100, P2, U199, H2010, H2011" records Entry 1512, where Player 2 Moves the Land Unit 199 from Hex 2010 to Hex 2011, as part of transaction T1000100. There are over 450 different entry types/codes that control all modifications to the starting game state. In aggregate, the record log entries progress the starting game position incrementally through the entire game to the final game position.

The record log serves as a repository for the history of a game and can be used to replay a game in its entirety. In combination with saved game files, an individual turn or impulse can be replayed. Note that each entry contains sufficient information to retract (undo) an action. What this means is that an entire game can be played backwards, starting with the end of the game and receding in reverse to the starting position. As an additional function, the record log is used for debugging the game.

Record log entries are processed by the record log entry processor (RLEP) which, for PBEM games, validates entries received through email and from eMWIF. For other modes of play, all entries are generated by MWIF itself and do not need validation. The RLEP is responsible for keeping the copies of the game residing on different computers synchronized. For security’s sake, the record log file is kept encrypted during play. After a game has been completed, it is decrypted for replay and after-action reports. During a game, a player has the ability to replay the game from his own perspective, but can not see what the opponent has done (or at least no more than he can normally see during a game).

Note that saving and restoring games is not part of the record log. Because different players can save the game on different computers, it is impossible to guarantee that the record logs are identical if they contain entries about saving games. However, each saved game contains the name of its associated record log and the most recent entry # in the record log at the time it was saved. In particular, the PBEM system expects players to have saved games that are out of sync on different computers. It uses the record log entries to bring each game up-to-date as play progresses through email.
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pak19652002 -> RE: Replaying Moves (11/3/2005 7:56:03 PM)

Bravo. That didn't take much convincing.[;)]



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