Can wesnoth be run unconnected turn by turn?

[Neolinux]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to Wesnoth and never have tested multiplayer mode, but I wander if wesnoth could be run unconnected in multiplayer mode?

My idea is having a server available, and players connect when they could and play if it is their turn, then disconnect until their next turn.

I've a lot of friend wich I often play PBeM with and who could be very interested by wesnoth if the game could be delayed in duration.

Thanks.

[ivanovic]

Sorry, but this is not possible at the moment. But if it was possible, consider the time you would need for a complete game. At the moment a game played by three humans vs 4 ai enemys takes about 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the map. If you only play a "fast" game 1vs1 on a small map you still need about 2 hours. If you now got to wait until the other player logs in to do his turn, a game can easyly take about one week. I don't think this is desireable.

[Elvish_Pillager]

It doesn't seem like it would be undesirable. It allows you to play a game without having to worry about not having time.

[Xytan]

I don't think this is desireable.

that’s exactly what Neolinux wants.
PBeM means "Play By eMail". that might take a month or even longer to complete.

you could save the game after a turn and send that by mail to the next player. but i have no idea how multiple players could play on one savegame. everyone loading the game would always be the first player, right?

[MuNieK]

But if it was possible, consider the time you would need for a complete game.

I quess it is not bad point for them. People who play by email would really like it, and then the time to finish 1 game isnt so important. They have fun enough to make they moves, and a lots of time to consider really long 1 move, wich will make game really interesting, more like rpg then strategy, but i quess its only for patient people... im not patiend enough to play Wesnoth like that, but for them it would be ok. And i can quess that there is many adult people with work, (maybe kids), without enough time near computer to play standart mode like Neolinux wich would love this mode.

-- edit --
i just saw another reaply before mine

everyone loading the game would always be the first player, right?

hmm... i dont know how its look at loading saved games, but maybe at next updates there could be something like startup menu for saved games where player could choose at wich slot he can play. (then they could just send each other save file)

[Dragonking]

But if it was possible, consider the time you would need for a complete game.

I quess it is not bad point for them. People who play by email would really like it, and then the time to finish 1 game isnt so important. They have fun enough to make they moves, and a lots of time to consider really long 1 move, wich will make game really interesting, more like rpg then strategy, but i quess its only for patient people... im not patiend enough to play Wesnoth like that, but for them it would be ok. And i can quess that there is many adult people with work, (maybe kids), without enough time near computer to play standart mode like Neolinux wich would love this mode.

Play by email was proposed before few times, and bigest problem is that cheating during this kind of game would be really easy.

-- edit --
i just saw another reaply before mine

everyone loading the game would always be the first player, right?

hmm... i dont know how its look at loading saved games, but maybe at next updates there could be something like startup menu for saved games where player could choose at wich slot he can play. (then they could just send each other save file)

Loading game = starting game from some point. Creator can easly change his or other players slots.

[MuNieK]

Play by email was proposed before few times, and bigest problem is that cheating during this kind of game would be really easy.

I quess cheating when playing with friends isnt possible... i dont know maybe only for me its not fun... If Neolinux have trusted friends they will not cheat. But if not trusted enough then yes... thats true.. if someone would have badluck then he will load again and again and again to have best "luck"... :/ So the only way to have this possible is to run game on server with "log in/log out" into game for his turn. But i quess it would be very hard to code ?

[Neolinux]

Yes, duration of a game is not important for us for multiple reasons ; It first permit to take a long time making one orderand then be sure to do the best order we want, secondly, it permit to have time discussing and makind diplomacy around the game, and finally, you could play with particular people you like even if you haven't a lot of time and if you could not connect to a server at the same time.

Anyway, reading your answres let me think that wesnoth is not particulary adapted for this sort of playing method...

Thanks all.

[Woodwizzle]

I've never really been the PBeM type, but only because I never found a PBeM game that looked interesting enough. I would play PBeM Wesnoth though. I have friends who don't have computers but have email addresses who could play, and friends who have only dial-up and arn't on a lot who would play.

Length of play isn't really an issue. People can play chess in one sitting or they can play by mailing the next move. Lets you play more in-depth and strategically too since you can have dayss to think about your move. Plus if you and your opponent are busy people, you can do a move whenver you get a quick few minutes, and you don't have to worry if your opponent is busy too.

Cheating is sort of an issue. We could require that zipio++ is used for PBeM games, but mostly I think if you're playing be email, its with a buddy not a random person you met on the net, and cheating probably won't take place then.

Anywho, I like the idea.

[Boucman]

you could create a hotseat game, play the first turn, save, send the savefile to your friend, he plays his turn, saves and so on and so forth

we've organisez a colaborative MP game like that on the forum once... it worked (as far as the game was concerned at least)

of course, as pointed elsewhere you have to trust your fellow players for not cheating....

[lwa]

Play by email was proposed before few times, and bigest problem is that cheating during this kind of game would be really easy.

This would require some crypto and an arbitrator to dispatch random numbers to limit cheating.

[fmunoz]

As you can save scum to get the decisive hits... (and allow opponent to deal non-letal blows to balance the stats...)

[guest]

Hello.

As boucman pointed out, playing in the hot-seat mode would be possible for PbEM functionality. However, seeing the other player's map in fogged/shrouded games is currently unavoidable. There is a feature request concerning this: https://gna.org/bugs/?func=detailitem&item_id=3856.

I have a proposed solution for the implementation. In hotseat / PbEM -mode (new designation for the mode already , this is what could happen:

1. "End turn" would not start next player's turn directly, but lead to an intermediary view consisting of a completely fogged/shrouded (as appropriate from the game settings regarding to use fog/shroud, or if neither was used, all visible) map.

2. On top of this would be a pop-up window with two buttons.
a) One of the buttons would say "Save game". The saved game would only have to have a special "tag" saying that the game is in a PbEM-state, with next player being number [X], and the game loading this should recognise and be able to recreate the same view.
b) The second button would say "Start player [nick]'s turn." or, as a backup, when there is no leader left in team-games, (as I understand that currently player's name is not stored), "Start [colour] player's turn." This would, from the user's point of view, behave exactly like the end turn button currently.

Of course, cheating (peeking at the other player's map) couldn't be prevented, but with honest players, this would at least allow playing fair matches also with shroud/fog on.

Barring a server-based functionality, where games would be stored on the server, that's the best I can think of right now. If only I could code.

Yours,

me.

[fmunoz]

On the other hand you can just meet at preselected time, play a turn or two, save and continue next day.
Only the "player playing" and the host are really needed to do this, you can fill the others with fake hot-seat player instances.