My beloved Brittania(RTW PBeM)

[Caius]

Hello Civilizated and Barbarian people.

I have been thinking in doing a Play By Email Multiplayer Campaign. This kind of game is interesting. And fun, and you can play with one Family Member, and you make posts and fight battles as if you were him!

Here is how it really works:

First, I will post what a PBeM is.

Its quite simple really, one player starts off a campaign (usually the host plays the first reign).

A list of players is created, then when the player's king dies the savegame file is Zipped and uploaded to the Org's filespace. He then writes up the events of his reign for all to see.
A title is given to his king to reflect his reign A historical example of such a title is King Edward I The Hmmer of the Scots for his brutal campaigns in Scotland.

The next player on the list downloads the .ZIP file extracts it to his savegame folder, and continues the campaign for the duration of his King's lifespan... He then uploads it for the next guy when done, write up his reign, gets his own title, etc.

Sometimes the host may decide to put some rules in a game, such as: avoid excommunication these are especially common in the GA Mode games and to keep the campaign going for a long while.

Here is a link to the uploader.
The PBEM Uploader

And here is a link to the Filespace containing the current savegames.
Org PMEM Files

MODERATOR EDIT:

Further explanation of downloading and uploading saves:

One of the forum sticky's ("A file space for PBM") gives this link:

http://www.totalwar.org/Downloads/Up.../pbmupload.php

Click on this and you can either:

a) download existing savegames. You do this by clicking the "view upload directory link" and then clicking on the savegame of your choice.
or

b) upload your own savegame. You do this by clicking the "browse" button, finding your file (please zip them first) and then clicking the "upload" button.

A few other pointers:
- It is good to post screenshots. These should be in jpg format. TW produces TGA format screenshots. These can be saved as jpg using packages such as Irfanview, which is available freely on the web. Reduce screenshots to 75% size so that people can view the thread easily without scrolling. Screenshots can be hosted by services such as Imageshack. If you have trouble taking screenshots in RTW (black screens etc), then you can use a package such as FRAPS, also available freely on the web. [1]
- It is bad form to sign up for a PBM and then disappear; even worse if you disappear with the savegame. Everyone understands that real life takes priority, but keep communicating while playing the PBM (e.g. post every couple of days) and pass on your turn if you just don't have time.
- To conserve space, only upload *.ZIP or *.RAR savegames to the Org uploader. Packages to zip and unzip these formats are freely available on the web.


[1] A more explicit guide to taking and hosting screenshots:

(1) I use FRAPS to take screenshots. FRAPS is a free programme you can download from the web. RTWs screenshot function should work as well, but gives me all black TGAs. FRAPS is very easy to use: download & install it, then run it before each RTW game and during the game you can press F10 whenever you want a screenshot.

(2) Screenshots are saved in TGA format and are rather big. So I edit them with Irfranview to reduce them to 75% size and save them as JPG. Irfranview is a free programme you can download from the web. Many other packages would do as well.

(3) Finally, I upload the jpgs on

http://www.imageshack.us/

Once you've browsed to your jpg and clicked "host it", imageshack will take you to a list of various links you can copy into your post. I find the one they list as "hotlink for forums (2)" works fine, so just cut and paste that link into Org post and you are done.


FURTHER MODERATOR EDIT: WotS or Will of the Senate Style Games

The type of PBM that the the Emperor describes in this post is sometimes called a "succession game". A variant which has become popular was first tried in the "Will of the Senate" (WotS) RTR PBM here in the Throne Room. It was then adopted in the "King of the Romans" (KotR) M2TW PBM.

What WotS style games add to standard succession games are:
(1) Devolved battles: Each player is represented by a general (avatar) and when that general gets into a battle, the controlling player fights the battle.
(2) Democracy: The player who runs the faction (typically for 10 or 20 turns) is elected by other players. These players can also vote on laws that dictate what the ruling player should and should not do during his time in office.

This style of play leads to more in character debate and, particularly in KotR, story-telling.

I really want to play a Will of the Senate Style Game. It should be fun.

To the mods: I know this doesnt come here, but it's the only place I can recruit players.

We will be using Vanilla, or minimods like VBM(Vanilla Balancing Mod)

Please sign-up, fun will be endless!

Signed up:
Caius(obviously)
woad&fangs
Charge
Shogun
Zim
Stuperman
Elite Ferret.

[woad&fangs]

[Caius]

Thank you woad&fangs.

[woad&fangs]

How much of an effect would having EB installed have on the game?

[Charge]

Hmm, haven't yet played such things, but.....

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

as well

How much of an effect would having EB installed have on the game?

ask in their forum.

[Caius]

I'm not even familiar to EB.

[Paradox]

I'm in.

This is my first time playing a PBM, I already have FRAPS though. Should I take screenshots or video?

[Caius]

I'll let you use this as a recruiting ground for now though, moving it to the Throne Room when this "phase" has been completed.

Omanes: This thread is used for recruitment, since RTW players don't look anymore at the Throne Room.

@Everyone: Lets select faction, dificulty, unit size, and mods if some mod is used. Then, we will port the game to the Throne Room, and the game will start.

I can suggest: Spain, Germany, Britannia, Egypt in RTW Vanilla/VBM.
Or Rome in SPQR:TW. Other mods can be included, as for example, the game Will of the Senate was played in RTR.

[Charge]

Faction: I would suggest Rome, Carthage or Macedon (large numbers of possible expantions/or diplomatic stances;
Difficulty: well, at least H/H, though for me VH/VH isnt enough usually. I also found battles much more challenging with morale turned off. We should play with house rules, role-playing etc..
Unit size: Large (normal or lower would not be to my preference (moderator edit), huge not everyone can handle)

As for mods, surely not vanilla, hmm, it turns what mods people have or can download or not them..

[mrdun]

If there is a battle with two user controlled armies it would be unbalanced on h/h. I would therefore suggest m/m.

[Charge]

there is no between-players battles..

[woad&fangs]

I want Brittania

Other factions that I'd be willing to play as-
Thrace
Pontus
Armenia
Numidia
Germania
Macedon
Greece

I've had extremely fun Campaigns as Thrace and Numidia(Short). My Armenia campaign I ended short because I started playing EB. Greece is a challenge but it is fun. I've never gotten very far with Germania or Macedon but I wouldn't mind trying them.

I don't care about the battle difficulty but the campaign difficutly I think should be set at medium. That way diplomacy will actually matter a little. I would prefer just playing vanilla.