The future of PBW - a call to arms

[Gandalf Parker]

Shall we start a poll on Languages and OS's? (java, perl, php, mysql, msql, windows, linux)

Can it be designed as a generic PbEM site which can be modified for a particulat game? Maybe even one that can manage other game-hosts at once (SEIV and others) which would be good for gaining support from a company.

Would building off of a package speed things up? Maybe an opensource webforum package that allows uploads/downloads?

SourceForge it?

notes from another thread in another forum

Standard player map games can be offered for a web signup. Also randomly created maps can be displayed and offered for download and play.

Games with not enough signups can be deleted after a certain amount of time, games with enough players can be started. A directory created and the host called to start a game. Each game can have its own email address for receiving turns which would make it easy to move incoming turns into the game directory. And would create an archive of past turn-ins in case a turn had to be manually moved back.

Since a "full user" could be created for each game (might as well, already up to having a directory and an email address) then the directory created for each game could also support web pages which means each game could have its own webboard (with NO banners or ads), its own automatic elist, its own ftp directory.

The games webpage could automatically include any information that the game is designed to write out to seperate files. The map of course could be displayed. Score standings, player/pretender names, who has/hasnt submitted turn files.

Another advantage would be in the area of anonymous games. Complete anonymity could be done. Or various levels such as supporting a player creating a whole new persona for each game played but still allowing player-to-player contact for diplomacy which does not carry consequences from game to game (we have had many threads on this subject in the newsGroups)

Yet another advantage is that there would not need to be any human doing any of this. With a full-time server, and full automation, new games could be started and run without having to coordinate with anyone. And with the option to use a randomly generated map there will be no foreknowledge by anyone of where special things are. Even special items, sites, specially designed provinces could be randomized for a completely fresh and fair game each time.

OK this seems like alot but as far as I know there is nothing listed here that is all that hard to do. Most of it I have already done on my server but Im more idea guy than I am manage guy. I only messed with the pieces long enough to figure out that it could be done, then I dropped it. Im a system admin. We have player programmers Im pretty sure. Do we have any webmasters?


create cgi to upload files
create each game as user with email and webspace
give each nation subdir off of game webspace
give each player .htpasswd password access to their nations subdir
use midnight hosting script to gather turn files from subdirs
use midnight script or maybe --postexec to move turn files to subdir
setup procmail to extract turn files that are mailed into game email acct?
setup system for emailing turn files back to players who request it?
or setup system for email notifications of turns being processed?


Possibly create CGI signup for games. List the games parameters. Offer the nations. When a user signs up then give them the .htpaswd password to the upload/download directory. Requested by user: add password access to the signup? Or use htpasswd controls for that (give list of all nation access passwd to GameMaster of that game?)

Create a cron watchdog to keep an eye on the game directorys deleting anything that shouldnt be there so they dont get used as warez sites.

[ June 07, 2004, 17:34: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]