Avoiding stale turns...

[Chazar]

I am switchting regularly between three computers in order to play Dom2. I am involved in MP games which are Quickhoststed. How can I safely check whether the game has already hosted without destroying the uploaded turn in the case that I do not have access to the computer that I have submitted the turn form? Without Mosehansen's interface, this seems impossible to me, is it?

If you log onto the server from the machine that you have played on, but do not give the password, it let's you view this overview, where you can see who has played, and who is connected. Since you did not give your password, your turn is not altered and everything is well, but...

If I log onto the server from another machine (where an older turn of that particular game is present) without giving the password, it ask again and eventually returns me to the Dom2-main menu, so I cannot see whether the game hosted or not.

The problem is: If I log in from another machine giving the password, then it overwrites the uploaded turn immediately with an empty turn, right? (I think people have said things like this here in the forum, but I am not sure and I do not want to find that out by the hard way.)

[Foom]

Yes, logging on from a different machine will upload "empty" orders.

The best solution is to have the host send out automatic emails whenever the server hosts. If that isn't possible, you might want to look into a USB memory stick to transfer your turns between computers.

[Chazar]

I am not hosting, but how can I make the server send emails in principle, so that I can tell the host owner to set it up? I guess with this execute-after-hosting commandline argument, right? Does this also work with the graphical interface? (The host also plays on his machine and probably does not want to restart the server.,)

[Chazar]

What I am wondering is why it does show me the nation overview without a password sometime (I think it is due to the presence of the turnfile for the correct turn - older ones do not qualify). This is pretty odd!

[Ironhawk]

Chazar, I believe there is a "-postexec" command line parameter for Dominions 2. The server admin could (theoretically) send out mails to all the players involved in that game. Unfortunately:

1) I've heard that this parameter does not work?
2) It would require the server admin to keep track of people's emails

An alternate way to do it would be to use ASP or some other server-scripting language to just inform you about the state of the game. For example, you could write some ASP which would just look at the game directory and have a simple output like:

Last Turn on: 08:23 Dec 3, 2004
Abysia turned on: 21:09 Dec 2, 2004
Caelum turned on: 08:20 Dec 3, 2004
etc...

For an example of the ASP function I am thinking of, look at: http://www.w3schools.com/asp/met_getfile.asp

[archaeolept]

I think that if you go into a turn from a wrong machine, and hence upload an "empty" turn, you can "quit w/out saving" and the turn should revert to the one you had previously uploaded.

this is how it should work, but i've always been too scared to risk it

or else you can go through the rigamarole of uploading and d/ling your game folder so that your new machine is up to date...

[Yvelina]

Actually, there is no uploading if there are no orders. A safe way is to remove the game directory (which may contain some orders) and connect with the password. Then, once you have seen the host's state, hit 'Exit' without hitting 'Vanheim' or whatever your nation is.

Even if you accidentally hit 'Vanheim' and get into the game while connected to the server, you can still hit 'Escape' and choose either 'Save and quit without sending' or 'Quit without saving'. Both are safe.

But if you choose 'Save and quit', and then reconnect without removing the directory, you will upload orders.

[Chazar]

Hmm, I knwo about NotSaveAndExist, but I thought someone mentioned it before that it would not be safe to do so.

I am also wondering whether merely looking at the nation network overview was dangerours.

This really bugs me: The game easily uploads your turn, but it does NOT upload it while you are connected and the server is doing a forced host! IMHO, the server should send out a message to each connected client and give them 10 seconds to submit an updated turn!