Play more than one nation in MP

[Zeldor]

Ekhem, I am confused now. Can you play 2 nations on pbem in one game with 1 cdkey from same machine?

[calmon]

WraithLord said:
What I'm not sure about is whether the following will work.
1. Start playing turn on machine A.
2. Continue play turn on machine B (say its weekend, you're at your parents and you installed your dominions there as well, no copy violation since parents don't play dom )
3. Complete playing turn on machine A and submit/email.

This works, i do copy my .2h file all the time.

[lch]

llamabeast said:
I'm fairly sure it doesn't work by PBEM.

Hosting doesn't differ at all for Hot-seat (local game), PBEM or network games. The only difference is how the turn files are being exchanged/transmitted.

Zeldor said:
Ekhem, I am confused now. Can you play 2 nations on pbem in one game with 1 cdkey from same machine?

Yes.

And it is possible to prepare turns on another machine, too. The only thing of interest for the host is: Which system submitted the turn to the server? A check value for the key being used and for the system is stored in the turn files. If the host finds the same key value, but different system values in the turn files, then it will let those nations stale.

[thejeff]

llama, you're fairly sure what doesn't work?
Wraithlord's latest question?

I can't see how the server will even know that machine B was used. Assuming he just copies the turn files from A to B and then back, rather than trying to submit them to the server and then get them back which won't work because the server won't send you the .2h file.

[Zeldor]

So we could start a game on llamaserver where everyone has 2 nations? That could be a nice alternative for team games.

[llamabeast]

I don't think a single CD key can play more than one nation in a PBEM game. I think this not least because I not infrequently get e-mails from the LlamaServer telling me of a CD key violation. I think these occur when (a) someone tries to set another nation to AI, or (b) when someone tries to sub for a bit for someone else in the same game (not unreasonable if they are far from each other).

I haven't read this thread properly though, so I'm not entirely sure who I'm agreeing with or contradicting. Also I've had reports recently that people have not had the problem when setting nations to AI - perhaps this has been changed. I certainly used to hit the problem myself in the past.

[chrispedersen]

I have observed:

One player CAN play two nations in a server game. No switching of keys are required.

Different machines (with different keys) can play the same nation. We know this, because subbing works.

One machine can play 13 nations, either server or hot seat
I know because I have done this to test strategies.

[thejeff]

I find it difficult to imagine that PBEM works differently than network in this situation. And Wraithlord just tested the 2 nations from the same machine & key in network, so it's OK there.

I've seen reports of CD key violations and it's become common wisdom that you can't play 2 nations, but I don't recall a report that actually stated they played both nations from the same machine and had a problem.
Using the server to set a nation AI can cause it, if you're playing your nation on a different machine.
I'm pretty sure it's been the same since Dom2.

llamabeast, would you be willing to set up a game to test this and figure out exactly what does happen?
Should be as simple as starting a game and having someone submit 2 turns from the same machine & key.
How is that different from the server's perspective than a hotseat game? Only that the server is different machine, right?

[lch]

llamabeast said:
I don't think a single CD key can play more than one nation in a PBEM game.

I bet that you can.

llamabeast said:
I haven't read this thread properly though, so I'm not entirely sure who I'm agreeing with or contradicting.

You only need to read my reply.

llamabeast said:
Also I've had reports recently that people have not had the problem when setting nations to AI - perhaps this has been changed. I certainly used to hit the problem myself in the past.

I'm not sure if they changed the behavior for those checks in one of the patches. I remember reading some stuff in the forums here or on the moderator forums that might indicate that this has been done. JK would know for sure. But maybe it was just a user error, and people thought that they had to actually install the game on separate machines to control nations independently. I myself have had an installation with an unofficial key specifically for setting nations to AI, but fortunately I don't need this anymore. As I wrote before, at this moment it IS possible to play more than one nation with the same key on the same system. Just try it.

[llamabeast]

I'll test it later. If that's true it's unfortunate. I'll probably have to add some code to the LlamaServer to fulfill the same purpose in that case. I think it's valuable protection against (the suspicion of) one person playing more than one nation.