Play by Email - [RBP Help Contents]
With the Play by Email (Pbem) feature, you can play matches against remote opponents, a turn at a time, as RBP automates the emailing process.
WHAT YOU NEED
To play via email, you and your opponents need an email address, a copy of RBP version 3.4 or newer, and the map on which you want to play. Please follow the courtesy notes as described further below.
QUICK START
If you don't want details, and just want to get going, here's what to do:
1) Run RBP, and go to the File, Display Settings pull-down menu.
2) In the Pbem area, enter your email address, and the name of your ISP's mail server (usually resembles smtp.comcast.net or outgoing.verizon.net). If your mail server needs authentication, fill in the username and password fields per your service provider's instructions. If you do not have that info, or your mail system (such as Gmail) does not support the game, in the SMTP Port field choose either tbird, mailto, or manual.
3) In RBP, use the Game, Start pull-down menu, and select number of players, names, colors, etc. Each player must be given a unique name.
4) For each of your Pbem opponents, click on Type/Style, select "Human, Pbem" and input his/her email address. If prompted for a match name, accept the default.
5) In the Game Setup window, when ready to begin your Pbem match click OK.
6) If it is your turn, play. When a human opponent's turn occurs RBP will inform you it is ready to send the match to that person via email. Click OK to proceed, then exit RBP.
7) Check your incoming email as you do normally, and watch for an RBP Pbem message from an opponent. When it arrives, it is your turn. Click on the file attached to the message, and open it with RBP. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until someone wins. Have fun.
The steps above will work for most people; if you encounter difficulty, check the details below.
EMAIL SETUP
Before a Pbem match, each participant must tell RBP their email settings. To do so, use the File, Display Settings window and see the Play by Email area. At minimum the email, server and port number fields must be correctly filled in. See Display Settings for instructions.
Even if you've forgotten the name of the email account or address associated with your ISP (for example, Comcast), Pbem should be able to operate if you have another address at which to receive email (for example, Gmail).
The game offers both automatic and manual Pbem sending. The automatic mode uses your email system to send the game turn to the next player; enable it by placing a number in the SMTP port number Display Settings field. If automatic mode does not function for you, see Display Settings for manual options.
EMAIL SELF-TEST
To be sure your email settings are functional for sending purposes, perform the following test. Via this test you'll send a test email to yourself from RBP.
1) First, be sure your Internet connection is operational and you are presently online.
2) In RBP choose the Game, Play by Email pull-down menu.
3) You may be prompted to install the Winsock control. Follow the on-screen information.
4) In the Pbem Control Window, choose the Options, Self-mail Test pull-down menu.
5) Emailing information will be displayed. If it looks proper, click OK.
6) SMTP status information will flash near the top of the Pbem Control Window. Watch for messages. A successful test will complete in less than a second, and show "Test emailed to" <your email address>.
A timeout message during send often means you have not correctly specified the name of your email server in Display Settings. Upon any error messages, verify your Internet service is connected, and check with your ISP that your email settings in the Display Settings window are proper. Correct improper information and retry.
A common failure is caused by your ISP requiring email authentication. If they require authentication, you will need to properly fill in the UserName and Password field, plus set the SMTP Port Number to something other than 25; be sure to read the details at Display Settings. After any setting change, retry the email self-test.
To email via a system that requires SSL/TLS (Gmail is one), enable RBP's "Use SSL" checkbox and set the port number to 465 or as the email provider instructs; you will also need to fill in the Username and Password fields.
If problems persist, check your firewall is not blocking RBP (the default port is 25). Next, try a different email provider. At least resort, perhaps try a different device.
If you cannot resolve the trouble, your email configuration and RBP are not compatible. Unfortunately with so many possible email systems and setups in existence, we cannot guarantee that all will be compatible, nor can we provide tech support for this beyond the FAQ at RailGameFans.com. If you know the failure is related to SMTP requirements imposed by your outgoing email service, for a small fee we may be able to provide you with suitable SMTP access limited to Pbem sending purposes. Details and availability are uncertain at the time of this writing, so check the FAQ at RailGameFans.com (search there for SMTP).
If the outbound test message process appeared OK, check for incoming email via your normal means (i.e. the inbox you regularly use for email). If a message titled Pbem self-test arrives properly, the test was a success, and you should be able to participate in a Pbem match. If the test message appears to have gone out, but does not arrive, check your spam filters. Some email receipt systems might filter out mail coming from RBP, so if you suspect that problem, retry the test after entering a different email address of yours in Display Settings.
MATCH SETUP
Before starting a Pbem match, use File, Load Map to open the game map on which you want to play. Each match participant must be licensed to use the map by having paid for their own copy. Next, to set up the match, use the Game, Start pull-down menu.
In the Game Setup window, choose the number of participants and enter the names of the players. Each player must be assigned a unique name. A Pbem match must have at least 2 and up to 6 human players; inclusion of AI (bot) players is acceptable.
For yourself in the Type/Style column, choose Human. For all other human players, scroll up to and choose "Human, Pbem". Avoid selecting Human, Remote. RBP will prompt you to enter an email address for each Pbem player; enter the email address at which that player wishes to receive Pbem email. That is the address to which RBP will email the match so the opponent can take his turn. The addresses you enter will appear in the Pbem Control Window. Redo any incorrect by double clicking on them in the Pbem Control Window.
RBP automatically assigns a name for your match, and asks you to confirm it. RBP will include this name within the file name under which it saves the match and sends it to opponents as an email attachment. Use only letters, digits, underscores and hyphens in the name. Since participants might be playing in several different Pbem matches concurrently, choose a name unlikely to be confused with another: the name must not be the same as that of a Pbem match in which any of the participants are already playing.
If your match has a moderator, double click on the Moderator field and enter his email address, otherwise leave the field blank. Every time the match is sent to the next player during play, RBP also sends a copy to the moderator. The moderator feature can be useful for tournament matches: it allows a moderator to initiate a match, and monitor its progress. Note to moderator: the copies of the matches you receive will arrive in playable form; to avoid confusing the participants, do not play a turn of a match in which you are not otherwise participating.
START PLAY
When all settings look right, in the Game Setup window click OK. If the local human player gets the first turn, RBP will prompt for that turn to be taken. If a human-pbem player gets the first turn, RBP will email the match to that person. AI players will take their turns normally.
If the Pbem Control Window gets in the way of play, you can close it.
When an email is about to be sent, a message window will pop up and ask you to verify. In general, you should approve the request. If you cancel, to reinitiate the email sending process, click the OK (done) button. At the same time you approve the outbound email, you can enter a comment to add to the banter box; to enter multiple comments, hold down the Ctrl key when you click OK.
While an email is being sent, RBP will show the Pbem Control Window. The window will flash the SMTP email sending status. Be alert for error messages. Success is indicated by "Match emailed to..." or "Notice emailed to..." text. You can then close RBP.
EMAIL RECEIPT
After the remote player(s) have completed their turn(s), you should receive an email from one of those players prompting you to take your turn. The match will be attached to the email message. If you have established a "file association" to RBP.EXE for the .rbz file extension of saved games, you can click (or perhaps double click) on the file attachment so as to automatically invoke RBP, and load the attached game; you can then easily take your turn, and have RBP email it to the next person. The process of creating a "file association" varies depending on your version of Windows, so check online sources for instructions.
If you do not have a file association established, save to disk the file attached to the email. Then manually start RBP, and use File, Open Game to load that file from where you had saved it.
REVIEW
Once the Pbem match is loaded into RBP, if any opponent has made a purchase, announced or declared since your last turn, to bring you up-to-date RBP shows a "Review".
To close a Review window, simply click on it. If multiple such events have occurred, each will pop up separately. After the Review, you can proceed normally with your turn.
AUTOMOVE
RBP's automove feature can speed up matches. When you engage automove (without its wait-to-build option), RBP will automatically move your train for you, and even do so if your turn occurs when the Pbem match is operating on an opponent's device. In that way, your turn is processed and the next opponent gets to take a turn. If automove reaches your destination or otherwise turns itself off, you will be emailed the match as usual.
If all human participants have their automove engaged at the same time, several rounds could be processed within a few seconds, thereby reducing the total number of emails that are sent.
AUTOBID
During auctions, we recommend you enter your maximum bid and enable the Autobid checkbox. Autobid automatically bids for you in $500 increments up to your maximum, thus speeding the match by reducing the number of emails that are sent.
MULTIPLE PBEM MATCHES
RBP imposes no quantity limit on the number of Pbem matches in which you may participate concurrently. To help remind yourself of your plans in a match, click on "PM" in your contracts area. The PM feature lets you enter a brief private message that is saved with the match; when your turn comes around later, you can view the message by clicking on PM again. Your PM is not visible to opponents.
MAIL RECEIPT FAILURE
If during the match a participant does not timely receive an email, thereby holding up the match, the last person to have taken a turn can resend the match. To do so, use the Game, Play by Email pull-down menu, then in the Pbem Control Window, choose the Match, Remail menu. A list of Pbem matches will appear. Select the one you wish to resend, and when prompted, verify it is being sent to the correct email address.
CALC DELAY
The Match, Calc delay pull-down menu displays for each player the total time elapsed between when the match was sent to the player, and when he began taking his turn. It is a measure of how much delay each participant has introduced into the match. The features helps you learn if opponents are playing at a pace you prefer.
NUDGE
The frequency with which each Pbem player takes a turn is determined by the pace of the participants. If all participants take turns quickly, as soon as the email arrives, a Pbem match can be completed the same day it started. Typically, however, people are not always available to take their turn immediately, so most Pbem matches extend over several days, or even weeks.
If a match bogs down, running slower than usual for the participants, and no one has indicated a delay reason, consider the Nudge feature. Nudge sends an automated "please take your turn" reminder to all opponents. To Nudge, run RBP, select the Game, Play by Email pull-down menu, and in the Pbem Control Window choose the Match, Nudge menu. You'll be presented with a list of Pbem matches; choose the one you want to nudge. RBP will let you add a brief comment to the nudge message it sends.
Do not nudge excessively or without reason. If someone stops participating without explanation, you can replace him with an AI bot as described below. Since RBP supports multiple concurrent Pbem matches, as an alternate you can start another match with other people.
PLAYER DROPOUT
If a human player ceases to participate, when the turn comes around to the missing player someone else can fill in. The most recent human player to take a turn should reload the match as he received it, access the Pbem Control Window, double click to edit the appropriate email address and fill in the address of the substitute. Then use the Control Window's Match, Remail menu. If you prefer to instead substitute an AI player, use the main window's Game, Edit Setup menu and change the missing Pbem player's type into one of the AIs. After doing so, click the main window's OK (done) button to proceed with the match.
COURTESY
Before including people in a Pbem match, we recommend as courtesy you contact them in advance to check their interest and availability to participate. It is also a good opportunity to ask what color they prefer to play in the match.
In advance of accepting an invitation into a Pbem match, you should verify that your email system is compatible. To verify, perform the Email Self-Test described near the start of this topic.
We recommend that participants who are going to be away or otherwise unable to take turns for a longer-than-usual period post a message about it into the banter box. Something like, "Taking a long weekend... will resume the match Tuesday" is a polite notice to your opponents. To add banter, right click on the banter box.
By using RBP's Pbem feature you agree to accept all responsibility for that use: it is a form of email and is subject to rules and regulations regarding such. Use of the Pbem feature other than as described herein will subject your RBP registration to cancellation. If someone abuses the Pbem feature, and refuses to stop, we recommend you report the problem to that person's Internet Service Provider.
NOTES
If you have established in Windows an .rbz file association to RBP.EXE, you can open the email attachment directly with RBP, take your turn, and close RBP quickly, often in less than a minute total.
If the sender's device lacks file compression ability, RBP will automatically email the saved game as an .rbg file rather than .rbz.
If you want to receive Pbem at multiple email addresses (such as both work and home), edit your email info via the Pbem Control Window and enter those addresses separated by a comma. For each given round of the match, after you take your turn upon receipt of the match at one email address, be sure not to take it again when you check your email at your other address.
For a match involving more than one person at the same device, for clarity we recommend you use different email addresses for each such participant. If multiple people need to share the same email address, RBP allows it (just enter the same email address for more than one player), but you must then watch to ensure the proper person takes their turn. Incoming Pbem messages state the name of the player whose turn it is.
Before the Pbem match is emailed, RBP compresses it to reduce size. The file sizes are generally small (typically less than 20K) and therefore suitable even for users with Internet access via relatively slow dialup.
For Remail, Nudge and Copy Setup (rematch) purposes, RBP preserves a copy of each Pbem match in a cache. To erase all such files more than a week old, in the Pbem Control Window use the Options, Clear cache pull-down menu.
Depending on your operating system settings, for Pbem to work you may need to run RBP in your operating system's Administrator mode. How to engage Administrator mode for an application can vary, so if you need details, please do a search online.
During a Pbem match, to reopen the Pbem Control Window, click on the Pbem icon. To move the icon to a different corner, right click on it and drag it to the desired corner.
For time stamps of Pbem matches, RBP employs Universal Time, also called Greenwich Mean Time. Such time stamps are suffixed with the letters UT. Universal Time provides a consistent time reference for the match in case participants are located in different time zones. To convert UT to United States Eastern Standard Time, subtract 5 hours.
Pbem cannot be used in the same match as RBP's live Web Play features.
If you prefer to play simultaneously in real time, use RBP's live Web Play feature.