Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Dear Gentlemen,
As a young Sous-Lieutenant of the Grande Armee, my training starts with "hardware" problems, that's why I request some help. Even Allied answers are welcome [:D]

When I open the PBEM file sent by my trainer, then there is a message "do you want to see the french battle replay". if I say yes, then it said: "error reading replay file" and the main screen stay all black. If I say no then there is no error message but the screen is still black.
If I switch on the full screen view, then I am able to see the normal map with the units dispatched on it. Except that it seems there is some bugs , as for example there is no bridge crossing the danube between Linz and urfahr !!!

If I continue to play normally ( I suppose I was playing the austrian as this is the austrian turn) and end the turn then I have to enter an encryption key. I do it and then it says "error writing file".
Also, there is no reinforcement listed for the austrian and no arrived units !!! (there is some in the standard scenario).

If I start a PBEM scenario and play it by myself with no encryption, then I have no problem to read the files, everything seems to be correct.

I have done the test with the 1.0 game, and with patch 1.04 and 1.05. The problems stay the same (even worst with 1.0).
I am running xp pro service pack 2.

If anyone has a solution, he is welcome

Sous-Lieutenant Boucheron
Armee Du Nord


«Je sais, quand il le faut, quitter la peau du lion pour prendre celle du renard.» Napoleon Bonaparte

Perhaps your file failed its drug test [:)]

It sounds like you have done all the obvious things. I would look to the file you are receiving. I assume it is zipped. Have your instructor send you one that is not zipped. Maybe try a transimission with the one that works for you -- send it to the instructor and have him send it back.

While an unlikely source of the problem, experiment with a pbem game youself, including passwords -- you can play both sides.

The last thing is to make sure if your instructor is using some custom scenario you have <i><b>all</b></i> the files you need for the scenario.

Hope this helps.





Brigadier Sir Bob Breen KT

1st (The King's) Dragoon Guards
Commandant, RMA

Mssr. Boucheron,

What you describe tends to happen when the wrong password is used to open an encrypted file. My suspicion is that:

1) Typically French recruits assume command of the French forces in training scenarios;

2) Your instructor, who I am assuming is playing the Austrians, <font color="red"><b>sent you the wrong file</b></font id="red"> by, for instance, forgetting to "add" the file to the zip archive s/he uses to send you back the file;

3) When you extracted the file you received, you typed in the "French" password for the "Austrian" move, leading to the error message and the corruption of the file (If the wrong password is entered, the program trashes the file on purpose to deter someone from hacking it[xx(]).

Regards,

Paco

<i>Maréchal</i> M. Francisco Palomo
<i>Comte de Marseille
Duc d'Abrantes
Commandant - Division de Cavalerie de la Vieille Garde
AdC - Ieré Corps de Armee</i>

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bobbreen</i>
<br />Perhaps your file failed its drug test [:)]

It sounds like you have done all the obvious things. I would look to the file you are receiving. I assume it is zipped. Have your instructor send you one that is not zipped. Maybe try a transimission with the one that works for you -- send it to the instructor and have him send it back.

While an unlikely source of the problem, experiment with a pbem game youself, including passwords -- you can play both sides.

The last thing is to make sure if your instructor is using some custom scenario you have <i><b>all</b></i> the files you need for the scenario.

Hope this helps.





Brigadier Sir Bob Breen KT

1st (The King's) Dragoon Guards
Commandant, RMA


<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Dear Commander Green,

Obviously, I have done all the things you suggest, and the results is still the same.
My instructor file was not zipped.
I have also send him a file than he returned to me, and I have still problem to read it as I described in the topic subject.

The idea of the scenario is a good comment, I will ask my instructor.

Or perhaps I will have only to play the IA so I can win some battles [:D]

Regards

Sous-Lieutenant Christophe Boucheron

«Je sais, quand il le faut, quitter la peau du lion pour prendre celle du renard.» Napoleon Bonaparte

This may seem an obvious thing but are you and your instructor both running the same version of Wagram ?

There is just released patch at HPS.

Monsieur le Marechal John Corbin
Chief of Staff
La Grande Armee

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by John Corbin</i>
<br />This may seem an obvious thing but are you and your instructor both running the same version of Wagram ?

There is just released patch at HPS.

Monsieur le Marechal John Corbin
Chief of Staff
La Grande Armee
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

dear Marechal Corbin

I can not answer formally yes to this question, but I have precised to my instructor that I was running version 1.05. Moreover, I tried also with the patch version 1.04 and the result is the same .

Regards,
Sous-Lieutenant Christophe Boucheron

«Je sais, quand il le faut, quitter la peau du lion pour prendre celle du renard.» Napoleon Bonaparte

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by paco</i>
<br />Mssr. Boucheron,

What you describe tends to happen when the wrong password is used to open an encrypted file. My suspicion is that:

1) Typically French recruits assume command of the French forces in training scenarios;

2) Your instructor, who I am assuming is playing the Austrians, <font color="red"><b>sent you the wrong file</b></font id="red"> by, for instance, forgetting to "add" the file to the zip archive s/he uses to send you back the file;

3) When you extracted the file you received, you typed in the "French" password for the "Austrian" move, leading to the error message and the corruption of the file (If the wrong password is entered, the program trashes the file on purpose to deter someone from hacking it[xx(]).

Regards,

Paco

<i>Maréchal</i> M. Francisco Palomo
<i>Comte de Marseille
Duc d'Abrantes
Commandant - Division de Cavalerie de la Vieille Garde
AdC - Ieré Corps de Armee</i>
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Dear Paco,

1) yes, that was supposed to be the case
2) I only received a .bte file not zipped.
On the file selection dialog, I have no indications except title where it is written ***encrypted***. No indications for turn. Then I select the good file in the file box.
Then problems start to happen when trying to review or not the french battle replay.
3) I have no password to enter when opening the file.
What is most surprising is also that a game launched by me by pbem and sent back my instructor has the same problem.
If I want to review the austrian battle replay (I was playing the french), then I have a fatal error closing the game: "cpm.exe has encoutered a problem ...."
If I don't ask for austrian battle replay, then I can see the units on the map by using the full screen view, but this bloody bridge is still missing ...

Perhaps this is a conspiracy and someone does not want my divisions to cross the danube [:D]

regards
Sous-Lieutenant Christophe Boucheron

«Je sais, quand il le faut, quitter la peau du lion pour prendre celle du renard.» Napoleon Bonaparte

Monsieur,

You may have to ask your opponent to send you the file in a zip file (Sometime they get corrupted when travelling without protection).

[;)]

<font color="green"> <b>Général de Division David Guégan Comte de Toulon, Duc de Nimes</b>
Co 11eme division
III Corps, AdN
Co Division d'Infanterie de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale


http://home.earthlink.net/~davidguegan/</font id="green">

Here's some more ideas -- some may appear to be very obvious, but ofen that is the case.

I assume you are opening the game as an <b><i>old play by email </i></b>game.

If the bridge is truly missing and it is suppose to be there and not simply destroyed and has to be rebuilt, then that suggests you do not have the correct files for the scenario you are trying to play. Did you ever try to edit the scenario or the map files you are playing?

Also, if you have two game scenarios open at the same time you can introduce errors into the files. Once a file gets an error in it. it will sometimes correct after a few turns.

You can also delete the pbemail.xxx, pbemail.yyy, campaign.xxx and campaign.yyy files before you start the game. Some people think doing this will help, I am not so sure since I think they are created new each time you start a game -- but it will do no harm.

Do you have the problem if you play a pbem game yourself -- after you start the game and save it, you can just open the file and see the other side. If that presents a problem it suggests your software is the source of the issue and you might want to reload everything.

If you like you can send me the game files in question and I will try to open it. I can also send you a file if you wish.

You can send it to me at bobcandoit@comcast.net

Good luck



Brigadier Sir Bob Breen KT

1st (The King's) Dragoon Guards
Commandant, RMA


The person that sent the file usually has the problems with those pbemail.yyy and .xxx files.

They have to delete them and then redo the file. Then send it to their opponent.

Thus if that is the case then our new fellow doesnt have a problem - it is with the trainer.

Send me the file and I will look at it. Password will help if there is one.

Dear All,

We have finally solved our problems, this topic is closed.
Thanks for all who gave precious advices.

Sous Lieutenant Boucheron
AdN

«Je sais, quand il le faut, quitter la peau du lion pour prendre celle du renard.» Napoleon Bonaparte

So what was the solution?

<font color="green"> <b>Général de Division David Guégan Comte de Toulon, Duc de Nimes</b>
Co 11eme division
III Corps, AdN
Co Division d'Infanterie de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale


http://home.earthlink.net/~davidguegan/</font id="green">

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by davidguegan</i>
<br />So what was the solution?

<font color="green"> <b>Général de Division David Guégan Comte de Toulon, Duc de Nimes</b>
Co 11eme division
III Corps, AdN
Co Division d'Infanterie de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale


http://home.earthlink.net/~davidguegan/</font id="green">

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

The problem was coming from corrupted files from my instructor side. Probably the pbemail.xxx and pbemail.yyy as suggested by some of you.
I know that my instructor has deleted these files, launch a new pbem and sent the files zipped to me.
It seems everything is working now and so I can start my training !

Sous Lieutenant Boucheron
AdN


«Je sais, quand il le faut, quitter la peau du lion pour prendre celle du renard.» Napoleon Bonaparte