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DBM PBEM FAQ - Draft 1.3
Last updated 8/27/99
This is a short FAQ introducing the concept of playing DBM using Cyberboard.
Mark Wilmot has kindly supplied this FAQ. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, please feel free to drop him a note at either:
GOL Address
AOL Address
I. Why try Cyberboard PBEM?
For those of us living in areas with limited - or no - access to live opponents.
For those who might want to play that email aquaintance living "out of reach."
For those who might want to try out armies yet unbought and/or unpainted.
For those who lack the time, space and resources normally required to set up and fight large battles.
II. What You Need.
1. A computer capable of running Win95 software.
2. Cyberboard is a freeware computer program available on the Internet. This program is comprised of two programs, a designer and player, which allows one to create maps and pieces, and then play a game. Cyberboard records moves, rolls dice as needed, and allows for written comments.
Cyberboard Homepage:
3. An opponent - Write someone off our opponents wanted list, or get an aquaintance to give it a go. If you'd like to be on a contact list for PBEM, send me your address and I'll add it to our list.
4. Optional - an Umpire to assist in some aspects of the game.
5. Optional - a template gamebox file already put together for use with Cyberboard. This will save you the time of creating terrain tiles and a lot of army tiles from scratch. You can freely edit the current set to something more to your interest. I've constructed one which I'll happily pass on to those interested.
III. Getting Started.
Once you've got an opponent and decided on your forces, there are a variety of ways players can go about the prelimenary steps of starting a game such as dicing for aggression, dicing for/deploying initial terrain, and dicing for attacker's starting side.
1. Honor System
If you're willing to trust your opponent, each player can simply roll dice and report the results as needed via email to the other.
2. IRC/Online
There are some online services and IRC areas which support online dice. It's feasible you and your opponent might be able to meet live in one of these and roll dice as needed there.
I know AOL has the feature available in it's online chat areas. I know there's a Bloodbowl IRC site which can roll dice. I'm sure there are probably others.
3. Umpire
Ask a third person to act as the umpire. This person will roll the dice for both players
as needed in the opening stages and report the results to each. This person can also act as a checker of army lists and handle other deployment issues like ambushes and flank marches as well. Perhaps once we get a few more PBEM'ers we can get a few people to do this.
4. Dice Server
If you prefer not to use one of the above, there's at least one secure dice server which you can use to roll a die and send the result plus a comment to your opponent via email. This will be a bit slower than the other options as you'll have to wait for your opponent to respond at each stage before progressing on.
Irony Games Dice Server
IV. Creating the Game.
General Comment on Game Scale
Due to the limits of the tile sizes, you can't replicate the largest bases, 40 MM x 80 MM,
in same scale in Cyberboard at higher resolutions. Hence, I recommend using half scale bases and corresponding map scales to be able to accurately accommodate. The dimensions I discuss are based on 15MM bases and scale. Another advantage of using half scale is your game files will be smaller so easier and faster to transfer via email.
If you want to use real scale where your bases are the same size as actual elements, I'm told this can be done at 640 x 480 resolution.
1. The Programs and Files
Cyberboard has two programs and creates three different kinds of files.
CBDesigner is what you need to start out with to create the resources needed in the game such as the tiles, the pieces and the map. The file created is a gamebox file with extension gbx. Both players need to have the same gamebox file or you'll get errors. If either player edits the gamebox to add new tiles, pieces or to alter the map, then the updated gbx file needs to be sent to the other player. If you have a gamebox with a lot of different army tile sets, it's better to delete those you aren't using and then save that as a new gamebox for just that battle. This will make the gamebox a lot smaller and easier to transfer.
I have created a basic gamebox for DBM which includes a full range of terrain tiles and a number of army tile sets. It also includes a game record chart for tracking break points and boxes you can use for noting flank marching commands with hidden pieces. If you'd like to get a copy, drop me a note. It's currently at revision 105 dated 8/27/99.
2, The Map
The first thing you have to make up is the map. You will need to pass this back and forth initially as the attacker places his terrain, then the defender. You will eventually have to enter this data into a Cyberboard game map as well. There are a couple different ways I think you can do this.
A. Give simple written description of size, location and orientation of terrain initially.
Once field is picked, one player can edit all this in at one time.
B. Attacker places his terrain picks on the Cyberboard map and then sends it on to the defender to do likewise.
In making up the Cyberboard map I would recommend using a scale of 1/2" per square. On my monitor this worked out as cells with a height of 55 and width of 53. A battle field of 48 rows and 72 columns would give you the standard 4 x 6 foot table. Natuarally you and your opponent could opt to fight on bigger or smaller tables I suppose.
To compensate for possible differences in monitors and resolutions, each player should make some simple movement gauges out of cardboard or paper based on the 1 square = 1/2 inch, instead of relying a normal ruler, if the map doesn't display at the same 1/2 inch to 1 square on their own system. The latest gamebox also includes a virtual ruler tile which can be useful in this respect as well.
In creating a map in Cyberboard you can use a mix of tiles and freehand line drawings. Tiles are fixed to whatever size squares you're using whereas freehand line drawings can be whatever you like. As long as both players understand and agree any mix is fine.
Cyberboard maps can be edited on three levels for allowing series of overlays. I recommend using the lowest level for placing all terrrain tiles, line drawings and text you might want to add. level one allows for picking and placing so it's easier to arrange things. The higher levels DON'T allow this and can be a real pain in my experience so far. In addition, if you place terrain at higher levels than one, the transparency color doesn't appear to work so your maps won't look as nice. As you can make multiple overlays of tiles at even level one, there's really no need to use the other levels at all.
Once you've created a tile, you can copy it into future game sets using copy and paste.
Note: Tile sets for a game includes both tiles for terrain and units plus any other game markers you might want to use.
3, The Pieces
To create pieces you will need to first create some tiles to represent them on the map. On my monitor (1280 x 1040) ... MM to Pixels
Frontage Depth
20 MM 80 40 MM 170
20 MM 85
15 MM 65
10 MM 45
7.5 MM 33
at 640 x 480 using real scale...
99 equals 40mm
74 = 30mm
50 = 20mm
37 = 15mm
63 = 1 inch for cell height and width.
You can create very elaborate tiles if you like or use very simple ones. At the very least, you need some minimal marks to make them easily discernable for each of possible class of troops in your army. As noted above, once you've made a tile, you can reuse them in future games.
Once you've made tiles, you can create a set of pieces for you army. Unless you want to tip off your opponent, you'd best make a set which includes all the possible ones you could feasibly buy in a game of the AP size you're playing. Just cause a piece is in the set, doesn't mean you have to use it in that game. If you and your opponent trust each other not to examine the others piece tray, then you can forgo doing that.
In creating pieces, you should use two sided pieces with the back side set to the transparency color. This allows you to hide pieces in ambush from the start by simply deploying them upside down.
4. Deployment
There are a number of different ways you could handle deployment; depending on your taste, whether you're using an umpire and the degree your trust your opponent.
First you and your opponent can either use relative deployment or sketch map deployment as the basic format. If you're using an umpire, you can forward your info to him. If not, you'll have to essentially trust your opponent.
If using relative deployment, you will alternate deploying your commands on the map as normal. You will have to swap the game files back and forth till you finish. Elements in ambush or commands in flank march obviously won't start out on the map, though you could deploy ambushers upside down if using doublesided pieces as mentioned above.
For hidden deployment. The simplest solution is using doublesided pieces and having those not visible simply turned over. Other options: Both players will deploy their visible pieces on the map simultaneosly in one copy of the game files and then swap copies at an agreed on time. The attacker will then duplicate the defenders setup on his game map and the game can begin. If you have an umpire, you can send him your files by an agreed on deadline and he will send the attacker the game set once he finishes transfering visible units.
For flank marchers, you can place a numbered chit matching your command facedown - and hence invisible in the appropriate flank march box on the game record chart. I've made the boxes pretty big so the odds of you accidently placing your chit on an opponents piece in the same box are pretty small IMHO. In any case even if you did so, that wouldn't reveal the oppenents chit so it shouldn't be a problem.
I've made chits to place on the elements which are CiC, Sg or Ag. This is a little easier to track than using special element tiles for generals IMHO, but you can do it either way as you like.
V. Playing the Game.
Once the scenario setup is finished, you can play the game out using the DBM mechanics of play. Cyberboard can roll dice for you and you can add comments as needed.
I recommend you write down your pip dice assignment in addition to commenting about this using the game notes as you can't backtrack during the turn and review these.
Some movement comments:
You can select any number of pieces for mass movement by drawing a box around them, this is a major timesaver. You can alter facings incrementally or to some standard directions by group as well. Be careful when changing facing as it relocates the piece. It's often wise to end your moves with a corner touching one of the grid lines to make accidentally misplacing your pieces less likely. A simple way to calculate sidestepping your formation is to simply count double the distance when moving in oblique directions as you have to wheel twice to maintain the same formation and facing. To avoid potentially nasty arguments over micromeasurements and misplacements, give yourself a healthy margin when trying to skermish or to close, and your opponent will be much less likely to challenge in such cases. As moves can be reviewed endlessly with the replay feature, if you're wrong, there's not much you can say and if you're correct the replays will show it.
To avoid a lot of problems with ambushes in non-umpired games, I recommend you first describe to your opponent the path your 'scout' pieces will follow and he can there for halt you before you expend too many pips or move too far. While this may be a bit tedious initially, I think it will save a lot of grief in the long run.
Once you finish your turn. You can save and zip the game move (gmv) file for tranfer to your opponent. Your opponent can review your moves and then take his own turn in the same manner. BTW, anyone else who you send the game files to can follow the course of the game as well.
I've included a game record chart you can use to track the elements lost per command and the demoralization level of your army. I've also included some tiles you can use for noting demoralizd or unreliable commands. I've included some numbered chits you can use to help distinguish which command pieces belong to in mixed areas on the battlefield. You can also use these for tracking purposes on the game record chart.
VI. DBM PBEM Contact List
I've started an opponents wanted list for those interested in doing DBM PBEM. The following info is included;
Name
Email Address
Whether you'd like to play using True Scale, measuring with manouver gauge/ruler.
Whether you'd like to play using Grid, a bit simplier movement locked to the grid.
Whether you'd prefer to play; Any, Same Book or Historical enemies.
1-4 favorite armies, or Many if you've got lots<g>
VII. Other Random Thoughts.
With such a system, it's feasible to setup some truely international internet leagues and ladders. All kinds of interesting possiblities if there's enough interest and people
interested in organizing and maintaining such things.
Comments and suggestions for improving this process are welcome, either on or off list.
If anyone would like to try this out in a test game with me, drop me a note as well.
Enjoy
Mark