Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[GaelicVigil]

So I just picked up this amazing game from Ebay a while ago and have been blown away at how awesome it is.  I'm wondering if anybody would be interested to start a Play By Email game.

So why would I want to play Space Empires 4 over other popular Space 4X games? 
One word: Customization.  The modding and freedom you get in this game is absolutely sick.  The game can also be run on any machine and does not require DosBox or other fiddling to get running.  I prefer SE4 to MOO2 just because it has a lot more depth. While MOO2 is a tight, fun game, SE4 gives you a lot more to fiddle with, making each game feel very different from the last.

Even though the game has a lot of options and can be difficult to master, it's fairly easy to pick up and learn the basics.  If you need a primer on how to play, here's the manual.

Why not Space Empires V?
While Space Empires V has even more customization and freedom than SEIV, the game is a lot less accessible to new players.  In other words, it's not quite the "pick up and play" game that SEIV is.  Plus, I'm old-school and prefer 2D over 3D (especially when the 3D does absolutely nothing to enhance actual gameplay).

So let's get this game on!

SPACE EMPIRES IV DELUXE PLAY BY EMAIL
-------------------------------------------------
Sign up for the game here

Summary
I will be running a Space Empires IV PBEM game in a very small map with no special victory conditions (last man standing).  To speed things up for multi-player, I will be decreasing the requirements for tech advancement and events.  I will limit the game to 5 players (including myself) with no non-play factions.  I will also be playing with the Dark Nova 4 mod (more info here).  This mod keeps the core game-play intact, but simply adds more options for an even greater amount of diversity and freedom.  The mod also includes "Fyrons Quadrant Mod Deluxe" which greatly improves system diversity and realism (more planet graphics, moons, asteroids, etc).

I'm hoping we can have a new turn at least once a day to keep things from lagging.  If someone drops out, or otherwise disappears on us, we'll try to replace him with a new player.

Requirements
Below is a list of things you will need to do to get started.  To make things simpler, I have created a compressed file that includes everything you need (other than the core game and the patch).  This package includes the Image ModPack an improved portrait pack, improved buttons, and the Dark Nova 4 Mod.  I've called this the "Resource Package" (See step 3 below).

IMPORTANT
If you would like to play with a custom race/shipset, you will need to post a link to the package so I can download it and modify it so as to make it Dark Nova 4 compatible (some minor image tweaks).  Once I have all of your desired shipsets, I will post the Resource Package for download.  We all need the same shipsets or you will get broken or incorrect images in your game.

You can find Space Empires 4 race/shipsets at the following locations:
here
here
here

Required Files
1. Space Empires IV: Get it off Steam, Ebay or elsewhere.  Note that the Classic and Gold editions can actually be patched to Deluxe for free (see step 2).
2. Patch 1.95: Get patches here.
3. Resource Package:  Extract directly into your Space Empires 4 root directory (Link will be posted when players have submitted desired shipset).


Committed Players
Turn 1: GaelicVigil - Terran Federation or Chitin.
Turn 2: Deadmeat1471 - XiChung
Turn 3:
Turn 4:
Turn 5:

HOW TO PLAY BY EMAIL (We're not *really* playing by email, but...whatever)
1. At the end of a player's turn, he will post a link to the next turn file on this thread. 
2. The next player will download the file and save it to his "Savegame" folder in his SE4 directory.
3. He will then start SE4 using the file, "SE4 Launcher" and load the Savegame he just recieved.
4. He will then post his turn file on the thread for the next player to download.

[Erkki]

I'd like to take part but dont have the time with the so called real life and another PBEM that will probably last at least a year.

I too prefer SE IV over V. It was not the UI or more details in V that ruined it, but the battle, where you could put all your ships atop each other to create a "killer-stack", running away from the enemy, shooting it outside of their range and/or engaging them one-by-one. The automatic battles with formations worked about as bad. The combat is horrible in IV too, but at least its balanced and crap only aesthetically. Loved the massive wars the end game had, when both sides were reasonably equal tech-wise and had over 100 colonies and fleets of thousands of ships... 

[Deadmeat1471]

Definitely count me in. SEIV is brilliant pbem!

[GaelicVigil]

Definitely count me in. SEIV is brilliant pbem!

Okay, you're in.  Which race/shipset would you like to play as?  (PM me if you want to keep it a mystery).

[Deadmeat1471]

Definitely count me in. SEIV is brilliant pbem!

Okay, you're in.  Which race/shipset would you like to play as?  (PM me if you want to keep it a mystery).

I'll take the aliens (X...somethings) if no one else has them.

[GaelicVigil]

I assume you mean the Xiati, not the XiChung (insects)?

[Deadmeat1471]

I assume you mean the Xiati, not the XiChung (insects)?

I don't have it installed at the moment, but i mean the XiChung I believe the insects.

[GaelicVigil]

To get more players involved, I've decided to use PBW2 to host the game.  You just need to register and join the game: link

[Erkki]

If you have trouble getting started, I'm in. No experience with the mod though, I would very much prefer the stock game with medium sized galaxy, and increased technology costs to avoid the issue of ships in the worst case being hopelessly obsolescent when they actually make it to the line.

Civilization is Praetorian from the stock game.


edit: simultaneous turns, right?

[GaelicVigil]

If you have trouble getting started, I'm in. No experience with the mod though, I would very much prefer the stock game with medium sized galaxy, and increased technology costs to avoid the issue of ships in the worst case being hopelessly obsolescent when they actually make it to the line.

Civilization is Praetorian from the stock game.


edit: simultaneous turns, right?

I'm actually hosting the game here: http://pbw.spaceempires.net/game/dark_nova_conquest

We still need one more player so feel free to sign up.  Just join the game, I'll authorize you, then make sure to create and upload an empire file.

I'm actually restarting the game later today because one player forgot to check "Rock Native" for his empire (don't forget that)...then we should be starting the first round.

Yes - simultaneous turns and strategic combat only.

[Pwnzerfaust]

Oops, nevermind, ignore this post.

[Deadmeat1471]

Oh shit i didnt realise we started! lemme install SEIV.

[Deadmeat1471]

I'm an idiot, but where do you get the modfile 'resource package' from?

[Erkki]

Okay.

I bet I'll get toasted first... 

edit: cant get the mod work properly. Installed all 4 on SEIV 1.95, it starts but getting error messages with some race graphics... Went to check and they are there, in the files. Dunno how its possible to fuck it up. 

edit: it cant find race graphics for "brotherhood"... Removing the folder in the races doesnt work. The packs dont have graphics for "brotherhood"... Do you have the combined pack somewhere?

[Erkki]

Okay, got it work... Had to remove the race graphics folders that missed everything from the mod files. Hoe its not a problem...