American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Nope, encryption option doesn't work for campaign games. Means you have to be extra careful not to open a game when it isn't your turn since the only alert will be it asking you to view the wrong replay. Wish they would fix this.

Col. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
III Corps, AoM (CSA)

Maj. Gen. Horrocks,

Here is a link to a short explanation the last time this came up. Also if you do a search in the forum on the word "encryption" you will find other posts as well regarding the same thing.

http://www.wargame.ch/board/acw/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=6898


Brig. Gen. Chris Cross
II "Jackson's" Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
CSA

That is the reason the Campaign engine doesn't use encryption, it still doesn't explain why they don't fix this. Encryption isn't program specific. There is no program reason they can't encrypt the cpf file for both the Campaign engine and the Battle engine.

It allows accidental viewing your opponents game. I don't think most of the people here would deliberately view the game but after 400 turns of no problem the one time you don't pay attention to the view turn replay prompt and hit yes without noticing which side will be the turn your opponent accidentally sent you the old zip file or you throught you had downloaded his latest move.

For that matter just adding a password and prompt in order to execute a particular side (USA or CSA) would be extremely helpful without encryption. This would allow you to open a file to see if you completed all the phases before mailing it or to verify what turn it is on (its a current file).

Col. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
III Corps, AoM (CSA)

The campaign encryption must be fixed. And I won't play a campaign game against a human opponent again until it is. The problem is best described by the old adage ``locks keep honest people honest".
Secrecy of movement is the KEY component of playing a campaign game. There is nothing more frustrating than to plan and deploy formations of troops for flanking movements and other maneuvres and to have them ``magically'' discovered by your opponent.
I have been in tactical situations where there is NO way my opponent should have noticed my units (LOS, defilade) and bingo, enemy units appear. (Perhaps the rebels have SR71s!)
Human nature being what it is, it must be too tempting for some to take a look. So please fix it.

Regards, Conjotter

Hi Bill! Just because you are old doesn't mean campaign encryption isn't an issue. Clearly it is. If encryption isn't an important part of the game, why did Tiller include the feature in the games in the first place?

Regards, Conjotter

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

Hi Bill! Just because you are old doesn't mean campaign encryption isn't an issue. Clearly it is. If encryption isn't an important part of the game, why did Tiller include the feature in the games in the first place?

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

As you said before, don't play campaign games. In fact, beware of the AI; maybe "it" sees everything.[;)]

There are ways of "cheating" in encrypted games! One method is playing the turn over and over and over and over and over and over, until you "see" all you can see and get the results you want. It doesn't work that well, but it can be done.

In regular PBEM games and in campaign games, if your opponent wants to "cheat", they will.

So, anyones best bet is not to worry about it and play the game. Or don't play at all.

Plus, who are you? A club member or just a lurker who doesn't want to sign his posts with actual name, unit and side?

<b><font color="gold">Ernie Sands
LtGen, CO XXIII Corps, AoO

President, Colonial Campaigns Club
</b></font id="gold">

Folks

Of encrypting Bill said "Otherwise folks could program some code to find it out [the password] by using another like program." Are you saying "don't encrypt" because it can't prevent cheating?

1) Sounds like it would require considerably more skill and technical knowlege to cheat though, which would narrow the field down considerbly. I think a system that makes it more difficult is an improvement; ultimatelty no system is uncrackable, but a better one is better.

2) Cheating isn't the real issue for most of us, it's the accidental opening of a file. Most of us have done it, and like you, to date I have never learned anything useful... BUT, the day is going to come for me or my opponent when, just as the mind is registering that this is the wrong view and one should not be seeing it ... there is unquestionably a vast splotch of red (or blue) off on one flank (or rear, or whatever).

No matter how well intentioned and honourable, that game is ruined. However you try to play as if you didn't know, the knowledge is there and will influenced by it, to the good or bad.

So I would like a password just as a check. Leave the file unencrypted for all I care, just with a password that acts as a check to say "Hey Dude, this ain't your turn"

As for conjotter "And I won't play a campaign game against a human opponent again until it is. " ... you're kidding??? There's like 500 people just in this club, you really think all of them cheat when they can? Sorry Dude, but that's absurd.

It happens I'm sure, and probably more than we want to think, but if you think that is happening with someone then just suck it up an play someone else. The odd bad experience will be more than compensated by the many, many good ones.

As Will Roger's said, I'd rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the man who sold it.

Brig Gen Mike Kaulbars
3rd "Freiheit" Division
VIII/AoS