OS: Windows 10
VASSAL: 3.5.8
Module: Imperial Struggle 1.2
I’ve been playing IMPERIAL STRUGGLE with different folks for a year now and longer. I recently updated to the latest Vassal, but upon doing so, I discovered that when my opponents sent me their logfiles, I can’t load them; or rather, I can, but the file doesn’t recognize me as a player. I can only open the file as an observer. I had thought this was because I wasn’t logged into Vassal, but I am, and the problem persists. I went back to 3.5.8 Vassal, but still it persists. Anyone have insight into what I can do?
Something has gone awry with your password for the module that you are using. This seems like what you would get if you’d moved to a new computer and you’d reinstalled the module but used a different password.
Being “logged into Vassal” is not a thing as far as playing games goes. So you maybe logged into the Vassal forum, for example, but that has nothing to do with your access to games that you are playing.
Each module knows you by the password that you entered when you first opened the module. This password is saved in a Vassal data folder somewhere on your machine. In your game, you can only get in as observer because (a) all player slots in the game are taken and (b) if one of those player slots was previously taken by you, your machine has either lost the password or that password has been changed.
If you can remember the password that you originally used, then one way to fix the problem is to locate the Vassal data folder ( “prefs” I think it is called) and in there you should find a file for the module. In that file will be the password which you can edit and correct.
Hope this helps. Someone else may be able to give better advice.
Your computer won’t just “lose” your module password, that’s not a thing. I agree that (although you didn’t say so) the most likely explanation is that you’ve upgraded computers or started the game initially on a different computer. If that’s the case and the older computer is still accessible, you can find the password that was in use in the location mentioned above. If not, message me privately with a link to your most recent game file shared on some cloud storage service along with what player side you are expecting to be, and I can give you some help.