PitBoss for HOTW7?

[MMC]

The PitBoss Server is a tiny little app that can be used to centrally store the save amongst other things. You connect to a PitBoss game as you would with any player hosted game.

The Admin can then kick players who are not behaving (or who cannot continue the game for one reason or another) freeing up the slot for another player to take over. They can also set a Message of the Day, allowing them to tell players about a thread they need to vote in, for example.

Also, messages to an individual player who is offline will get stored and transmitted when that player next joins the game. However, public messages (ie sent to Everyone) are not stored.

There is also the CivStats system which reads the PitBoss admin screen and uploads the info to www.civstats.com. I am involved in the development of this and work is progressing towards a low-profile mod which will extract more infomation than is currently possible. The current method does not require any mod to be setup, but only shows what is currently available on the website, whereas the eventual aim is to reproduce all the Adviser screens on the website, allowing complete monitoring of a civ without logging in (Info will only be available to the civ owner, by default - an option to allow public viewing may be included for each screen).

These are simply the features I can think of at 3:30am so if you have any questions, please ask them before you vote.

[Prussia]

Voted Yes.

I think that we should still have organized meetings though, just with the game continuing in the meantime so the playing never stops.

Will download the PitBoss launcher and see how it works.

[MMC]

If you have Warlords, then you already have the launcher.

[deity]

So, without time to read too much, can anyone start a pitboss game as host? Or is the host elsewhere?

Can we log in anytime and play our turns?

Sorry, in a rush...

[MMC]

Anyone can host as long as they have a copy of the App. Anyone with Warlords automatically has a copy in their Warlords folder.

You can login at anytime, as long as the PitBoss is running of course. That doesn't necessarily mean you can play your turn, but that's the case with most Civ games.

The only advanced thing that you may need to worry about, is that if you run the server on a different PC to the one you play from (on the same network), you must setup your Civilization4.ini to use a different port (either for the server or for the client).

The Minimum install required to run PitBoss is all the Python, all the XML, and the core files. I believe the Art and Sound files can be removed if space is an issue.

[deity]

So pitboss is on the civplayers host machine? Which has to be left running all the time?

If I hosted a pitboss I just launch the Civ4Warlords_PitBoss.exe ?

And then log in on the same PC for me as a player?

[deity]

I just loaded a pitboss game with 12 players (random).

I assume I leave the admin screen running where it shows the players/kick etc?

Then I launched Civ Warlords on the same PC and selected MP/Direct IP (as per the pitboss settings) and selected the autosave in the multi/pitboss saves foilder..

am I on the right path?

[deity]

nah, it's not right.

I now tried connecting to my own IP address and it times out...

[deity]

Can you guys get on AIM or MSN?

[deity]

I'm suggesting we start a game anyway with 12 slots; use the same tribes/settings as agreed for HOTW7 and just play. If people drop AI takes over if no one else around.

I really want to see the pitboss working first. We are bound to come up with issues which we can iron out for HOTW7. If this test game continues in its own right then all the better but HOTW7 will take priority when it starts.

[Schtix]

I would really like to emphasize that in my experience, diplogames take quite a while to get started and up. Now, I know Deity has far more experience in this than I, but this is just my opinion.

It just seems a bit rushed is all, and with so many threads, I'm confused about exactly where to post.

Let's make sure everyone gets input on this before we start setting up times.

[deity]

We really need to at least have a few tests though. That is my primary aim.

Secondarily, there's no problem in playing another non diplo posting game?

[MMC]

Having attempted a test game of my own, I have revised my view on using PitBoss...

If we were using Civ4 Vanilla (v1.61), then I would fully advocate PitBoss in all its finery. However, it appears Civ4 Warlords has introduced too many bugs into the system to make an attempt worth while. A later patch may fix these bugs but I doubt it will be released in time for HOTW 7.

[deity]

We should test it again when more of us are here with me hosting (known quantity from HOTW5)