The Pitboss connection thread

[T-hawk]

Not a Dell, it's a self-built machine. I found a copy cheap enough locally and will continue setting up tonight. I'm away again from Thursday evening over the holiday weekend though and won't start hosting until Monday/Tuesday.

[sunrise089]

Not a Dell, it's a self-built machine. I found a copy cheap enough locally and will continue setting up tonight. I'm away again from Thursday evening over the holiday weekend though and won't start hosting until Monday/Tuesday.

Hi T-Hawk,

Since I'm setting up my own Pitboss server as well, can you let me know the advantages of using the DynDNS thing?

[T-hawk]

DynDNS provides a public domain hostname that points to the IP address of your home PC. There is a client that runs in the Windows system tray and updates the public domain entry whenever your IP address changes. If your IP address never changes from your ISP, it's not necessary and the IP can just be used instead.

Also, Sunrise, if you're already setting up a Pitboss server, do you want to volunteer to host this game as well? I am currently dealing with a W32.Virut virus infection on my machine and it may be a week or two before I'm ready to host. (Really hesitant to do anything with opening and forwarding ports at the moment...)

[sunrise089]

I'm happy to host as many games as my backup system can handle, as long as someone tells me how to host multiple games at once.

[T-hawk]

Snoopy emailed me the following:

Do you plan on hosting more than one game at a time? If so, the instructions are slightly more complicated. If not, all you have to do is get the save, and the admin password [which i'll provide], and set up dyndns [fairly simple], and make sure your routers are clear on the port you use [and you need at least one port other than 2056 - because you can't use that port yourself to play games and have PTBS use it at the same time].

To host multiple games [and perhaps it's better to do this anyway - assume you will], follow these instructions...

---

1. BACK UP YOUR CIV4 SETTINGS. This will wipe them out wholesale. No idea why; Firaxis apparently don't know how to program this stuff properly. Anyway, take the folder (My Documents)\My Games\Beyond The Sword\ and make a backup of the entire folder somewhere else. At the end of the process, restore this folder to its original spot. Or, if you don't care about anything in that folder but the settings, just backup Civilization4.ini from it. [In this folder are your saves and any maps or mods you downloaded unless they were installed to the Prog. Files folder.]

2. Find the Pitboss exe (Civ4BeyondSword_Pitboss.exe) in the program files folder. Make a shortcut to it (easiest way is rt. click -> Send To -> Desktop).

3. Rt. click that shortcut and select 'properties'

4. Edit the target of the shortcut; at the end of the target, add /ALTROOT="something" where something is a name [up to you - I use the name of the game, so BTSDG]. It should look something like this [except for the starting part which is your game install directory]

Target: "%gamedir%\Beyond the Sword\Civ4BeyondSword_PitBoss.exe" /ALTROOT="BTSDG"

Getting the quotes right is really hard for some reason, and different versions of windows seem to have different opinions on what's right. If you get an 'invalid shortcut' message, it means you got the quotes wrong. The above is a paste from my shortcut on Vista.

5. Hit OK to save changes, then open the shortcut [double-click on it]

6. Follow the prompts just long enough to get into the game. {You can load one of the games I send you, or create a new one; it's faster to load one.}

7. Quit that game immediately. Then go to the program files folder the Pitboss EXE is in. You should see a new folder created called "something" (whatever name you gave it). It will have in it the full contents of your my documents\my games\Beyond the Sword\ folder, including its own .ini file. Open that .ini file in a text editor [notepad, etc.]

8. Find the line where it mentions Netcomm Port, and change that to another number; I typically suggest you use the range from 2056-2063 where 2056 is the normal Civ4 port [and thus I do not use that for PTBS, but only for regular Civ4 play] but it is not particularly important. You need to set your router to allow this port just like you did for regular Civ4; so set whatever range you choose to be directed to the PC you install this on, with port forwarding or whatnot, and open any software firewall you may have on those port(s). Each game must have a unique port - only one game (PTBS or Civ4 regular) may be on each port. Civ4 will by default increment the ports by 1 until it finds an open one (so 2056 -> 2057 -> 2058 etc.) as far as I can tell; I tend to use 2060 and up for PTBS just to keep it a bit away from the regular game, to avoid conflicts, but in theory 2057 is fine for PTBS (or regular play).


9. Save that file. Now open your game again, run it all the way to loaded.

10. Copy your backed up folder from step 1 back to the correct location (typically My Documents\My Games\Beyond the Sword\ ) or at least the .ini file. Run Civ4 (regular, not PTBS!)

11. Connect Civ4 to your game, using
127.0.0.1:20XX [where XX is your port]
{127.0.0.1 is "myself"; if you use a different PC to connect, you will need to use the internal or external IP as appropriate.}

12. I assume you have a DYNDNS account; if not, I suggest that highly, as it will sync your DNS with your selected DNS name as it changes (within an hour usually). www.dyndns.org

[sunrise089]

Ok T-Hawk, I followed the above steps. I have hosted a testgame for the RB pitboss game, and as soon as I know everything is working well there I'll be able to start hosting this game.

[T-hawk]

Great! And thanks. I just got told I'm traveling on business yet again next week, so that would push back my hosting date yet again.

If you find yourself unable to host in the future or want to pass it along after the RB pitboss game ends, look me up again.

[sunrise089]

Ok, my PC is set up and hosting the RB pitboss game. I just need to run a test to make sure Snoopy instructions for 2 simultaneous games work for me. I will let the forum know within 24 hours, and if the test is successful I will be able to take over hosting immediately.

[mostly-harmless]

Game seems to be down.
Or are we switching to sunrise at the moment?

mh

[Krill]

Yeah, Snoopy emailed me, said he is going to have to stop hosting now.

I think Sunrise is a solid host, if he can host I'll forward him the latest save for him to get the game rolling asap.

[sunrise089]

Ok, I tested (in-network at least) and can host the RB Pitboss game and another Pitboss game simultaneously. Therefore I'm happy to put up the game as soon as I can get a save.

[Krill]

email addy?

[sunrise089]

Sunrise089 at yahoo dot com

[Aukland123]

change the turn timmer too

[sunrise089]

Got the save Krill. The game asks me for an admin password, which I don't have.

Also, I'm not sure if I should change the turn timer or not. Obviously RB favors a shorter timer, but I don't recall if you made an official ruling.