So I've just installed Civ IV and pitboss on my knackered old PC that I'm using as a server. (Key point here: I used my Laptops DVD drive, as the old PC only has a CDROM!) I tried running the pitboss and that just popped up a quick command prompt window. Fair enough.

Now I try running Civ IV, but because the DVD is in my laptop, not in the knackered old PC, that copy of Civ IV can't authenticate. Do I haveto start the game on that knackered old PC? Can't I run Civ on my laptop and just the server app on the old PC?

Any advice gratefully received (by me and my 8 eager players!)

pretty sure you can... Read the top thread of this forum...

Running Pitboss does not need the CD in the drive, and you don't have to have ever run Civ4 on the server machine to run Pitboss.

Aha, OK. Guess there is something wrong with my installation. Like I said in the original post, when I run the pitboss app it just opens a terminal window then closes again. Back to the drawing board...

That's what pitboss does, when you chose all the settings and click next, it opens a command promt window which runs for a bit and then closes. After that closes you should get another window with the timer and the players of the game.

Yeah I don't get that. No settigns window, just the command prompt window, which closes, then nothing.

For anyone that comes to read this, it was because I hadn't patched.

Parents - talk to your kids about patching before asking stupid questions.

Of course, it still doesn't work, but that's for another thread...