A guide to playing a Pitboss game.

[classical_hero]

This is a guide on how to play a Pitboss game. I am sure you know that you first need to put the disc into the drive first to play the game.

Remember that you need to be playing with version 3.19 of BTS. Otherwise you cannot play or look at the file. To get the latest version just click on advanced and then click on check for updates, or go to the download section of this site.

The first step is to go to the multiplayer area on the first page and click on it.


Once you have clicked on it you will get the multiplayer screen and there will be five options for you to choose from, choose DirectIP.


Then enter in the IP and password if there is one.


Then you get to the leaderheads and pick the leader you are and click on that person and then click OK down near the bottom and then the password box will open. Enter the password and then click ok.


Once you have done that you will get a progress screen that shows the downloading of the game and then you will get to a set up a screen and then you will be in the game. Once you have done what you need to do, you go to the exit button and click on exit to main menu. Don't exit to desktop, always exit to the main menu.


The reason you must exit to main menu first, is that exiting to desktop causes the connection to hang, meaning no one else will be able to connect, forcing the host to reload the game and causing time to be wasted.

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Moderator Action: Thread stickied. Thanks for writing this, CH.

 

[Diamondeye]

Very helpful. Perhaps it is needed to underline the importance of quitting to Main menu and not directly to desktop?

 

[Scuum]

isn't there a way to automatically save and restart the pitboss at..lets say 2am each day(when hopefully noones playing)? that way even if someone exits to desktop it would only waste a day (worst case). and you wont have to contact the host (on the occasion hes on vacation or sth like that)

or would that have some bad side effects like loosing turns?

 

[Niklas]

2 am in what time zone?

 

[General_W]

Great work Classical Hero

But please make the "exit to main menu, not desktop" in a big huge font again!
This is super important.

 

[peter grimes]

Or perhaps box out the button in Red?

[also, there are a few typos in the OP ]

 

[DMOC]

Is that the starting location for the English?

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Is that the starting location for the English?

No, I think that's from a PitBoss game that CH is currently in...

 

[DMOC]

All five of the civilizations that are listed in the fourth screenshot are playing the current game.

 

[Niklas]

He probably set it up explicitly so it would be reminiscent of the game we'll play here. It can't be the actual game since he doesn't have access to the save.

 

[Lord Parkin]

Perhaps mention at the start that you need BTS 3.17 patch and no mods. Also that you need to click "Connect" after typing in the IP in the Direct IP screen (probably obvious, but what the hey ).

Other than that, great job. Just a couple of typos to fix and it'll be perfect.

 

[CommandoBob]

Once you have done that you will get a progress screen that shows the downloading of the game and then you will get to a set up a screen and then you will be in the game.

So the saved game is downloaded to the players PC?

Once you have done what you need to do, you go to the exit button and click on exit to main menu.

For idiots like me, please Bold any buttons that need to be pushed, clicked, checked or otherwise used in this sequence of events.

And indicate somewhere that Bold indicates the text of a button or thingee.

On the images, please point out the buttons to be used. Don't assume that any user will take the time to study the image and decide what they should do. Make it obvious which one it is. Then, when they mess up (and they will), they cannot blame you for shoddy directions. It will clearly be their own fault.

Think of this as 'PitBoss for Dummies (and CommandoBob)'.

Note: we tend to write instructions and directions for people like ourselves (well educated, reasonably intelligent and emotionally mature). However, we really need to write instructions and directions for our in-laws.

 

[Lord Parkin]

So the saved game is downloaded to the players PC?

No, the data is only downloaded temporarily while you log in to look at (or play) the game. If you want to save a copy of the current game, you can do so by pressing Ctrl-S once you've logged in.

 

[classical_hero]

Well I entered the test game of DS, so that it why there are the five teams. I did not set up a game myself. OF course now you know my real name. I will edit the OP to fix things and make it clear. YOu will notice that the bits that are highlighted are the buttons you need ti press.

 

[peter grimes]

I may notice them, but I'm not sure that somebody who isn't familiar with Pitboss will... which is who this guide is written for, right?

 

[General_W]

I shrank the screenshots a bit and added arrows.

@Classical Hero - if you want, you can just copy the IMG tags from this post into your original post.

Hope these help!














.

 

[Scuum]

i like the skull

if you would cross out "exit to desktop" i'd be completly satisfied

 

[Lord Parkin]

Heh, nice pictures General_W.

The other thing I would mention is that this game won't have a password, so you only need to put in the IP and click "Connect".

 

[General_W]

Thanks guys.

Updated images posted above!