Gamespy is shutting down!

Gamespy will be shutting down all services on May 31st! It's a business decision unfortunately. But for our Civ3 and Civ4 communities the lobbies and matchmaking services will end.

http://www.maximumpc.com/gamespy_discontinue_multiplayer_services_may_31st_2014

http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/122/1227460p1.html

To try and mitigate the impact of this I have created two new steam groups, one for Civ3 and one for Civ4, were players can gather to organize direct IP games. I know not everyone likes Steam, however, I believe this is the best all round solution. Many people already have steam installed for other games. And it is free and does not take a lot of system resources for those on older systems. I strongly suggest that players start using these chats as soon as possible in order to gain momentum and not get caught of guard when Gamespy shuts down.

This is not only for league players, everyone is welcome to use this chat to organize games.

Civ4 league steam group and chat http://steamcommunity.com/groups/CPCiv4

Civ3 league steam group and chat http://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791432519323

Suggestion: with the imminent closure of GameSpy servers and no comment yet from 2K, perhaps the group could have a simple step-by-step guide for setting up direct IP games?

It's a legacy game that's not getting aggressively promoted, but it still attracts new players who might find the process confusing and intimidating.

I don't think that would be hard to do. Just a few screen shots and a short description. The hard part of this is that new players will get really confused when they click multiplayer and nothing happens or they get a strange error code. Not everyone will think to come to a fan site to find out why....

CS

It's not letting me post there I think cause email never verified. Anyways, we should try GameRanger. Someone sent me this link: http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/22fz75/list_of_games_affected_by_gamespy_shutdown/cgmuoi3 I don't think we can use steam for anything but just as a chat spot. This would be easier, You host in the app, and I believe it takes care of connecting us all. I remember we tried it once, but think it's worth a shot. Can even have buddy list, I think would be easier than trying organize direct ip game.

ThatOne said:

It's not letting me post there I think cause email never verified. Anyways, we should try GameRanger. Someone sent me this link: http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/22fz75/list_of_games_affected_by_gamespy_shutdown/cgmuoi3 I don't think we can use steam for anything but just as a chat spot. This would be easier, You host in the app, and I believe it takes care of connecting us all. I remember we tried it once, but think it's worth a shot. Can even have buddy list, I think would be easier than trying organize direct ip game.

Click to expand...

On the technical side yes GameRanger would work as a matchmaking service. But the problem is that it is virtually unknown to the current MP players. Were as Steam is already used for many other games that players have. That is my opinion after talking to many Civ3 and Civ4 players in the current lobbies and discussing this in the Civplayers forums as well.

CS

A gamespy admin announced support for civ IV will end on May 31st of this year and we should start coming here instead: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/CPCiv4

gameranger is a lot better than a chat room

i don't know how well the civ4 implementation works, but each room can have a title and password and you can see in-progress games vs. new games

it might even do some NAT / tunneling which direct IP might not

^ That's what I though. I think trying to host direct ip games though a chat room will be a nightmare. Steam won't be hosting the game, it will be just for a chat area.

I think you all should move on and start playing CIV V . It has got animated leaders heads and stuff.

bossconian said:

I think you all should move on and start playing CIV V . It has got animated leaders heads and stuff.

Click to expand...

about the only upgrade.

bossconian said:

I think you all should move on and start playing CIV V . It has got animated leaders heads and stuff.

Click to expand...

civ 4 is way more turn-based than civ 5 is

stacks with a delay against double-movement is better than firaxis's crappy clickwar

apparently they're moving civ 4 to steamworks

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/150917/borderlands-1-civilization-iii-iv-mp-moving-to-steam
https://blog.2k.com/index.php/home/single/2k-announces-online-service-changes-for-legacy-titles

most civ 4 players don't even use the steam version, so I guess they'd have to buy it to play multiplayer

Biz_ said:

apparently they're moving civ 4 to steamworks

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/150917/borderlands-1-civilization-iii-iv-mp-moving-to-steam
https://blog.2k.com/index.php/home/single/2k-announces-online-service-changes-for-legacy-titles

most civ 4 players don't even use the steam version, so I guess they'd have to buy it to play multiplayer

Click to expand...

Yes I have asked for details like this on the 2K forums as well. This is my post at Civplayers:

Civ3 and Civ4 will be moved to Steam Servers on May 31st!
Posted By: CanuckSoldier on 04-23-2014 at 2:43:43

Good news for us at Civplayers, 2K will be moving Civ3 and Civ4(all XP's) to Steam on May 31st.

Though there are many unanswered questions about all of us with legacy/non steam games. And the mods at the 2K forums are trying to find out the answers for me.

Such as will legacy games be patched? Or will we all have to download steam versions of the games, and if so will they be free? At least for a limited period of time? Will Civ3 and Civ4 lose their built in chat lobbies(I assume so) like Civ5 has with just games list?

For all the leagues Civ3 and Civ4 players and for all MP players for that matter, Civplayers will keep the new Civ3 and Civ4 league steam groups as it certainly looks like we are all joining the Steam family.

Civ3 Steam group and chat http://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791432519323

Civ4 Steam group and chat http://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791435386384



Borderlands® 1 and select Civilization® catalog releases to see temporary online service interruptions; offline play unaffected

2K will implement online service changes for several legacy titles, including releases for Windows PC, as a result of GameSpy Technology terminating its online service offerings for video games.

Beginning May 31, 2014, Borderlands® 1 and select tiles from the Civilization® catalogs will temporarily go offline while service is transitioned to Steamworks. During the transition, players will experience interruption of several features, including online play, matchmaking and voiceover Internet protocol (VOIP). Players will not experience interruptions to offline play. The list of 2K titles currently slated for online migration includes:

Borderlands®
Civilization® III
Civilization® III: Conquests
Civilization® III: Play the World
Civilization® IV
Civilization® IV: Beyond the Sword
Civilization® IV: Colonization
Civilization® IV: Warlords



2K also announced the company will discontinue online service functionality for several legacy titles. A full list of titles losing online service, as well as updates on service restoration for the aforementioned Borderlands 1 and Civilization titles, are available at http://2kgam.es/2KOnlineMigration.

https://blog.2k.com/index.php/home/single/2k-announces-online-service-changes-for-legacy-titles

Any updates on the issues in your post above CS?

sunrise089 said:

Any updates on the issues in your post above CS?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately nothing in the way of details from 2K yet.

Here is the thread at the 2K forums that I'm trying to fish for info.

http://forums.2k.com/showthread.php?452596-Gamespy-to-end

So realistically I think we will have at least a couple weeks with no official Steam integration, but that doesn't keep us from using the steam chats I setup and do business by direct IP. Only issue is that players with no paid steam games can't enter chats, and some players are not willing to buy some cheap game to get into chat. So I hope the final solution comes sooner rather than later.

CS

bossconian said:

I think you all should move on and start playing CIV V . It has got animated leaders heads and stuff.

Click to expand...

Civ 4 had the animated Leaderheads, Civ 5 has those over the top full screen diplo screens so you can see Gandhi's ribs, truly unattractive. There is a reason the app is called 'Facetime' and not 'Bodytime', you really only want to see the face of the person you are conversing with like you would if sitting down at a table talking.

Only issue is that players with no paid steam games can't enter chats, and some players are not willing to buy some cheap game to get into chat.

Click to expand...

At first I read this sentence as you calling players cheap who own the entire DRM free civ 4 and didn't want to repurchase it on steam.

Regardless, I joined the group but only play multiplayer via LAN with family. =/

2K has now updated there posts on moving to Steam, Civ4 is sometime in June, so I'd expect near the end. And Civ3 has no timeline yet, but is still on the list to be moved to steam.

CS

Here is the official announcement

Update for 6/5/2014:

CIVILIZATION IV: The patch that replaces GameSpy with Steamworks for multiplayer functionality is now available via Steam. The game functions identically to the previous GameSpy version with the exception that the “Direct IP” option has been removed as it is no longer supported. Save game data should not be negatively affected. If you own a physical disc version of Civilization IV and are interested in receiving this multiplayer update, please submit a support request.

http://support.2k.com/hc/en-us/articles/201967707-2K-Online-Server-Migration-from-GameSpy-Technology

And apparently 2K support wants you to email them a picture of the original box with your email written on a paper in the picture :-/ Really....how many people still have the original box.

CS

So no more Pitboss for Steam users, only CD users. That's nonsense.