ajerzguy
Chieftain
I am an avid PTW/Multi online player that has been successfully playing since version 1.04f was released. I joined the myleague.com/civ3players ladder when it was originally established.
During my many hours of being in the chatroom waiting to either host or join a game I have seen may players attempting to play without any success. They then start asking, why can't I play or how do I play. Some after many tries just get frustrated and start putting the game down as not being worth it.
I am authoring this thread as a possible guide to help people get connected. There are 2 subjects that have to be covered in order to achieve this. They are , the technical and game setup sides. I'll start with the technical side as that is where it all begins.
Technical:
I will assume that everyones computer system meets the minimum requirements to play. As far as the actual game requirements are concerned you must have the Civ3 1.29f patch and the PTW 1.21f patch. If you purchased the Civ3 Game of the Year you will need only the PTW patch. Those patches can be downloaded from CFC, Apolyton or Civ3.com. Confirm that all players meet these requirements before attempting to launch. Next be sure that you do not have any firewalls and that your ISP does not have your router ports blocked. There are many threads covering both the the firewall and router situations on the various Civ sites. Now that your firewall is down and all of your ports are open you are almost "there". It has been my experience that launching from the PTW disk rather than Gamespy affords you the greatest opportunity to successfully launch. There will still be times that not all players will be able connect. If that occurs I suggest that players reboot their computers before making any subsequent attempts. Always try to come back clean, a few extra minutes to start is worth the time spent. If this does not rectify the situation I suggest that all parties regather in a room and let everyone else know what happened. You may get to the point where the game launches and not everyone was able to enter the room. If that happens you may find success in launching with just those that were unable and the rest entering via Direct IP. If this still does not resolve the problem then you should either play with those that were able to connect or get other players and try with them. If while in game and you get an Out of Synch error in a timed game then all should reboot prior to loading the OOS save. The rebooting resynchs the internal game clock. Still always check once back in the game by checking the game clock to be sure you are all close in time. The game will end when the 1st players time expires, not the hosts timer. There are other problems that you may encounter however these are the most frustrating. Try something different to afford you the greatest chance of success. In PTW it's, "if at first you don't succeed, try something different". Also be warned, once you have played you will become addicted. Forewarned is to be Forearmed.
Game Setup:
It is my belief that the reason ladder games are put together so quickly is not because of the members, but because these games have a definite structure. This is based on the fact that at one point before I was ladder a member and playing the 1.04f version I had more that 60 saved games that were never completed for one reason or another. Other than not being able to start there is nothing more frustrating than playing a game for 3-4 hours with the intent of continuing at a future time and that time never comes. Therefore you should consider keeping games at lengths that can completed in one sitting. Set up either a timed or numbered turn game. Those long (epic) games should be reserved for those players that you become aquainted with that you know will keep a commitment. Other than that I have found the following works best for me:
1 Know what I intend to play.
2 Host- Lock and change game title to something that describes the game, ie. 2.5hr elimination.
3 Wait for people to filter in . Be patient they will come.
4 Before launching make sure everyone knows exactly what the game is going to be. Be as specific as possible. If the game is not to someones liking either change or wait for someone else to show. Trust me, they will come.
5 Choose the game parameters carefully. Land size and type of map are very important. Stay away from anything other than Pangaea in a short game with 2-8 players.
6 Before launching give a password to use in case something goes awry. It's easier to reassemble using a password.
These are only suggestions that are based on my experience. It is better playing a 2-3 hour game against other humans than it is to play against the AI at any length. Most players have every intention of continuing a game at a later time, however most don't. Interest is lost things come up etc etc etc. Look at it this way, if someone asked you to play a game that could take anywhere from 10-16 hours to play and that you would have to return anywhere from 5-8 times to complete it, would you join? If you wish to vary the games that you play you can always load a scenario like medieval or industrial start. Be flexible and ask for suggestions. Experiment with the game, make friends and have fun. Don't forget playing any length of game against humans is better than either, playing against your computer or not playing at all.
Do not draw conclusions at what the game will be like, if you don't like it you can always restart.
If you have anyother suggestions or comments I'm more than willing to read them.
Have fun and Happy Civin
During my many hours of being in the chatroom waiting to either host or join a game I have seen may players attempting to play without any success. They then start asking, why can't I play or how do I play. Some after many tries just get frustrated and start putting the game down as not being worth it.
I am authoring this thread as a possible guide to help people get connected. There are 2 subjects that have to be covered in order to achieve this. They are , the technical and game setup sides. I'll start with the technical side as that is where it all begins.
Technical:
I will assume that everyones computer system meets the minimum requirements to play. As far as the actual game requirements are concerned you must have the Civ3 1.29f patch and the PTW 1.21f patch. If you purchased the Civ3 Game of the Year you will need only the PTW patch. Those patches can be downloaded from CFC, Apolyton or Civ3.com. Confirm that all players meet these requirements before attempting to launch. Next be sure that you do not have any firewalls and that your ISP does not have your router ports blocked. There are many threads covering both the the firewall and router situations on the various Civ sites. Now that your firewall is down and all of your ports are open you are almost "there". It has been my experience that launching from the PTW disk rather than Gamespy affords you the greatest opportunity to successfully launch. There will still be times that not all players will be able connect. If that occurs I suggest that players reboot their computers before making any subsequent attempts. Always try to come back clean, a few extra minutes to start is worth the time spent. If this does not rectify the situation I suggest that all parties regather in a room and let everyone else know what happened. You may get to the point where the game launches and not everyone was able to enter the room. If that happens you may find success in launching with just those that were unable and the rest entering via Direct IP. If this still does not resolve the problem then you should either play with those that were able to connect or get other players and try with them. If while in game and you get an Out of Synch error in a timed game then all should reboot prior to loading the OOS save. The rebooting resynchs the internal game clock. Still always check once back in the game by checking the game clock to be sure you are all close in time. The game will end when the 1st players time expires, not the hosts timer. There are other problems that you may encounter however these are the most frustrating. Try something different to afford you the greatest chance of success. In PTW it's, "if at first you don't succeed, try something different". Also be warned, once you have played you will become addicted. Forewarned is to be Forearmed.
Game Setup:
It is my belief that the reason ladder games are put together so quickly is not because of the members, but because these games have a definite structure. This is based on the fact that at one point before I was ladder a member and playing the 1.04f version I had more that 60 saved games that were never completed for one reason or another. Other than not being able to start there is nothing more frustrating than playing a game for 3-4 hours with the intent of continuing at a future time and that time never comes. Therefore you should consider keeping games at lengths that can completed in one sitting. Set up either a timed or numbered turn game. Those long (epic) games should be reserved for those players that you become aquainted with that you know will keep a commitment. Other than that I have found the following works best for me:
1 Know what I intend to play.
2 Host- Lock and change game title to something that describes the game, ie. 2.5hr elimination.
3 Wait for people to filter in . Be patient they will come.
4 Before launching make sure everyone knows exactly what the game is going to be. Be as specific as possible. If the game is not to someones liking either change or wait for someone else to show. Trust me, they will come.
5 Choose the game parameters carefully. Land size and type of map are very important. Stay away from anything other than Pangaea in a short game with 2-8 players.
6 Before launching give a password to use in case something goes awry. It's easier to reassemble using a password.
These are only suggestions that are based on my experience. It is better playing a 2-3 hour game against other humans than it is to play against the AI at any length. Most players have every intention of continuing a game at a later time, however most don't. Interest is lost things come up etc etc etc. Look at it this way, if someone asked you to play a game that could take anywhere from 10-16 hours to play and that you would have to return anywhere from 5-8 times to complete it, would you join? If you wish to vary the games that you play you can always load a scenario like medieval or industrial start. Be flexible and ask for suggestions. Experiment with the game, make friends and have fun. Don't forget playing any length of game against humans is better than either, playing against your computer or not playing at all.
Do not draw conclusions at what the game will be like, if you don't like it you can always restart.
If you have anyother suggestions or comments I'm more than willing to read them.
Have fun and Happy Civin
