Post by coloneltreize on Aug 23, 2006 3:18:36 GMT -5
Since many of you have not tried PitBoss before, I am cooking up a makeshift guide from my other notes at this ungodly hour of the morning (EST) because I have nothing better to do. These are some of my observations from my early trials and errors. I hope it can help out some players who are daring enough to try something new, but are unsure about what PitBoss entails. So this is everything you wanted to know about PitBoss but were afraid to ask.
Think of an email game that can also be played live when all players are available, where you have the benefit of the PBEM equivalent of a turn timer without having to pass a save file between players and without the ability to cheat by reloading. That's PitBoss in a nutshell.
Only the host needs to run the PitBoss .exe file throuhout the game. The players log in normally through the lobby or Direct IP, just like any normal multiplayer game. In order for turns to be played throughout the week, the host must have his computer on 24/7. Therefore, it is best for the host to have a good computer with a reliable internet connection.
Another benefit of the PitBoss is that the host has the final say on whether or not a player stays in the game. The host can kick a player for missing many turns, cheating, and being unsportsman-like without having the decision held up by a pesky committee.
The standard turn timer setting is 24 hours. This is usually the best amount of time because it gives players in all time zones enough time to play a turn every day, but not so much time that the game will be on hold if a player fails to play a turn because he didn't check the email that said the game was being switched from the lobby to Direct IP.
During a live session, players can continue to play until a player has to leave because his wife is nagging him to get off the got dang computer. If the host is using a smtp server, each player can receive a reminder email that it is their turn, if they register for it by putting their email in the user profile (Alt-D) in the game.
Now for the stuff we had to learn the hard way:
1. Sim turns are a must in a PitBoss game where the players will take their turns at different times. Without it, the game will be incredibly longer than it already is. As for the infamous double move, the host can correct for this by taking all his moves at the beginning of a round, then pushing enter to end the turn only after everyone else has ended their's.
2. The Warlords PitBoss that came with the expansion doesn't work at all. There is a player-made patch on civfanatics.com. I will provide the link later. The fix we are using is functional, but not user-friendly. You have to launch the game first and have the players hot-join second. For some reason, it won't let the host launch the PitBoss while any humans are in the staging room. Therefore, the host must ask each player ahead of time what civs and leaders they want.
3. I know there is an anonymous bug in WLs anyhow, but we also noticed that even when hot-joining players can see the IDs of some players. Although, after a couple of weeks of this, I have concluded that 'anonymous' may not be a good option for a game that could take months and require subs. Since, in an epic style format, players must report benchmarks as they happen, it is also unwise to hide anyone's ID for reporting purposes.
4. You cannot send an in-game chat message to a player who is offline because each player's own chat log is erased when they log off. The messages from the PitBoss are erased if and when the PitBoss exits for any reason. You can make trades and other deals, and you can still send emails or IM to communicate diplomatically, like in the ISDG, for example.
5. It is better for connectivity for the PitBoss to be hosted by Direct IP, especially if the game is going to be left on 24/7. Gamespy doesn't like games that linger for more than a day. Take it from me, as a potential host, you don't want to wake up one morning to find your inbox flooded with angry emails demanding to know what happened to the game while you were asleep. Just kidding, guys.
I'll include more tips (like those on subbing) later.
For now, I'd like to thank:
Conquistador45,
TheCTrain,
WarningU2,
whiplash,
Stin,
IanDC,
Tony,
Necrominous,
[OOD]papercut
and HOBBA.
Without your participation in my mad experiment, I couldn't have written this guide. Also, honorable mention to CanuckSoldier and Speaker for their kind assistance.
Think of an email game that can also be played live when all players are available, where you have the benefit of the PBEM equivalent of a turn timer without having to pass a save file between players and without the ability to cheat by reloading. That's PitBoss in a nutshell.
Only the host needs to run the PitBoss .exe file throuhout the game. The players log in normally through the lobby or Direct IP, just like any normal multiplayer game. In order for turns to be played throughout the week, the host must have his computer on 24/7. Therefore, it is best for the host to have a good computer with a reliable internet connection.
Another benefit of the PitBoss is that the host has the final say on whether or not a player stays in the game. The host can kick a player for missing many turns, cheating, and being unsportsman-like without having the decision held up by a pesky committee.
The standard turn timer setting is 24 hours. This is usually the best amount of time because it gives players in all time zones enough time to play a turn every day, but not so much time that the game will be on hold if a player fails to play a turn because he didn't check the email that said the game was being switched from the lobby to Direct IP.
During a live session, players can continue to play until a player has to leave because his wife is nagging him to get off the got dang computer. If the host is using a smtp server, each player can receive a reminder email that it is their turn, if they register for it by putting their email in the user profile (Alt-D) in the game.
Now for the stuff we had to learn the hard way:
1. Sim turns are a must in a PitBoss game where the players will take their turns at different times. Without it, the game will be incredibly longer than it already is. As for the infamous double move, the host can correct for this by taking all his moves at the beginning of a round, then pushing enter to end the turn only after everyone else has ended their's.
2. The Warlords PitBoss that came with the expansion doesn't work at all. There is a player-made patch on civfanatics.com. I will provide the link later. The fix we are using is functional, but not user-friendly. You have to launch the game first and have the players hot-join second. For some reason, it won't let the host launch the PitBoss while any humans are in the staging room. Therefore, the host must ask each player ahead of time what civs and leaders they want.
3. I know there is an anonymous bug in WLs anyhow, but we also noticed that even when hot-joining players can see the IDs of some players. Although, after a couple of weeks of this, I have concluded that 'anonymous' may not be a good option for a game that could take months and require subs. Since, in an epic style format, players must report benchmarks as they happen, it is also unwise to hide anyone's ID for reporting purposes.
4. You cannot send an in-game chat message to a player who is offline because each player's own chat log is erased when they log off. The messages from the PitBoss are erased if and when the PitBoss exits for any reason. You can make trades and other deals, and you can still send emails or IM to communicate diplomatically, like in the ISDG, for example.
5. It is better for connectivity for the PitBoss to be hosted by Direct IP, especially if the game is going to be left on 24/7. Gamespy doesn't like games that linger for more than a day. Take it from me, as a potential host, you don't want to wake up one morning to find your inbox flooded with angry emails demanding to know what happened to the game while you were asleep. Just kidding, guys.
I'll include more tips (like those on subbing) later.
For now, I'd like to thank:
Conquistador45,
TheCTrain,
WarningU2,
whiplash,
Stin,
IanDC,
Tony,
Necrominous,
[OOD]papercut
and HOBBA.
Without your participation in my mad experiment, I couldn't have written this guide. Also, honorable mention to CanuckSoldier and Speaker for their kind assistance.