How do you host a game?
 

I'm having a hard time finding a game that has a 5-7 day forced hosting. It seems they either don't exist or they fill up too fast and aren't available. I'm in a relaxed game now and it seems to post every few weeks or months, which is ridiculous. The only games I see have 1-3 day hosting which I can't keep up with because of my work schedule. The few PBEM games I've been in take too long as well. I tried the Shrapnel forum but any games I might be interested in fill up too fast.

Maybe the solution would be to host my own game? But I don't know how to do that. Could someone help me? Thanks.

Re: How do you host a game?
 

The explanations about how to host a PBEM game can be found in the game manual, somewhere around page 10 or so. It would probably be the best way for a game with such a long turnaround, unless you can have a computer on all the time (in which case, you might want to consider TCP/IP hosting).

Hosting a PBEM game isn't too difficult however, and it is probably the best way to get the kind of games you wish to play in (assuming there are enough interested players that is).

Re: How do you host a game?
 

I was interested in hosting TCP/IP but my computer is not on all the time. Would it still be possible?

Re: How do you host a game?
 

Yes, but you would need to play it in 'blitz' form. Meaning everyone is online at the same time and play several turns all in a row.

Re: How do you host a game?
 

It looks like hosting PBEM is my only practical option, then. Is it possible to force host a PBEM game every 5 days?

Re: How do you host a game?
 

You can pretty much go with any kind of hosting for a PBEM game, so long as you have a couple of minutes to run the turn (I would say five minutes per turn or so, if everything is ready). If you can think of an hosting pattern, you can use it in a PBEM game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif (The game will let you proceed the turn if some turns are missing)

Re: How do you host a game?
 

OK, thanks for the replies. I will start a new thread asking for PBEM players in a 5 day forced hosting format. Wish me luck, as it will be my first attempt at this.

Re: How do you host a game?
 

There are also a couple of people on this board who can host TCP/IP games for you on dedicated servers.

Mosehansen, Zombie(?), and myself for example.

Mosehansen has a website where you can set up the games yourself, otherwise you just have to let the host know which settings to use.

Re: How do you host a game?
 

I can host as well. Just have to send me the game parameters, mods, mapfiles, and whatnot.

Re: How do you host a game?
 

Of course. You only have to tell the players your actual IP during the time they should log in to do their turns.

You may set up a http server on you comp and use the DynDNS service, but running a server on a desktop comp is a security risk I would not take just for playing DOM.

Better simply announce a "hosting intervall", check you WAN(Internet) IP when connecting to the internet and email/IRC/ICQ the players.