Pitboss 18 IT and Tech Issues Thread

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

I've been unceremoniously dumped from in-game as the test concluded. I logged back in to unpause. It runs, someone play quickly!

[spacetyrantxenu]

Sunrise, when you get a chance can you do a few tests on your pitboss server? When I open the pitboss software on my computer (where I've hosted brief small games before) I'm getting the same lag that Caledorn is on his computer. Specifically, after opening Civ4BeyondSword_PitBoss.exe it goes fine for me through the first two steps (Choose a Mod, Provide SMTP information) then on the third step Select Network if I choose Direct IP the pitboss.exe program window freezes up for about 20 seconds. Strangely, the same thing happens if I choose LAN at that screen. This only recently started happening -- when I used to spin up pitboss instances this never happened. No idea what's going on here. Does it happen to you?

Also,

We already tried this:

[Caledorn]

I just killed BGN instead by exitting the game (RIP BGN) - much more fun that way. He keeps telling me about how my toaster (which is safely stored in a drawer, not connected to any outlets) is the cause of the problem. Apparently, I have an intelligent wireless toaster - which is all the rage - causing bounce issues. I briefly considered taking it out of it's hiding place to connect it to the outlet to see if it fixes the issues, but decided against it as I realised I'd die from cramps of laughter if it actually worked.


(Thanks to BGN for this excellent image)

On a more serious note, could a few people please go to their Civ4 installation directories and execute the file Civ4BeyondSword_PitBoss.exe - then select Mod "None", press Next, ignore the fields in the next window, press Next, select Direct IP in the next window and then press Next again. Please give me feedback whether the next window takes anything more than 10 seconds, or if it pops up instantaneously. The reason why I am asking this is that I thought this problem was related to the server only, but when I started the file on my primary computer, the same thing happens there. And then xenu tells me that it happens for him too, and this did not happen before the thunderstorm. It would be amazingly coincidental if something has changed on a global scale just at the same time as the thunderstorm was here, but I guess anything is possible.

I have been in touch with my ISP over this too now, because I realised they have moved me to a completely different IP subnet. I used to be on a 87.x.x.x IP address, but am now on a 82.x.x.x IP address - which suggests that my routes have changed and that there is a possibility that that is causing this.

[novice]

Sunrise, when you get a chance can you do a few tests on your pitboss server? When I open the pitboss software on my computer (where I've hosted brief small games before) I'm getting the same lag that Caledorn is on his computer. Specifically, after opening Civ4BeyondSword_PitBoss.exe it goes fine for me through the first two steps (Choose a Mod, Provide SMTP information) then on the third step Select Network if I choose Direct IP the pitboss.exe program window freezes up for about 20 seconds. Strangely, the same thing happens if I choose LAN at that screen. This only recently started happening -- when I used to spin up pitboss instances this never happened. No idea what's going on here. Does it happen to you?

FWIW the same thing happens to me when I host a pitboss on my home computer. Didn't happen before. (I sometimes host pitbosses where only I connect, when developing/testing civ stuff.)

[NobleHelium]

Yes, I get a huge delay before getting to the menu where I can select "New Game". Windows even thinks the program has stopped responding before it works again.

[spacetyrantxenu]

It's a time based software obsolescence "feature"! (Probably not)

I didn't think of this before but since we did briefly discuss packet sniffing in passing, I really do wonder now if the pitboss software makes an external call to some outside server that is no longer accessible. I mention that because I have no way to explain why there would be lag time now all of a sudden where there wasn't before in getting past step three when you're choosing LAN as the connection type.

We don't have the source for the pitboss software, right? And has anyone ever tried digging in to exactly what it does during the game creation process before?

[Caledorn]

Yes, I get a huge delay before getting to the menu where I can select "New Game". Windows even thinks the program has stopped responding before it works again.

This is exactly what has been happening to me, and this did not happen before that thunderstorm. Usually the transition from the "Direct IP" to the "Load Game" was instantaneous. But obviously the thunderstorm wasn't the cause, as I thought, unless that thunderstorm has supernatural properties (like my intelligent wireless toaster) causing all Civ4 Pitbosses to encounter this problem all at once.

I am really curious if this is the reason for the bouncing... We'll find out when sunrise puts up his test game I suppose.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

It's a time based software obsolescence "feature"! (Probably not)

I didn't think of this before but since we did briefly discuss packet sniffing in passing, I really do wonder now if the pitboss software makes an external call to some outside server that is no longer accessible. I mention that because I have no way to explain why there would be lag time now all of a sudden where there wasn't before in getting past step three when you're choosing LAN as the connection type.

We don't have the source for the pitboss software, right? And has anyone ever tried digging in to exactly what it does during the game creation process before?

[Caledorn]

Hah. I ran Wireshark while I started a Pitboss window, and guess what? It's attempting to connect to motd.gamespy.com ...

[NobleHelium]

Set up a dummy server to respond to those requests then get everyone to modify their hosts file to point motd.gamespy.com to that server?

Actually maybe only the host needs to do it.