How to Play Multiplayer--the Manual

[larrytagg]

The Multiplayer Connect Screen
When you select Multiplayer in the Main Menu, the Multiplayer Connect Screen will appear.
Once on the Multiplayer Connect Screen, everyone in the game must enter a name in the Player Name box. A Player Name can be anything you can enter from your keyboard up to 30 characters long.
Everyone must also enter a number in the Player Handicap box. Your Player Handicap is the percent of the historical regiment strength your regiments will get. Thus, if your Player Handicap is entered as “100”, your regiments will have historical strengths. If you need more men in your regiments to compete with the other players, you may enter a number higher than 100. If you want to give the other players an advantage in numbers, you may enter a number lower than 100. For example, if you enter a handicap is 90, then one of your regiments with a historical strength of 300 will have 300 x 0.90, or 270 men. The better a player you are, the lower your handicap should be to give other players a fair battle.
Note: Your Player Handicap will be seen by other players on the next screen, so your handicap will not be a secret.

How to Join a Multiplayer Game
To join a Multiplayer game, you may choose one of two pathways:

1) Connect From the Lobby
To enter the Scourge of War: Gettysburg Multiplayer Lobby, you must first create a PowerLobbies™ account.
To create an account, first type an account name into the PowerLobby Account Name window. This is the player name that other players will see once you are inside the lobby. The only characters you may use for your account name and password are A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and SPACE. Otherwise, there are no limitations.
Next, type a password into the Password window. The first time you enter it, you must also retype it in the Confirm Password window.
Once you have entered an account name and password, click on the Create a New Account button.
You have now created a Scourge of War: Gettysburg Multiplayer account, and may enter the Multiplayer Lobby by clicking on the Enter Lobby button. The next time you select “Multiplayer” from the Main Menu and the Multiplayer Connect Screen appears, your PowerLobby Account Name and Password will be saved, and you may go to the Lobby immediately by clicking on the Enter Lobby button.

The SOW Lobby Screen
The SOW Lobby shows boxes for both the Main Lobby area and for temporary Rooms that players create to start a game. When you enter, you will be in the Main Lobby area and your account name will appear in the Main Lobby Users box on the far left of the screen.
The top center box is the Main Lobby Chat area. You may type text in the white box just below the chat window, then hit Return or click on the Send Message to Lobby Members button (labeled with an “envelope” icon) to make your comment appear to all others in the Main Lobby.
To play in a Multiplayer game, you must enter a Room. Existing Rooms are listed in the Rooms list on the right. To enter a Room from the Lobby, you must select the name of the Room you want to enter from the Rooms box, then click on the Enter Room button. The name of each player who enters a given Room will appear in the Room Users box beneath the name of the player who created the Room. If a player wants to leave a Room, he may do so by clicking on the Leave Room button, and his name will disappear from the Room Users list.
There is a separate Room Chat box. This works just like the Main Lobby Chat, but is only seen by the players in a Room; that is, those players listed in the Room Users box.
When all of the players who are going to be in a Multiplayer game have entered a Room, the player who created the Room will click on the Enter Staging Room button (labeled with a “√” icon). For the Host and all the players in his Room, the Multiplayer Select Screen will appear.

2) Connect Directly to an IP Address
If one of the players has completed the one-time setup described below and is ready to host, the players may use this pathway.
The other players must enter the Host’s (External) IP address in the Server IP box, and “31791” in the Server Port box. Then they must click on the Join button. For the Host and all the players who join, the Multiplayer Select Screen will appear.
Note: After you have connected to a Host, the Host’s name and IP address will be automatically added to your Host List. To bring up this list, click on the Host List button (labeled with a “bulleted list” icon). Click on the name of the person who is hosting, then click the Connect to Host button (labeled with a “√” icon) to transfer his IP Address to the “Server IP” screen. You may then join his game by clicking the “Join” button.

How to Host a Multiplayer Game
To host a Multiplayer game, you will have to check to see if your computer has Firewall protection. If your computer does have Firewall protection, you will have to make an exception in your Firewall so that the packets from Scourge of War: Gettysburg can get through to you.
There are a number of different companies that make Firewalls. A good guide for how to make an exception in your Firewall is at:
http://www.portforward.com/english/rout ... rindex.htm
Select the firewall program for your system and follow the directions. You will only have to do this once.

Once you have made an exception in your Firewall, the requirements to Host a Multiplayer game differ slightly between the two pathways.

1) Connect From the Lobby
Once you have created a PowerLobbies™ account and have made an exception in your Firewall as explained above, you may enter the Lobby. Use the Chat feature to communicate with others in the Lobby.
To host a game, you must create a Room. To create a Room, click on the Create Room button (labeled with a “red gate” icon). The Create Lobby Room screen will appear. Enter the name of your Room, the maximum number of people, and, optionally, a password. (If you do not want a password, leave that box blank.) Then click the “Create Room” button (labeled with a “√” icon) to create the Room.
If you create a Room, you are automatically entered into that Room, and your name will appear at the top of the Room Users box on the lower left. You will be the Host for the Multiplayer game.
Once your Room is created, others in the Main Lobby will see your Room name in the Rooms box, and will enter the Room. When all of the players who are going to be in your Multiplayer game have entered your Room, you must click the Enter Staging Room button (labeled with a “√” icon). For the Host and all the players in his Room, the Multiplayer Select screen will appear (see below).
Note: There is a chance your router in its present configuration will not permit you to Host. In that case, an Error Message will appear when you click the “Enter Staging Room” button, and, instead of going to the “Multiplayer Select” screen, all the players in your room will go back to the Main Menu.
In order to Host, you will have to perform the routine described in “Mapping a Router Port” below.

2) Connect Directly to an IP Address
Besides making an exception in your Firewall as explained above, you will need to know the IP Address of your router—that is, your External IP, so that the other players may connect directly to it. You can find this at:
http://whatismyipaddress.com/
Your IP Address should be prominently displayed on the website’s home page. Write down this number so that the other players can refer to it.
Note: Your IP address may change, especially if your house has a power failure or your ISP has an internal issue. If suddenly people can’t join your game, check your IP address to see if it has changed.
Once you have made an exception in your Firewall and ascertained your IP Address, enter the Multiplayer Connect screen and type the number “31791” into the “Server Port” window of the “Connect Directly to an IP Address” pathway. (You, as Host, will not have to enter a number into the “Server IP” window.) Then click on the “Host” button (labeled with a “house” icon). In a few seconds, the Multiplayer Select screen will appear, with your name at the top of the Players box.
After you have entered the Multiplayer Select screen, the players who will join your game must type your IP Address into the “Server IP” window, type the number “31791” into the “Server Port” window, and click on the “Join” button, (labeled with a “” icon). For each player who joins, the Multiplayer Select screen will appear, and their name will appear in the “Players” box, visible to all other players.
Note: There is a chance your router in its present configuration will not permit you to Host. In that case, an Error Message will appear when you click the “Host” button.
In order to Host, you will have to perform the routine described in “Mapping a Router Port” below.

The Multiplayer Select Screen
The Multiplayer Select Screen has four boxes and eight buttons. Three of the buttons are functional for the Host only. The four boxes include the following:
Players A list of the players and their handicaps will appear in this box on the top left side of the screen. After each player selects his commander from the “Select a Commander” box, this display will change to show the selected commander next to his name and handicap. The number in front of each selected commander’s name is the army of that selected commander—“1” for Union, “2” for Confederate—so that the players may see at a glance which players are in which armies.
Scenario Description This shows the Battle Info text for the scenario that the Host has selected. For a Gettysburg Scenario game, this is the same text that will show up in the Battle Info box once the game starts. For a Sandbox game, the text will give the parameters—the Map, the OOB, the Battle Type (called “The Mission”), the Length of Play, the Starting Time, and the Scoring Limit—of the game generated by the Host.
Chat Box The chat box is for sending text messages to all of the players during setup. Enter text in the white box and then click the Send Message button (labeled with an “envelope” icon) to dispatch a message to the Chat Box, where all the players in the game will see it. The Chat Box only appears during Multiplayer game selection while all players are on the Multiplayer Select screen, and is not accessible once the Host has launched the game.
Once the battle has started, players will be able to maintain communication by pressing the “X” key and using the keyboard to type messages into the Target List box (see “Keyboard Commands”).
Select a Commander Once the Host has selected the battle, this box will show the commanders in the scenario. To select a commander, a player must click on the desired commander’s name to highlight it, then click the Set Officer button (labeled with an “officer’s shoulder strap” icon) to send this selection to the Host. The selection will appear in the “Players” box. Officer selection is first come, first served. Players may change their selection at any time until the Host launches the game. At that point, all choices are locked in.

Host Only Buttons
The Host has four buttons for his exclusive use.
At the top right of the screen, the left button (labeled with a “flag” icon) is used to Create a Scenario Game. When this button is clicked on, the Scenarios screen will appear (see below), from which the Host may select any scenario or Mod that is installed in his game.
The top right button (labeled with a “shovel” icon) is used to Create a Sandbox Game. When this button is clicked on, the Sandbox Battles screen will appear (see below), on which the Host may generate a Sandbox game using the same parameters as a Single Player Sandbox game.
On the lower part of the screen is the Options button (labeled with a “bulleted list” icon). Selecting this brings up the Multiplayer Options screen, which allows the Host to determine the game performance and appearance Options for this Multiplayer game. (It will not affect the Options selected on any player’s Options Screens.)
When all players have selected their commanders, the Host will use the Launch Game button (labeled with a “√” icon) to start the battle. When he clicks on Launch Game, the game will load for all players.

Buttons for All Players
In addition to the Send Message button described above, the buttons available to all players include the following:
Set Officer After a player has selected a commander from the listing, this button (labeled with an “officer’s shoulder strap” icon) must be clicked to send that commander’s name to the Host.
Help This button (labeled with a “?” icon) brings up the Help screen, which provides in-game information about the Multiplayer Select screen.
Return to Main Menu This button (labeled with an “X” icon) returns a player to the Main Menu.

The Scenarios Screen
This screen is available to the Host only, accessible by selecting the Create a Scenario Game button in the Multiplayer Select screen, described above.
The Scenarios screen contains three boxes and four buttons. The three boxes include the following:
Select a Scenario or Mod This box contains all the Gettysburg Scenarios installed in the game, as well as any Mods that the Host may have installed himself. This is the list of scenarios from which the Host may choose.
Scenario Description When the Host selects a scenario from the Select a Scenario or Mod box, this box will show a description of the scenario. If the Host chooses the scenario with the Set Scenario button (see below), all the players will see the selected Scenario Description on their Multiplayer Select screens.
Select Commander The default commander selection for the Host will be the commander at the top of this box. If the host would like to choose another commander, he may select one from the list at this time. He may also change his choice of commander after he Sets the scenario, when all the players will have a chance to select their commanders on the Multiplayer Select screen.
The four buttons include the following:
Set Scenario When the Host is satisfied with his choice of scenario, clicking on this button (labeled with a “√” icon) sends his choice back to the Multiplayer Select screen to be viewed by the other players. He may change his choice at any time before he clicks on the Launch Game button on the Multiplayer Select screen.
Show High Scores This button (labeled with a “” icon) shows
Help This button (labeled with a “?” icon) provides in-game information on the Scenarios screen.
Cancel Use this button (labeled with an “X” icon) to go back to the Multiplayer Select screen.

The Multiplayer Options Screen
These Options affect only Multiplayer games hosted by you. They will not affect the Options screens of other players. Your settings will persist until you change them.
Preset Difficulty Levels
For a discussion of the effects of the Preset Difficulty Levels on play, see “The Preset Difficulty Levels” table in “The Options Screens.” In Multiplayer the Difficulty Level will affect all players.
Custom Difficulty Options
For a discussion of the effects of these three settings on play, see “The Custom Difficulty Settings” in “The Options Screens.” In Multiplayer these settings will affect all players.
General
If the scenario is a large one, the Host may want to select low settings for “Uniform Quality” and “Show Map Objects” in order to maintain good computer performance. Remember that Multiplayer games only run as fast as the slowest player’s computer.
The “Realism” setting is an attempt to make the battlefield more realistic by limiting the visual and strategic information available to lower level commanders.

Mapping a Router Port
If you would like to Host a Multiplayer game and you got an Error message when you tried to Host a game as described in “How to Host a Multiplayer Game” above, you will have to learn how to map a port from your router. This only has to be done once.
There are many makes and models of routers. Therefore, we cannot give specific directions on how to do this in all circumstances and combinations. However, the following is a routine that will work for most PCs.
First, you need to assign yourself a Static IP Address. To do this, you must first look on your router to find its manufacturer and model number. Then go to the website http://portforward.com/
Click on the manufacturer and model number of your router.
When you click on your router’s manufacturer and model number, a new page will pop up. On this page, click on “Default Guide,” in the text.
When you click on “Default Guide,” a new page will pop up. On this page, click on “Static IP Address” in the text.
When you click on “Static IP Address,” a new page will pop up, titled “How to Set Up a Static IP Address.” On this page, click on the sentence which reads, “Setup a Static IP address on ...” ending with the Operating System your computer uses.
When you click on your Operating System, a new page will pop up. After a short discussion of “Dynamic” vs. “Static” IPs, a set of instructions will appear. It will be helpful to print out this set of instructions so that you may refer to it as you set up your Static IP.
When you finish this easy set of instructions, you will have given your computer a Static IP Address.

The specific port to be opened is “31791”.

The protocol to be typed is “udp”.

Now that you have assigned yourself a Static IP Address and made exceptions in your Firewall (see “How to Host a Multiplayer Game” above), you will be able to Host a game from the Lobby. If you have also ascertained your External IP Address (see “Connect Directly to an IP Address” under “How to Host a Multiplayer” above), you will also be able to Host a game from the “Connect Directly to an IP Address” pathway.

[Kerflumoxed]

Hi Larry,

Is this same information included in the manual?

Thanks,

J

[larrytagg]

Yes, it's from the manual.

[Bronko40]

Hi, is there a chance to play SOW in LAN?

[Marching Thru Georgia]

You can certainly hook your computers up to the same router/switch and play. But you do need an internet connection.

[Guest]

The Multiplayer Options Screen
These Options affect only Multiplayer games hosted by you. They will not affect the Options screens of other players. Your settings will persist until you change them.
Preset Difficulty Levels
For a discussion of the effects of the Preset Difficulty Levels on play, see “The Preset Difficulty Levels” table in “The Options Screens.” In Multiplayer the Difficulty Level will affect all players.
Custom Difficulty Options
For a discussion of the effects of these three settings on play, see “The Custom Difficulty Settings” in “The Options Screens.” In Multiplayer these settings will affect all players.
General
If the scenario is a large one, the Host may want to select low settings for “Uniform Quality” and “Show Map Objects” in order to maintain good computer performance. Remember that Multiplayer games only run as fast as the slowest player’s computer.
The “Realism” setting is an attempt to make the battlefield more realistic by limiting the visual and strategic information available to lower level commanders. ???

[Saddletank]

Hi Black Bee, welcome to the forums.

What was your question with regards to that?