How would I play this game over an ethernet cable?

[Mol]

My friend and I are going on a trip over the summer, and will be stuck on a plane for over 10 hours. We were wondering if we could connect our laptops via an ethernet cable to play this game via LAN. Is this possible?

[Mol]

And if I cant with CIV V, could I with CIV VI?

[unca.alby]

I believe you probably can, but you'll need a certain amount of technical savvy for this to work.

For one thing, you'd have to get a "crossover" cable to connect two laptops. Ethernet cables are designed with Transmit and Receive lines, and most devices expect those lines in certain places. If you connect two laptops together on a regular cable, they'll both be trying to Transmit on the Transmit line, and neither one will Receive. A "crossover" cable lets one laptop Transmit on Transmit, which "crosses over" to the Receive line for the other.

Of course, this may not be a problem with modern equipment. I have seen some devices that are able to automatically convert to whichever line is acting as whichever.

Another thing, one laptop would have to be configured to be the "Server". The other laptop, the "Client", doesn't need any special configuration, but the "Server" has to know it's talking another laptop, not to the Internet. The "Client" can go ahead and still think it's talking to the Internet, with your "Server" making the correct hand-shakes. Of course it'll simply find itself unable to connect to Google or anything, the only site available being your other laptop.

Once you have this set up correctly, it shouldn't matter which game you use. These days, if they're designed for networking to other players, then the networking part is all pretty much the same.

I used to do that back in the day, but I don't remember how it's done, or if it's even still possible with Windows 10. But at least you know it is possible and worth more research.

Try asking on StackOverflow.com. That website contains a wealth of technical information.

[just.nuke.em]

From my understanding and basic research, you select local network after choosing standard, then use a crossover cable.

[Mol]

Originally posted by unca.alby:

I believe you probably can, but you'll need a certain amount of technical savvy for this to work.

For one thing, you'd have to get a "crossover" cable to connect two laptops. Ethernet cables are designed with Transmit and Receive lines, and most devices expect those lines in certain places. If you connect two laptops together on a regular cable, they'll both be trying to Transmit on the Transmit line, and neither one will Receive. A "crossover" cable lets one laptop Transmit on Transmit, which "crosses over" to the Receive line for the other.

Of course, this may not be a problem with modern equipment. I have seen some devices that are able to automatically convert to whichever line is acting as whichever.

Another thing, one laptop would have to be configured to be the "Server". The other laptop, the "Client", doesn't need any special configuration, but the "Server" has to know it's talking another laptop, not to the Internet. The "Client" can go ahead and still think it's talking to the Internet, with your "Server" making the correct hand-shakes. Of course it'll simply find itself unable to connect to Google or anything, the only site available being your other laptop.

Once you have this set up correctly, it shouldn't matter which game you use. These days, if they're designed for networking to other players, then the networking part is all pretty much the same.

I used to do that back in the day, but I don't remember how it's done, or if it's even still possible with Windows 10. But at least you know it is possible and worth more research.

Try asking on StackOverflow.com. That website contains a wealth of technical information.

hey thanks for the response dude!