Starting a multiplayer game - Joining a session in progress

Starting a multiplayer game – Joining a session in progress

When you join a multiplayer game, you are presented with a treeview list of Four Winds sessions in progress.

To display the details of a session, double click its icon. The list displays the names of the players (separate icons for human and computer players), and spectators, if any. The rules, the number of the current deal and the status of the game (whether the host waits players for a new game or a saved game, whether new players are accepted or not, if the game is in progress, etc.) are displayed below the treeview list.

In order to join a session, specify the following information and then click the Finish button.

Log on name. This is the name by which you will be known to other players of the game. The log-on name defaults to the name specified for the human player on the Players option page of the Preferences dialog box. You can change your log-on name after the game has started using the Change Log-on Name command (on the context menu of the player list of the current game on the Statistics tab of the Game Manager).
Note: When joining an on-going or a new game, you must specify a name that is not reserved by another human player. (However, using a name of a computer player is allowed.) On the other hand, when joining a saved multiplayer game, you must specify a name of one of the computer players (the names correspond the original names that were used when the game was last saved and guarantee that each player can continue his/her own game).
Send face. If you have specified a customized face bitmap, you can send it to other players by checking this box.
Password. If the host has specified a password for the session, you must enter it here. The password is case-sensitive and masked with asterisks.
Note: This control is visible only if the host requires a password.
Join as spectator. If checked, you can join the game as a spectator. Spectator is allowed to watch the game, but cannot participate in the game in any way (not even by sending public messages). Maximum of 10 spectators is allowed in the game.
Note: This control is enabled only if the host accepts spectators. If all the seats are occupied, and spectators are allowed, the option is automatically checked and the control is disabled (grayed out).

Notice that the Finish button is enabled only if the information you have provided is valid.

There are several reasons which may result in the Finish button being disabled:

All seats are occupied by human players and no spectators are allowed or all spectator seats are occupied.
The game is in progress and no new players are accepted. This is indicated in the Status field of the session data.
The game is in a critical phase (e.g., the deal is progress, the deal has just ended, etc.) and the host cannot process requests for join at the moment. This is indicated in the Status field of the session data.
You are about to join a new or on-going game but have specified a name that is already used by one of the human players.
You are about to join a saved multiplayer game but have specified a name that does not equal any of the names of the computer players.
You have an unregistered version of Four Winds and you are trying to join a saved multiplayer game or a game which has already started. You can join only a new multiplayer game with an unregistered version of Four Winds.
The selected communication channel is TCP/IP and your registration information is invalid or identical with one of the human players participating in the game. Each player must have a unique registration number. You can participate the game with an unregistered copy of Four Winds, but not by using duplicate registration information.
Note: LAN games using the IPX/SPX protocol allow using the same registration number on all participating computers.

After you have specified valid information and clicked the Finish button, Four Winds initializes the game and begins to wait for the host to deliver the game data.

If you joined a new multiplayer game, the host sends first information about the seats each player occupies. The tiles will be dealt only after all players are ready to start and/or the host starts the game. When the deal begins, the host sends information about the winds of the players. After the tiles have been dealt and all players are ready to start, your tiles are turned face-up. If you are East, you can make your move immediately. If a computer player is East, he will make his first move after a delay of 30 seconds.
If you joined a game in progress, the host will send the game data next time it is his turn. The game is ready to continue as soon as you have received the game data.
If you joined a saved multiplayer game, the host sends all the game data at once and the game continues as soon as each player has received the data and is ready to start. A saved game starts always with the host's turn.