The card game can’t establish a connection with the game partner.

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As soon as a game is started in the Tavern, the computers of the game partners try to establish a direct connection over the Internet. In order for this to happen, the computer that has set up the game must be accessible over the Internet, meaning that potential firewalls, routers, or shared Internet connections must be installed in such a way that the game partner can establish contact. Firewalls were developed to block Internet traffic from outside and therefore also prevent connection with the card game. There is no way to avoid this via programming, so you have to configure your computer in such a way that it allows connection with the card game. This issue not only applies to the card game but to all available games that set up a local server to allow for online playing.

 

Note: Normally, port activation for Internet games is unproblematic. We must inform you, however, that we are not liable for the modification of your system configuration and resultant damages.

 

1) Hardware router present
(e.g. DSL router)

Almost all routers have a configuration menu where ports can be activated (so-called port forwarding). Here we describe the configuration using a Netgear DSL router as example. You should be able to configure other routers in a similar fashion. Please refer to the instructions that come with your router. You should find the corresponding information under the keywords Configuration of Internet Games, Port Forwarding, or Internet Services; otherwise, please contact the manufacturer of your router.

 

1) Via web browser, access the configuration menu at the address 192.168.0.1. (Important: It is possible that your router uses a different address. In this case, please refer to your router manual.)

 

2) Under the item “Service,” you add the service “Catan”, with the ports 7070 - 7072 (TCP).

3) Under “Rules,” you add an “Inbound Service” (or "Incoming Connection") and assign to it the service “Catan.” Under “Action,” you now must select “ALLOW Always,” and under “IP” you must select the address of the particular computer within the internal network that you want to use for playing. Done.

 

Note: Under “Attached Devices,” you can view the IP addresses of the connected computers.

2) Windows XP connected to the Internet, playing via secondary computers and shared Internet connection

In this example, we have a computer using Windows XP that is connected to the Internet and a game computer with a different system (e.g. Windows 98). The game computer can connect to the Internet through the Windows XP computer via the function “Shared Internet Use.” The computer that is connected to the Internet is connected to the Internet directly (that is, without a router). However, a HUB can be in between, e.g. in the combination: computer, HUB, TDSL modem with LAN connection.

 

In this case, you should connect to the Internet through the Windows Dial-up Networking.

First, the settings of the computer that is connected to the Internet are adjusted. Via Features-Advanced-Settings of the Internet connection, you can activate and add various services when the firewall is activated. Please add three services, for the ports 7070, 7071, and 7072. Under IP, you must enter the respective IP of the game computer (in this example, it is 192.168.0.2). You also have to assign an IP (192.168.0.1) and a subnet (255.255.255.0) via the “Network Connection Features.”
Now it’s the game computer’s turn. There, under TCP/IP, you enter the IP address (192.168.0.2), subnet (255.255.255.0), DNS (192.168.0.1), and gateway (192.168.0.1).

Note: If you already have established a “Shared Internet Connection,” it is possible that most of the above-mentioned settings are already in place. In this case, it is sufficient to adjust the Windows XP firewall accordingly.

Now you can set up games on the game computer. You should bear in mind, however, that all attempts to join a game are now rerouted to the game computer; this means that you cannot play on the computer that is directly connected to the Internet. If you want to play there, you must change the settings under “Services” to 192.168.0.1.

3) Windows XP firewall

This case is similar to point 2, but the game computer is omitted. Therefore, the local IP 192.168.0.1 must be entered under “Services.”

4) Other routers or firewalls (e.g. from Norton)

The procedure is similar for other systems. Please refer to the instructions that come with your hardware or software, or ask the manufacturer. If possible, try to activate ports (7070, 7071, 7072), which then have to be rerouted to the local IP of the game computer.

 

Additional notes on software firewalls

 

In this article, so far we have only talked about incoming connections. But some firewalls also control outgoing connections. If a firewall of the latter type is installed on your system, you must also allow outgoing connections to the card game server or activate the corresponding application (main.exe in /Kartenspiel). For transfer of the game results, this application or port 5001 must be activated. Most firewall programs ask automatically as soon as they register a data stream.

In case you only use a router with integrated firewall, the outgoing connection should generally be possible, thus rendering further adjustments unnecessary.

Last Updated Friday, 14 March 2008

The program fills the entire screen. How can I minimize the window?

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If the resolution selected before logging in matches the current desktop resolution (-> Display properties), the program is displayed in a frameless window and thus fits the screen in full size.

The controls for the window are hidden in the upper right corner. When the mouse cursor is moved there, the controls are displayed automatically.

Last Updated Wednesday, 05 December 2007

I have resized the COW window on my Mac, and now the entire window is grey. What should I do?

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Surprisingly, this error occurs only in Mac OS X (both in 10.4.x "Tiger" and in 10.5.x "Leopard") but not in Windows or Linux.

To restore the display, please click on the green Maximize button at the upper left of the COW window. The Catan Online World image is thus redrawn.

Afterwards you may click the green Maximize button a second time to restore the normal window size.

 

In Mac OS X 10.5.x "Leopard" you may alternatively use "Spaces" to switch to another desktop and then back to the current desktop.

Last Updated Wednesday, 05 December 2007

I have a technical problem. What should I do?

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The most important contact point for all problems is this web site. Here you will find extensive help for all possible issues. Please use the search function to find an article that matches your problem. If your search didn’t give a successful result, in the PlayCatan Forum you will find competent contact persons who are happy to help you. Of course, you can also contact us directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Last Updated Tuesday, 27 November 2007

I would like to switch my German account to English language. How can I do this?

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Since December 2007, new players may select their preferred language in which they will be greeted in "My PlayCatan" and that will be used when playing the free browser games.

If you have registered your account prior to this date, you did not have a choice: German was the only available language. If English is your native language, it might thus be difficult for you to switch your account over from German to English.

 

Please proceed as follows:

• Switch to "My PlayCatan" or "Mein PlayCatan", respectively. Please log in with your nickname and your password.

• Click on "[Change Language/E-Mail]" or "[Sprache/E-Mail ändern]", respectively.

• Further down on this page you will find a selection that is labeled "Language" or "Sprache", respectively.

• Select "English" or "englisch", respectively. Afterwards click on "Save" or "Speichern", respectively.

Last Updated Tuesday, 08 July 2008

I can’t start the Card Game when I’m in full screen mode.

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The card game runs exclusively in full screen mode. Regrettably, Windows sometimes has a bit of a problem when changing from one program to another in full screen mode. Should you therefore have problems starting the card game (white screen), we recommend to use the window mode for the Catan Online World client (full screen option deactivated).

Last Updated Saturday, 01 December 2007

After login in full screen mode I only see a white screen.

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This problem may occur if you are using the 32Bit mode, since some graphics cards are having problems with this mode. Please select 1024x768 16bit instead. We also recommend using this mode as the standard mode.

Last Updated Saturday, 01 December 2007

What is an err.log, and where can I find it?

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The file err.log stores important status outputs of the Catan Online World client. Errors occurring during operation will also be specified there. Therefore, this error log ("err" / "log") often greatly helps the programmers to find out about program errors.

Depending on your operating system (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X) there are different aspects to be noted.
Read more...
Last Updated Monday, 10 March 2008

How can I make a screenshot?

Monday, 10 March 2008

There are times when you want to record certain game events – be it to remember a particular game or be it for proof in case another player is harassing you (see also here).

It is very easy to make a screenshot in Mac OS X: If you haven’t already done so, please activate the key combinations for screenshots via "System Settings" / "Keyboard & Mouse" / "Keyboard Shortcuts." Then press Shift/Apple/3, and the current screen content will be saved as a .png file on the desktop.

In many modern Linux distributions, making screenshots is just as easy. For example, in Ubuntu you can find this function via "Applications" / "Accessories" / “Make Screenshot." In other Linux distributions, you should install the package "gnome_utils" (and thus the program "gnome-screenshot") or "kdegraphics" (and thus the program "ksnapshot"), respectively.

Windows Vista is the first Windows version to feature a program for storing screen sections as well as the complete screen content as a graphics file. It can be accessed via "Start" / "All Programs" / "Accessories" / Snipping Tool."

All the older versions of Windows do not come with such a program. The following path works for all versions of Windows, from Windows 95 through Windows Vista:

• Press the "PrtScr" key, to be found on top of the cursor keys of the keyboard. That way, the current screen content is copied to the clipboard.
• Activate the following program: "Start" / "(All) Programs" / "Accessories" / "WordPad". (If WordPad isn’t preinstalled, you can get it from your Windows CD.)
• Select "Edit" / "Paste." The screen content is inserted as an image.
• Select "File" / "Save As...” Now select either "RTF Document" or "Word for Windows."
• If possible, please compress the resulting file (showing the extension .rtf or .doc) by using, for example, the free 7-Zip.

As an alternative to "WordPad," you can also use StarOffice/OpenOffice.org Writer, Word for Windows, or any other word processing program. If you have image processing software, you can store the screen content from the clipboard directly as an image file (e.g., .png or .jpg).

Last Updated Friday, 14 March 2008