BASH Digital League

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to some of the security holes that are opened inherent with using hamachi BASH Digital League does not recommend using this for your matches. Instead we recommend using the Direct IP method. If you absolutely must use Hamachi for your matches then make sure all of your network’s shared resources are locked to your accounts, otherwise anyone can access them and potentially your computer. Due to fact the Hamachi article is no longer updated and no longer officially supported by the BASH Digital League.

Hamachi is a program provided by LogMeIn that allows a quick and easy VPN connection to play games.  Some coaches may find using this application easier to use for connecting to other coaches. One of Hamachi’s benefits is that it does a lot of the configuration for you, eliminating the need to forward ports. This guide will teach you how too…

• Download the Hamachi application
• Connect to the BASH Hamachi network
• Chat over Hamachi
• Play a league match using Hamachi

Before following the steps in this guide you must have already…

• Signed up and registered your team for the BASH Digital League
• Both coaches must have downloaded their updated team from the League Application

Download the Hamachi Application

To download the Hamachi Application you will need to goto LogMeIn’s Hamachi Website and download it. There are two versions of the application available, the free version and the commercial version. For our uses the free version will be fine. Click on the “Get Started” link beneath the free version heading. On the next screen you will need to check the box at the bottom of the page to agree to the terms and conditions for using the program and then click the “Download Now” button beneath the “Unmanaged” heading to download the application. Once you’ve downloaded it install it and then launch the application to move on to the next step.

Connect to the BASH Hamachi Network

When you first launch the Hamachi application you will see a window which looks similar to the screen shot on the right. Click the power button and a dialog prompt, which is shown to the right of the Hamachi window in the screenshot, will appear. Under the section where it says “Client name” you need to specify the name that you will appear as on the Hamachi network. Make this name the same as your Blood Bowl Digital account name to avoid confusion when trying to setup your matches. Once you’ve entered the name in the box click the “Create” button.

After this is done the Hamachi window will change to be similar to the second screenshot. Click the button labeled “Join an existing network” and the dialog prompt shown in the screenshot will appear. In this box enter in “BASH Digital League” as the Network ID. In the password box enter the league password you were given when you registered. After you have filled out both fields click “Join” to connect to the BASH Digital League Hamachi Network.

After joining you will see a listing of clients who have joined the network. Clients who are logged off will be displayed in gray. Clients who are currently online will be displayed in black with green circles next to their names. At the top of the window, next to the power button, you will see your client name with your assigned IP address above it. This IP address is your VPN IP address, and is what you will use if you chose to connect via Direct IP with Hamachi.

Chat Over Hamachi

The Hamachi application has a wide range of features that they all can’t be introduced in this guide. One feature which should make your life easier is the chat function. When you are a logged onto Hamachi you can chat with any other client who is logged on by right clicking their name and clicking the “Chat” option that appears in the pull-down menu. Once you do this a chat box, which looks like an IM window, will appear which will let you send messages to the other client by typing in a message in the lower-portion of the chat window and hitting the enter key to send the message.

Play a League Match Using Hamachi

Get out there and play!

Playing a BASH Digital League game over Hamachi actually works the same way as options which don’t use Hamachi, with a few small changes. First of all both coaches must be using hamachi and be logged into the BASH Hamachi network to use Hamachi to connect. Once both coaches are on the Hamachi network there are two methods that coaches can use to connect. The first, and preferred, method is to follow the instructions for playing a game over LAN. The BASH Hamachi network will act as LAN network allowing coaches to follow those connection guidelines as written. However sometimes this method does not work. Usually this is the case when coaches are using different operating systems, such as a Windows XP coach trying to connect to a Windows Vista coach. In these situations there is a second backup method which works when the first method fails. To connect this way follow the instructions for playing a game using Direct IP. The only change from those connection instructions that need to be made for Hamachi is that instead of using your machine’s IP address you will need to use the IP address displayed in the Hamachi client window. One feature of Hamachi that makes this easier is that you can get the IP address you need of the game host by right clicking on their name in Hamachi and clicking on the “Copy Address” option and then you can just paste the IP address into the dialog box in Blood Bowl when asked for it. Once you’ve connected with either method you’re ready to get out on the pitch and play your match!