PHost does not come with a menu-driven configuration program like the Wisseman host. PHost is configured via a text file, pconfig.src. (If someone told you you had to "compile" that file: this is no longer true in PHost 3 and later.)
You can edit this file with any text editor of your choice ("Edit" under DOS, "Notepad" under Windows).
You don't usually make a new pconfig.src file from scratch. Instead, take one of the files shipped with PHost and edit it to suit your needs (this is like hitting the D key ("defaults") in hconfig.exe and editing one or two parameters). If you want to do your players a favor, add some comments that describe what you changed.
Normally, you should leave the player-modifiable parameters (like Language, AllowMoreThan50Targets, ...) at their defaults and let the players edit them themselves using command messages.
Incompatible Configurations
Most things in PHost are designed in a way that makes it possible to play them with every client program. Playing a fully-fledged PHost game with planets.exe alone will be hard, but possible. However, some options require client support. The game will not be playable (i.e. players will not be able to submit valid turns) if their client does not support them.
Unless you are an experienced player and host, willing to support your players, we suggest you to avoid these settings.
Most of the incompatible options are protected by the AllowIncompatibleConfiguration meta-option. If that option is not set, PHost will refuse to accept these options. These options include BaseFighterCost, MaximumDefenseOnBase, MaximumFightersOnBase, StarbaseCost.
For historical reasons, the following options are not protected this way. They can make your game incompatible to some tools, but unlike the above, there are widely-known tools which support them:
- NumShips > 500, NumMinefields > 500: the PHost Features section above lists the tools required to play such a game.
- MapTruehullByPlayerRace = Yes in a game with non-standard race assignments: this is supported by VPA and PCC, but not the Wisseman programs. You can avoid having to use this switch by modifying your truehull.dat, details are shown in the Ship Lists in custom-race games section.
