HANDICAPPED PLAYERS
The best estimate of players able to host a game on the normal Wizard game site is FIFTEEN (15). These players are the favored few who can decide when they wish to play.The rest of us must patiently wait for a host. This is annoying as attested by the fact that many players have simply abandoned the site. Don't misunderstand my concern. I am grateful to those still able to provide a host as without them the site would be kaput. However, the situation is untenable and is the impetus for the twin drives toward Facebook Games and the BETA program as viable alternatives.

think more ppl could host if they would put some effort into trying to open port 28888, some ppl seem to think it makes their computers vulnerable

Have you looked into the technology that the german site uses for wizard? Everyone is able to host, when someone leaves the game stops until they return or another player takes their place, etc. I wonder what system they are using????

* wizard reply:
Restarting new programming is expensive so options are limited.

A) If you have only one computer connected to the internet you should be able to host by opening up port 28888.

B) If you have multiple computers in your home then only one of those computers can host through a router.

1)It is better to ask your internet provider to give you an extra static ip address which will be external to your computer for hosting. Note it may cost you a couple of extra $ for the static ip address.
2) get the ip address from the computer that is going to be hosting and write it down.
3) In any browser type in the url 192.168.xxx.xxx. (what ever your gateway is) All routers will have a different ip address. For example mine is 192. 168.1.1.
this ip address will get you into your router.
4) While in your router look for port forwarding and put 288888 to28888 in the empty boxes. Then in your router look for DMZ mode. Here is where you put your external static ip address provided by your internet provider. You might be able to get away with putting your computer ip address that you saved before when you wrote it down. However this may give you an error message each time you host but still should work.