Ok, edited from the Civ3 ISDG InfoCenter thread. I'm going to set up #HumanHive on Apolyton.net for this.
Here ya go (edited as this is from the same thread in the Civ3 ISDG forum):
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Obtaining a Copy of mIRC
First, you can obtain a free copy of mIRC from
www.mirc.com
Download the program and install it.
Apolyton Chat Server
Once mIRC is installed, add the Apolyton.net server to the list of default servers:
- Launch mIRC.
- Select File, Options.
- Select Connect.
- Click the Add button
- Under "Description" insert Apolyton
- Under "IRC Server" insert Apolyton.net
- Make sure that "Port(s)" reads 6667 (if not, insert that there)
While you are at it, you might as well insert your desired nick in the "Nickname" field. Also insert an alternative version of your desired nick in the "Alternate" field if someone on the server already has that nick or if the server goofs up and thinks your previous session never logged off (this can happen when your computer crashes while you are on the server).
- Click the OK button.
For the future, whenever you want to sign on to Apolyton.net (as opposed to another IRC server), make sure that you have selected it in the pulldown menu under "Connect" in the Options menu.
Now, in the upper-left hand corner there is a button that if you hover the mouse of it will say "Connect" if you're offline and "Disconnect" if you're online. Click it now to sign on to the Apolyton.net IRC server.
The #HumanHive Channel
Our chat channel will be #HumanHive on the Apolyton IRC server. You can access the Apolyton server at
Apolyton.net (in the server field).
Registering your nick with Apolyton.net is not presently
required to join this chatroom, but there is a password you need to specify before you will be allowed entry.
Do not reveal this password to anyone outside of this forum. If you inadvertently do so, please inform one us so that we can change it.
The password for this channel is
KillCC
Once you are connected to Apolyton.net,
- close the screen that opens asking you to join a room
- type /join #HumanHive KillCC
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Registering your nick
You will need to register your nick if you wish to be automatically given operator powers upon entering the channel or to enter the channel if we decide to use stricter security settings.
- join the Apolyton IRC chat under your desired nickname (try sticking to your regular Poly nick, please)
- type /msg NickServ REGISTER password your_email
Note:choose a strong, difficult to guess password (like 8t7ewy$ 
) and do remember it well! Keep in mind that case matters: FIDO, Fido, and fido are three different passwords!
- you shall then receive an authorization code from the Apolyton IRC server to your email account (specified in the REGISTER command) in no time - just check your email account without actually leaving the chat.
- look into the authorization email, you will find the following line there: /msg NickServ AUTH nine_digit_code - type it in the chat window
- you should get a confirmation that your nickname has been successfully registered to you; next time you join the chat under your registered nickname, you will need to specify your password using the following command: /msg NickServ IDENTIFY password
- you can (if you want) strengthen you security setting by using /msg NickServ set secure ON and /msg NickServ set kill ON
Note: for more information about NickServ, type /msg NickServ help. It would be fine to type /msg NickServ help commands in order to familiarize yourself with some of the commands, in case you'll ever need to use them.
Gaining access to the chatroom
Once registered, post a brief message in the in a thread here in the forum, stating your registered nickname. One of the channel's mods can then add your nick to the list of those allowed to receive operator powers in the chatroom (or if we want more security, even to ENTER the chatroom). Even under the stricter security, once you have a registered nick on the list, you can still join the channel just by typing
/join #HumanHive KillCC.
The following paragraph only applies if we use the more strict security settings (ignore for now):
BEWARE! Do not try to enter a secure chatroom under any unregistered (temporary) nick or prior to IDENTIFYing yourself, or you will cause a ban to be issued upon your address. You would then be unable to enter even under the correct registered nick. If this happens, PM one of the operaters of the channel, who can remove you from the automated ban list.
Keeping your registration in effect
Keep in mind that registered nicknames not used for 30 days will be automatically "unregistered" and become available to everybody again... join the chat at least once a month to keep your registration in effect.
Automating your login
As it can be a pain in the neck to IDENTIFY every time you log on to the Poly IRC, here is what you need to do, if you are using mIRC (sorry, guys, those of you using the Java applet will have to IDENTIFY manually every time - no way to make this automated for you
):
- Launch mIRC.
- Select File, Options.
- Expand the Connect branch.
- Select Perform.
- Set Enable perform on connect on.
- Put /msg NickServ IDENTIFY your_password into the edit field.
- Hit OK.
- Select Options.
- Set Reconnect on disconnection to off.
Note: steps 8. and 9. are not necessary, but will help you avoid having your mIRC to attempt reconnecting automatically under a temporary nick, triggering an autoban being issued upon your address (say, you went to bed and changed your nick to Myself|asleep... if you got diconnected accidentally, mIRC would try reconnecting under your unregistered "asleep" nick, which would be kicked out of the room immediately, with an autoban raised at the same time).
Killing your ghost
If your computer crashes or you get disconnected from internet in an ungraceful way, a "ghost session" of yours may remain registered with the IRC server for some time, preventing you from reconnecting under your registered nick. If that happens, use the following procedure command to
kill your ghost:
- connect to the IRC server under a temporary nickname, like temp_nickname
- use /msg NickServ GHOST nickname password to "kill" your ghost session
- use /nick nickname to change your nick to the desired one
- then identify as usually: /msg NickServ IDENTIFY password
) and set the password to KillCC.
