justanoldgamer: People should be advised that they released a patch for CIV IV to use Steam instead of Game Spy but in the process removed connecting directly with IP addresses. I read that the patch also messed with play by email but I'm not sure if it removed it or made it incompatible with the save games.
You are correct. Found this in the Steam forums:
Update for 6/5/2014:
CIVILIZATION IV: The patch that replaces GameSpy with Steamworks for multiplayer functionality is now available via Steam. The game functions identically to the previous GameSpy version with the exception that the “Direct IP” option has been removed as it is no longer supported. Save game data should not be negatively affected. If you own a physical disc version of Civilization IV and are interested in receiving this multiplayer update, please submit a support request.