2-player MP?

[JaydedOne]

Hey all,

I just had a n00b question regarding the MP experience. Is there any way to direct connect two machines, either through the TCP/IP format or otherwise, so that if, say, my girlfriend and I want to sit at our two desktops and play, we can do our turns simultaneously on two computers rather than hotseating at one? I've tried playing around with the demo Version but have found that hosting a game as a server pretty much preempts playing as a user. Am I perhaps wrong? Is this a problem that doesn't turn up in the retail Version? While this won't preclude me from buying the full Version, I might wait a few weeks before doing so in order to drum up other players.

Of course, I'd also be curious to hear more about the SP experience...