Multiplayer issue

[calvinus]

Indeed Tamas and 06 Maestro managed to establish a good connection and played several times. I sent them a PM.

[Tamas]

I am sorry if I repeat something already mentioned here, but there are 3 things which can interfere (with WW1 and any other "delicate" multiplayer game)

-router settings. This depends on your ISP really. eg. Maestro06 only had to do portforwarding on his router (IIRC) to be able to host the GC, but for I only was able to host smaller scenarios after I set a "virtual server" on my router, which in effect is that the router relays any package coming into one of its ports to a given port of a given machine connected to the router.
But I could join games of Maestro06 without doing this (portforwarding is a must, however!). I needed it for hosting, and due to my restrictive connection (similar to the one of Calvinus) I still can't host GCs

-firewall. WW1.exe should absolutely be in its exception list

-antivirus: not probable, but could interfere. I'd rather just turn off its resident shield while playing, at least for one try.

[EUBanana]

-router settings. This depends on your ISP really. eg. Maestro06 only had to do portforwarding on his router (IIRC) to be able to host the GC, but for I only was able to host smaller scenarios after I set a "virtual server" on my router, which in effect is that the router relays any package coming into one of its ports to a given port of a given machine connected to the router.
But I could join games of Maestro06 without doing this (portforwarding is a must, however!). I needed it for hosting, and due to my restrictive connection (similar to the one of Calvinus) I still can't host GCs

Hmm.

Without a router, just connected directly to the cable modem, even this presumably isn't a problem. I know I'd have to set up port forwarding to get my telnet server working if I wanted to host it here, but no router and it works.

And besides, if it really was a network architecture issue, surely it would never work, ever?

Though that does sound like a possibility at least.

-firewall. WW1.exe should absolutely be in its exception list

-antivirus: not probable, but could interfere. I'd rather just turn off its resident shield while playing, at least for one try.

Both switched off.



If I try it again I might fire up Wireshark and packet sniff exactly what it's sending or trying to send over the network.

[EUBanana]

OK, we just tried it without a router on either side (we tried without a router at my end yesterday) and it seemed to work first time.

Not sure how stable it'll prove, and it did work first time with the router, so I'm not sure if it's going to come back, but thats progress.

I fired up Wireshark while it was doing the login and I saw a whole bunch of UDP packets going back and forth from my opponents IP, so it's definitely connecting.

Next time my opponent will try with a router.

[calvinus]

I should try also without the router. I'm almost sure the problem is that.
But I should find a long cable... grrr!

[EUBanana]

I should try also without the router. I'm almost sure the problem is that.
But I should find a long cable... grrr!

It definitely works with a router - but apparently only 1 time in 10?

We'll play a bit without routers, and if it connects every time, I guess that must be it.

[EUBanana]

Hmm well, we got desynched again over an end turn when the other guy got hit by a lag spike. Must have lagged just as I was ending my turn, and that was that, game stuffed.

I guess that could do with being more robust.



We tried to connect again for a grand campaign, didn't work, same issue. Then we tried with the Serbia scenario again and it worked. Doesn't it like the big games?

[EUBanana]

Never mind, tried again with the big game and it worked.

Woo!

I guess the routers might be an aggravating factor, but it still seems to flake out a fair bit. But it's working for now at least...

[EUBanana]

Heh, a good start too, Diplomatic Poker, Concessions to Italy and Italy joins the CPs.

And I'm the CPs.

Diplomatic poker seems a bit good.

[EUBanana]

Boo, and it froze on an end turn again.

And it froze again while trying to connect.

Seems to work somewhat better without routers, but I fear it's still too flaky to actually be playable.

Which is sad, as both of us think the game would be great multiplayer!

[calvinus]

I suggest you make a try with Tamas and/or 06 Maestro.

I do not have all such MP freezes on the LAN.

[06 Maestro]

Hey there EU Banana!

Looks like you have been through connection hell-lol. Tamas and I saw exactly what you are experiencing dozens of times-however, it should all be working now-it was.

When I hosted I did not use Hamachi- as the success rate was very noticeably reduced-in fact, I have uninstall it. The game should connect just fine on its own.

What is happening is the game is partially connecting-something is stopping full access. That something must be a security setting of some sort-or a lack of port forwarding/triggering. I did notice that you tried it direct to your modem, so the router may not be the problem.

One other important factor in MP is to run the game as administrator-in Vista anyway.

I have a few suggestions;

1. use your router-not good to be online with firewall down and no router
2.set up port forwarding AND triggering for any port that is not obviously being used on your router (or hosting players).

3.Disable Hamachi in the network control panel-not just turn it off.

4. Make sure that the game can send and receive through the firewall-no need to turn it off-same for the anti virus.

5.Start game as "administrator".

6. In the game configuration, make sure you have the same default PW and player name that you are using in the current game.

This is just off the "top of my head"-due to an insane work schedule over the past few weeks I have not been able to play. I am now in contact with a couple of guys to get some good gaming going soon-maybe today. This will also be my first playing with the new patch.

I hope this helps you get it going. I will be available in a couple of hours if you want to try the connection procedures with me-gotta go to Church-special service.

I'm in Pacific Time (GMT-8 or 7 now). I'll be back.

[EUBanana]

Hey there EU Banana!

Yo!

6. In the game configuration, make sure you have the same default PW and player name that you are using in the current game.

Pretty sure that all your suggestions have already been done except this one. Sometimes I change then name. is that iffy?

I'm in Pacific Time (GMT-8 or 7 now). I'll be back.

I'm GMT unfortunately so... a game between the two of us might not be easy. :/

[06 Maestro]

I made a few other changes to the router that helped in my situation.

1. Enable RIP. RIP allows for routers to communicate with one another. On my particular model (NetGear) the default is "off".

2. Ensure that UPaP is enable-this should be on by default, but worth checking.
a. Advertisement Period- my default was 30 minutes. I dropped that to 15 minutes to help maintain contact with another router.
b. Time to Live (in Hops) My default was 4-I increased that to 6 )can be 250)

Exactly what fixed my issue on connectivity I'm not really sure-I'm not an IT pro. I just use trial and error until it works. As soon as I can get another opponent to re-confirm that all is well with the updates, I will post a how to here and at Matrix.

[06 Maestro]

Yo!



Pretty sure that all your suggestions have already been done except this one. Sometimes I change then name. is that iffy?:/

To my recollection it was a factor. Best to eliminate any of these possibilities.

I'm GMT unfortunately so... a game between the two of us might not be easy. :/

True, but doable. Tamas is in Hungary-even worse, but we made it happen.
We can just do a test run of a few turns if you like.-I'm available now.

[06 Maestro]

One other little thing that warrants its own post-

The game must be restarted after any failed attempt to connect or even a normal close before attempting to reconnect.

Also, for significant speed increase in reloading, don't load the full map at startup-it takes too long and, in my case, has no benefit.

[06 Maestro]

So, EU B. and I hooked up for a game. After getting through the initial stuff/errors (caps on password) we were able to play through early August and August trouble free with me hosting. We exited the game and started again with EU B. hosting and the game started fine. We did end up with a ctd in August, but I may have brought that on by not doing the red flagged armies first. I started with a Russian red flag and then moved on to the green Russians. The game kept taking me back to France where there was a slew of red Flagged units-(plan 13).

One little oddity is the lag that occurs when you have a breakthrough success, but there is no additional battle to be fought. It stays on the last battle screen for a minute or so-you would think that the game crashed, but it did not. It was just conducting the breakthrough in secret.

I must say that the new unit movement speed is amazing. This was my first use of the 108f patch-still using my old settings. The units were like rockets-could hardly even see them move-it was comical. Of course, I was able to slow it down.

I'm now looking for the 4 way game.

EUBanana will have some further comments.

[EUBanana]

EUBanana will have some further comments.

...Yeah. In one of the test games I was the CPs, and did the diplomatic poker / concessions to Italy thing so Italy joins the CPs.

This means Italian troops are expecting orders in the first turn of action. It seems that the Italians were available to attack on the very first turn, all unlocked. They didn't have green or red flags over them as is the norm for other units on the first turn, they seemed totally free to use.

As we were doing army by army activation it was a bit confusing why it wasn't letting me end the turn, took a while to realise it was because of the Italians yet to move.

Is that working as it should?

[calvinus]

Yes, working as designed. Indeed the Italian forces are enough far from the French border so that they are not a real threat. So there's no need to lock them in case of successful Diplomatic Poker, but why not? Maybe a matter for future improvements.

Anyway, in army-by-army mode you can use the A key on the keyboard to find the armies that require activation.