Searching 3 folks for a 4-player game

[Fastsnake]

Hey everybody!

I'm kinda surprised (and a little bit sad) to see that nobody has ever searched opponents on this forum to play WWI!
As the gold version is released, and as I've never played any part online, with "real" mates, I thought it will be cool to play a 4-player long campaign!

Don't worry about your level and skills, I'm saying honestly that I'm eveything but an ace at this game, I just know how to properly manage warfare.

So I hope I'll have (many) answers so that we could play it leisurely.
Concerning options and parameters, we could discuss that together.
Regarding countries, I got to say that I've a strong preference for France, all the more as I've never played any other country (during a long campaign). But I'm sure we can find an arrangement about this too, that's not a big issue.

[Tamas]

this should be interesting I may be in.

I am on Central European time though.

[calvinus]

Nobody ever tried a 4-players MP match!

I would like to take a part, but I have a private LAN (wireless router) that points to another LAN (my internet provider does not give me a public IP) that exits with a unique IP....

So the twice internal IP is unreachable!!!!!! Even with Hamachi!!!!!!!

I will never play WW1 MP....

[Tamas]

Yeah but 2 player has been working fine, so it should be ok

[Longhairedlout]

Hey I'm in if you want me, I'm in the UK.... thanks

[Tamas]

Nice. whichever of you want to try hosting, PM me your MSN, Skype, or gmail address and I will contact you, so we can do a test.

My connection can only handle hosting the smaller scenarios, but I know I can join and play with a working host. So I can help figuring out router and firewall settings in case of any trouble.

[Longhairedlout]

It says in the manual that the player with the best pc should host, I have a old 3ghz Athlon 64, 2gb ram and an old 6600gt, what have you guys got, I'm looking forward to getting a multiplayer game going, and I have a 8mb connection when the net's working like it should...

[Fastsnake]

Hmmm... All these routers and hosting issues seem to be a real pain. Actually as I've never tried this kind of game online (I've played Warcraft III or other RTS games years ago but it never turned out to have problems to deal with concerning my connection), I think I'll have to be trained and educated to this before playing successfully.

Concerning Longhairedlout, am I wrong or... You can't play the UK as an independent nation? France will play it if they enter the war, but a 4-player campaign is about:
France on the West and Russia to the East for the Entente / and Germany and Austro-Hungary for the Central Powers.

So we're currently... Three?
- Fastsnake.
- Tamas.
- Longhairedlout.
- The next chap.


EDIT: As for the host, we should regard his connection as well.

Do this test: http://www.journaldunet.com/test-connexion/ascendant/resultat/

And post your results:

Débit descendant (download) 11170 (Kbit/s) 1396 (Ko/s)
Débit ascendant (upload) --> 860 (Kbit/s) 107 (Ko/s)

For the config, I have an 2.1 Ghz Intel Core Duo / 3 GB RAM / a NVidia Geforce 8400M / Vista.

[Longhairedlout]

I am happy to play Austria/hungry

here are my speed test results:-

Débit descendant 5942 En Kbit/s 742 En Ko/s

Débit ascendant 343 En Kbit/s 42 En Ko/s

Thanks

[bloodybisounours]

I might be interested but maybe we sould start with something easier and shorter than a long campaign.

Another problem is the appointements to play, what about the day, the time, the frequency ?

Are we gonna be in the same time lag ?

How long are we gonna play during one session ?

[Fastsnake]

So I got a better config and connection that yours.
We have to see how are the fourth player (bloodybisounours apparently!) ones to determine who will host the show.

Basically:

- Fastsnake: France.
- Tamas: Germany.
- Longhairedlout: A-H.
- Bloodybisounours: Russia.

Is that ok? We can discuss, we have time and we are intelligent people ready to negociate.

Concerning the frequency, I don't know, we should debate about that too. As for me, I'm currently D-1 before the start of my exams... who will last until the early June. Then... Honestly I'll be on vacations and I'll can play as much as you want!

PS: Of course we are not going to an entire campaign during one session, but during many of them!

[Tamas]

I will ask Maestro 06 to give us some hints about hosting but here are the main points:

-select a port you will be using. eg. 3000
-if you are using a router, set up port forwarding for your comp.'s IP and that port
-make sure your firewall is either turned entirely off or it is letting ww1.exe through

This is basic stuff for any multiplayer hosting by the way, but of course unfortunately requires some minimal tech knowledge.

[bloodybisounours]

For my config, I've intel E8400 (3Ghz I think) , ATI 5850, 4GB RAM and Vista.

I've already played IP with my router but everytime it's a new adventure...

[Fastsnake]

Minimal technologic knowledge that I don't really have, as I've never encountered any problems with my connection... I'll try to work it out just after my exams so.

[calvinus]

Differently from other games, WW1 has no dedicated server that could host all MP matches, sorry. AgeOD is a very small company that cannot provide such a service.

Thus, WW1 -like many other games- must handle connections through direct IP access. This is the main reason for such technical difficulties that require from you a minimal knowledge of the matter.

[Fastsnake]

Keep us in touch fellows!

I've added the three of you, but just one chap accepted me :'(

[calvinus]

I forwarded this thread link to a guy that can be interested.

Provided I cannot take a part! Grrrr....

[Longhairedlout]

Yes lets keep in touch, I guess I will have to talk strategy with Tamas the German player and my ally, I guess we wait till the Grand offensive bug is sorted out, thanks for your good work Calvinus by the way...

[Fastsnake]

And I hope the two teams are fair-minded, as you two from the central powers seem to be a little bit more pro about this game!

EDIT: Calvinus that was'nt useful actually, as we are already four players!

[Longhairedlout]

I'm sure I can speak for Tamas as well as myself when I say we are fair minded honourable men

[Fastsnake]

lol Ok, but actually that was a little language mistake from myself, I just wanted to say that teams have to be balanced, unless you want to sign a peace treaty with Russia on november, to be on Paris on december and to be home before christmas.

[Tamas]

Despite my experience I totally suck at implementing the initial german warplans, just for the information of my ally :P

[calvinus]

Well guys. I must say I'm a bit excited for your match.

Last time I played La Grande Guerre boardgame with other 3 guys, I was France and Germany successfully managed to get Italy entering the war on the side of CPs in the very beginning of the conflict, thanks to the Diplomatic Poker. England entered the war too late, as Germany adopted Kronprinz plan.
So France found herself in big big troubles too early. No way, no hope.

I suggest you a "home rule" for the Diplomatic Poker, study a solution.

Edit: you're planning to produce an AAR, right?

For what concerns the technical aspects of WW1 Multiplayer, refer and report me any issue with the most number of details as possible.
Debugging the MP in 2-players mode has been a hell for me, so that I believe that debugging the 4-players mode is nearly impossible! apy:

Thanks in advance,
Calvinus.

[Fastsnake]

Debugging the MP in 2-players mode has been a hell for me, so that I believe that debugging the 4-players mode is nearly impossible! apy:

That's a good thing to hear!

And yes, Tamas will do the entire AAR himself.

And as for me, I must admit that I totally suck about everything concerning sea and oceans, and even with UK I never used the royal navy, because I'm always not sure about what it's gonna be.

[calvinus]

Debugging a 4-players game requires 4 PCs connected via LAN with the game running in debug mode with the Development Environment working in background, each one of the four games on a different one PC. And I have to move from one PC to the other three like a mad for hours and hours. In the end I collapse to the floor.

For AARs I suppose you write them secretly, unless you want the enemy knows your strategies in advance!

[bloodybisounours]

Well guys. I must say I'm a bit excited for your match.

Last time I played La Grande Guerre boardgame with other 3 guys, I was France and Germany successfully managed to get Italy entering the war on the side of CPs in the very beginning of the conflict, thanks to the Diplomatic Poker. England entered the war too late, as Germany adopted Kronprinz plan.
So France found herself in big big troubles too early. No way, no hope.

The first time I played the boardgame France was beaten before chrismas. It's very hard to stop the kaiser's armies.
The last time I played, 8 years ago, we managed to go untill 1916 before we stopped by lack of time and space...



Now I've space but still no time.

I suggest you a "home rule" for the Diplomatic Poker, study a solution.

What do you mean ? How can we bypass rules by a home rule on a computer ?

[calvinus]

What do you mean ? How can we bypass rules by a home rule on a computer ?

Simply agree if the Dip. Poker can be adopted or not.

Indeed I think the Kronprinz plan + Dip. Poker + max diplomatic effort on UK guaratees France is crashed very soon.

[bloodybisounours]

@Fastsnake
Are we gonna play with the rule army by army ?

Or WEGO ?

[calvinus]

No WEGO in MP.

Army-by-army is the best choice. Long play but much fan.

[Fastsnake]

Why no WEGO? I've always played this only... :s