Multiplayer connections

[Pike]

And I check all the ports with a program!!!

[Pike]

ORIGINAL: Tejszd

ORIGINAL: ifoko
So why can be a connection established with CC5 (Version 5.01) and not with the TLD?

Same PCs, same settings?

CC5 and TLD/WAR use different versions of DirectX (7 versus 9.0C respectively) and Microsoft changed the required ports for multiplayer when they went from version 7 to 8. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/240429

If you use triggers to open ports on your router you can join a game but not host a game (exception: if you join a game and then host the required ports might still be open).

[&o]Good you found this. Now the programmers for CC-TLD have to fix the old TCP/IP routines so it will work with todays DirectX . Actually they have only to change ports to make it work???

LOOK here!

Fix it ASAP can't be too heavy. Call Microsoft if you don't know how! [;)]

[Andrew Williams]

It does work now - open the ports and allow CCe.exe through your firewall, it couldn't be much simpler than that.


I installed hamachi and it completely destroyed my ability to play on-line.

it's my personal opinion that hamachi is more trouble than it is worth.

use standard TCP/IP connection and/or BHQ and connections should not be a problem.

[Pike]

ORIGINAL: Andrew Williams

It does work now - open the ports and allow CCe.exe through your firewall, it couldn't be much simpler than that.


I installed hamachi and it completely destroyed my ability to play on-line.

it's my personal opinion that hamachi is more trouble than it is worth.

use standard TCP/IP connection and/or BHQ and connections should not be a problem.

Ok I'll try that. I think I delete Hamachi after this as well... lol. But please try fix your Battle-HQ for those that has no idea how networks works. There is simply too many of them out there.

Jonas

[berndn]

It would be great to have a little utility packaged that run on the user PC and try to establish a connection to a internet server and gives feedback if that works. In a second step the program would submit the public IP to the server and acts as a server where the server tries to act like a client and again the program could give you hints what is working and what not.

Nothing simple but at least it would make it easier to diagnose those network problems a bit.

[ifoko]

ORIGINAL: Andrew Williams

It does work now - open the ports and allow CCe.exe through your firewall, it couldn't be much simpler than that.


I installed hamachi and it completely destroyed my ability to play on-line.

it's my personal opinion that hamachi is more trouble than it is worth.

use standard TCP/IP connection and/or BHQ and connections should not be a problem.

Unfortunatly this is not true.

I have tested a lot, have all ports open,... old CC5 works fine, TLD and WaR make usally problems.

I think the problem is ignored, we can only guess whats wrong, no log file,.... No little Ports test tool,...

No patch,...

[RD Oddball]

The patch is in beta testing for Matrix Club members.  I'll have the programmer look at this again to see if he has any additional input.

[SteveMcClaire]

I appreciate that getting connected to other players on the internet can be a complicated and frustrating procedure, especially when it is supposed to be so simple and lots of other people tell you 'works fine for me!' But  we have not seen any problems with TLD or WaR multi-player connections that were caused by an actual bug in the game itself.

The original game "Close Combat 5" was created with an older version of Microsoft DirectPlay.  Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein and The Longest Day both use Microsoft DirectPlay8.  Both versions of DirectPlay work fine, but they are different versions and require a different configuration.

If you have the original CC5 and you've successfully played it multi-player over the internet, obviously you have already configured your machine to have the correct ports open for the older version of DirectPlay used in CC5.  These are not the same ports as DirectPlay8 uses.  So just because the original CC5 works fine does not mean you have your machine configured correctly for DirectPlay8.  The difference is discussed in the Microsoft article someone already linked to -- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/240429 -- More specifically, the initial connection ports for the two versions of DirectPlay has changed:

DirectPlay7 and older: Port 47624 TCP
DirectPlay8: Port 6073 UDP

So if you can host CC5 and players can find your game, but other players can not find your host game with TLD, it is pretty likely that TCP port 47624 is open but UDP port 6073 is blocked.

In general, the two main issues are:

1) Not entering the correct IP address for the host: To join you need to know the external IP address of the player who is going to be the host.  If the host is behind a router then this is the IP address of his router, not the IP address of his machine.  As already pointed out, CC TLD/WaR may not show your external IP address in the game when you start hosting -- the game does try to figure out which of the possible IP addresses is the correct one, but there are many possible configurations and it does not get it right 100% of the time. Consult the documentation for your router to find out how to determine your external IP address if there's any doubt.  Also, if you're using a forwarding service (like Hamachi) the person joining the game needs to use the IP address that Hamachi assigned to the host, not the address of the hosts machine or router.

2) Ports being blocked by a router or local firewall: Even if the joining player uses the correct IP address for the host player, they will not find anything when they search for available games if the necessary ports are blocked by the host's router or firewall.  Note that Vista has a software firewall that is on by default -- to configure this go to your Control Panel and double click Windows Firewall.  Make sure you already have an exception for "Close Combat Engine Executable" and that it points to your CC TLD install.  If not (or you just want to experiment) make sure you open ports 6073 and 2300-2400 for UDP. For testing purposes you might even turn Windows Firewall off completely and see if the joining player can see you then.

As for the game reporting an error message, it will do so if a DirectPlay call actually fails with an error.  However, if DirectPlay just returns without finding any available games to connect to, that's not an error situation.  I will look and see if we can get any additional diagnostic info out of DirectPlay, for a future update / version.

[Pike]

Ifoko... we should try set up a game. Ok? Right now I find it very hard to test CC-TLD because it's so hard to find any with the game. The Battle Hq is totally dead (looks half finnished anyway [:(] )and what do you do when Matrix isn't recommending Hamachi to play on.
 
Hey Admin... why do you have Battle HQ? It seems like a waste of resources if you don't make it hotter!

[Andrew Williams]

BHQ works fine.

it has been around and working for close combat for over six years (can't remember exactly when it started)


I've tried installing Hamachi 3 times on different computers, each time it has completely frazzled my ability to play CC H2H.... other people reckon it's great.

[chopper8ac]

I think Battle HQ is great. I feel its my private site since so few people frequent it, makes me wonder why? All my games have breen thru this room and have met some great people in it. Reminds me of the old MSN Zone lol. Unlike the zone, HQ doesn't launch the game from the game room. One must give opponent IP number, then we leave HQ and play. We come back to HQ if there are any problems, but this is rare. Generally, best to use Int-TCP option in H2H play. Don't know much about Hamachi but play people who have it-think they turn off Hamachis ports routers or whatever.Just my two cents on Battle HQ- not being utilized by the CC tld players.

[Andrew Williams]

BHq will launch all CloseCombat games after Host hits the launch button in BHQ

The client (joining player) should navigate to the multiplayer screen after game launches and hit ctrl-V to paste in the Hosts IP to the "Host IP address" input box.

[Pike]

Perfect. Ok start get players there so I can play!

[MrOblongo]

First of all Hello everyone. Ive been playing CC since CC2 and really love it and this Longest Days seems pretty good.

Now, ive been unable to play with TCP or UDP, simply cant find the other guy. With Hamachi however, we can connect and actually play, but after like 10 seconds the connection is lost [&:].  Any idea?

Have the ports open and gaming mode enabled in AVG Firewall (works for IL2/Call of Duty/RFactor (with Hamachi)).

[MrOblongo]

Ok, fixed the problem. I was using the AVG Internet Security Firewall with Gaming Mode Enabled. It worked for all the games, but had to shut it down to play this. Now is working.

[socks]

I have a hosting issue. Played for for some months mutiplayer sort of ok on tcp (some con issues and messing about in windows, ports etc)

I applied the patch and we connected ok for a session or two, but now my game now hangs after I click 'Host a game' and i have to ctrl+alt+delete out.

Any ideas?

[socks]

I found the source of the problem. I disabled the AVG Link Scanner and the game started to host.

[chopper8ac]

If you need to know your correct IP- you can check it at www.speedtest.net.
It'll give you your upload and dl speeds and you can also check your ping there.

[socks]

game hanging again after i click host

[Andrew Williams]

Then you have or something has changed your system settings.


The game doesn't alter it's settings randomly so it is some other part of your sytem altering settings.