Author Topic: Online play in 2020? (Read 3165 times)

lonnigan · « **on:** March 30, 2020, 11:27:13 AM »

Hello there,

I know a lot of topics already exist on the subject, but they are quite old ones, often outdated.
Is it still possible to play online TCP / IP Alpha Centauri with modern Windows 10 configurations?

We tried with a friend and had the same recurring issues as before (we're unable to play online for more than ten years now), using the GOG version for Windows :
We use Hamachi. The hosting computer opens ports 2300-2400 and 47624.
We disable firewalls. We can ping each other fine on Hamachi. (we can't ping each other using our public non-hamachi IPs).

We try to join each other using the IP of Hamachi. We can see the game (hurray!) but when we try to join it just times out and nothing happens.
I feel that we are close but still missing something.

The only way we were able to play via TCP/IP without issues was to play in a direct physical LAN, next to each other. But online, no luck.

Solution we found to play our favorite game was to play via hotseat / email, and share on Dropbox the saves folder of Alpha Centauri for faster sharing of saves. Works actually quite alright but we have to relaunch the game for each turn.

Are there people out there that still manage to play online? Any idea on what we might be missing?

Thanks.

wmalamillo · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2020, 02:15:30 PM »

I would like to know this too. Also, seeing that a game against the AI can take a couple of days sometimes, how long does a game against a HUMAN last! It must take weeks at least. I've always been curious about that, but would love to give it a shot.

lonnigan · « **Reply #2 on:** August 29, 2020, 06:54:55 PM »

Anyone maybe tried GameRanger or a tool like that with success?

MercantileInterest · « **Reply #3 on:** August 29, 2020, 11:38:09 PM »

Quote from: wmalamillo on May 13, 2020, 02:15:30 PM

I would like to know this too. Also, seeing that a game against the AI can take a couple of days sometimes, how long does a game against a HUMAN last! It must take weeks at least. I've always been curious about that, but would love to give it a shot.

A few months. Can go faster if it's only 1-3 fellows and you play several turns a day. No matter how many players, you need to commit to at least one turn a day. Otherwise, people lose interest and drift away. Very destructive to games!

Try a game with @Maeldun and/or @Keiko. They're both multiplayer novices I've played with. Can't remember much about Keiko but Maeldun is a good man.

lonnigan · « **Reply #4 on:** July 29, 2021, 10:29:35 PM »

So after about 15 years of trying online play and failing, I must announce that we finally managed to play a game for a few hours uninterrupted using TCP IP on modern machines with Windows 10 and Gog version of the game.

We were shocked and very happy on how easy it actually was to set it up, we only used Hamachi... and the special trick, sharing the 4G connection of the phone to the computer's host!

Basically every time we tried using modern routers, even with port forwarding it failed, both with Hamachi and GameRanger.
I'm out of home and my only internet access is via my phone roaming 4G sharing connection. Just for fun, without really believing in it, we gave it a try: we created a Hamachi network, tried to ping both ways with success and when I hosted it just worked.
My friend is using a normal cable connection and a router, and it doesn't work the other way around, can't join him when he hosts.

Obviously not optimal as it is only a 4G connection, there are lags sometimes, but it is pretty stable and it works!

SpookyZalost · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2021, 01:57:22 AM »

Question, has anyone tried using a router running open WRT?

supposedly it's incredibly configurable, perhaps it's possible to get it to work that way if it's a matter of how ports work then vs now.

Aureustgo · « **Reply #6 on:** September 29, 2021, 07:44:50 AM »

In case this might be helpful: for those looking to setup a multi-player game:

1. Both computers (or all involved) download Himachi via https://www.vpn.net/. It is free. Then setup an account.
2. Have one computer setup a network (the host). You'll want a "Network ID" and password (optional).
3. Have the other computer(s) join a network. For this, you'll want to share the Network ID and password.
4. Once everyone is connected via Himachi, enter into multiplayer in Alpha Centauri via TCP/IP.
5. One of the computers starts up a new game as "host." Make the game settings. The other player "joins." For this last step you'll want to know the host computers IP address. This should enable the other computer to locate and join the game.
6. Once all the settings are completed (setting computer personalities, rules, simultaneous play, time limits, etc.), the joiner(s) click "Ready" while the host can launch the game.

The default setting is that each player starts with two colony pods, a rover, a scout, and a terraformer.

Settings: GOG, Scient v2.1. SMAC.