Mission Success: EB Online via Gamespy

[vartan]

Dear fellow players of EB,

The mission has been successful. I have successfully played an online battle of EB using the built-in Gamespy network. Because I don't expect many people to play EB online, I won't recommend any prefixes to usernames, such as [EB]. Just to recap, so far in all our attempts, the only successful means of multiplayer have been Gamespy and Hamachi, with Hamachi being the 16-user limiter. Hamachi also doesn't work for Rome: Total War and any of its modifications if you are on a restricted network such as myself (@ a school network, for instance). Hamachi also requires adamant administrators. For this purpose I have been administering my own Hamachi network, constantly checking for frequent offliners and freeing slots for other players, not that there are many to be honest.

To join my Hamachi network you don't enter in a network name, but rather an ID number instead. The ID for my network is 031-664-896. You enter it in the same box where you would enter in a network name. The password is "eb" (without quotes).

To see the game I played with my friend over Gamespy, download the replay (http://www.filefront.com/16416309/1SPQRvAS_L.rpy/). You will need to run EB in multiplayer mode to playback the replay correctly. If you haven't already set up your EB MP version to have the Load Game option (as EB MP does not have this by default), you can download the EB MP Load Replay Mod (http://www.filefront.com/15658853/EB_MP_LoadReplayMod.zip/). It needs to be placed in the 'mp edu backup' folder inside [RTW Root Installation Directory]/EB. You may want to copy your original Rome.lnt file that's located there so that you can revert back to it as I am not responsible for any damages this may cause (mind you, I have been replaying files for ages).

Thanks,
Vartan

EDIT #1: Major update. You can still play EB online using Hamachi no matter where you are. This problem, solvable, may still occur to you even if you are not at a restricted network like a school network. It turns out that our old nemesis, the 'disconnect' trick, is back. Go to your EB main menu, unplug your ethernet cord, go to LAN lobby, plug back in your ethernet cord, and you will finally see the other lobby members. And unfortunately, yes, you need to do this trick every online gaming session.

EDIT #2: I played two more games today. In the first game (http://www.filefront.com/16421233/2HayvAS_L.rpy/) I was playing as Hayasdan against AS (a loss, also against the aforementioned player). The second game (http://www.filefront.com/16421235/3KHvSPQRvSaka_L.rpy/) was an FFA between KH (myself), SPQR (SlickNicaG69) and Saka (Jirisys), in which I lose, Jiri leaves the game prematurely and Rome loses. The AI Saka prevails. Gamespy has not disappointed. The only catch? Make sure you're using the MP version of Europa Barbarorum. If you're using Steam, launch using the MP (multiplayer) shortcut. It will fail. Ignore the message. Proceed to launch using Steam (and the appropriate launch settings of course), and you will be in MP mode. If you play in SP (single player) mode, the game you wish to join will show up as incompatible.

[NeoSpartan]

good job Vartan

[Jebivjetar]

Gg Vartan!

I hope I'll be able to play some MP soon, I miss those days of victory, bravery, and those naughty lags followed by CTDs :laugh:

[Skullheadhq]

Oh, I frequently play online EB games with some people in my class, we'll try Gamespy next time.

[WinsingtonIII]

Huzzah! Awesome, I can't wait

[V.T. Marvin]

Hello friends! I have been playing MP both on Hamachi AND on GameSpy with The Celtic Viking for some time. However, quite recently, without any apparent reason (like firewall update or network connection settings rest being done on either of our computers) we cannot do that anymore. We are still able to meet in the GameSpy lobby, see each other and have a chat, but whenever on of us creates a bettle and the other wants to join it, he gets "No response from host" message. Any ideas what can be the cause of this problem???

And one more thing: I will be in the GameSpy Chat lobby tonight (from 20:00 GMT+1) - so hopefully I will meet some EBer there and we will see if we will be able to play together. And even if not, it will very much help me and The Celtic Viking to get a clue where our problem lies.

[vartan]

Hello friends! I have been playing MP both on Hamachi AND on GameSpy with The Celtic Viking for some time. However, quite recently, without any apparent reason (like firewall update or network connection settings rest being done on either of our computers) we cannot do that anymore. We are still able to meet in the GameSpy lobby, see each other and have a chat, but whenever on of us creates a bettle and the other wants to join it, he gets "No response from host" message. Any ideas what can be the cause of this problem???

And one more thing: I will be in the GameSpy Chat lobby tonight (from 20:00 GMT+1) - so hopefully I will meet some EBer there and we will see if we will be able to play together. And even if not, it will very much help me and The Celtic Viking to get a clue where our problem lies.
No response from host usually indicates a network error. Y'all should try logging out of Gamespy and logging back in. Y'all should turn OFF your firewalls completely when playing EB Online. And y'all should make sure your routers (if you use them) forward the Rome: Total War ports to your respective computers.

As for meeting an EBer online, you may come across one and not even realize that he or she is an EBer. That's why most people on Gamespy playing EB know each other from outside Gamespy (and why some would rather have an [EB] prefix to their name). With an [EB] prefix, even if another EBer is signed on but doesn't have an EB prefix, he or she can message you privately on Gamespy seeking a game from you. Good luck.

[jirisys]

EDIT #2: I played two more games today. In the first game (http://www.filefront.com/16421233/2HayvAS_L.rpy/) I was playing as Hayasdan against AS (a loss, also against the aforementioned player). The second game (http://www.filefront.com/16421235/3KHvSPQRvSaka_L.rpy/) was an FFA between KH (myself), SPQR (SlickNicaG69) and Saka (Jirisys), in which I lose, Jiri leaves the game prematurely and Rome loses. The AI Saka prevails. Gamespy has not disappointed. The only catch? Make sure you're using the MP version of Europa Barbarorum. If you're using Steam, launch using the MP (multiplayer) shortcut. It will fail. Ignore the message. Proceed to launch using Steam (and the appropriate launch settings of course), and you will be in MP mode. If you play in SP (single player) mode, the game you wish to join will show up as incompatible.

Really pwned you guys over there huh? :smile::laugh::clown:

~Jirisys (own'd:clown:)

[V.T. Marvin]

Thank you for your tips! Hopefully it will be solved by just that :yes:

And y'all should make sure your routers (if you use them) forward the Rome: Total War ports to your respective computers.
I have read about forwarding already and searched for guides on how to that, however I am totally confused. Is there any "forwarding for total idiots" way how to that? I am hopeless nOOb when it comes to anything more complicated than turning on the computer and launch an application :shame:


As for meeting an EBer online, you may come across one and not even realize that he or she is an EBer. That's why most people on Gamespy playing EB know each other from outside Gamespy (and why some would rather have an [EB] prefix to their name). With an [EB] prefix, even if another EBer is signed on but doesn't have an EB prefix, he or she can message you privately on Gamespy seeking a game from you. Good luck.
Oh yes, this is important, I am doing that already and recommend to everyone to do so as well. :yes:

[antisocialmunky]

So the latency is pretty good? I know it was possible to do this but it was one of the reasons why we were avoiding it. Also the idiots in the main lobby, that too.

[vartan]

So the latency is pretty good? I know it was possible to do this but it was one of the reasons why we were avoiding it. Also the idiots in the main lobby, that too.
Latency is always a little worse than VPN LAN, but more or less impossible to tell the difference when it comes to our game (we're not playing Unreal here). And you don't go looking for EB Gamespy player in the main (friendly) lobby. You look for them in the Chat lobby (see my poll a while back, wherein all of those interested responded with Chat as opposed to the Competitive lobby as preferred choice).

[Unintended BM]

My brew and I just tried this out and it worked.

[G. Septimus]

I usually play it on Steam...(RTW)
I play EB on Hamachi though
let's try this out (Let's? YOURSELF)

[vartan]

I usually play it on Steam...(RTW)
I play EB on Hamachi though
let's try this out (Let's? YOURSELF)
It doesn't make a difference whether one got the game from Steam or from the store. The game runs the same way. I recommend Hamachi for all EB players (cause I can't blatantly say "By the way, Gamespy isn't reliable", cause that's just asking for four-letter words). This is just to show that Gamespy works (and the poll was for a consensus on the chat lobby). The best option seems to be firewall off. If using router, forward the ports. That's about it. If it still doesn't work, which happens sometimes (happened today), then you can mail a letter to Gamespy thanking them for their reliable services.

[vartan]

Sorry for updating this thread, but it's necessary and justified.

IMPORTANT

For all who have been playing online with others, and I mean EB, vanilla, or any game in general, Total War or otherwise, this is important. I don't know how it began, but I have found that we were misled. Until even today, it was known that we were to place Hamachi in FIRST PLACE on the network adapter priority list in Windows. Then, when gaming, we had to unplug, log in, replug, and just a hassle. What I've discovered is that this is the counter-intuitive and all around INCORRECT way of going about the VPN system. Hamachi logs to main servers similar to how we access servers when we go to websites. For this reason, Hamachi MUST be placed BELOW the Local Area Network (ethernet card) adapter as well as the Wireless card adapter. Then, after restarting once, you'll notice that you can play games, see opponents in the lobby, and all other game functions that you normally expect will work just fine without unplugging the ethernet cord, etc. There's no need for y'all to reply to this thread. Just needed to let people know of this long tradition of technical mistake in Hamachi VPN in the community...PM's for more info or to clear things up. Thanks.

[antisocialmunky]

Oh, I never had either of those problems:-\

How do I get in on the chat since SCII Beta is going offline for a while.

[Apázlinemjó]

Oh, I never had either of those problems:-\

How do I get in on the chat since SCII Beta is going offline for a while.

Me neither. My router's connection had the first priority between the networks, always.

[Jebivjetar]

I have the problem mentioned here. Anyway, i checked my priority list and it looks like this:
https://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8681/clipboard01iw.jpg

Could anyone clarify if it's the right order?

[vartan]

It's perfect. Hamachi should be below LAN and WLAN, to ensure that you access the Internet before you access Hamachi. If you want in, read the EB Online webpage. It's on my sig.

[antisocialmunky]

Why are we requiring alex now?

[vartan]

Why are we requiring alex now?
Simply, we're not. Here's a quote directly taken from the Getting Started (Instructions) page.

Note: If you do not own Alexander, please notify your opponent to play EB multiplayer with the RTW 1.5 engine. If you are looking for Alexander, use the contact link above and we will show you where you can find it.
EDIT: The modification of EB 1.2 to work with Alexander, if you own it, has been made simple now. I've made an installer and it's available there, on the site. The use of Alexander engine is not a requirement at all. It is only what is preferred if both players own Alexander.