Easier Server System?

[Ishmell]

I have been trying to test out a few things with my teams game. We tried connecting to a persons computer who hosted the server. It worked but was very hectic to setup. There has to be an easier way for users to play games than open ports, installing library files and then installing the game then changing the ip config if it wasn't already changed.

I know if there is not already a suitable method to make things easier for the users then one has to be made. So basically here I am wondering if a more suitable method has been made yet.

[alex_cunningham]

are you talking about where people cant change the server ip and port because i know how to fix that

[Nubbs]

@Ishmell:

> I have been trying to test out a few things with my teams game. We tried connecting to a persons computer who hosted the server. It worked but was very hectic to setup. There has to be an easier way for users to play games than open ports, installing library files and then installing the game then changing the ip config if it wasn't already changed.
>
> I know if there is not already a suitable method to make things easier for the users then one has to be made. So basically here I am wondering if a more suitable method has been made yet.

nope not that i know of,,, do you use no-ip ?

[Ishmell]

No I have not used no-ip because it doesn't look like it will make much of a difference. It will still give users the same hectic experience. A good way to attract users is not to have a billion things for users to do in order to play a game. That's something I believe eclipse needs to work on.

[Admiral Refuge]

Just set up the client with the correct IP/port before giving it out to them, then wrap it in an installer.  Give it to them with a copy of the library files (and if they use Vista, have the Vista Fix runtime files, which install most of the library files anyway).

I can get an Eclipse client running on a computer is 5 mins flat (took less than that with my dad's laptop)

[Ishmell]

Yes that would work until a user has to open the ports. That's where most people would really get lost unless they know how it works.

Where can I locate the Vista Fix runtime files?

Edit: I tried getting it to work on my friends xp for like 1 hour over msn and he ended up giving up. So things like that arn't really a good sign.

[Admiral Refuge]

The vista files are here:
http://www.touchofdeathforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=38932.0

What do you mean with opening the port?  Hmm, I never really had to open any port, for computers that do, wouldn't they have to do that for all of the MMOs they download?

[cheatking]

@Ishmell:

> Yes that would work until a user has to open the ports. That's where most people would really get lost unless they know how it works.
>
> Where can I locate the Vista Fix runtime files?
>
> Edit: I tried getting it to work on my friends xp for like 1 hour over msn and he ended up giving up. So things like that arn't really a good sign.

Only the server needs to open ports not the client.

[Ishmell]

Thank you,
I mean port forwarding. I tried to get a friend to set it up and just wouldn't work for them. He reinstalled the library files many times, config.ini was right and even did the port forwarding 4000-4001…and it always said the server was offline for him. Also when he ran the client.exe it said files were missing when they weren't. This was on a windows xp pc to.

Edit: Oh ic Sean...

[Ishmell]

So with the runtime files is there no library files needed to be installed when the runtime is for the vista?

[Admiral Refuge]

@Ishmell:

> So with the runtime files is there no library files needed to be installed when the runtime is for the vista?

You may still need to install the Library Files, as well as the additional Vista Fix, but idk

[Nubbs]

@ÅÐмiядζ:

> You may still need to install the Library Files, as well as the additional Vista Fix, but idk

you do need the library files since the vista fix is to make vista recognize the Vb6 code that XP already recognizes

[Ishmell]

Okay thanks,
Im testing it right now with a friend that uses vista. He has the library files and the runtime fix installed. he also has the client which boots up smoothly but the server still says offline. The server ip address and server port (4000) are both pointed to my computer which is currently running the server and has both TCP&UDP ports 4000-4001 forwarded. All firewalls are off to.

Any suggestions on what to do?

[Ishmell]

Okay so my friend brought his vista laptop over and reinstalled the LibraryFiles along with the Runtime_fix then ran the client and it worked. So now that its working im going to hand it back to him. He is going to go home and try running the game again at his house. If it does not run at his house that means he has some router firewall issues to sort out.