Multi player via Lan. Its becoming rare !

[Sir_Real]

Multi player via Lan is an option thats being left out of many new game releases these days.
Ok you might say well you can just play online with your m8's !

True but if you happen to own two or more gaming pc's that connect to the same modem / rooter this option seems to becoming a real pain in the arse.

I have two gaming rigs in my living room connected to broadband & rooter. Me & my lad enjoy teaming up online on games such as call of duty: ****

This seems to becoming a almost impossible thing to do these days :shadedshu

Take MW for instance. When this game first came out i was able to install the game on both my pc's using same CDkey & was able to get both pc's running on the same match on a server Afew months down the line this stopped working ! ( PB kicked on one pc for duplicate cd key )

Ok fair enough so i brought another legit cdkey. Problem sorted ! Nope ( Pb kicked on one pc about IP address in use )

Onto Cod:waw this game was impossible to run online on two pc's through a rooter & single internet connection. Even with two legit copys of the game (IP in use error on one pc) i managed to get around this by connecting my pc's via internet connection sharing & doing away with the rooter. But wot a piss about that is.

Onto MW2 this game wont connect both pc's online at same time via Internet connection sharing so its back the rooter ( Works ok apart frm its sometimes a game get both pc's to connect to the same match )

Onto back opps ( No MP via Lan ! ) As on MW we can get both pc's to connect online ok but trying to both join the same match/server is a nightmere :shadedshu ( Unable to connect error ) & when we finally do get on the same match its very likely one of us will get kicked ( Duplicate port use error ) :shadedshu

Now i need to get round to testing black opps with both rigs connected via internet connection sharing to see if this helps us both join the same server. But to be honist i doubt it will even let me use ICS in the same way MW2 doesnt.

Would appreciate some feedback on this subject? There must be other TPU members who run multiple gaming rigs

 

[Bundy]

I have one of two previously working rigs that pb refuses to allow. Have tried everything I can find so far.
Both are windows 7, installed from the same disk, running steam. One works the other will not.

 

[TAViX]

I'm still playing Starcraft, War3, Diablo II ans CS:Source through LAN. Oh yes, and Far Cry 1 (best)! )

I have one of two previously working rigs that pb refuses to allow. Have tried everything I can find so far.
Both are windows 7, installed from the same disk, running steam. One works the other will not.

Disable or tweak windows firewall and specially the network access stuff. Yeah, I know, Win 7 kinda sucks with those exaggerated security craps.

 

[Sir_Real]

I reckon some of the probs with gettin two or more rigs online on same game are impossible to get round.

Unless you can get two totally separate internet connections fitted. I might look into doing this.

Anyone frm the uk know if Virgin media will send me a second broadbrand modem ?

 

[W1zzard]

Anyone frm the uk know if Virgin media will send me a second broadbrand modem ?

doubt they will send you a second line for free

 

[Thrackan]

You actually only mention those games where this problem is most imminent. CoD series after 4 are notorious for being pains in the arses when it comes to LAN play. This is why we continue to play CoD4 at LANs...
Most other games have no problem at all with multiple copies behind one IP.

Also, PunkBuster isn't the good app it used to be. It's become more focused on blocking people than it is on actually doing something against cheaters.

 

[assaulter_99]

Tbh lan is pretty much dead and all of us know why really. I won't say the much hated word though!

 

[Thrackan]

Tbh lan is pretty much dead and all of us know why really. I won't say the much hated word though!

Interwebs?

I still go to several big LAN parties a year and the huge events are getting smaller, but the middle-sized LANs are still sold out. Smaller LANs are dying all around though, that's a shame.

 

[assaulter_99]

From what I've seen, games supporting lans were notorious for being pirated to death. Not the single cause, but still, if you are a dev, you don't want to give the pirates an easy way to play the MP aspect of the game offline.

I miss the big lan parties in my region, its almost non-existant nowadays, some random quake/vintage ut/cs competitions but that's all.

 

[HXL492]

I still play games through LAN with my friends. We use hamachi though. Its a program that allows you to create virtual LANs

 

[Mussels]

as an anti piracy measure, LAN play is dying off.

it sucks, but we cant really do much except support the games with LAN support.


As you've noted, there are many issues with multiple PC's on the same internet connection - games that require port forwards for example, are completely impossible to play with more than one PC.


I've lived in houses with upto 5 gamers, so it was quite impossible sometimes to get online games happening due to port forward issues, or a sheer lack of upload bandwidth.

 

[ragejg]

When I had two gaming rigs in my house for a while, the only game that both rigs played was Bad Company 2 and Halo: Custom Edition... no problems there... I suppose if we tried other games we'd run into problems, like Far Cry 2...

I do wonder if some Gears of War co-op would have been possible....

 

[Thrackan]

When I had two gaming rigs in my house for a while, the only game that both rigs played was Bad Company 2 and Halo: Custom Edition... no problems there... I suppose if we tried other games we'd run into problems, like Far Cry 2...

I do wonder if some Gears of War co-op would have been possible....

Played GoW co-op on a LAN, worked fine

 

[AphexDreamer]

Me and my friends rarely want to LAN but since my Friends are mainly Console Gamers (reason for me buying Black Ops on Console) we decided to LAN some Nazi Zombies thinking we can Split Screen two people on one PS3 two people on another only to find out IT WON'T LET the second player join on any PS3 once one has already joined on one!

So even when there is LAN in some games they either intentionally or accidentally limit how many people can LAN.

 

[yogurt_21]

as an anti piracy measure, LAN play is dying off.

it sucks, but we cant really do much except support the games with LAN support.


As you've noted, there are many issues with multiple PC's on the same internet connection - games that require port forwards for example, are completely impossible to play with more than one PC.


I've lived in houses with upto 5 gamers, so it was quite impossible sometimes to get online games happening due to port forward issues, or a sheer lack of upload bandwidth.

see it's so odd to me seeing as a few years back you weren't a game if you weren't part of a massive lan. I simply can't imaging starcraft or counter strike without thinking about massive lans throughout a dorm.

 

[Mussels]

see it's so odd to me seeing as a few years back you weren't a game if you weren't part of a massive lan. I simply can't imaging starcraft or counter strike without thinking about massive lans throughout a dorm.

i know, i still go to respawn, which averages 400 people. the problem is that there is no Fing way anyone can get enough internet for 400 people for only a few days, so these kinds of games are impossible to play, so its slowly killing LAN events

 

[Thrackan]

i know, i still go to respawn, which averages 400 people. the problem is that there is no Fing way anyone can get enough internet for 400 people for only a few days, so these kinds of games are impossible to play, so its slowly killing LAN events

Weird, cause those ~200-400 ppl events are still going quite well here in Holland.
The small LANs I was talking about are those <50 ppl LANs that used to swarm community centers throughout the country.

 

[Mussels]

Weird, cause those ~200-400 ppl events are still going quite well here in Holland.
The small LANs I was talking about are those <50 ppl LANs that used to swarm community centers throughout the country.

the problem is that without modern LAN games, only old games are played. those like myself who want to play modern games, might as well not go

 

[CounterZeus]

Not a big problem right now (I host a LAN for 20-30 people in a student dorm twice a year) as most of us have laptops, only old games (new games won't run anyway) are played which all support LAN connectivity(call of duty, trackmania, battlefield 2, empire earth), but I can image it'll bleed to death in a few years without some good new games supporting LAN.
However, if it's really necessary, I can support that number with a wireless internet connection fast enough through a VPN (connection to university network), but then it's possible that you can't detect each other locally and mostly everybody needs a legal version online.

 

[Disparia]

As stubborn as I am, I'll continue to play the 'old games' and disregard new games that fail to me my standards. Have enough stockpiled to ride out the impending apocalypse.

 

[Sir_Real]

Black opps does work with two pcs connected to the same server/ match usin internet connection sharing. Unlike MW2 !

Seems to run two gaming rigs on the same internet connection your going to need to set them up with the usual rooter & also using ics using a crossover cable ( no rooter ).

Some games wont let you connect two pc's on the same internet connection at same time using a rooter. In this case use ICS.

Also theres games that wont connect two pc's using ICS so its then back to using a rooter.

Means pissin about swopping between connections but it works.

 

[chevy350]

Me an my fiancee play MW2 on the same wireless connection and the only issue we run into from time to time is Strict NAT settings but a quick reboot on the router takes care of that. We can play in the same matches and I also play the 2-player with a buddy when we run into really "good" players online lol.

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Even though I live in a big city and have been a PC gamer for like 12 years I don't have many IRL friends who are too nor do I seek out such including LAN parties. So I've never actually played a LAN shooter except Q3Test at a job way back in the day. Unfortunate, really...

 

[Sir_Real]

Me an my fiancee play MW2 on the same wireless connection and the only issue we run into from time to time is Strict NAT settings but a quick reboot on the router takes care of that. We can play in the same matches and I also play the 2-player with a buddy when we run into really "good" players online lol.

Ye MW2 will work with two pc's on the same internet connection via a rooter. Sadly the same carnt be said for black ops. To get both my rigs on black ops, same server/match i need to use ICS & disconnect the rooter.

 

[majestic12]

LAN parties are what sucked me back into computer gaming... It wasn't that long ago that Battlefield 2 was new and a LAN party would be held at least once a month where 15-25 of my friends would show up to play... I miss those days... Oh well back to Bad Company 2!!!