Dedicated Multiplayer Server

[admin]

https://hirnschwund.net/?s=13

:silly:

---

Space. The final frontier.

[7upMan]

🙂

[admin]

I figured out how to run a dedicated server.

It’s as simple as running “loader.exe -ac iwar2.icServerApp”.

The problem is, it only seems to listen locally. I can connect to it if I’m in the same network on LAN, but I can’t connect to it from a different IP. 🙁

If I get this working, we could have a 24/7 multiplayer server.

Edit:
I found more command line arguments that aren’t really documented. When I start a Multiplayer game from the game itself, it spawns this:

loader.exe -ac iwar2.icServerApp -sp dm -sn Templar's Lair -stl 600 -sfl 10 -sm ini:/multiplayer/maps/piracy -aib

I guess:

ac = Application Code, i.e. Server or Singleplayer
sp = Gameplay Type
sn = Server Name
stl = Time Limit
sfl = Not sure. Maybe the Score Limit?
sm = Server Map

Opening iwar2.dll with a hex editor reveals even more stuff:

server_query_port…sqp
ai_count….aic
ai_skill….ais
ai_bots.aib
arcade_mode.am
console.c
server_player_limit.spl
server_frag_limit…sfl
server_time_limit…stl
server_name.sn
server_map..sm
server_package..sp

---

Space. The final frontier.

[admin]

I was able to get a connection. Bloody hell, the only problem was dpnetsvr.exe not starting up and opening port 2313 to connect to.

Now I am able to connect when running this:

./bin/release/loader.exe -hsn "i-war2 GOG" -hip "i-war2.com"

But it seems like everything is exploding all the time. It may be related to the decimal system bug with European windows systems:

https://web.archive.org/web/20041116144804/http://mjrtom.bei.t-online.de/html/problem_with_mp_an_xp.html

As soon as I’m able to solve this, I will put up a big note on the front page so everyone can play.

We are now officially online – have fun playing! 🙂

---

Space. The final frontier.

[RichardSkinner]

I am assuming we need to disable all our mods and make sure we have f14.6?

---

The Priceline Negotiator

[admin]

Yes, that’s how the GOG version does it.

I don’t know if it is possible to run a second server on the same machine. If it is, I will set one up with WhatRocks. That should be more cheat-proof. As far as I know, WhatRocks will disable all mods by itself.

The script which is running the server isn’t very crash-proof at the moment, too. It doesn’t restart the server when some errors happen. I will change that later. Let’s cross our fingers in the meantime 😛

---

Space. The final frontier.

[IronDuke]

Waaahaaahaaaa, the computer I use for I-War2 is not the one with Internet! Circumstances here make it impossible for me to do multiplayer! :'( I so wanted to clobber you guys! 👿 🙁
Oh well. (Sniff.) Another year, and I might be able to. Then, check your six!!

–IronDuke

---

I-War 2 Discord: https://discord.gg/RWaabWB
Very little about the game is not known to me. Any questions you got, throw them at me. 🙂

[RichardSkinner]

I just dusted off my play disk from when I got Iwar2 for christmas FIFTEEN YEARS AGO. can’t believe its still in good shape.

even the jeweled case is still in once piece.

It better still work for multiplayer and I better not have to buy the game again for $5 lol

---

The Priceline Negotiator

[admin]

Have fun testing it out – I really need some sleep, it’s almost 3 am here now 😀

I’m still figuring out how to get more bots into the game. I’ve set ai_bots = 1 and ai_bots_count = 2, but when I join, I am always fighting only one Bad Boris.

I’ve also set this:

cycle_packages[0] = dm
cycle_maps[0] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/generic_02
cycle_maps[1] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/generic
cycle_maps[2] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/piracy
cycle_maps[3] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/mining

If I’m right, this should lock the server to Deathmatch only and cycle through the 4 available maps for it.

I’m signing out, will do the rest tomorrow. 😉

Edit: Back up. Starting the server with aic = 2 and leaving out aib gives us two bots. Yeehaw! Now I’ll tighten that up (because they’re still too weak) and we’re good to go. 🙂

---

Space. The final frontier.

[admin]

I’ve noticed that the server was stuck on the generic map and wouldn’t cycle anymore. The problem is that it needs a gametype (dm,tdm) for every map, even if the gametype never changes.

Also, the first map that comes up directly after starting it is outside of the cycle, it’s specified like this:

[icServerApp]
system = ini:/multiplayer/maps/mining

The cycle itself kicks in with this:

[FcServer]
cycle_packages[0] = dm
cycle_packages[1] = dm
cycle_packages[2] = dm
cycle_packages[3] = dm
cycle_maps[0] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/generic
cycle_maps[1] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/piracy
cycle_maps[2] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/generic_02
cycle_maps[3] = ini:/multiplayer/maps/mining

I’ve battled some of the bots on every map now and it works. 🙂

Also, if no one is connected to the server, it will halt the time and continue counting when the battle starts again.

---

Space. The final frontier.

[RichardSkinner]

I try to edit the target in my loader and it says its not valid 🙁 🙁

I am using the US CD version, You said it works with the German CD so idk why it would be different.

I know the online game is only 5 bucks but it burns my ass to buy it if i’ve been taking care of this disk for so dang long lol

---

The Priceline Negotiator

[admin]

“Not valid” sounds like a windows error – sure you didn’t make a typo? :blush:

It does work with the retail CD’s, but we have to do more things:

– Install patch F14.6
– Maybe swap out the igame.dll to remove the NoCD check
– Create a new shortcut, with this target line:

"C:Program FilesInfogramesEdge of Chaos - Independence War 2binreleaseloader.exe" -hsn "i-war2 GOG" -hip "i-war2.com"

– Start in:

"C:Program FilesInfogramesEdge of Chaos - Independence War 2"

Note that the German installer has a typo in it, it puts the game into the “Indepedence War” folder instead of “Independence War”. 😉 Don’t know if that happened with other versions, too.

For the US version the target line should be this:

"C:Program FilesInfogramesEdge of Chaosbinreleaseloader.exe" -hsn "i-war2 GOG" -hip "i-war2.com"

Start in:
"C:Program FilesInfogramesEdge of Chaos"

---

Space. The final frontier.

[RichardSkinner]

it worked! I even killed you a few times :woohoo: (before being aced)

turns out my target was “Infrogrames/Independece War 2 -Edge of chaose”, instead of “Infrogrames/Edge Of Chaose”

---

The Priceline Negotiator

[admin]

Yes it surely was a fun session – I got my arse heavily kicked by the bots! 😉

And then it happened – sometimes when a bot gets killed, the server crashes. I’ve seen old threads about this problem here, so it looks like this problem always existed.

Now I just need to write a failsafe script that will restart it automatically when that happens.

---

Space. The final frontier.

[RichardSkinner]

im dissapointed the storm petrel doesnt get the quad lights. i wish you could pick your loadout.

It would be cool if the multiplyer stats could somehow be recorded by the site and attached to people profiles here like kills and such

---

The Priceline Negotiator

[Author]

Posts