Multiplayer Headquarters & FAQ -- 2010-03-12

[Stabby_McTwist]

How do I play online?

• LAN - Local Area Network, people on your home network.
• TCP/IP - Play over the Internet via IP address.
• Hamachi - Creates a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which acts as a local network.
• Private Realm discussion is NOT permitted!
  • Why can we use Hamachi Servers but not Private Battle.net servers?
    • Hamachi is not a server in the traditional sense.
    • It is an alternate way to connect via TCP/IP.

What Ports do I need to forward?

• 4000 - 4000 TCP or Both TCP/UDP
• 6112 - 6119 TCP or Both TCP/UDP

How do I forward my ports?

1. http://portforward.com/
2. Find your router brand and model.
3. Follow the instructions.

How do I find my IP Address?

• http://myipaddress.com/
• http://ipchicken.com/

What is Hamachi?

• https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi2/
• Hamachi is a Zero-Config Virtual Private Network that supports tunneling which bypasses the need to forward ports.
  You can download it here: https://secure.logmein.com/hamachi.msi

Online Play Tips:

• Disable Shared Stash!
  • Eastern Sun comes with a basic Stash Switcher, but I've had issue with it working.
  • I have written a replacement Stash Switcher which you can find here.
  • Alternatively, you can go in to your ..\Diablo II\ES300r\Save\ folder and rename _LOD_SharedStashSave.sss
• Everyone leave EXCEPT Host.
  • When the Host leaves, all others drop.
  • This can lead to other players not saving.
• Force save before you exit:
  • One way to make the game auto-save is to wait a set period of time.
  • Another 'trick' to force the auto-save feature is to quickly change Acts:
    • Visit Act 1, Act 3, Act 5, Act 2, Act 4, Act 1.
    • Order is not important, but the above keeps you from visiting adjoining acts which may help the auto-save.
• When using Hamachi, set it to pop up Chat windows.
  • By default, all messages are suppressed and rather difficult to read, but with a quick setting change, you can fix it.
  • Also, setting "Play a sound when new IM arrives", which is right below, is helpful for when you're ingame.
    

THIS SECTION IS VERY OUTDATED!

Recommended Hamachi Servers (Server Name // Password):

1. Unofficially Official Moderated ES:
   • Weekly Eviction of inactive users enforced and takes place on Mondays.
     • Feel free to rejoin if you were mistakenly removed or plan to be active!!
   • [Eastern Sun] -- 10/16
   • [ Eastern Sun ] -- 7/16
   • -no password-
2. Breeze & Eric
   • 025-070-186 -- full?
   • 026-406-803
   • 034-252-795
   • es
3. Daniel-East coast
   • DPZ EasternSun
   • es

Other Hamachi Servers:
(Grouped by perceived quality [see Notes], sorted alphabetically)

Code: Select all

LAST UPDATE: 2009-12-26
Server                  Pass      Users     Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
025-070-186             es        15        Active (*same owner)
026-406-803             es        5         Active (*same owner)
Eastern Sun (ES)        es        12        
Eastern Sun Asia        es        8        
Eastern Sun Europe      es        10        Possibly Active
Eastern Sun Hardcore    es        4         Created in 2009
Eastern Sun US          es        9         Created in 2009
Zi ES                   es        1        

Swe-D2-ES               es        ??        Requires Approval

Australia (es)          es        15        Looks old, has common members
Eastern Sun (ES)III     es        13        Looks old, has common members
Eastern Sun (ES)V       es        14        Looks old, has common members
Eastern Sun (II)        esII      11        Looks old, has common members
Eastern Sun 7           es        15        Looks old, has common members
Eastern Sun Northwest   es        5         Looks old, has common members
Eastern Sun2            es        2         Looks old, has common members
ESTR27                  es        14        Looks old, has common members
US east(es)             es        10        Looks old, has common members

Eastern Sun (CT)2       es        FULL
Eastern Sun (ES)2       es        FULL
Eastern Sun BR          es        FULL
Eastern Sun Germany R6D es        FULL
Eastern Sun Pplz        es        FULL
Eastern Sun Server      es        FULL
EasternSunCan           es        FULL
EasternSunCT            es        FULL
ESTurkey                es        FULL
ESUSA-1                 es        FULL
evasion                 bk        FULL
apathy-es               es        --        PASSWORD REJECTED

Information taken from the TCP/IP & Hamachi wiki and Multiplayer Headquarters

[Pukka]

Hi Stabby, are you able to remove my other duplicate accounts on these servers? I got duplicates cos my hamachi crashed, when i rejoined, there were duplicates. just remove them.

Then remove this post as well. thanks =)

[Stabby_McTwist]

Hi Stabby, are you able to remove my other duplicate accounts on these servers? I got duplicates cos my hamachi crashed, when i rejoined, there were duplicates. just remove them.

Then remove this post as well. thanks =)

Can't remove posts, but I can kick players.
Just IM me through Hamachi next time you're online and I'll kick your other name(s).

I think, the next time you login, kick every single one of them. I can't join anyway.

Done.
Two accounts removed from "[ Eastern Sun ]".

[Pukka]

Thanks man -)

Lemme know if anyone wanna play 1.12b online, am actively playing with this guy name elsavira

[undead_shadow]

Is there a good time to be on at night or at the weekend?

I've popped on a few time and no one has wanted to play...

[maxmage]

deleted since when i actually read the no realm discusion thread. even inquiring about the subject is bannable. so dont even say... you know... that word.. OH NO I ALREADY SAID IT O_O... its bad word! im gona go punish my self T-T

i will not mention -censored- on phrozen keep
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25 lines aut'a be a good reminder :3

[pekoe]

I started es a week ago. I had 1000 questions then and down to half that now lol. It is a learning process. I would like to hook up online with peeps. I have hamachi but havnt tried to use it yet but seems that if somebody had it and talked me through it, it might help. I understand ip address but not sure how important port forwarding is.

[KillerTOFU]

I'm also new, but does anyone actually use any of these? I joined a bunch of them, but they all seemed dead. =(

[pekoe]

I joined 5 of the networks yes. I can connect to a game at home. I havnt tried connecting to to a game other than that. Id like to try though. msg me and we will try it out.

[TrowaX31]

Hopefully i can get some games going

[BlackVegetable]

Hey I'm new to MP with ES. I can often play in the morning (6-7 AM MST), although I may be available sporadically at other times.

Let me know if any groups are interested.

[Billybgame]

I have a multiplayer question....trying to initiate my boy and we are on a home network....pretty high speed Uverse 2 wire router.

Anyhow, we get lots of lag. It borders on unplayable and not fun. I have zero problems in single player, well, as long as my laptop isn't at 100% resource usage.

Anyhow, this seems odd for being on a home network....any ideas?

[Stabby_McTwist]

I have a multiplayer question....trying to initiate my boy and we are on a home network....pretty high speed Uverse 2 wire router.

Anyhow, we get lots of lag. It borders on unplayable and not fun. I have zero problems in single player, well, as long as my laptop isn't at 100% resource usage.

Anyhow, this seems odd for being on a home network....any ideas?

Given the bolded part above, I'm guessing that hosting the game (for all intents and purposes, and in everything but a name, a server) is taxing your laptop a bit too much. You can try exiting a few applications you don't need to reduce the load, or alternatively host on another/the other computer if you feel it could handle it.
Honestly, the fact that it doesn't run well surprises me. Most of the time I played "vanilla" Diablo II was on an 800MHz processor and I never ran into issues.

If you're on Windows XP (or lower), make sure you Defragment your drive every month or so based on your usage (I ran it weekly). Windows Vista and 7 will do this for you automatically as needed.

One thing you can do, to possibly help narrow down problem, is run the game (windowed preferably, just to test) and hit Ctrl+Alt+Esc to bring up the Task Manager and sort by CPU usage and Memory/RAM usage and see if anything 'floats to the top' that shouldn't be there or maybe you forgot to close.
Another thing would be to try restarting the computer before you play the game, maybe the problem is just 'regular usage' which leaves some extra programs in memory (things that Close to Tray rather than close and exit).

If you feel confident enough in your tech nerd-ery, you might give a cleanup/optimization tool a whirl.
There are tons of warnings on how they can damage your system (as in files) etc., but for the most part it's just a standard CYA warning. The chances of the program grabbing something it shouldn't is minimal, and if you're ever unsure... leave it alone (or ask someone who knows).
In the past, I've had good luck with:
CCleaner (free with paid support, seems to be down at the moment)
TuneUp Utilities (15 day trial, more than enough to clean your computer)

[Billybgame]

Thanks Stabby....I'm not sure it's the computer's needing reboots, or such.....granted, I always have lots open on my laptop.....I sometimes don't reboot for long stretches. But, this laptop can have ES, Civ 4, and other games going and run fine. It was rebooted recently, though. The desktop has not much usage, but it was bought used off Ebay and the jury is still out.

It just seems odd we can play other games on the network and have no lag, but ES is giving lots.

But, so it sounds like lag is a resident computer issue....it can be nothing more?

Edit: BTW...yeah, I'm very up on Task Manager and usage, from my prior laptop. I mentioned Civ 4 and I've been playing that for years, and that's always been a taxer of the system. Never gives me problems on the new one, but it did on the other. This is why I don't get the ES lag on the new laptop. The lag is happening on both, though.

[Stabby_McTwist]

Ok, the fact that you can run Civ IV (should) eliminates any question of system requirements being the issue here.
Civ IV needs a 1.2GHz (1200MHz) processor, Diablo II a 233MHz. Civ IV needs 256(Win 2000)/512(Win XP)MB RAM, Diablo II needs 32MB, 128 recommended for multiplayer and 256 recommended for more than 4 players.


Have you tried hosting a solo-multiplayer game? And if so, do you get the same lag?

Next time you host a multiplayer game, type /FPS into chat and see what it says your latency or Ping is, preferably on the non-host computer (but if both lag, it might not be that different).

How are you connecting the two games?
"regular"/"wide" IP (67.89.123.456)? Local IP (192.168.x.xxx or 10.0.0.xxx)? Or with something like Hamachi/Tunggle/etc?
If you're using the "wide" IP, to use the postal service as an analogy, you're essentially sending mail to someone in your house when you could just be leaving a note. Use the Local IP instead, which may solve your issue.
Hamachi's gone to hell ever since LogMeIn bought it and I cannot recommend people using it anymore (especially on Vista/7 due to long-term issues with the way Windows handles the network).
In either of the above two cases, you'd be far better off using the local IP address. To find it, open a command window (Start -> (then click "Run" if you're on XP) -> then type 'cmd' or 'command') then type "ipconfig" and copy the IPv4 address, it should be something like 192.168.1.101.

[Billybgame]

Hey Stabby.....yeah, using local IP, for sure.

I have not tried the /FPS.....my boy is back with his Mother now, but next time he's here, we'll give it another try.

I learned from my old laptop if games start to run sluggishly, open the task manager and see what's up. On my higher powered laptop, with D2 running, it wasn't at 100%, but looked like it was certainly in the 80s. It's probably worse on the lesser powered XP desktop.

The one factor is that both computers had been trying to get Baldurs Gate multi working before that, with opening and closing the game down countless times...never could get it to work, but I believe that Windows doesn't like all that opening and closing of programs, as far as resources go.

So, maybe we'll try from fresh reboots next time. It just seemed odd to me, and made me post about it, because every single time we've tried to play multi, this lag issue has happened. Bad enough to make us quit playing, when there's never an issue in single player.

I'll also try the Multiplayer by myself, and see if it works as well as Singleplayer.

[Chilled]

i need someone to play this with. i love this mod more than the actual D2 the pvm is so much fun and if there is pvp i think i might be in love. currently making a blade trapsin because i always wanted to but in LoD i couldn't because they sucked pvp and pvm. believe me i've tried. someone pvp with me when i get my whirlwind and higher level(currently level 22) blade trapper/whirlwind sounds so dope :p

[saren42]

So, here's a question. Any plans to switch from Hamachi to another VPN service now that Hamachi is pay-2-use now? I would like to suggest Tunngle as an alternative is possible.

[thepsycho2]

Could use some information posted about Tunngle, so that others can group together and play online. That would be nice! Thank goodness I do not use Hamachi. My computers argue a lot while I had it installed, so I don't have it.

[saren42]

Could use some information posted about Tunngle, so that others can group together and play online. That would be nice! Thank goodness I do not use Hamachi. My computers argue a lot while I had it installed, so I don't have it.

Tunngle, is a gaming VPN service. You can choose what game you're gonna play, and connect to one of the VPN's for that game. So you can organize friends, or play with random people. You make an account on the site, then just download the program, it adds a virtual NIC, and then you launch the program (after you restart though), login, then choose the game and network you wanna join and bam, good to go then.