Online Play

[CanuckGamer]

My friend and I both have had Midway since the Talonsoft days. We updated to the improved graphics version. However we have never been able to connect up to play online. I know there is information in the manual about applicable ports etc. but can anyone provide a the procedure that even people like me who knows very little about computers? Thanks.

[parmenio]

There's a thread on this board already that may prove useful:

viewtopic.php?t=193

It would be worth a read and either post further questions here or on the thread itself.

[John Roddy]

It is far easier to use a Hamachi virtual LAN connection than to mess with ports. My group of Naval Campaigns players use a Hamachi connection several times a week,

[Bill-Peters]

Thanks for that info, John. I am one of the guys that just cannot get the ports issues worked out. Embarrassing for a guy that did IT work for 5 years.

I will check it out and see if I can link up with a friend to play a scenario.

[Erzhog Karl]

Thanks for that info, John. I am one of the guys that just cannot get the ports issues worked out. Embarrassing for a guy that did IT work for 5 years.

I will check it out and see if I can link up with a friend to play a scenario.

I'm stunned Sir, you jest........surely

[John Roddy]

I too have an IT background and never could get the port thing to work over the Internet. I think that has to do with getting through your router (NAT) and that if you were to instead hook up a couple of computers in the same room into a simple hardwired LAN, the port thing would work. As I understand it, the original network play feature was primarily used for game convention play using a LAN constructed in a conference room.

Configuring the Hamachi clients can be tedious, feel free to contact me if you need assistance. I've found that it works best to use their install via email feature.

[GMcClellan]

I too have an IT background and never could get the port thing to work over the Internet. I think that has to do with getting through your router (NAT) and that if you were to instead hook up a couple of computers in the same room into a simple hardwired LAN, the port thing would work. As I understand it, the original network play feature was primarily used for game convention play using a LAN constructed in a conference room.

Actually, back in the early days of the game, we were able to pretty consistently play online. There were some awe inspiring issues with desync, but there were a few times we had 12 in the game at one shot, including people from North America and Europe at the same time. That said, I'm no tech wiz, but I know things have changed so much the old system doesn't work as well any more.

We did play Midway 2 on 2 at Tillercon III on a LAN of course, and that's probably what John had in mind all along.

[rahamy]

As I understand it, the original network play feature was primarily used for game convention play using a LAN constructed in a conference room.

The issues is the change in standards for TCP/IP so that v. 4 addresses - i.e. 76.54.233.185 (exp.) - aren't routable on the net without further layers to coincided with v. 6 rules (hexadecimal addresses if I understand it correctly). More complicated than that for sure, but that is the gist of it.

As Gary mention, Direct Play used to work fine over the web prior to these changes. The original design intent supported both Internet and LAN setups and worked pretty well.

Those routing changes are driven by the explosion of devices attached to the web - so a serious expansion had to take place. These are world-wide changes to the TCP/IP protocol.

[John Roddy]

Ah, thanks for the additional details, I was late to the party and never got around to attempting to play over the Internet until after IPv6 had come along.

[CanuckGamer]

Has WDS ever considered adding WEGO to their Naval Campaign series? My friends and I have been playing the Combat Mission series for 20 years by PBEM. However the way it works is that after each player has issued their orders to their units, the one minute turn is resolved simultaneously. For a game like Midway, each turn could be 5 minutes of real time or whatever you deem appropriate. Each player would submit their orders for the next five minutes after which that turn segment is resolved in real time.
We gave up playing Midway and Jutland online and it's just not interesting playing against the AI.