How to set up a LAN session with only one dongle?

[Jens]

I remember reading somewhere on these forums a while ago (I think it was Ssnake who wrote this) that with SB Pro PE it would be possible to have a multiplayer LAN session although only one participant owns the game, i.e. has a dongle. IIRC, it was suggested to start up the game on one computer, then remove the dongle, go to the other computer, start the game there etc.

Now, the problem is that once I remove the dongle, I get an error message that the dongle is not detected, which ultimately leads to the termination of the game.

Now, my question is how to set up a mulitplayer game with only one dongle. Or was the policy changed and EVERYONE needs a dongle now? Or did I just misunderstand Ssnakes statement from a while ago completely and that was never planned to be possible?

[Cougar_DK]

Hmm I think Ssnake talked about it could be an option later. Right now its not possible.

[Ssnake]

Cougar_DK is right; it'll have to wait a little.

[Wiking]

Please put that option high up on the list.

[Destraex]

that would be cool.... especially for friends considering buying the game
I have a lot of friends that would be on the fence with this.

Once they had a good experience they would want to play in their own homes to practice such a complex game.

THen again I already have some friends I have shown the videos too that are now upgrading their computers to purchase this!! :)

[Destraex]

any news on this
It would be a good move this early on for people on the fence to get a bit of play using this method.... also good for peeps who want to play with just one other person who will not buy the game.... or may change their mind if they like ;)
It sort of a demo for fence sitter

also good for testing multiplayer missions for those with more than one computer

[C12GOLF]

The best experience I had in MP was having two PCs set up beside each other. One being the gunner, and one being the TC. My friends who know nothing about the Army loved blasting targets. It was an enjoyable experience in SB so I hope it makes it to SBP. I can't break off another $125 just for LAN games.

[Destraex]

thats cool though. If its low priority I will just have to continue to play other games with mates. Hopefully Armed Assault will be what its cracked up to be.
My mates are much more likely to get that as most are avid flashpoint fans

[Destraex]

bump

[Destraex]

bump

[Destraex]

just started to get interested in this game again.
Any progress on the multiplayer side of things?

[Sean]

Nothing yet, but stay tuned!

[The5thHorseman]

Can't resist a semi-related comment;

I have a teenage son, and we are both avid gamers.

Speaking about games in general, I think it's completely unfair that If I buy a legal copy of a game, I can't play with my own kid inside my own house without buying two of the same game.

I'm all for fighting piracy.
I'm all for game companies making money.

But one copy per family/household should be fair.

[Ssnake]

It's totally related, and we're going to do something about it before the end of the year.

[Destraex]

now thats great news!!

[The5thHorseman]

Semi-related; Speaking about games in general

Just want to make sure this was clear; I wasn't griping about SB. (My kid's not into Sims anyway).

But just about every game on the market, from Real Time Strategy (C&C Generals, Dawn of War, BFME) to First Person Shooters (Ghost Recon, Ravenshield, FEAR, SWAT, Splinter Cell), they're all set up so that you need to buy two copies of the same game even to play on a LAN inside the same house.

I'm actually on the fence over the issue, because I understand the dire need for piracy protection. But buying two of every game can often exceed one's justifiable gaming budget.

Honestly, it would seem that having the software be able to recognize that it is in fact on a LAN (as opposed to interent connection), and how many PC's are connected (even if there is a 2 PC limit) shouldn't be that hard to implement. (again, not Esims specifically, but any game company).

[Ssnake]

Actually, it IS hard (save for low ping analysis) simply because you could be using IP tunnelling and VPNs to make the network appear like a LAN. Think of the old Kali servers that were designed to spoof an IPX LAN when in fact the entire connection was over internet.

[Destraex]

Snake is right.there are programs like Himachi out there that pretty much act as simple VPN tunnels for gamers.
However I still think even if a small minority of people did utilise this method it would still boost sales due to exposure. People...with a complex game like this you want to be able to practice offline.... the small amounts of organised online gaming that you do will not be enough usually to learn the game properly. It may be enough to be an ineffective accessory though for the real players enjoyment.
People need downtime on their own to learn a simulator like this.
That is where people start to consider buying the game to play in their own personel time.

I would suggest locking the single player game down to the dongle and allowing network play without the dongle - or with the dongle hosting.
This way people practicing\playing single would need the dongle, people making missions would need the dongle.
People playing via lan would not.
This method would lend itself to people who want to play with siblings or close friends who are never going to or are considering buying the game. Consider it a free demo.

Swapping dongles so that people could practice is something that you would have to consider, but I do not think most peeps would part with a dongle for this game due to expense and risk or damage and loss. Also people online would usually due to distance involved be sending the dongle long distances. Not practicle.

At a LAN you might say that somebody like me can teach somebody to be effective in an hour or so, but lets face it if they are going to buy the game, they will if they enjoy it in order to play at home.

For my own part, people I have shown this to liked the look of it.... but without playing a demo where they can properly evaluate it at home are on the fence about it, part of the reason for this is the expense of buying something like this or the waiting time before they recieve the game (impulse buyers) or the lack of being able to play with friends.
My friends are right into things like Orbiter, lockon, sturmovik.... these all had demos or were free downloads and are all as complex as SBProPE. Games mentioned allowed them to try before buying and get a good feel for the game. I am quite happy that this game will never have a demo. But am also keen on giving them a taste via lan as I have seen them buy games on this merit. Those who do only end up playing lan are those that usually would not end up buying the game anyway because of aptitude or lack of real interest.

Does anybody remember games like Diablo2 that allowed spawn copies specifically for lanning\online gaming with buddies. The spawn install was a cutdown version that only allowed multiplayer functionality.
Another idea would be to limit the multiplayer numbers that a single dongle would support to 2. Not sure about whether this idea holds any merit, but it would ensure that people who wanted to organise regular large online gatherings with a single dongle could not easily do so. This may be going too far though. I think its a choice of allowing lan or not really.

Anyway, suffice to say I would be extremely pleased to be able to have a few lan experiences with friends who are likely if impressed to support the cause and buy. I also summise that certainly nothing is lost in sales by doing this.

At the moment Tank simulations are rare and tank simulation fans are rarer (not counting FPS tank clickfests), as a tanksim fan it would be good to get other people into the hobby and enjoy the game in the process.

I am very happy to hear that this is going to be allowed in some form

[VegasGeorge]

I have one buddy who owns ProPE. We play LAN games, one on one, at our community center computer lab. We have a number of friends who drop by to watch, and they say they're "interested" in the game. But, the learning curve is too steep for them to just sit down and start playing without any tutorials and practice. Likewise, neither I nor my buddy are going to just hand out our dongles to these folks. I started with SB 1, so I knew I wanted to buy ProPE. I literally twisted my buddy's arm to get him to buy a copy. But, I can't get anyone else to spend the big $. They would buy it for home use if they got hooked on it at the lab. I know 2 or three of them would for sure. But, without the ability to multiplay on the LAN, they will never get hooked. It's a catch 22. I don't see what harm it would do to allow LAN play with 1 dongle. And, I think it would promote sales.

[Ssnake]

I completely agree with you. I was just responding to 5th Horseman's assertion that it should be easy for a software developer to check if the second computer is on a LAN as well. Having said that, we, eSim Games think that it really is a good idea, and we're going to make that work before the end of the year.

[The5thHorseman]

Actually, it IS hard (save for low ping analysis) simply because you could be using IP tunnelling and VPNs to make the network appear like a LAN. Think of the old Kali servers that were designed to spoof an IPX LAN when in fact the entire connection was over internet.


Ahhhhhhh.

I sheepishly confess that's all greek to me. But that's why you guys make them, and I just play them. :)

I just assumed since most games, when you select the multiplayer option, makes you choose between LAN or online, that it wouldn't be so hard for the software to seperate the two. I understand what you're saying though.

(even if there is a 2 PC limit)


Another idea would be to limit the multiplayer numbers that a single dongle would support to 2.

I do think we're on to something here. Certainly with both online and LAN, there's IP addresses involved. Limiting the game to 2 addresses per dongle, would allow a father and his kid to play in their own house, and If I wanted more than two to play (like a larger LAN party of some sort) then I wouldn't mind paying for additional copies for that purpose.

[Cougar_DK]

I completely agree with you. I was just responding to 5th Horseman's assertion that it should be easy for a software developer to check if the second computer is on a LAN as well. Having said that, we, eSim Games think that it really is a good idea, and we're going to make that work before the end of the year.

This sounds great Ssnake.

[Destraex]

does sound great :)

[GGTharos]

Actually, it IS hard (save for low ping analysis) simply because you could be using IP tunnelling and VPNs to make the network appear like a LAN. Think of the old Kali servers that were designed to spoof an IPX LAN when in fact the entire connection was over internet.

I'm with Destraex on this one. Allow MP games to be played like this - heck, even over the network -outright- and just make sure you cannot do any *single* play this way ... you might get extra sales because people might get hooked on this.

I think it would be a very good idea, but I might easily be wrong.
Consider that the topology of people playing is typically quite distributed, and it's kinda hard to invite your friend living 2000km away to come LAN with ya.

This person might be a fairly casual player who will play with me say, but won't buy the game - ever - under those circumstances I think this is a pretty good solution - everyone is or should be satisfied.

[Froggy]

I fully understand the position of Esim Games when they decided to lock the sim to one dongle per network client, and 8 client per pro pe session.
If you are in an army, and want to use SB for training, you have to spend xxxxxx $ for class room network.
If with just PRO PE at 125$ you can have same LAN network, even without the advanced gunnery AAR and the instructor mode, it save a lot of money!

I will use SB PRO PE for tactical training with my tanks commanders (it more easer to use than ROMULUS). So I've bought some extra dongles. And the other platoons leaders have bought a dongle to connect each other, in order to make squadron training (at platoon leader level).
So, if there was multi-licences with one dongle, we could make larger network. Hoppefully for Esim Games, we have not enougth laptops that can make SB run!

[GGTharos]

I suspect the militaries expect support for the $$$ they pay as well, as opposed to us gamers. More support than we see anyway.

[Froggy]

You're right if your country by the PRO version. It not the case for my country, despite my deseperate effort to promote it. They chose OFP instead, even it offerts far less training possibility, because it's cheaper (10€ per licence) and some guys (like me) known how to produce exercices for free!

[BipBip]

You're right if your country by the PRO version. It not the case for my country, despite my deseperate effort to promote it. They chose OFP instead, even it offerts far less training possibility, because it's cheaper (10€ per licence) and some guys (like me) known how to produce exercices for free!

Don't forget that we helped them to choose OFP before the arrival of SB PPE...

[Froggy]

Don't forget that we helped them to choose OFP before the arrival of SB PPE...
And also a Leclerc to SteelBeasts, of course !

it could be already there (thanks to Deja...)

[Zipuli]

Yes the poster had a Leclerc in it and it looked like it was finished already, unlike some of the vehicles (like T-90) that didn't have a texture yet... :)

With OFP you mean Operation Flashpoint??? Is it the commercial version or a special "army" version?

Zip

[TankHunter]

Are you lot talking about Operation Frenchpoint?

[Froggy]

A commercial version, with third party mod (Operation FrenchPoint), and internal addons (AAR, Instructor mode...)

[BipBip]

Operation Flashpoint, not VBS.

The french armor school use it as a part of their tool kit, with french units (infantry, armor, APC, air support...) and a bunch of scripts to make it more useful for training purpose (teacher mode, etc...). It's of course not used as a tank sim, but as a support to work on embarked/disembarked combat.

[TankHunter]

A commercial version, with third party mod (Operation FrenchPoint), and internal addons (AAR, Instructor mode...)

Sounds like I need to install Operation FrenchPoint.

[BipBip]

Sounds like I need to install Operation FrenchPoint.

http://www.ofrp.net

I did mainly work on the Leclerc, the VBL, the P4 and some accessories (tents, an UAV, some baricades and ammo crates...).