Topic: For anyone thinking of playing on the Dyna, but unsure how to...

[Ronin]

(Note:I wrote this for the people at GZ on their forum, so it is from that perspective...)
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I finally sat down and put together an explanation of what it would take to really get into the spirit of the Dynaverse. Some of you might not need all this, but for anyone who has been thinking about it but was unsure, here it is in all its glory. Some of these things are recommendations from me, but after some time involved my recommendation is to take all the steps to have the greatest chance of success in getting the Dynaverse to work when you try it. Here goes...

OK... as big a pain in the *** as I know this is... here is what I suggest.

1. Make sure you have DirectX v9.0C by downloading it here...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=0A9B6820-BFBB-4799-9908-D418CDEAC197&displaylang=en

2. Uninstall OP completely. Use "Install/Uninstall" in your Control Panel (Be sure to manually remove any leftover files.)

3. Reinstall and patch to 2552 here...

http://www.fileplanet.com/files/80000/81925.shtml

4. Download and install...

OP Enhancement Pack v2.0 High Res D2 pack Models Download Location (149 MB): (Firesouls 3.4 list and assorted mission scripts, etc. that are used on the Dynaverse and that you can not get in without...)

http://www.nightsoft.net/effhq/files/OP_Enhancement_Package_v2.0_HR_Models.exe

5. Download and Install the Complete Installer here... (final GW3 Dyna shiplist and a few minor tweaks... can uninstall/reinstall to play on GSA and then play on Dynaverse.)

http://mkroll.asta.chicago.il.us/

6. Make sure you have the latest drivers for your video card. If you have an NVidia card you can check here...

http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

7. Go to...

C:\Program Files\Taldren Software Inc\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates and open the file called "sfc" and then make sure you do the following...

Make sure you have the following in there, just as you see it here...

[3D]
wireframe=0
windowed=0
zbuffer=1
lowres=0
driver=0
backdrop=1
shipstacking=1
ambientlighting=5.00
luminancetextures=1
luminancedamagetextures=1
spacedust=1

(Ambient lighting and spacedust are changed by me... you will be able to see the ships and also will be able to take some beautiful screen pics with the spacedust at "1" instead of the default 0.)

Then, at the very bottom of this file you will need to manually type in...

[Debug]
VollyInfo=1

and then save it. Do this on the line directly under...

WONNickname="whatever your name is"

with no space between [Debug] and the line above it. This will insure that you get damage information in-game.

Then go to...

C:\Program Files\Taldren Software Inc\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates\MetaAssets\ServerProfiles\Multiplayer

where you will find the file "WONServerSetup"

Open this file and then delete everything in it, replacing it with the following...

Name="ServerSetup"

[Settings]
SingleThreaded = 1
CreateCentralSwitch = 0
SinglePlayer = 0
BlockSize = 10000 // How many micro-seconds to spend on server side stuff before doing page flip
DelayMultiple = 1.0 // What multiple of time to wait before going back to server side stuff
PacketQueLimit = 75 // What

[CentralSwitchSetup]
Listen = 0

[WONDirectoryServer]
//ServerPath = "/StarFleetCommand2/Game/Release"
ServerPath = "/StarFleetCommand2/Game/Release"
//ServerPath = "/StarFleetCommand2/Game/Release_Test"

[WONDirectoryServer/Addresses]
0="63.101.60.125:15101"
//0="sfc2.west.won.net:15101"
//1="sfc2.central.won.net:15101"
//2="sfc2.east.won.net:15101"

[Clients]
ChatClient = 1
SecurityClient = 1

[Launch]

which will give you the correct [WONDirectoryServer/Addresses] to be able to play on the Dynaverse since Taldren shut down and the old addresses no longer work.

Remember that you will need to uninstall your current drivers before installing the latest ones. The NVidia site explains what to look for, but you will use Install/Uninstall to remove the old one, then reboot and install what you downloaded. If you have another manufacturer's card I am sure their site will have updated driver information. (I finally broke down and did this EXACTLY as outlined on the NVidia site and DAMN!!! what a difference it made.)

Once you have done these things you should be ready to roll for Dyna play. It takes a while, but you can't go wrong with the Dynaverse. The community is solid, the people are, for the most part, mature working adults or young people of character, and is a great time overall. We chat it up on TeamSpeak and have a blast on the forums at http://www.dynaverse.net/

It is my hope that some of you will give it a try... not as a replacement to GZ, but as an addition to your total SFC enjoyment. We have been working to bring some Dyna pilots here, so I thought the reverse might be a good thing. Perhaps we can bring some of our long fractured community back together and sharing both realms of the game.

I hope that helps...

[KBF-Crim]

Good post...Thanks!

[airBiscuit]

This one should be made a sticky.  It's comprehensive on getting people started.  Thanks for putting the time in to lay this all out.  I look forward to loading up OP and joining you guys.

[Stylsy]

What about the router ports?

[airBiscuit]

strategyplanet.com suggests these:


For those of you who has            a firewall of some sort. Here are the ports you need to open for Starfleet            Command.
   
Ports for running a    server (TCP&UDP):             
             
15101~15300
27100~28900
6667
Ports for clients and  hosting multiplayer(TCP&UDP):             
             
47624
2300~2400
6500

GameSpy Ports:             
             
6667 (IRC)
80 (HTTP)
27900 (Master Server                  UDP Heartbeat)
28900 (Master Server                  List Request)
29900 (GP Connection                  Manager)
29901 (GP Search Manager)
13139 (Custom UDP                  Pings)
6500 (incoming, UDP                  and TCP, default roomquery port; can be customized with roomqueryport=<port                  #> in svc.cfg)


gaming.trekpulse.com suggests these ports for SFC3

The game uses ports 6073, 2302, 2303.

[Ronin]

What about the router ports?

I hope this helps... it was written for a LinkSys BEFSR41 router, but I believe you will be able to get what you need no matter what router you have.

Once you open your Linksys controls you will click on
ADVANCED and then on FORWORDING. This is where you
will open the ports needed to play online on GSA and
on a Dyna. In your Forwarding section...

Extension Port     Protocol      IP Address    ENABLE

47624 to 47624     TCP           192.168.1.???    X
2300 to 2400       TCP           192.168.1.???    X
6500 to 6500       TCP and UDP   192.168.1.???    X
6667 to 6667       TCP           192.168.1.???    X
3783 to 3783       TCP           192.168.1.???    X
27900 to 27900     UDP           192.168.1.???    X
6073 to 6073       UDP           192.168.1.???    X
28900 to 29901     TCP           192.168.1.???    X
13139 to 13139     UDP           192.168.1.???    X
6515 to 6515       UDP           192.168.1.???    X

Make sure that you ENABLE each of those (off to the
right on each line.) Also, make sure that you have the
correct IP address (where .??? is the location of the
machine you are using. Mine is 100, yours may be
different) for the machine you are using in each line.

If you are not sure what the last three digits are go
to START, then RUN and type in the word "command"
(without the quotes) and hit enter. This will open a
DOS box. In there type "ipconfig/all" without the
quotes and then hit enter. You will get a bunch of
data. One line will read "IP ADDRESS and have the
192.168.1.??? but the ??? will be the location the
router has assigned your machine. That is the number
to put in the Forwarding area where I have ??? above.

 If you have questions feel free to write to me about it.
I don't know much beyond what I just told you, but I will try.  :-)

One thing to remember is that if this works, and then
tomorrow does not work, that I think XP can change
those last three numbers between the machines in your
network. So if it stops working after working a while
use "command" and "ipconfig/all" again and see of the
last three digits of your IP have changed. Happened to
me twice before I figured out what was going
on.

Respects...

[Stylsy]

Yeah nice one guys, I had the ports open on my Linksys for SFC3, just couldn't find the ports for OP.

Thanks!

[Godfather]

im having problems getting into the dynaverse for OP.i did everything that shogun had instrcuted ,even deleted everything in the wonserever and copied what shogun had.I get a ctd whenever i try to get on the dynavers.any suggestions?

[Cleaven]

im having problems getting into the dynaverse for OP.i did everything that shogun had instrcuted ,even deleted everything in the wonserever and copied what shogun had.I get a ctd whenever i try to get on the dynavers.any suggestions?

Does the CTD occur after you log in to a campaign? If so it sounds like the issue of starting OP via the SFCOP.exe instead of the starfleetop.exe. Change to the later exe in your icon properties and add in the details of the correct working directory.

[Godfather]

yes,my i am starting from the scfop and it occurs when i hit the login button for dynaverse 2.way befroe i even get on the dynaverse.(if that made any sense..lol)

[Godfather]

im having problems getting into the dynaverse for OP.i did everything that shogun had instrcuted ,even deleted everything in the wonserever and copied what shogun had.I get a ctd whenever i try to get on the dynavers.any suggestions?

Does the CTD occur after you log in to a campaign? If so it sounds like the issue of starting OP via the SFCOP.exe instead of the starfleetop.exe. Change to the later exe in your icon properties and add in the details of the correct working directory.

it happens when i hit the login button to the dynanverse and yes,i do start it from the SFCOP.exe.

[Cleaven]

Okay, I assumed it would have already been said. Don't start from sfcop.exe. Change the icon properties to point to the starfleetop.exe, and in the space for Start In, enter the correct directory name for starfleetop.exe.

[Godfather]

Okay, I assumed it would have already been said. Don't start from sfcop.exe. Change the icon properties to point to the starfleetop.exe, and in the space for Start In, enter the correct directory name for starfleetop.exe.

OK.ive reinstalled everything again,thinking maybe a patch got corrupted becuz i didnt read that part about disabling my anivirus.It does point to the starfleetop.exe and it wont let me change anything in the Start In.I tested it out and i get to the point where i need to log in to dyna but can becuz of the server directoires.I came back here and copied what shogun had for the WonServerSetup.That when i get the CTD

[Cleaven]

Firstly, exactly when does the game crash? After you select a server and hit Join?

Make sure that the game version is 2.5.5.2. on the bottom right of the splash screen when you start up.

Secondly, you can edit the Start In information. Everybody else has done it. After a default install the Start In entry is empty because SFCOP.exe sets up the working directory (as well as playing the intro movies) but when you launch from starfleetop.exe instead, you have to add the correct working directory yourself.

[Godfather]

it crashes when i hit the login button to join the dynaverse.i never get into the dyna.in my Start In box i have this-"C:\Program Files\Taldren Software Inc\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates"..my target is set to this-"C:\Program Files\Taldren Software Inc\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates\StarFleetOP.exe"When i try to edit the Start In box,i get a invald path or soemthing to that effect..

[Cleaven]

Oddly enough your Start In information is correct, something has changed it would seem.

Next, regarding the crash, verify the version number is correct when you start the game. Also verify that you can play the single player campaign without crashing.

[Godfather]

I can play the single campaign and the skirmishes w/o crashing.It started when i copied what shogun had for the WonServer.Before i did that,i  hit the login button and i got to the part where it checking patches.blah,blah,then it says that either ur behind a firewall or not connected to the internet and cannot locate the directory service,so on and so on.That when i came back here and copied what shogun had for the WonServerSetup and i tried again and that when i CTD.

[Cleaven]

I think you've found the problem. You did something wrong with the editing of the WONserversetup.gf and you'll have to track that down yourself. It is a fair bet that everybody on the D2 was able to get past that bit.

[Godfather]

how could ive edited wrong.I copied and pasted what he had.Unless i was suppose to type it in manually.

[Cleaven]

Unless i was suppose to type it in manually.

Yes