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Topic: Vista Based Server Test  (Read 3173 times)

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Offline Pestalence_XC

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Vista Based Server Test
« on: December 29, 2007, 03:19:24 am »
I am launching a Windows Vista based server.

This server is Stock with minor modifications from the server package.

Server version 2552 b37

Changes in server kit..

 updated *.dll files from OP Enhancement Package

Directory Server file adjusted to communicate with D.net and my server.



Player recommended setup

Install SFC OP according to Enhancement Package install instructions and patch using OP Enhancement Package.

After install is done, Set Mod Chooser to Taldren Stock mode.

Vista users :

Make Sure SFC OP compatibility is set to Win 2000 and Desktop Composition is turned off.

Launch game and see if you can join the server.

If people on Vista are still having problems, You can install the Vista 32 bit Service Package 1 Release Canidate version 6001 located at

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=BE34577A-E925-48FB-9D6D-50FE9461F808&displaylang=en

Download this at your own risk. I and D.net are not responsible for any issues on your system using the Release Canidate for Vista.

« Last Edit: December 30, 2007, 02:38:49 am by Pestalence_XC »
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Offline Pestalence_XC

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2007, 10:52:47 pm »
Please make sure that you have your game set up with the latest patch.. it is included in the OP Enhancement Package..

DO NOT USE OP + to try to log in.. you will get a bad CRC check..

This server is set up almost totally stock

The reason I post this is because someone does not realize that their game is modded and the Shiplist and Ftrlist are not stock on their system..

They have tried to log in 5 times at time of this post.. until they revert back to Taldren Stock shiplist.. they can not join.
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Offline Lear

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2007, 02:20:33 am »
took me 3 times,intermittent Firewall problems.
IT WORKS. also logged on to normal  servers also.
Problems drafting and being drafted but it could be an unrelated problem.
it plays like it is underwater,slow movement and refits.
Buying a ship took about 5-15 minnets.
no one else was on so no drafting.
Missions were fine no remembered problems (but it is late for me).
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Offline Pestalence_XC

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2007, 02:28:53 am »
Well this makes me think more into TCP/IP errors.. I'll start hacking away at Microshaft's new network setup.
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Offline Dizzy

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2007, 02:38:42 am »
You cannot play this game running ANY sort of firewall.
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Offline Pestalence_XC

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2007, 03:34:21 am »
After discussion with Frey, we have come to a conclusion that it is most likely a Direct Play issue in Direct X versions.. Hopefully it will be something that will be corrected on Microshaft's end soon. However we could be way off base.. but Ditect X seems the most likely problem maker.

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Offline Strayy

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2007, 09:16:27 am »
Youre right about the direct x being the problem with vista Pestalence...  as for the servers, both my OP and EAW servers are runnin on a vista machine... the server kits didnt have any probs adapting to vista, just had to set the compatibility mode to xp
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Offline Bonk

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2008, 11:18:17 am »
Quote from: Pestalence_XC on January 15, 2008, 09:00:25 pm
What I have noticed is slow hex movement when the server updates the news for the shipyard.

Slow Hex movement after battle until the server updates.

slow hex movement if moving hexes quickly (like the server lags behind)

I'm starting to wonder if it is the server kit itself that is slowing the Vista players down and not the game since players on Vista can pay GSA no problem, but only have problems when connected to the server (not in battle). I think it is time to recheck the networking code in the server kit.. maybe too many process sent through too few ports, or maybe needing to set the Server Kit to Win 2K compatibility mode before launch. Many game companies had to "Patch" their servers to be Vista compliant (along with some client software as well, but OP is not showing signs of that need on the Client end).

I can't seem to find any problem on the Vista end other than connection with the server.. so if XP player and Vista Player can play TCP/IP, GSA with no issues, but logging on to a server causes movement and updating lag, then it may be the server kit itself.

The results are consistant on all servers.. Boneyard, the Total War server, and the Test Setver using OP Stock shiplist.

The problem does not seem to be client side, but server kit side.. the servers all have 1 thing in common.. Build 37 of the kit. Maybe I can talk Bonk into looking into the Server Kit Code and maybe make a friendlier build to work with both Vista and XP.. but that may take a while with his schedule.

I'll look in to it.

(from other thread: http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163378920.30.html)

There is client side code included in the serverkit related to the map controls and timing. I have never been exactly sure why, and probably will not be until I can get my hands on a copy of the client source.

However, i bet with close examination of the client code that is included in the kit we might be able to find the snag with vista and find some configuration hack or workaround such that we do not need the client source to fix the issue.

(edit, I'm betting on some change in vista or directx networking that affects udp QoS. - actually, I have a pair of vista machines here for a short time I might be able to take a look at, I'll see what directx they have on them and maybe install OP to see for myself...)

Pestalence, do you have access to the serverkit development forums? See, the problem is I do not have vista on one of my own machines, and you've always been our windows support point man. If you do not have access to the development forums perhaps you should. I know Frey is busy right now, so it might have to wait a bit, or perhaps I can just give you the appropriate snippets of code to see if you might be able to spot the issue and find a workaround. (Would still need Frey's permission)
« Last Edit: January 20, 2008, 11:38:28 am by Bonk »
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Offline Bonk

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2008, 12:16:34 pm »
I just ran a "dxdiag" on one of the vista machines here, and it is dx10 but there is a conspicuous absence of the network tab. Do I need to run dxdiag as root to see it? Is it just not there? Where has directplay gone?  :o

edit: nope, just ran dxdiag as administrator and it still has no netowrk tab! (sigh, off to google I go...)

edit2:
Quote
Many former parts of DirectX API were deprecated in the latest DirectX SDK and will be preserved for compatibility only: DirectInput was deprecated in favor of XInput, DirectSound was deprecated in favor of XACT and lost support for hardware accelerated audio, since Vista audio stack renders sound in software on the CPU. The DirectPlay DPLAY.DLL was also removed and was replaced with dplayx.dll; games that rely on this DLL must duplicate it and rename it to dplay.dll.

Hmmm... but it looks like StarfleetOP.exe calls neither directly though one would expect so...  :huh:

edit3: hmm I wonder, have you tried the dynaverse with SFC3 on vista? Does it have the same issue? Might it be the difference between directplay 7 and 8 and the absence of that dll?
« Last Edit: January 20, 2008, 12:39:44 pm by Bonk »
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Offline Lepton

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2008, 02:10:48 pm »
I copied and renamed dplayx.dll to dplay.dll.  Didn't seem to make any difference but it couldn't hurt to try I suppose.  I was able to draft 2 people on the Boneyard server, so that is working.  It is just a bit slower than I would like. This is with Vista Home Premium behind a router with appropriate ports open.
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Offline Pestalence_XC

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2008, 04:40:42 pm »
Quote from: Bonk on January 20, 2008, 12:16:34 pm
I just ran a "dxdiag" on one of the vista machines here, and it is dx10 but there is a conspicuous absence of the network tab. Do I need to run dxdiag as root to see it? Is it just not there? Where has directplay gone? :o

edit: nope, just ran dxdiag as administrator and it still has no netowrk tab! (sigh, off to google I go...)

edit2:
Quote
Many former parts of DirectX API were deprecated in the latest DirectX SDK and will be preserved for compatibility only: DirectInput was deprecated in favor of XInput, DirectSound was deprecated in favor of XACT and lost support for hardware accelerated audio, since Vista audio stack renders sound in software on the CPU. The DirectPlay DPLAY.DLL was also removed and was replaced with dplayx.dll; games that rely on this DLL must duplicate it and rename it to dplay.dll.

Hmmm... but it looks like StarfleetOP.exe calls neither directly though one would expect so... :huh:

edit3: hmm I wonder, have you tried the dynaverse with SFC3 on vista? Does it have the same issue? Might it be the difference between directplay 7 and 8 and the absence of that dll?

OK.. access to SFC 3 Dyna server Directory is flawless in Vista.. no Firewall messages at all.. I have recreated this 20 times in a row with a reboot after each attempt, this is with Firewall off..

OP gives me a Firewall message more times than not and 1 in 5 attempts I can access the Dynaverse Directory list...

same procedure used as in SFC 3 connectivity attempt..

There are no Stock servers up for SFC 3, so I guess I'll have to get Stray's mod to test out how SFC 3 works online...

Be back in a while
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Offline Pestalence_XC

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2008, 05:53:25 pm »
OK.. on the SFC 3 server, Movement is normal, refit is normal, news is normal, shipyards are normal, loaqdout is normal, everything works as it should on the D3 servers, the way OP should work.. however when launching into a mission in SFC 3, I get CTD

Unhandled Exception! in Version 1.01 Build 534
SFC3.exe caused an EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION in module SFC3.exe at 001B:005B81B3

EAX=00000000  EBX=00000000  ECX=00000000  EDX=00000001  ESI=00000000
EDI=00000000  EBP=0012FBD8  ESP=0012F9E8  EIP=005B81B3  FLG=00010246
CS=001B   DS=0023  SS=0023  ES=0023   FS=003B  GS=0000

001B:005B81B3 (0x004796A6 0x00A4D348 0x096CC030 0x004795F9) SFC3.exe
001B:0047962D (0x00A4D348 0x00951A00 0x0055F755 0x00951A00) SFC3.exe
001B:004795DD (0x00000000 0x096CBE28 0x00000000 0x0055E000) SFC3.exe
001B:0055E84F (0x00000000 0xFFFFFFFF 0x08BF8430 0x02DC0038) SFC3.exe
001B:005608DD (0x775C4793 0x02C0EDF0 0x00000000 0x00403277) SFC3.exe
001B:0057F550 (0x775C4793 0x02C0EDF0 0x00000000 0x0012FDEC) SFC3.exe
001B:00479467 (0x08BF8430 0x00000000 0x00405A7F 0x02C0EDF0) SFC3.exe
001B:00479447 (0x0099DE20 0x00407366 0x775D0359 0x00631B65) SFC3.exe
001B:004059E0 (0x00400000 0x0018296C 0x00000001 0x00000000) SFC3.exe
001B:00632653 (0x7FFDF000 0x0012FFD4 0x77AA87D5 0x7FFDF000) SFC3.exe
001B:76321CC2 (0x7FFDF000 0x723629AD 0x00000000 0x00000000) kernel32.dll
001B:77AA87D5 (0x007B9AB9 0x7FFDF000 0x00000000 0x00000000) ntdll.dll
001B:77AA87A8 (0x007B9AB9 0x7FFDF000 0x00000000 0x78746341) ntdll.dll


This is in both XPSP 2 compatibility and Win 2K compatibility... however movement on the server is as expected..

I suspect that my Video Drivers are the culprit.. I'll turn the settings down and try again.

Edit.. lower settings did not work.. lowering drivers back to Microsoft Download version.

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Offline Bonk

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2008, 06:50:29 pm »
Interesting.

I just finished giving OP a try on vista, I found similar issues to Lepton's, slow movement, slow shipyard updates, mission countdowns...

In my case this is on dial-up, so I'm used to slow, but this is definitely worse than usual.

What was interesting though was that I could not connect to the directory server at all until I adjusted \MetaAssets\ServerProfiles\Multiplayer\WONServerSetup.gf like so:
Code: [Select]
BlockSize = 1000 // How many micro-seconds to spend on server side stuff before doing page flip
DelayMultiple = 5.0 // What multiple of time to wait before going back to server side stuff
PacketQueLimit = 300 // What
Possibly coincidence, but perhaps not. XPSP2 compatibility mode seemed to help somewhat. I'll try some more stuff to see if I can improve the situation.
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Offline Bonk

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Re: Vista Based Server Test
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2008, 08:38:48 pm »
I think I may have found the problem with vista. Whenever there is a network connection present windows update starts and saturates the connection downloading updates. I have set windows update to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them", yet it persists in downloading some huge update (looks to be about 300MB, though there is no indication other than a percentage complete). I'm going to try disabling windows update altogether to see if I can regain control of the network connection in order to use it to play OP.

EDIT: Nope, that was not it, I managed to stop windows epic updates and get the connection back, but the issues in OP persist. I'm thinking Wine on Windows might be worth a try at this point.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2008, 09:30:27 pm by Bonk »
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