Topic: How can I play online or can you anymore??

[sporg]

I have been reading around here and trying to figuire it out but no luck.

I installed SFC III and the beta patch v534_b and then tried to join the multiplayer online but it just fails to find the activision server.

I also tried the beta patch balancing v534_c it changes nothing

If I try to click on the multiplayer via gamespy it just crashes to desktop. I installed the gamespy arcade application to test but it still just crashes to desktop.

I was under the impression that this game allows direct connection to a friend who is hosting a game without the need for a server. When I enter my friends ip and try to connect to them it can not do so. I am just groping in the dark here because the manual is virtually useless and the instructions I find here are very vague.

What exactly do I need to do to enable direct peer to peer (if possible) ?

[Centurus]

Activision killed off the access servers several months back.  D.net aquired the access servers for D3.  There's a patch floating around here that'll allow SFC3 to connect to the new D3 access servers.  Look for it and follow the instructions.

[sporg]

Ok I figured out how to get online using game spy and play skirmish games. I cant find which patch you mean so for now I will just have to use that.
The online for this game is rather glitchy and prone to random crashes when trying to connect to games.

[one]

Theres a few good servers up, like the http://nbsdkgamers.cugs.org/news.php or the GFL Universe.

[Centurus]

Ok I figured out how to get online using game spy and play skirmish games. I cant find which patch you mean so for now I will just have to use that.
The online for this game is rather glitchy and prone to random crashes when trying to connect to games.

http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163376756.0.html

There ya go.  Just download the patch from that thread.

[Frankus]

I'm having trouble finding the online campaign servers as well.  I'll installed the server update but the countdown just goes on without connecting when I try to fire it up.  I've tried adding SFCIII to my firewall, taking down my firewall, and opening ports.  I have Vista on this machine would that be an issue?  I'd played some back in the Activision days and would love to get back into it.  I'd sure appreciate some help, thanks.

[Pestalence_XC]

Vista has many issues with the SFC games..

You will have to configure Vista to work with your software.

To start off with, Vista has many issues in compatibility with older OS systems... so using the Vista Beta RC SP 1 would help a lot, however you download at your own risk, no one here is responsible for what you put on your system.

the SP 1 Beta for vista can be located at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=BE34577A-E925-48FB-9D6D-50FE9461F808&displaylang=en

It takes about 1 hour to install

You will also need to go to Windows Update and get any additional (optional and Security) updates available.

Then you need to disable the Windows Firewall Service.. to do this you need to click on the start button, click on run, type in Services.msc, scroll down to Windows Firewall , right click on it, select properties, click stop button, and change the dropdown menu from automatic to disable.

Next you need to disable user accounts.  go to control panel, go into user accounts, click on user accounts, click on turn on/off user account control, uncheck box, click OK. This disables Vista making a SHADOW copy of your account.

Next configure your Anti-Virus / router firewalls (you should only be using 1) according to the Networking Readme file located in the SFC 3 game directory

Now, you need to configure GSA to work with Vista.. to do this, set GSA compatibility mode to Win 2000 and disable Desktop Composition, Disable Visual themes. GSA should work normally now.

Next you need to configure the game, Set game for XPSP 2 compatibility, disable Visual Themes, and disable desktop composition.

Now when you launch the game and go into Multi-player, you may get a firewall message.. just exit the game and re-launch.. you should now see the directory servers.. however servers may not seem to work correctly for players on Vista.. such as slow hex movement, purchase components not updating for 1 to 2 min, hex update after battle not updating for 1 to 2 min.. these things work just fine for people using XP, however Vista is using a different Direct X version than Vista. XP is using Direct X 9.0c, Vista SP 1 uses Direct X 10.1, there is a compatibility problem between the Direct Play controls in the Direct X version that cause this problem with Vista users and SFC games.

Microsoft is working on compatibility between the 2 OS systems in Direct X.. hopefully the upcoming XP Direct X version 9.0LE will be compatible with Vista Direct X 10.1...

However the main problem is that no one has the source code for SFC 3 or SFC OP, both games suffer the same problem.. a rebuild of the game engine under the Direct X 10.1 SDK should fix the networking issues, however, no one has a source code and as such, no update can be made on our end.. so we are waiting on Microsoft.

Hope that this helps.

[worfhonour]

Hello,
I had the same problem with the count down in Directplay, here is what i did to force the countdown to continue.

Install the Game, follow instructions on the beta installation, e.g., don't install directplay 8, etc.
Install a 534b patch.
Install the Access server patch from Dynaverse.

Then to force the countdown to continue:-

Open the 'SFC3 configuration' folder available when you open 'SFC3' folder in the 'Activision' folder  in your 'Program Files' folder via 'my computer' it is in the 1st pane,
Then scroll to the bottom to 'Meta', here is an example of a previous game installation.

[Meta]
Name=worfhonour@yahoo.co.uk (note: insert your address. this is blank on new install)
Password=billy (Note: insert the password you have chosen. this is blank on new install)
MapName=Map4.mvm
TestPatchUtility=1
EmpireMapView=1
Nickname=jo (note: insert your chosen name. this is blank on fresh install)
MapDetail=0
NewsSort=0
BehindNAT=1 (note: add this line to push through firewall or router. not installed on fresh install)

Hope that makes sense. so far i have loaged the GL server, unity, Alernate B, and my new server Marquis and the above has a 100% success rate. Make sure you log into multi play with the above parameters e.g. Name, password, nickname. 1 last thing if you access via a router ensure the correct ports are open.

Worfy. 

P.S. I have windows XP - Service pack 2 cant answer if it will work if you have Vista.