non default port and disconnects

[zombiefly]

hi,
a couple of questions. Multiplay server MH2899. It seems we share the box but we drew the short straw and are running on a non default port. Unfortunately it seems most people are joining the other server on the box because they dont know our port number. Is there any chance we can be moved to another box on a default port? It seems we are supplying most of the traffic for our neighbours, who's server is never empty as a result :(

Also, it seems that a good number of people are being disconnected when joining. I keep seeing "<<username>> has been disconnected" but these people arent ingame, so they are being disconnected before they get in. Does anyone know what is happening here? A number of people have complained that they keep getting "disconnected from server" messages before the map loading screen appears.

Any ideas?

[SquireMuldoon]

The port number is completely irrelevant.

The only reason there is a default port in any game is because a server needs to be assigned a port. If you dont assign one yourself, a default has to be used. These defaults are completely arbitrary and only become of importance when incompetent server browser authors expect to find servers on a specific port for a specific game. That is just plain lazy.

Unfortuantely there is no-where I can move you with free space at the moment, so no chance of being assigned the default port any time soon. I fail to see how your server is attracting people into another server on the same box however. That just does not make sense.

Assuming your server shows in the ingame browser, people who click to join WILL join your server and no other on that box.
If you provide your server address anywhere else, always supply it with your port number on the end!


With regards to the disconnect issue, there is nothing we are able to do about this. It seems to be a common flaw/bug in the server which will need to be addressed by DICE/EA. We are not able to fix faults with the server code.

[zombiefly]

thanks for the reply.

re: the default port thing, it's more to do with people not realising that we arent on the default port, and giving the IP to their friends etc. They just type the ip directly and end up on the wrong server. - I will change the rotating message to include the IP AND the port number.

hopefully there will be a fix for this disconnect issue if we ever see the next patch ;)

[Scooby1680]

Originally posted by SquireMuldoon
I fail to see how your server is attracting people into another server on the same box however. That just does not make sense.

Assuming your server shows in the ingame browser, people who click to join WILL join your server and no other on that box.
If you provide your server address anywhere else, always supply it with your port number on the end!

We always give the address out as xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:yyyyy, but there are a lot of people that simply don't understand what this means - such people just go in game, type the IP into the Connect To IP dialog, don't bother correcting the port (since it only differs by one digit, they often simply just don't notice), then stay on the server playing, complaining to us later that not one [1966] member turned up all night even after the offer of a game!

Yes, this is easily overcome by, for example, installing URLGameStarter or a short briefing for people that don't "get it", but it certainly does happen. It's not Multiplay's fault, of course, and EA should *really* just allow "Paste" into the connect to IP dialog and parse the : port part, but it's a real issue for a lot of 'casual' (read: 'mature'!) gamers nonetheless. We're a 'mature' clan that invites some 'mature' friends to play, and quite often that can (and does!) translate into "not particularly tech-savvy". And yes, we've noticed that such people tend to spill into the server with the default port, so it *does* happen, unlikely as it may seem to anyone who deals with networked gaming on a daily basis ;)

[Lorian]

With regards to the disconnect issue, there is nothing we are able to do about this. It seems to be a common flaw/bug in the server which will need to be addressed by DICE/EA. We are not able to fix faults with the server code. [/B]
Shame on EA:

x minimum numbers of players needed to start a map
x Lots of people who join get disconnected straight away
x EA introducing loads more "official" ranked over-capacity

= Very difficult to start a game going from empty.

I guess lots of people wont be renewing their ranked clan servers when the 3 months are up :(

[zombiefly]

they need to change that min players thing so that the game starts but the stats logging only kicks in when 10 players are on.