Elite: Dangerous Kickstarter Launched

KevinC · 2014-11-27T07:55:40.000Z

krayzkrok:

I’m a kickstarter backer, and received an email saying that all kickstarter backers now had access to the gamma. It didn’t mention anything about it being restricted to offline training missions, but perhaps that’s the reason. [update] I just checked the E:D forums, yes KS backers definitely get gamma access, no mention of restrictions that I can see.

Ah, okay. I was going off of their newsletters, which are confusing:

"Newsletter 50":

Beta is ending this Saturday [Nov 22] – there are now just 3 more days to become a Beta backer.

If you can’t already play, becoming a Beta backer is the only way you will be able to play Elite: Dangerous until 16th December.

Followed by:

"Newsletter 51":

Beta is now closed, and all early access and crowd-funding backers can now download and play in the 400 billion star systems of the Gamma release! Gamma 1.02 was released today.

So it sounds like you’re right, it was Newsletter 50 I was thinking of and it was contradicted in newsletter 51.

KevinC · 2014-11-27T07:56:46.000Z

krayzkrok:

The E:D FAQ confirms that I need UPNP enabled; either that, or set up port forwarding manually. I haven’t got the faintest idea how to set up Port Forwarding (I checked it out on my router config page, it looks scary!) so I may have to try that firmware update after all. If you don’t hear from me again, it’s because I screwed it up and killed my router. :)

What is the model of your router? I may be able to help give some general guidance.

Razgon · 2014-11-27T07:59:25.000Z

I have, just today been introduced to a rather wonderful website that helps with router settings and port forwarding. Please try this site and see if it helps with your issues. It sure helped me finding out how to access my linksys E1200 router. http://portforward.com/

Check the links in the left side of the site for your issue.

Ginger_Yellow · 2014-11-27T08:06:03.000Z

The E:D FAQ confirms that I need UPNP enabled; either that, or set up port forwarding manually. I haven’t got the faintest idea how to set up Port Forwarding (I checked it out on my router config page, it looks scary!) so I may have to try that firmware update after all. If you don’t hear from me again, it’s because I screwed it up and killed my router. :)

Port forwarding is way less scary than firmware flashing.

schurem · 2014-11-27T11:28:20.000Z

UPNP should let software such as E:D take care of the ports itself. Anyway, you might want to post on the official forum KrazyKrok, because I bet FDEv would love to get your ozzie perspective. They will want to support ozzie players, and if you not getting in is something they can fix, they will need you to put in a ticket into their bug database.

scharmers · 2014-11-27T12:26:40.000Z

Finally fired the Gamma up last night. Other than having a wanted status slapped on me for absolutely no reason I could figure a couple of times, with the associated spasms of violence, I had a great time. Interdiction is still a little aggressive - A I going after an unladen Sidewinder is sigh-inducing - but it was also admittedly nice to be in a dangerous universe rather than the peaceful beta space truckin.

The best part was shopping. So many goodies now to install on your ship. So little cash to do it.

The kid inside me who first fired up Elite 30 years ago is a happy camper.

BrianRubin · 2014-11-27T14:01:21.000Z

I actually really like how aggressive the AI is at interdicting.

krayzkrok · 2014-11-27T15:12:17.000Z

KevinC:

What is the model of your router? I may be able to help give some general guidance.

It is a D-Link DSL-2740B running AUD_4.08 firmware. I found this screenshotof the setup screen on EU_5.17 firmware and there is a UPNP option, so it would appear that my firmware is indeed too old or too Australian. If I can achieve this with port forwarding without the admittedly scary prospect of firmware flashing, that would be nice, as it gives us no trouble otherwise. I’m curious why E:D is the only game where this appears to be an issue though, I will see if I can brave the E:D forums and post about it.

krayzkrok · 2014-11-27T15:21:53.000Z

Razgon:

I have, just today been introduced to a rather wonderful website that helps with router settings and port forwarding. Please try this site and see if it helps with your issues. It sure helped me finding out how to access my linksys E1200 router. http://portforward.com/

Check the links in the left side of the site for your issue.

Ah, thanks Razgon, there is actually a specific guide on setting up port forwarding for Elite: Dangerous on my specific router. Here goes…

[edit] Ok, so my port forwarding screen looks completely different to the one in their example. What could possibly go wrong…

[edit2] Can’t get it to work. Here’s what my port forwarding entry for ED looks like (the server listed is 54.170.118.54:19364):

Gn8Kc9Z.jpg701×174

I’ve also tried leaving Remote IP blank. Obviously this is the server and port that’s provided on the bottom left of the main menu screen (the one that’s listed as unconnected). I’ve used a port forwarding utility to check that the port listed is open, and it is. On the portforwarding website that Razgon provides, the port it suggests is 5100, but that doesn’t work either.

Now that you’ve all had a good laugh at my incompetence (this is my first port forward attempt!), what am I doing wrong?

krayzkrok · 2014-11-27T17:18:14.000Z

I found a thread on the ED forums (this one) which details how to get multiplayer working. Well, I followed the instructions to the letter, fixed my router port forwarding settings, and… nothing.

After a couple more attempts I’m now just getting a failure to even launch the game “Unable to initialise network. Check your connection.” My connection is fine.

This is giving me a headache, time to do something else.

jpinard · 2014-11-27T21:09:19.000Z

krayzkrok:

I found a thread on the ED forums (this one) which details how to get multiplayer working. Well, I followed the instructions to the letter, fixed my router port forwarding settings, and… nothing.

After a couple more attempts I’m now just getting a failure to even launch the game “Unable to initialise network. Check your connection.” My connection is fine.

This is giving me a headache, time to do something else.

When I got that error message it was from the servers being updated or down.

jpinard · 2014-11-27T21:13:33.000Z

GreasyPig:

That’s been suggested on the beta forums several times. I haven’t seen a response from a dev. It’s such an obvious improvement. I never remember more than two jumps ahead. The alphanumeric system names are hard for me to recall in order. Or, it might be that I never fly sober.

I actually got the developers to comment on this in private. It will be done similar to this function in the future but they couldn’t get it in for release. So at some point navigating multi-star systems will be a lot easier.

krayzkrok · 2014-11-27T22:22:59.000Z

The login problems disappeared after a reboot, may have been coincidence with the servers going down temporarily, but I’m basically stuck now on how to connect to multiplayer. I would imagine they will fix this before the 16 Dec release, right? I certainly have never had to go to this amount of trouble since the days of Kali95 two decades ago. It seems some people’s routers “just work” whereas others have all kinds of trouble, but port forwarding usually seems to fix it. Trouble is I don’t know enough to realise whether I’m making a mistake.

schurem · 2014-11-28T00:29:56.000Z

the game really should not need you to fiddle extensively with your router at this point, especially for ‘solo’ play. is the start menu choice still greyed out or red or do you get it? after that you should get the choices of open, group or solo. try solo, this has by far the lowest network load. if it doesnt, make a ticket at support.orerve.net because you need to help them fix it. describe your network configuration in as much detail as you can.

Tman · 2014-11-28T10:05:31.000Z

I don’t have the game, but I’ve port forwarded a lot. It appears your problem is you need to forward UDP, not TCP-IP.

From their page:

What router settings do I need to connect to multiplayer?

In order to support Multiplayer, Elite Dangerous requires a UDP port forwarded, to and from, the internet.

so change the type of port to UDP & you should be good to go, maybe, try it.

KevinC · 2014-11-28T12:23:25.000Z

Tman:

I don’t have the game, but I’ve port forwarded a lot. It appears your problem is you need to forward UDP, not TCP-IP.

From their page:

so change the type of port to UDP & you should be good to go, maybe, try it.

Nice catch!

Gamma 1.04 is deploying (deployed?) as well:

"Gamma 1.04":

Address issues identified via telemetry of items loading indefinitely

Ignore the buyback flag for livery items. Fixes disappearing paint jobs

Fix an assert that happened in HIP 77310

Additional telemetry for remaining indefinite item loads

And a couple of server side changes:

Stocked the Basic Discovery Scanner and Size 2 Class H Shield Generator modules in significantly more outfitting shops

Many performance and reliability improvements

Papageno · 2014-11-28T15:27:43.000Z

Hey, how much can I get if I sell the Freagle and the Sidewinder? Is it enough to buy a Cobra?

krayzkrok · 2014-11-28T15:32:19.000Z

schurem:

is the start menu choice still greyed out or red or do you get it? after that you should get the choices of open, group or solo.

Start is greyed out. Server at bottom left of screen says “unconnected”.

Tman:

so change the type of port to UDP & you should be good to go, maybe, try it.

I tried that after reading the multiplayer thread on the E:D forums. Still no dice, sadly.

KevinC · 2014-11-28T16:27:50.000Z

krayzkrok:

I tried that after reading the multiplayer thread on the E:D forums. Still no dice, sadly.

Alright, lets get serious, shall we? Krazykrok cannot play Elite Dangerous and I think we can all agree that is completely unacceptable. Can you please upload the following to your filesharing site of choice (dropbox, google drive, any of the other dozens out there).

#1: The network log file. Should be located somewhere like:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Frontier\EDLaunch\Products\FORC-FDEV-D-1000_netwokLog.txt

If there’s multiples, send the latest.

#2: AppConfig.xml, located in the same folder.

#3: AppNetCfg.xml, located in %appdata%\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous. For example, mine is located at C:\users\Kevin\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous.

Then, if you can, please take a screenshot of your latest router port fowarding config like you did a little upthread, and maybe we can figure out what’s going on.

krayzkrok · 2014-11-28T17:44:39.000Z

KevinC:

Alright, lets get serious, shall we? Krazykrok cannot play Elite Dangerous and I think we can all agree that is completely unacceptable.

Thanks KevinC. This is why I love QT3. :)

Give me a short time to pull this all together (Sat morning stuff going on here).