Offline Missions and LAN play

[Los]

Hi all,
I'm very happy that these missions work on the LAN. So long as the Hoster doesn't die and everyone selects their own AC outside of the mission package AC it works OK. I think for LAN missions it's helpful to create a separate flight somewhere out of the way called SERVER and stick one server machine on that where no one flies. That way it stays up.

Anyways here's a link to a mission I wrote inspired by Fighter Squadron  the 1948 film. Cheers..

http://www.loscon.net/loscon/jugattack.rar

Los

[USRanger]

You can play missions via LAN?  I've never seen that posted by anyone, including HTC.  Any way you could post a how-to for setting that up?

[bobtom]

I noticed this because I play LAN fairly frequently but I've never tried it...

[Los]

Here's how to do it:

1. The hoster sets up 8 player LAN server as usual.
2. Everyone who's going to join in has to join in first .
3. The hoster then loads a practice mission and all those planes show up in the server and it's game on.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

1. If the hoster loads the practice missions before everyone joins in then when you try and join in it says LAN Server full, so all the humans have to join in first.
2. If the hoster dies during the mission then all the AI aircraft immediately disappear. So the best thing to do is have a spare machine be the server and load the practice mission. Also make sure when the server machine gets into the world turn off the planes engine so it doesn't take off.
3. Know what the mission is and if you are intending to be part of a route then the humans must go to that field themselves and form an additional human only flight sicne you can't fly in the AI flights, nor will the humans see waypoints and routes like the hoster. SO knowing the mission and what you are supposed to do is important.
4. I have not tested this part yet but: I suppose you could design an online mission for the humans that mirrors the offline AI mission someone cou;d load it and then everyone joins it in eh LAN server and then you would see similar waypoints and targets.

Good stuff, I have had three of us in flying against those 100 plane fur ball missions I Dld from Wiki AND also one of the BOB missions. Have also done LAN on the Jug mission above.

Good stuff.

Los

[dkff49]

The only problem I see with your instuctions is number 2

If your mission has the hoster aircraft warping anywhere, it will warp there whether or not the engine is running.

Along with this:
if your hoster aircraft has engine shut-off then it will crash and end your sortie even faster.

[USRanger]

As long as the route the "Server" is on does not contain a warp, it shouldn't be affected by other routes/flights that do.  The "Server Route" could just be a huge circular route around the entire map set to 100mph or so, giving the human players plenty of time to do the mission, and then some.


I wish I had someone to play LAN with...

[soda72]

to bad the free multiplayer was closed down, it would have added a new element to game play...

 

[Los]

Yes, thanks,  forgot to mention that important point, you will need a flight that doesn't warp for the HOSTER. In fact what I did was created  new flight/route called SERVER and gave it a taxi waypoint on a remote field.

But then again in LAN play I've turned off all the warping since none of the humans can warp unless it's a HOSTER. Certainly though you can have the OPFOR warp if you don feel like flying to far to meet them.

One other interesting thing: If the HOSTER plane crashes or quits all it does to the other players in the server is instantly cause all the AI planes to disappear. The humans can still be flying around since the practice mission is simply something overlaid onto the server environment.  I suppose with a little forethought this could be used to create multiple waves of enemies attacking. Once one wave is pretty much done the hoster simply loads another practice mission (with opfor warping) while the humans are still up and voila the AI instantly reappears.

I have a bunch of friends coming over in a  few weeks for a big LAN weekend. We are noodling through the best ways to make use of this newfound (to us) nugget of gold since last time we were all swanning about on AH this was not in place and we've been using il2 for coop stuff.

Los
 

[Stixx]

Tried this myself and noticed that the AI will ignore you if are not part of the mission.

[bobtom]

Well we can forget about this now that LAN is gone.

[Los]

I know that sucksI wondered why they yanked LAN? We'll have to keep two versions on teh mahine now, 2.12 and whatever is the latest...

Los

[wargroom]

Well! that explains why I cant get one started, couldnt find a menu to do so.
Kind of a rip-off as the advertising says it is available for lan play for free.