rFactor 2 Developer Q&A

If hosting from inside the game has been removed, I sure as hell hope that connecting to your own dedicated that's hosted on your own computer isn't so buggy and is improved. When I'm in the middle of working on a mod, I find it easier to send some updates out to the team and just hop into a server I've hosted from within the game. Uploading everything to the server box everytime you make an update during mod development is just an unneeded step when you're quickly trying to test something w/ your team. It's much easier to send a few files out, and create your own server from within your game. Myself, multiple people on my mod team can't even connect to our own dedicated when hosted on our computer and then try to join it w/ our client. I always get "join timed" out, and I know this isn't an isolated incident because I know very many people from different regions w/ this problem as well.

Tim, Max, Gjon, and Scott... Any word on how this is going to work?

 

why the hell did they take that feature out, one of lots which gives you the abiity to run a race with friends, quick done and workin'
dedicated was already there...
and like many, I doubt that rF2 will be there in time!

 

This will eliminate the fact that the host can't change cars without bringing down the server. But will "all-cars" work better in rF2? It is still the ultimate goal I hope to see in rF2. I want my HistorX Vette driving around with my friends DRM and my Aussie's F1.

 

Thank You guys! I have very little experience at the server side of things in rF, if it wasn't already obvious... My friend always handles that stuff, especially since he has way more bandwidth than I do (25+mbps to my 1mbps...). I'm sure with this information he'll get things figured out when rF2 arrives. Thanks again!

So, does anyone know of detailed modding documentation for rF1 to help those of us in need of more (details in my post on last page)?
Any comments on the same for rF2? Thank You.

 

No, I said it exactly how I wanted to. Creating the server from within your game is easier when testing w/ your team vs. having to update your dedicated server box everytime you want to test something. Plus a large majority of rFactor users who host a dedicated on their computer cannot join that same dedicated from the game client ran on the same machine. There was a very large thread on this issue before we lost the old RSC forums.

 

Now i cant remember the post @ RSC forum, but i am 100% sure the problem is in the firewall settings, not in some bug of rFactor dedicated. Consequently i am sure, after you find the way to set in the proper manner the firewall, the dedi will work flawlessly.

I open my "home server" every night, but my gaming machine has only Windows firewall, and i am not confident with firewall setting, so i cant help you.

But probably, if you open a new thread, in the support section, asking advices about the firewall settings so to host a dedi in the same machine of the client, you will find useful replies.

I can agree closing and reopening the dedi just to update files or settings can be a bit unconfortable, but it is matter of seconds when the files are in the cache (ie the second time you open the dedi without a reboot of the PC).

 

The real issue is going to be if rFactor2 is Alt-Tab friendly. rF1 most certainly is NOT.. Tabbing out to change a server around is not so bad but fully closing and reopening rF2 is going to be very annoying.

 

I'm not the best at networking, but I know enough to make stuff work. I don't run a Windows Firewall on, and I fully open my DMZ when hosting. Aside from those 2 things, there's absolutely nothing that should block it considering I can host my own dedicated fine and I can host my own in-game server just fine. Heck, I can actually get my game to pass the in-game firewall test as well. On the old RSC thread, it came down to a conflict between the client and the dedicated because the dedicated recognizes it as 2 of the same IP's in one server. The only way I can host my own dedicated and be able to join it is if I host it on my laptop that uses wireless internet and then join it w/ my desktop.

 

What circustances create the conflict?

I ask because in the last 3 years i have opened my server (same machine than my client) hundreds of times, without any issue.
Ie i can join my server and people can see and join my server.
I have a normal home dsl connection.

But i run only Windows firewall, not a commercial software/hardware firewall, and Windows firewall is really very simple to use.

 

It's not fault of rf1 directly. It is related to mods not prepared 100% correctly. But indeed, it is not satisfying, when rf reacts in this way.

 

If your hosting a dedi on your own just connect to 127.0.0.1 and it wont even need to go through any of your network.

Hamachi is still how I prefer to connect with friends. The list is finicky and broken most days.

 

we know that. you may even write 'localhost' instead.
Another way is to change network settings to local network. Them your server will be listed on server list as only one (if no other servers are available in LAN)

 

The only thing thats ever stopped me from joining my own dedicated server was the connection setting ingame which needs to be changed to lan, otherwise i can't join normal, its not really an issue if you know about it.

 

Can anyone tell a total Novice at running a dedicated server (someone who needs lots of Detail), How to get my game/server to show up on the List (of available servers to join... No Password set/Unlocked)? My buddy and I went through the multiplayer.ini & some other files (getting things set like his), but no luck getting my "running" server to show up (I had a timer going of how long I was up...)... He vaguely remembers something about "Racecast" or "Announce" being the same issue he once had years ago, but doesn't remember the fix... Although I never showed up on the list, I was able to open/run rF (the Client...?) and attempt to join in my server... had I been on the list... No issues with that aspect of things in other words. I did have "Racecast" & the other option checked on the lower part of one of the server set-up pages (as he also did when we were able to race on his server... See below...). My Windows Firewall (only) had the correct exceptions (we believe) and I even shut it completely off at one point, and still I was never on the list (with dozens of refreshes).
BTW, Thank You guys for the idea of running a dedicated server verses the other way...! We were finally able to race for a long, long time last night (with him running the dedi-server) with out me getting a "lost connection" issue (getting kicked out...), which has been completely annoying as heck prior to last night!

 

To see the server in the list, you have to pass the HostingTest.exe check, located in rFactor/support.

If the test fails, it can happen, open with notepad the multiplayer.ini of the server and edit the lines

Announce Allowed="1" // servers should pass the firewall test before being allowed to list on the matchmaker
Announce Host="1" // whether servers will attempt to register with the matchmaking service.

setting them to "1" like in my exemple.

After the edit of those lines, DO NOT run the HostingTest again.

 

Max, Thank You!... My friend and I got those set to "1" last night (and I saved the file)... and tonight I still do not show up on the list. I even went into the XP Firewall and made the TCP & UDP exceptions as noted in the Firewall.PDF document... to no avail also. BTW, I did not Pass that test...
Any other Idea's ?

 

Easier way to check issue is to disable firewall at all for testing purposes. If it make it working - then enable it set rules.
I suspect you (as game hoster) has public IP address?

 

MaxyM, Please bear with me as this subject (Networking) is all new to me (as is trying to run a dedicated server, but I can crash & build PC's...)... I did some research into the question of weather or not I had a public IP address today and found that my PC settings are set to "Obtain an IP address automatically" along with the same for the DNS server, in my Internet Protocol TCP/IP Network Properties. My current so called "Public IP address" is not showing the name (or actual location-city) I gave my home built (i-7/870 quadCore w/HT, ASUS P7P55DE-Pro powered) PC. It shows my ISP's name and city many miles away from where I am... From the other things I read "along the way" today, I suspect I need to set up my PC (running XP Pro) to have a Static IP Address, before an rFactor dedicated server will function correctly & show up on the "list". Is this a True Statement? If your answer is Yes, then I saved the instructions I found on how to do this, and can do it myself... Thanx LW.

EDIT: Change some things in my Multiplayer.ini tonight (mainly the up & down speeds in the top section) and finally saw my game on the List... I think my limited bandwidth (1mbps) & being on Skype with my friend (w/video turned off while testing this...) was the main issue I was having... Now I keep getting "Timed Out" when I try to join my "server" from rF. I changed the "Timeout" number in the same ini file from 150.0_ to 300.0_ and still get the same time out (made changes with both the server & rF OFF)...
Any ideas/suggestions now guys? Thanks, LW.