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Q242904: Age of Empires II: How to Troubleshoot Multiplayer Game Problems

Article: Q242904
Product(s): Microsoft Home Games
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbtshoot aoe igz kbimu msgame
Last Modified: 08-MAR-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, version 2.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

This article describes how to troubleshoot issues with multiplayer games in Age
of Empires II: The Age of Kings.

This article contains the following troubleshooting methods:

- Install the Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings 2.0a Update

- Make Sure that the Same Version Is Installed on All Computers in the Game

- TCP/IP Connections

   - Make sure that you provide the correct IP address to guest players

   - Use the correct type of connection for your TCP/IP game

   - Disconnect from the LAN before you start a dialup Internet game

- Zone Connections

   - Make sure that your browser is supported by the MSN Gaming Zone

   - How to restore a disconnected Zone game

- Modem or Direct Cable Connections

   - Make sure that the phone line for the host computer is not busy

   - Install DirectPlay 6.1a or later

   - Install the Latest Version of Microsoft DirectX

   - Configure both computers to use the same connection speed

- Improving Multiplayer Performance

   - Reduce your Internet latency

   - Reduce the number of players in the game

   - Quit all unnecessary programs before you start the game

   - Use the fastest computer to host the game

   - Do not use computer players in an Internet game

   - Recommendations for eight player games

MORE INFORMATION
================

To troubleshoot issues with multiplayer games in Age of Empires II, use the
following methods.

Install the Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings 2.0a Update
-----------------------------------------------------------

Install the latest update for Age of Empires II: Age of Kings. The latest update,
Microsoft Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings 2.0a Update, includes multiplayer
performance enhancements.

To download the Age of Kings 2.0a Update, visit the following Microsoft Web
site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/games/age2/downloads.htm

Make Sure that the Same Version Is Installed on All Computers in the Game
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

To play a multiplayer game in Age of Empires II, the same version of Age of
Empires II and the same Age of Empires II patches must be installed on each
computer in the game.

TCP/IP Connections
------------------

Make sure that you provide the correct IP address to guest players:

When you click IP Address on the Multiplayer Game screen in Age of Empires II,
the game may report the wrong IP address if more than one network adapter is
installed in your computer.

If your guest players are unable to use this IP address to connect to your game,
use the IP Configuration tool included with Microsoft Windows to determine the
IP address for the adapter that you want to use for the game.

To do this:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type "winipcfg" (without the quotation marks), and then
  click OK.

3. In the unlabeled box, click the network adapter that you want to use to host
  the game.

  NOTE: If you want to use a dial-up Internet connection, click PPP Adapter.

4. In the IP Address box, note the IP address for the adapter, and then click
  OK.

5. Provide the IP address that you noted in step 4 to your guest players.

Use the correct type of connection for your TCP/IP game:

If you click Local (LAN) TCP/IP Connection in the Connection Type box to start a
multiplayer game on the Internet, the program may stop responding (hang).

To resolve this issue, restart the computer, start Age of Empires II, click
Multiplayer, and then click the appropriate type of connection for your TCP/IP
game.

The following table lists the appropriate type of connection for each type of
TCP/IP multiplayer game:

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Game type                | Connection type                           | 
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet game            | Internet TCP/IP Connection For DirectPlay | 
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Local network (LAN) game | Local (LAN) TCP/IP Connection             | 
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
NOTE: To connect to an Internet game, Age of Empires II uses your default
Internet connection.

Disconnect from the LAN before you start a dialup Internet game:

You may experience problems when you attempt to use a dial-up Internet connection
to play a multiplayer game on a computer in which a network interface card (NIC)
is also installed.

To prevent this issue from occurring, unplug the network cable from your NIC
before you connect to the Internet.

Zone.com Connections
--------------------

Make sure that your browser is supported by Zone.com:

If you cannot play multiplayer games on Zone.com, you may be using a Web browser
that the Zone does not support. The Zone currently supports the following Web
browsers:

- Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 or higher.

- Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher.

How to restore a disconnected Zone game:

To restore a disconnected multiplayer Zone game, all of the players must quit the
game, the host must start a new game on the Zone, and then the guest players
must join the new game.

NOTE: You cannot use Internet TCP/IP Connection For DirectPlay to join a restored
Zone game.

Modem or Direct Cable Connections
---------------------------------

Make sure that the phone line for the host computer is not busy:

Age of Empires II does not notify you if the phone line for the host computer is
busy.

If you cannot connect to the host computer in a Modem Connection for DirectPlay
game in Age of Empires II, use your telephone to dial the phone number for the
host computer to make sure that the line is not busy.

Install the Latest Version of Microsoft DirectX
-----------------------------------------------

Download and install the latest version of DirectX from the following Microsoft
Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/directx/homeuser/downloads/default.asp

For additional information about how to obtain and install the latest version of
DirectX, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q179113 How to Download and Install DirectX

Install the Latest Version of Microsoft DirectX:

The latest version of DirectPlay is included in the latest version of Microsoft
DirectX.

To install the latest version of DirectPlay, download and install the latest
version of DirectX from the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/directx/homeuser/downloads/default.asp

For additional information about how to obtain and install the latest version of
DirectX, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q179113 How to Download and Install DirectX

Configure both computers to use the same connection speed:

You cannot play a Serial Connection for DirectPlay game or Modem Connection for
DirectPlay game in Age of Empires II if the connection speed for the guest
computer does not match the connection speed for the host computer.

To resolve this issue, configure both computers to use the same modem connection
speed or serial connection speed.

To configure both computers to use the same modem or serial connection speed, use
the appropriate method for your type of connection.

Modem connection:

1. On the Age of Empires II startup screen, click Multiplayer.

2. Under Connection Type, click Modem Connection For DirectPlay.

3. If you are the host player, click Create.

  If you are the guest player, click Show Games.

4. In the Modem box, click the modem you want to use, and then click Configure.

5. On the General tab, in the "Maximum speed" box, click the fastest modem speed
  supported by both modems, click to clear the "Only connect at this speed"
  check box, and then click OK.

6. If you are the host player, click Answer.

  If you are the guest player, type the phone number for the game host computer
  in the "Phone number" box, and then click Connect.

7. If you are the guest player, click the game in the list of games, and then
  click Join.

Serial connection:

1. On the Age of Empires II startup screen, click Multiplayer.

2. Under Connection Type, click Serial Connection For DirectPlay.

3. If you are the host player, click Create.

  If you are the guest player, click Show Games.

4. In the Port box, click the COM port to which the serial cable is attached.

5. In the Baud Rate box, click the maximum speed at which both computers can
  communicate.

6. Make sure that the values in the Stop Bits, Parity, and Flow boxes are the
  same on both computers.

7. Click OK.

8. If you are the guest player, click the game in the list of games, and then
  click Join.

Multiplayer Game Performance
----------------------------

To improve multiplayer game performance in Age of Empires II, use the following
methods:

Reduce your Internet latency:

A multiplayer game runs only as fast as the slowest computer or connection in the
game. To display scores and game performance information for all players in the
game, click S in the lower-right corner of the game screen.

If the frame rate for any computer in the game is slower than 15 frames per
second, Age of Empires II displays a turtle next to the name of the player with
the slowest computer. The player can then either attempt to increase their frame
rate or drop out of the game.

If you have a slow connection with any other player in an Internet game, Age of
Empires II displays a yellow or red symbol beside that player's name. A yellow
symbol indicates network latency between 300 milliseconds and 1 second. A red
symbol indicates network latency greater than 1 second.

To reduce network latency, quit the game, sign off from the Zone, restart your
Internet connection, and then restart the game.

If you continue to experience high Internet latency, proceed to the next method.

For additional information about how to reduce Internet latency in multiplayer
games, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q232392 Gaming Zone: High Latency in Game Lobbies or When Playing Games

Reduce the number of players in the game:

As the number of players in a game increases, the speed of the game decreases.
Multiplayer game performance is slower in an 8-player game than in a 2-player
game.

Quit all unnecessary programs before you start the game:

Unnecessary programs that are running on your computer can decrease multiplayer
game performance in Age of Empires II.

To improve multiplayer game performance, quit all unnecessary programs before you
start a multiplayer game.

NOTE: When you play a multiplayer game on the Zone, you do not need to leave your
Web browser running after you start the game. To quit your Web browser after you
start a game on the Zone, press ALT+TAB to switch from the game to your Web
browser, quit the Web browser, and then click your game on the taskbar to
restore it.

Use the fastest computer to host the game:

Because the host computer acts as a network server as well as a game client, the
player with the fastest computer should host the game, even if no computer
players are included in the game.

Do not use computer players in an Internet game:

When you use a dial-up Internet connection to play a multiplayer game, do not add
any computer players to the game, especially if you play with three or more
human players. Computer players decrease multiplayer performance more severely
than human players.

Recommendations for multiplayer games with eight players:

For best performance when you play a multiplayer game with eight players:

- Make sure that each computer in the game meets or exceeds the minimum system
  requirements to play Age of Empires II.

- Make sure that the computer with the fastest processor and largest amount of
  RAM is the host computer for the game.

Additional query words: 2.00 aoe2 aok msgame multi player serial direct connection

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbtshoot aoe igz kbimu msgame 
Technology        : kbHomeProdSearch kbGamesSearch kbAOESearch kbAOE2Kings
Version           : :2.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

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