Look, I'm not going to argue with you because you are looking to have an arguement. So I'm just going to end it here and move on with my life instead of having a pointless arguement.

Sorry dude but its not an argument. Game ranger does everything the other options do and much more. Why bother?

Anyway that will do lol

Sorry to point out to you TCell32, but with your attitude you are not helping the problem. I'm sure you don't come across as being rude and that you just want to help the community. I really think it doesn't matter which tool you promote here. As you said, the community is so small that you will wait for ever in every client to get a match with another player. The best way is to organise game nights/events and announce it everywhere (Armada Discord, GOG, Reddit).

Or use 1 tool.

This is the scenario you're endorsing.

Someone wants a game so they post on reddit etc.

They get 3 responses. Great a 2v2 can be played.

Player 1 is using one of the options you listed.
Player 2 is using the other.
Player 3 is using the option someone else suggested in my multiplayer post.
Player4 is using game ranger.

So no game will happen.

What I'm suggesting is install game ranger. Host a game and everyone will see that game being hosted.

No need for reddit discord. Connecting to vpns. Installing 4 different clients.

That to me is helping the community.

Anyone offering multiple solutions isn't. Obviously people can do what they like but if they want 1 place where hosted games can be seen and just join and play then game ranger is the best option.

Being using it for years and I think you're still on my friends list so not sure why you didn't put it as an ootion

Also if you are going to list options maybe put a little about what they are and hiw they work. This is why my forum post gives an extensive guide of how to add armada to your game list and how to host a game thats helping the community. Not just Try this

Me and my friend user GameRanger for playing Armada due to the fact that even on a simple TCP/IP network it wouldn't work (with Win7 or 10). Since Gog's we've noticed that TCP/IP will now see the hosting machine, but fails to connect, unsure why (Radmin VPN, done the firewalls, ports, direct-play...).

NOTE: GameRanger is doing some kind of VPN (and its based in Australia and the Dev. doesn't comment or update much which doesn't help the GR cause much) or virtual LAN as otherwise TCP/IP wouldn't work full stop.

You have to remember, yes GameRanger is the 'easy way', but some people don't want to have to make an account and sign-up just to play a game. There should always be alternatives. Why should I need to have GR installed just to play on my own LAN when a friend pops over ?.. That's what the other people are trying to generalise, you seem to be adamant that it is the ONLY best way, and hence why others are giving you stink-eye.

Happy to see GoG got it working in a good manner, compared to some of the horror stories/scenarios i've help with.

Ishy.

I have never had issues hosting games locally.

Also I know how game ranger works as I was speaking to it's developer when we wanted armada adding in the first place. It doesn't use a vpn. It tricks directx into thinking you are playing on a local network. Much in the same way xbox live works for most games.

So unless you are having issues with gameranger then I don't see the point in the alternatives.

You can play in the same room using gameranger or you can play with people across the world.

And seriously you're saying its less hassle to set up
Potentially multiple vpns than sign up for gameranger. Which is literally email address and password lol

And Ishy I see you hosting your private games on gameranger anyway so you already use it but want to promote other methods. This is madness.

As one of the last guys on the planet, who is still hosting community events for the different Star Trek games. This scenario never happened even once in the last 10 years. Every time I made an event announcement people were just happy that they had the possibility to play the game and didn't care what tool we were using.

The reason why I didn't recommend gameranger from the start is simple, it just isn't the best option to play games and I only use it as a last resort. It has some major issues:

1. It only supports a limited amount of games and most of the time only in the vanilla version. If a modder changed something on the exe gameranger will most likely not accept it.
2. It is more or less forgotten by the developer. The last update was in 2017 and the forum is dead.
3. A certain percentage of user can't get it to work, even with ports open.
4. Annoying advertising, which is a problem for content creators.

An other reasons apart from gameranger is that the gog version now comes with an IPX wrapper. Which not only offers another possibility to get a connection, but also may bring a better multiplayer experience. We need to test it more, but the first tests gave us some nice results.

I also have to mention again your behaviour. I really don't want to offend you, but I think it is really not nice that you come here and demand which software the community should use. It is great that you want to help the community, I really like your idea that we should explain the tools like radmin or zerotier better. But before you enforce your opinion, you should talk with the community and get all sides of the story.

Your reasons not to use Gameranger are very weak. Listing advertising as one of the reasons not to use it a desperate attempt to add weight to an already weak argument. Its a small annoyance at most.

Saying the developer hasnt worked on it is also weak. It works in most cases and he hasnt needed to work on it.

Game ranger does not limit the number of games but does limit the number of people you can have on your friends list to 50 unless you pay. This has never caused a problem.

If people want to mod their games thats fine but they should also recognise that this may cause issues with standard tools for playing the game online.

If you seriously think that promoting multiple tools is the best scenario by all means carry on. Having everyone in 1 place is clearly the sensible and logical thing to do but clearly there are some people that dont think that way.

In terms of my behaviour then once again your arguments are weak. I haven't used swear words or been rude I have set out facts that would make for a better situation where evereone is together. And to be honest I really cant understand why I have to defend that.

Guys I will end with this. If you want a game of Armada online then ill be on gameranger. Easy to Install. Easy to host and use. Easy to see games already hosted.

If you want to play wirh Sisko then check the multiple forums he posts in and be prepared to download 4 clients.

If you want to easily host a game without any hassle and see games already hosted without any hassle then use game ranger. If it doesnt work for you then alternatives are available.

I think it is a really good idea to end it here. You interpret my arguments completely different as they were meant. I never said that the developer didnt work on it, or that you can only play a limited amount of matches and I never suggested to use multiple tools. Maybe its because of a language barrier or different mind sets, but I would invite you to join the Armada Discord. There we could talk directly or you could suggest your idea to a bigger group. Only because I don't understand/share your opinion, doesn't mean it wrong. More people and more ideas are never a bad thing for a community.

We looked at the discord last night. There hasn't been a post since 2017. Maybe there's more than 1.

Oh, I'm really curious what hidden server you have found on the net??? I know only of one dedicated Armada Discord. Can you share the link? I would like to take a look at this new place and add it to my archive :)

Here is the link to the main Armada Discord: https://discord.gg/cMEAPCv

The other Discord I have joined is -11thFleet-