Multiplayer Getting Started Guide

This detailed step-by-step guide will help you set up a current installation of Freespace Open for online multiplayer gaming, either on FS2NetD or through a direct IP connection. The guide is aimed at those who have little to no experience with Freespace Open and covers everything that might be needed to get multiplayer up and running, so more experienced users may want to just read the headlines to make sure they don't forget an important step.

Preparation

Before starting the actual game, there are a few outside factors that need to be taken care of first:

FS2NetD Account Registration

The first thing to do is to register your multiplayer account with FS2NetD. To do that, follow the steps below.

Note: If you do not intend to play on FS2NetD, this step can be safely skipped as registration is not required for IP play, but registering is recommended nonetheless in case you change your mind.

FS2NetD login box

• Step 1: Go to the FS2NetD website, found here: FS2NetD Home

• Step 2: Click the Register button (highlighted in image on the left) in the login box on the top-left of the page. This brings you to the registration screen for new users. Do not write anything in the two boxes for Pilot and Password, those are for users who have already signed up.

• Step 3: You now have 3 fields to fill out, as shown in the image to the right.
  
  In the Pilot Name field, write the name of the pilot you intend to use when playing on FS2NetD.
  
  
  

  FS2NetD registration screen
  In the Password field, write a password of your choice. As always with passwords, it is a good idea to use one that is difficult to guess - If you need tips on that, here is a quick guide: Choosing a Good Password. It would also be a very bad idea to reuse an existing password that is already being used for something sensitive.
  
  Then, in the Email field, put in a valid E-mail address. Upon completion of registration, a confirmation email will be sent to this address with a link you must follow to active your account, so do not put in a bogus address. If you do not wish to give up your usual email address, then you can use a web-based email service instead - As long as you can recieve the mail and follow the link, you're good to go.
  
  Finally, click the Process Registration button (highlighted in image to the right).

• Step 4: Two mails have now been sent to the address you provided, one containing your login information (may want to write this down) and one containing an activation link. Open the one titled FS2NET Registration Authorization for: *, then follow the link inside to activate your FS2NetD account.

Note: A pilot registered with FS2NetD can be used with all supported mods. It is not necessary to register seperate pilots for Freespace, Beyond the Red Line and Wing Commander Saga, though you do have the option of doing so.

Firewall/Router Setup

As Freespace Open uses port 7808 for multiplayer games, it is necessary to allow communication on this port to pass through your firewall and, if applicable, router unhindered. To do this, call up the control panel for your firewall/router and add an rule that opens up port 7808 to both ingoing and outgoing traffic, for both the TCP and UDP protocols. Detailed walkthroughs of how to do this for some common firewalls and routers can be found in the Port Forwarding article, so consult that if you have trouble figuring out how to do it.

Failure to do this will make you unable to host games, though depending on circumstances you may still be able to join games hosted by others.

Config File Setup

Freespace Open relies on a config file to tell it the location of the FS2NetD server, and depending on how you acquired the game this file may not be present. If you downloaded the game using Turey's Online Installer, or used the official installers to get either Beyond the Red Line or Wing Commander Saga, then you will already have a correct version of this file appropriate to your installation and can skip this step. Otherwise, proceed.

The file in question, called fs2open_pxo.cfg, should be located in the /data/ folder under your Freespace installation directory and should contain the following two lines depending on what you have installed:

Standard Freespace Open installation:

fs2netd.game-warden.com
12000

Beyond the Red Line installation:

fs2netd.game-warden.com
12001

Wing Commander Saga installation:

fs2netd.game-warden.com
12003

If this file is not present, or does not contain the exact lines above, then create a new text file in the /data/ folder, copy the appropriate lines to it, and save it as fs2open_pxo.cfg.

Note: The current IP address of fs2netd.game-warden.com is 64.92.160.250, so if the first line says that instead then it will still work. However, using the URL is safer in case the IP address changes.

Note: For those using the MediaVPs with a standard Freespace Open installation, a version of this file containing the same two lines may also be found in /mediavps/data/.

Launcher Setup

Before being able to play online, your internet connection must be correctly configured in the launcher. To do that, follow the steps below:

Network tab in the Freespace Open launcher

• Step 1: Start the Freespace Open launcher and go to the Network tab (pictured left).

• Step 2: In the Internet Connection field, choose Dialup Networking if you are using a standard or ISDN modem to connect to the internet. If you are using broadband connection such ADSL, Cable or (heavens forbid) a Fiber-Optic connection, choose the LAN/Direct Connection (And AOL) option.

• Step 3: In the Connection Speed field, simply choose the option that best fits your connection. Note that faster cable connections may belong in the T1, ADSL, T3, etc category as speeds have been upped significantly over the last few years.

• Step 4: Click Apply at the bottom-right of the launcher to save the settings.

Note, do not put anything into the Force local port or Force IP address fields at the bottom. Leave them as is. Doing otherwise can make it impossible for you to connect to FS2NetD.