How to host a multi-player game

Step by step instructions on how to host a multi-player game, complete with troubleshooting.

How to host a multi-player game

To host an online multi-player game in Final Days, simply follow these steps:

1. From the main menu, select: Multiplayer > Host Game
   
2. Select your desired map and difficulty
   
3. Make sure you set the game type to public
   
4. Set the desired max players (the maximum possible depends mainly on the upload speed of your internet connection)
   
5. Start the game
   
6. Your friends should now be able to join your game (it should appear in the join game list)

How to host a dedicated server (for advanced users)

Alternatively, there is also a dedicated server available:

1. Open the install directory of Final Days
   
2. Launch FinalDaysServer.exe
   
3. Specify your desired server name (this is what appears in the game browser list)
   
4. Select your desired map and difficulty
   
5. Set the desired max players
   
6. Be sure to uncheck the "LAN only" option if you want the game to be visible online!
   
7. Specify your desired port (the default is 30205)
   
8. Click "Start"

People can't see/join my game...

As of v1.1.1, Final Days now supports Steam Networking. This should just work for everyone on Steam without any extra steps being required. So if you are having issues with hosting games on Steam, please contact me.

But I'm not using Steam... (i.e. demo version on itch.io)

Final Days tries to use UPnP (Universal Plug and Play[en.wikipedia.org]) to perform port forwarding automatically. While this is generally enabled by default on most peoples routers, unfortunately it may not work for everyone.

In this case, you'll need to manually configure port forwarding for Final Days. To do this, you'll need to forward port 30205 UDP on your router. For some assistance with configuring this, check out these guides:

• PCsteps: How to Enable Port Forwarding on my Router and Windows Firewall[pcsteps.com]
  - An easy to follow generic guide.
  
• PortForward[portforward.com]
  - Has specific guides for a lot of different routers.

If you are having trouble with port forwarding, then GameRanger[www.gameranger.com] may be the solution for you. GameRanger is a free multi-player service which makes hosting and joining games a breeze. It takes care of all the networking complexities for you. Check out the website for more details: http://www.gameranger.com

Questions? Issues? Suggestions?

Then please feel free to contact me! The best place to reach me is the official Final Days Steam forums: http://steamcommunity.com/app/459830/discussions/

Cheers,
Mike
+7 Software[plus7software.com]

[Mike (+7 Software)]

Thanks Primal, that guide you linked to is quite good! I've updated this guide with a link to it also.
- Mike

[Primal]

For Port forwarding, I suggest:

https://www.pcsteps.com/1154-port-forwarding-router-windows-firewall/

https://www.pcsteps.com/1110-static-ip-address-windows-lan/

Just leaving this here in case someone wants to try these guides instead.