How to play Shadow Warrior Co-op / other Multiplayer modes

[Slaya]

Get YANG: http://yang-online.com/shadowwarrior.htm I'd suggest using the LAN method so it can be used with Evolve: http://www.evolvehq.com

This will be the easiest way. (No ports will need to be opened.) ;)

Your buddies can use the free version Shadow Warrior Classic on Steam too! Or the GOG version if they have that.

How Evolve works:

One person creates a Party and the other joins. This creates a virtual lan. Leave the Party open or minimize it before launching the game as closing it will disable the virtual lan.

You can also set the Party to Private which is invite only for your Friends. ;)

Then one person hosts a Lan game and the others join.

[Immortel]

Thanks! Will try that.

[Slaya]

Originally posted by Immortel:

Thanks! Will try that.

Give an update on your experience & how it went. ;)

[bliss]

Sorry, I'm a bit confused about the functionality provided by YANG and Evolve, and whether they must be used in conjunction or standalone.

You say Evolve creates a virtual lan (better to use the term VPN or tunnel, as a VLAN is something entirelly different in networking terminology), but as far as I can see, that's what YANG does?

If I'm not looking for new players, but just want to set up 2 player with an existing friend, should I just try YANG on its own?

[Mister Torgue Flexington]

Haha, he said "YANG", =D

[IRI. pls]

but if I open the ports, i don't need evolve, right?
On the yang website it says: Shadow Warrior source ports: JFShadowWarrior, SWP.
So can I still play sw: classic redux steam version?

[bliss]

I haven't actually done this, but I believe you're correct.

Evolve doesn't do any special NAT traversal anyway, it just forwards ports using UPnP, and I think UPnP is a major security hole due to its lack of authentication. Actually, if Evolve fails to configure over UPnP, it just falls back to proxying through Evolve servers[www.evolvehq.com], which could introduce unnecessary latency.

So yeah, much better to just rely on YANG in my opinion. YANG is required anyway because it's a game specific launcher / network translator.

This redux version is based on JFSW, so I guess it will work with YANG out of the box?

[IRI. pls]

I tried it with yang and there was an error msg when i tried to launch the game "there was a problem initialising the build engine: failed to load TABLES.dat" .. any advice?

[Robman]

Umm... I've had this before and I can't fully remember how I fixed it. I think it's not likely finding the Sw.grp file. Make sure that's in your SWP folder and may need to make sure it's named Sw.grp.

[Slaya]

Evolve's default settings when using UPNP is to prohibit vulnerable protocols from being used in Parties.

You can choose to not use UPNP with Evolve and open ports if you'd like. Check in Evolve's Preferences under Parties Tab and check Use Custom Port when joining Parties instead of UPNP/NAT-PMP. Then pick your port or use the default. Which will be just 1 port that needs to be opened.

I only brought up Evolve to try and make this as easy as possible for everyone.

You don't use the Redux version you use the Dos-Box version. Included in the Redux Version and free on Steam.

You can use Yang or Meltdown or Dukematcher. Whatever works with Shadow Warrior.

With Evolve play the game as a LAN game and Evolve allows it to be played online with Friends. It's really easy and hassle free.


Should work with other ports like the Windows ports that use the SW.grp file in the DOS version like Proasm's Shadow Warrior Port: http://www.proasm.com/sw/swp.html or JonoF's Shadow Warrior Port: http://www.jonof.id.au/jfsw Or try a search for Shadow Warrior Port.

If you plan a co-op or DM match everyone needs to have the same port and files.

Enjoy! ;)

[Krumpac CZ]

Yeah it really works! I've made a whole video about working multiplayer on SWP port and YANG. https://youtu.be/Nq4AqkQZ_B8

[Slaya]

Thanks! Nice video guide!

[Gin The Cat]

Originally posted by bliss:

Sorry, I'm a bit confused about the functionality provided by YANG and Evolve, and whether they must be used in conjunction or standalone.

You say Evolve creates a virtual lan (better to use the term VPN or tunnel, as a VLAN is something entirelly different in networking terminology), but as far as I can see, that's what YANG does?

If I'm not looking for new players, but just want to set up 2 player with an existing friend, should I just try YANG on its own?

Evolve is a VPN client that lets us create VLANs. Peer to peer.

VLAN is a subcategory of VPN and VPN is a means to create a secure network for secure data transmission. A VLAN is basically a means to logically segregate networks without physically segregating them with multiple switches. A VPN is used to connect two points in a secure and encrypted tunnel.


YANG is a friendly frontend for DOSBOX network connectivity. DOSBOX can do LAN emulation in a client/server architecture. At the time I used it, its not VPN because its not encrypted, just IP tunnelling. If server DOSBox shutsdown, the whole network is down. Using YANG method requires router port forwarding to be the host/server.

If one cannot port forward then we can use Evolve or Hamachi.

[Slaya]

Evolve is dead and trying to come back but tried as a paid program and no one was interested.

Called Bowstring now?

They *might* open source it.

[Gin The Cat]

Originally posted by Rage Killa:

Evolve is dead and trying to come back but tried as a paid program and no one was interested.

Called Bowstring now?

They *might* open source it.

yeah, we used to have tunngle but they shutdown due to finances too.

hamachi is possible but limited to small free groups.

otherwise, just use Meltdown or YANG... and get router port forwarding working.