Question about setting off a co-op game

[Arukie]

I want to buy two copies of this game to play with my friend, but I heard in order to play cooperative you need to portforward. Like when you create a local minecraft server. is it true?
This game doesn't have a integrated multiplayer? I need to rent a server?

[Fel]

The port forwarding depends on the case, plenty of people have been able to host their map without having to go through that for example.
I can't tell you if you will need it or not.

This game has both the server and the host options, either of you can host the game just fine if you only plan on playing it when you are both present.
The only real difference is that a server would be able to continue running while nobody is on it (which is not really a good thing in this game anyway) but if one person hosts you can only join if that person is currently hosting the map.
A server would also be able to handle more concurrent people but that's not what you are looking for here so hosting is just fine.

Just be sure that neither is using wifi (or satellite internet) because while the game doesn't need a lot of bandwidth it does send a whole lot of small packets so the most important is the time it takes for packets to arrive and the amount that are lost and need to be re-sent.

[Bullymays]

Some friends and I have 600+ hours together. No need to rent a server, no port forwarding. Just start a multiplayer game, put a password on it, and friends can join. It drops when you log off, but we usually have each of us hosting some different games in case someone wants to solo while nobody is on in a multiplayer game.

[knighttemplar1960]

Originally posted by Bullymays:

Some friends and I have 600+ hours together. No need to rent a server, no port forwarding. Just start a multiplayer game, put a password on it, and friends can join. It drops when you log off, but we usually have each of us hosting some different games in case someone wants to solo while nobody is on in a multiplayer game.

I'm in the USA and my wife and I play on a LAN and a friend from Canada joins us with no issues or lag. Just through the steam invite process.

[Sinclair]

Originally posted by knighttemplar1960:

I'm in the USA and my wife and I play on a LAN and a friend from Canada joins us with no issues or lag. Just through the steam invite process.

Do you set your game to public and LAN, or just LAN when you start the server?

[knighttemplar1960]

I select multiplayer then host (either new or saved game). My wife joins the game through the steam friends list through the LAN and our friend joins the game via the internet through the friends list. We've never had to set up a server. Multiplayer is very friendly in this game.

[AlexMBrennan]

This game doesn't have a integrated multiplayer? I need to rent a server?

Well you pretty much always need to rent a server even if a game claims to have PTP multiplayer because residential ADSL simply isn't capable of maintaining the high upload speeds you need to run a game server.

If you want a good experience then you either need to play on a LAN or someone (either you using your own money, or the developer through your monthly subscription fee) needs to rent a server in a data centre with a proper internet connection.

Some terrible developers (e.g. CoD) try to skip this step but the result is you having to look at a "host migration in progress" screen for 80% of your time, and they should not be applauded for this.

[Mr.Pink]

Originally posted by Fel:

The only real difference is that a server would be able to continue running while nobody is on it (which is not really a good thing in this game anyway)

That is Wrong as the server software makes the server "pause" when no players are preset ingame.

[dragonsphotoworks]

Originally posted by Mr.Pink:

Originally posted by Fel:

The only real difference is that a server would be able to continue running while nobody is on it (which is not really a good thing in this game anyway)

That is Wrong as the server software makes the server "pause" when no players are preset ingame.

Ah for this game it pauses. Normally servers hosting games continue regardless. So i would of thought same as Fel.

[Fel]

Eh, so the setting that pauses the game when there is no player became the default one?

If memory doesn't fail me, it didn't use to be and caused quite a bit of troubles (enemies evolving and expanding, potentially destroying the base before anyone came back).

[PunCrathod]

Originally posted by Fel:

Eh, so the setting that pauses the game when there is no player became the default one?

If memory doesn't fail me, it didn't use to be and caused quite a bit of troubles (enemies evolving and expanding, potentially destroying the base before anyone came back).

It was the default from the start. In fact in the beginning there was no option for the server to keep running when there were no players.

[Benph]

Coop multiplayer for a small number of people works great without needing to remotely host:

One person starts a multiplayer game with a password, others can easily join through Steam friends list.

When host leaves, the game ends, but both can save and either can continue from that point.

If one is continuing without partner but wants them to be able to pick up where you left off, put save game file in a shared Dropbox/Goggle Cloud/etc folder.

I have never had a problem using the Steam “Join Game” option on friend list.

Others in this thread have said the same thing, but I wanted to repeat it for emphasis. This game is great and easy to use for this kind of coop play!