Anno 2070 in multiplayer, a possible solution

[Sky Marshal]

Hello,

So... Since the COVID, my group of friends tried to play at Anno 2070 in multiplayer on several occasions. We succeeded but each attempt was a real battle because of the connection servers. It took sometimes TWO HOURS to be able to play because invites not received, players not connected according to the Contact list, etc. despite many logoffs/logins, network reconfiguration... We even thought of calling a voodoo shaman or sacrifice some dolphins to God-Ubisoft (Ubisoft became a joke in a group :) ).

Many months passed... and last week we decided to make an ultimate attempt with the help of a software called ZeroTier, available here : https://www.zerotier.com/

And... it works.

All sent invites were received by every players without wasting time. The first time we thought of a fluke but after four games without any issues, it is hard to exclude this software as a possible solution for this damned connection nightmare.

Maybe some other similar solutions like Hamachi can work too, but I cannot guarantee it. I am pretty sure we tried an another one that I forgot the name since then, and it failed. Maybe we didn't set it correctly ? Whatever because now that my group has a working solution, we won't try anything else, even for science :)

ZeroTier is not a complicated software.

1) One player (only one) need to create a (free) account in ZeroTier.com, and create a network. Said player will be the administrator of the network and will have access to the admin console. I suggest to go to this console right now and make sure that the settings are similar to this :

https://i.imgur.com/BqF2gzq.png

A network has a specific ID which must be sent to any players who want to join it (through Discord, e-mail, whatever).

2) Everyone (admin too) must close both Ubisoft Connect/Steam, install ZeroTier on their computer, do a right-click on the ZeroTier icon at the bottom-right of the screen, click on "Join Network" and copy/paste the ID of the network in the input box before clicking on Join.

This attempt will fail, access denied. This is normal and mandatory : It permits to populate the personal IP and "Node ID" of everyone in the admin console of the network...

3) ...So the administrator only need to go back to the admin console, and tick the boxes in the "AUTH?" column which can be found in the "Members" section so to authorize them in the network (check the previous screenshot).

This is a one-time requirement, no need to do that in the future (except to accept new members).

4) Everyone must restart ZeroTier and wait few seconds. Then they should check the line "Status" in "Show Networks" to be sure that it is written "OK", and they should verify that the tick is present at the left of the ID/Name in the right-click menu of ZeroTier. Like this :

https://i.imgur.com/2EHO5Bq.png

If it is OK, then it was the very last thing they needed to do. One-time requirement here too.

In the future, they only need to start ZeroTier BEFORE Ubisoft Connect/Steam/Anno 2070.

5) Time to start the launchers and the game.

It should be OK.

[Ubi_TheBerry]

Hey there Sky Marshall,

Thank you for sharing these steps!

Just to be sure though, had you also given all the steps in this guide[www.ubisoft.com] a try as these should allow you all to connect without otherwise requiring any additional software.

If there's also anything more you need from us at all, please let us know.

Thank you!

- Ubisoft Support

[Sky Marshal]

We did. Wifi is the Evil on Earth to be honest. We even opened few more ports including the ones of the guide : 13000, 13005, 13200, 13999 and 14001, probably because of what I saw during our tries by using Process Explorer (TCP/IP tab of the application). UPNP was enabled as usual. My router still have the rules (disabled now as it is useless).

We have clean HOSTS files, we disabled the Windows Firewall at some point, we also tried to modify the Engine.ini file in the Roaming\Ubisoft\Anno 2070\Config folder to modify the usual 3074 port to something else with the appropriate port-forwarding rule. I don't remember if the game respected it, I only remember that it didn't work.

We tried to use a SSH tunnel to a distant server, with a proxy client to redirect Anno 2070 through it, as I thought that it would avoid any local network problem.

And I think we tried some others things, but it was last year so I forgot...

I think that at ONE occasion, two other players were in the same local network (same home) but they were unable to fully communicate by the internal chat between them when I asked for it to see the result. If you cannot fully communicate with it, then it means that any invitations sent will not be received by the concerned players OR that they may not be able to join a game started by the host. And indeed, they couldn't.

So a week before my post, I purposed this solution without conviction but we had time to waste and to laugh to some more computer weirdness assured by Ubisoft.

We didn't expect this result.

To be honest, I don't even understand why it works if we consider the failure of the local physical network session. Zerotier or Hamachi or similar are simulating a private network. Maybe a problem with the routers (all provided by our different ISPs), or in Windows 10, or there is something that the Ubisoft servers really don't like when a client try to connect to them, and Zerotier avoid that involuntarily.

We are not the only ones with this kind of problem ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/48240/discussions/1/4516523369468990525/ ) so there must be something.

So I posted this because it may help some :)

[Ubi_TheBerry]

Messaggio originale di Sky Marshal:

We did. Wifi is the Evil on Earth to be honest. We even opened few more ports including the ones of the guide : 13000, 13005, 13200, 13999 and 14001, probably because of what I saw during our tries by using Process Explorer (TCP/IP tab of the application). UPNP was enabled as usual. My router still have the rules (disabled now as it is useless).

We have clean HOSTS files, we disabled the Windows Firewall at some point, we also tried to modify the Engine.ini file in the Roaming\Ubisoft\Anno 2070\Config folder to modify the usual 3074 port to something else with the appropriate port-forwarding rule. I don't remember if the game respected it, I only remember that it didn't work.

We tried to use a SSH tunnel to a distant server, with a proxy client to redirect Anno 2070 through it, as I thought that it would avoid any local network problem.

And I think we tried some others things, but it was last year so I forgot...

I think that at ONE occasion, two other players were in the same local network (same home) but they were unable to fully communicate by the internal chat between them when I asked for it to see the result. If you cannot fully communicate with it, then it means that any invitations sent will not be received by the concerned players OR that they may not be able to join a game started by the host. And indeed, they couldn't.

So a week before my post, I purposed this solution without conviction but we had time to waste and to laugh to some more computer weirdness assured by Ubisoft.

We didn't expect this result.

To be honest, I don't even understand why it works if we consider the failure of the local physical network session. Zerotier or Hamachi or similar are simulating a private network. Maybe a problem with the routers (all provided by our different ISPs), or in Windows 10, or there is something that the Ubisoft servers really don't like when a client try to connect to them, and Zerotier avoid that involuntarily.

We are not the only ones with this kind of problem ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/48240/discussions/1/4516523369468990525/ ) so there must be something.

So I posted this because it may help some :)

Messaggio originale di Sky Marshal:

We did. Wifi is the Evil on Earth to be honest. We even opened few more ports including the ones of the guide : 13000, 13005, 13200, 13999 and 14001, probably because of what I saw during our tries by using Process Explorer (TCP/IP tab of the application). UPNP was enabled as usual. My router still have the rules (disabled now as it is useless).

We have clean HOSTS files, we disabled the Windows Firewall at some point, we also tried to modify the Engine.ini file in the Roaming\Ubisoft\Anno 2070\Config folder to modify the usual 3074 port to something else with the appropriate port-forwarding rule. I don't remember if the game respected it, I only remember that it didn't work.

We tried to use a SSH tunnel to a distant server, with a proxy client to redirect Anno 2070 through it, as I thought that it would avoid any local network problem.

And I think we tried some others things, but it was last year so I forgot...

I think that at ONE occasion, two other players were in the same local network (same home) but they were unable to fully communicate by the internal chat between them when I asked for it to see the result. If you cannot fully communicate with it, then it means that any invitations sent will not be received by the concerned players OR that they may not be able to join a game started by the host. And indeed, they couldn't.

So a week before my post, I purposed this solution without conviction but we had time to waste and to laugh to some more computer weirdness assured by Ubisoft.

We didn't expect this result.

To be honest, I don't even understand why it works if we consider the failure of the local physical network session. Zerotier or Hamachi or similar are simulating a private network. Maybe a problem with the routers (all provided by our different ISPs), or in Windows 10, or there is something that the Ubisoft servers really don't like when a client try to connect to them, and Zerotier avoid that involuntarily.

We are not the only ones with this kind of problem ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/48240/discussions/1/4516523369468990525/ ) so there must be something.

So I posted this because it may help some :)

Hey Sky Marshal,

Sorry for the delay!

Thank you very much for getting back to us and for detailing the steps you'd tried that lead you to finding your current fix.

I'm sorry the otherwise normal process of steps didn't fix it for you at all!

I'm glad to hear your current workaround is working though and hope it continues to do so and helps others!

If there's anything more we can help with at all, please let us know.

Take care!

- Ubisoft Support

[Luca|EzioTheDeadPoet]

Messaggio originale di Ubi_TheBerry:

Messaggio originale di Sky Marshal:

We did. Wifi is the Evil on Earth to be honest. We even opened few more ports including the ones of the guide : 13000, 13005, 13200, 13999 and 14001, probably because of what I saw during our tries by using Process Explorer (TCP/IP tab of the application). UPNP was enabled as usual. My router still have the rules (disabled now as it is useless).

We have clean HOSTS files, we disabled the Windows Firewall at some point, we also tried to modify the Engine.ini file in the Roaming\Ubisoft\Anno 2070\Config folder to modify the usual 3074 port to something else with the appropriate port-forwarding rule. I don't remember if the game respected it, I only remember that it didn't work.

We tried to use a SSH tunnel to a distant server, with a proxy client to redirect Anno 2070 through it, as I thought that it would avoid any local network problem.

And I think we tried some others things, but it was last year so I forgot...

I think that at ONE occasion, two other players were in the same local network (same home) but they were unable to fully communicate by the internal chat between them when I asked for it to see the result. If you cannot fully communicate with it, then it means that any invitations sent will not be received by the concerned players OR that they may not be able to join a game started by the host. And indeed, they couldn't.

So a week before my post, I purposed this solution without conviction but we had time to waste and to laugh to some more computer weirdness assured by Ubisoft.

We didn't expect this result.

To be honest, I don't even understand why it works if we consider the failure of the local physical network session. Zerotier or Hamachi or similar are simulating a private network. Maybe a problem with the routers (all provided by our different ISPs), or in Windows 10, or there is something that the Ubisoft servers really don't like when a client try to connect to them, and Zerotier avoid that involuntarily.

We are not the only ones with this kind of problem ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/48240/discussions/1/4516523369468990525/ ) so there must be something.

So I posted this because it may help some :)

Messaggio originale di Sky Marshal:

We did. Wifi is the Evil on Earth to be honest. We even opened few more ports including the ones of the guide : 13000, 13005, 13200, 13999 and 14001, probably because of what I saw during our tries by using Process Explorer (TCP/IP tab of the application). UPNP was enabled as usual. My router still have the rules (disabled now as it is useless).

We have clean HOSTS files, we disabled the Windows Firewall at some point, we also tried to modify the Engine.ini file in the Roaming\Ubisoft\Anno 2070\Config folder to modify the usual 3074 port to something else with the appropriate port-forwarding rule. I don't remember if the game respected it, I only remember that it didn't work.

We tried to use a SSH tunnel to a distant server, with a proxy client to redirect Anno 2070 through it, as I thought that it would avoid any local network problem.

And I think we tried some others things, but it was last year so I forgot...

I think that at ONE occasion, two other players were in the same local network (same home) but they were unable to fully communicate by the internal chat between them when I asked for it to see the result. If you cannot fully communicate with it, then it means that any invitations sent will not be received by the concerned players OR that they may not be able to join a game started by the host. And indeed, they couldn't.

So a week before my post, I purposed this solution without conviction but we had time to waste and to laugh to some more computer weirdness assured by Ubisoft.

We didn't expect this result.

To be honest, I don't even understand why it works if we consider the failure of the local physical network session. Zerotier or Hamachi or similar are simulating a private network. Maybe a problem with the routers (all provided by our different ISPs), or in Windows 10, or there is something that the Ubisoft servers really don't like when a client try to connect to them, and Zerotier avoid that involuntarily.

We are not the only ones with this kind of problem ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/48240/discussions/1/4516523369468990525/ ) so there must be something.

So I posted this because it may help some :)

Hey Sky Marshal,

Sorry for the delay!

Thank you very much for getting back to us and for detailing the steps you'd tried that lead you to finding your current fix.

I'm sorry the otherwise normal process of steps didn't fix it for you at all!

I'm glad to hear your current workaround is working though and hope it continues to do so and helps others!

If there's anything more we can help with at all, please let us know.

Take care!

- Ubisoft Support

So with the annoying announcement of the server shutdown for plenty Ubisoft games INCLUDING Anno 2070 will there be a LAN option remaining?

[Ubi_TheBerry]

Messaggio originale di Luca|EzioTheDeadPoet:

Messaggio originale di Ubi_TheBerry:

Hey Sky Marshal,

Sorry for the delay!

Thank you very much for getting back to us and for detailing the steps you'd tried that lead you to finding your current fix.

I'm sorry the otherwise normal process of steps didn't fix it for you at all!

I'm glad to hear your current workaround is working though and hope it continues to do so and helps others!

If there's anything more we can help with at all, please let us know.

Take care!

- Ubisoft Support

So with the annoying announcement of the server shutdown for plenty Ubisoft games INCLUDING Anno 2070 will there be a LAN option remaining?

Hey Luca,

At the moment there is no LAN facility in-game.

As far as we're aware there are no plans to add this facility when the servers are discontinued.

Apologies for the disappointment and if you have any further queries, please let us know!

- Ubisoft Support

[LoneWalker]

So does this mean hat Ubisoft is switching off multiplayer support completely for Anno 2070? Means any existing saves are dead and future games are impossible?

[Philomel_D8]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2833850933

Thanks! Very useful! Tested with my friend last hour.

I get the tips: first start zerotier, join network until the status is ok. then start steam and uplay, start the game finally.

if not use zerotier, I can't receive any in-game whisper message or invitation from friend. My friend is same to me.

[Philomel_D8]

Messaggio originale di Ubi_TheBerry:

Messaggio originale di Luca|EzioTheDeadPoet:

So with the annoying announcement of the server shutdown for plenty Ubisoft games INCLUDING Anno 2070 will there be a LAN option remaining?

Hey Luca,

At the moment there is no LAN facility in-game.

As far as we're aware there are no plans to add this facility when the servers are discontinued.

Apologies for the disappointment and if you have any further queries, please let us know!

- Ubisoft Support

I have played this game for 250+ hours. Love this game more then Anno 1800. Please let Anno 2070 alive!

[Ubi_TheBerry]

Messaggio originale di LoneWalker:

So does this mean hat Ubisoft is switching off multiplayer support completely for Anno 2070? Means any existing saves are dead and future games are impossible?

Hey LoneWalker,

Sorry for the delay, however yes - the server shutdown would mean multiplayer features and games are no longer accessible.

- Ubisoft Support

[LoneWalker]

I see.

Well, I figured as much, judging by the backlash Ubisoft is getting online. Why not create the option for locally hosted multiplayer instead of just switching off?

[Ubi-Thrupney]

Hey LoneWalker! We appreciate the feedback on this. My apologies that we're not able to help more directly from here at the Support team, but we've been sure to pass your feedback about this on internally.

- Ubisoft Support