Can multiplayer, just not on dedicated server - Request for environmental information

[Mister Ether]

tl;dr- This is a request for Iron Gate devs to tell me which environmental third-party software, redistributables, or updates I am missing that could be related to the issue described below; all machines described are running some version of Windows.

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I am unable to connect to a friend's dedicated server. The issue is confusing, because 1) another remote friend can connect to that server and 2) I can connect to someone else's game when they are hosting the game while playing it on their own machine. The issue is likely on my end but it doesn't appear to be a general internet connectivity issue.

I and my friend (who is doing the dedicated hosting and can connect) both looked at our player logs, and I am getting a block of errors at game start-up that he isn't. The files involved are related to multiplayer gaming. This is that chunk of my log (with a little of the surrounding log for context):

12/16/2022 15:06:10: Builder started
12/16/2022 15:06:11: Loaded localization CSV:localization language:English
12/16/2022 15:06:11: Loaded localization CSV:localization_extra language:English
12/16/2022 15:06:11: Loaded localization CSV:localization language:English
12/16/2022 15:06:11: Loaded localization CSV:localization_extra language:English
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/PartyWin32
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/PartyWin32.dll
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/PartyWin32
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/libPartyWin32
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/libPartyWin32.dll
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/libPartyWin32
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/PartyWin32
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/PartyWin32.dll
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/PartyWin32
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/libPartyWin32
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/libPartyWin32.dll
Fallback handler could not load library B:/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Valheim/valheim_Data/Mono/libPartyWin32
DllNotFoundException: PartyWin32
  at (wrapper managed-to-native) PartyCSharpSDK.Interop.PFPInterop.PartyInitialize(byte[],PartyCSharpSDK.Interop.PARTY_HANDLE&)
  at PartyCSharpSDK.SDK.PartyInitialize (System.String titleId, PartyCSharpSDK.PARTY_HANDLE& handle) [0x00006] in <a8b1c1ea3f6547cc9981c55055961497>:0 
  at PlayFab.Party.PlayFabMultiplayerManager.InitializeImpl () [0x000be] in <a8b1c1ea3f6547cc9981c55055961497>:0 
  at PlayFab.Party.PlayFabMultiplayerManager._Initialize () [0x0000a] in <a8b1c1ea3f6547cc9981c55055961497>:0 
  at PlayFab.Party.PlayFabMultiplayerManager.Start () [0x00000] in <a8b1c1ea3f6547cc9981c55055961497>:0 

12/16/2022 15:06:11: Ticket is System.Byte[] of length 369
12/16/2022 15:06:11: Session auth respons callback

I've also looked at the logs when trying to connect to his server (details omitted for privacy reasons):

12/16/2022 15:27:47: Get Lobby
Server Name : (omitted)
Server IP : (omitted):2456
Version : 0.212.7
Player ID : (omitted)
Players : 2
Lobby ID : (omitted)
Network ID : (omitted)
Join Code : (omitted)
Dedicated : True
Community : True
TickCreated : (omitted)

12/16/2022 15:27:47: Joining server (omitted) at PlayFab network (omitted)
12/16/2022 15:28:16: ZRpc timeout detected
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Lost connection to server:ErrorConnectFailed
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Shuting down
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Cloud Save: 13735 bytes. (omitted)
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Steam writing file chunks 1 / 1, (13735 bytes)
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Steam Cloud Move: 13735 bytes. (omitted) -> (omitted)
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Steam writing file chunks 1 / 1, (13735 bytes)
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Steam Cloud Move: 13735 bytes. (omitted) -> (omitted)
12/16/2022 15:28:16: Steam writing file chunks 1 / 1, (13735 bytes)
12/16/2022 15:28:17: Considering autobackup. World time: 29.96, short time: 7200, long time: 43200, backup count: 4
12/16/2022 15:28:17: Skipping backup. World session not long enough.
12/16/2022 15:28:17: ZNet Shutdown
12/16/2022 15:28:17: Sending disconnect msg
12/16/2022 15:28:17: Left PlayFab lobby (omitted)
Unloading 8 Unused Serialized files (Serialized files now loaded: 1)
12/16/2022 15:28:18: ZNet OnDestroy
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Net scene destroyed
UnloadTime: 1542.225866 ms
Only custom filters can be played. Please add a custom filter or an audioclip to the audiosource (Amb_MainMenu).
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Steam initialized, persona:Mister Ether
12/16/2022 15:28:18: PlayFab custom ID set to (omitted)
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Using default prefs
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Valheim version:0.212.7
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Worldgenerator version setup:2
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Render threading mode:MultiThreaded
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Audioman already exist, destroying self
12/16/2022 15:28:18: Checking for installed DLCs
12/16/2022 15:28:18: DLC:beta installed:False

I'm aware there was a patch today, but this exact same error was happening yesterday when my game was the exact same version as the server. I have only been playing Valheim since 0.212.7, so I can't say when the problem started in relation to stable releases. This issue happens whether I am playing Valheim with BepInEx or vanilla.

Researching this issue online for a solution has proven fruitless. My best guess is I am missing some third-party software, redistributable, or update that would have made those files part of my system and set up a PATH argument for them, but which Steam wasn't set up to check for and install automatically. I believe this is an environmental issue because it seems very unlikely libraries would be dumped in a data directory.

Please let me know the specific environment software that should have been responsible for this part of the game so I can just install/update that. I will respond about if that fixed the issue. I've tried installing Mono itself, but apparently it was a dev library, so I'd like to avoid wasting more time.

[Mister Ether]

Some new details; a more technical friend went through several configurations of a dedicated server until we could find one I could connect to. I'm posting this as both a workaround for people with my issue and to help point the devs to whatever it is that is broken.

1) Remove the "-crossplay" flag from .BAT file switches that runs the dedicated server, to disable crossplay. (This will require you to get the public IP address for the server to invite people to direct connect, instead of having an invite code.)
2) Set up port forwarding on the router to the dedicated server.

Step 2 might not be necessary, depending on the setup for your dedicated server, so try step 1 by itself first.

[Chris_dema]

I read the guide you posted.
I don't understand one thing, the modification of the .bat file must be done by the owner of the server or by me?
and if I have to do it, I can find this file in the game folder on the disk :C?
Thank you

[Sparzethin]

Originally posted by Chr1s_D3m4:

I read the guide you posted.
I don't understand one thing, the modification of the .bat file must be done by the owner of the server or by me?
and if I have to do it, I can find this file in the game folder on the disk :C?
Thank you

Dedicated server, would be through steamcmd, which, if windows, would be C:steamcmd (etc etc). This also means its only for the person/pc/pi/server rack running the dedicated server. The batch file is C:steamcmd\steamapps\common\Valheim dedicated server\start_headless_server.bat. Highly recommend to copy what is in the batch file and make a new batch file instead of changing the original as it can be overwritten when the dedicated server is updated.
If you are not running a dedicated server, some things to try are to go into multiplayer and set it without crossplay (Its been a while since I checked, there at least was a option to allow crossplay with the ingame multiplayer). Regardless, whoever is the one that would be "running the server" should be port forwarding.

Mister Ether, for crossplay, for some reason we only have gotten it to turn off when changing it to " -enable_crossplay 0" whereas merely removing "-crossplay" still enabled. *shrugs , could just be a bug for us.

[Mister Ether]

Originally posted by Chr1s_D3m4:

I don't understand one thing, the modification of the .bat file must be done by the owner of the server or by me?

On the server; it's part of the server's startup settings.

Originally posted by Sparzethin:

Mister Ether, for crossplay, for some reason we only have gotten it to turn off when changing it to " -enable_crossplay 0" whereas merely removing "-crossplay" still enabled. *shrugs , could just be a bug for us.

Could be that's another option. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one who did it, so I can only go by what I was told the setting was. I am glad you chimed in, just in case something else was necessary.

[Patron]

If you're using BenInEx mod, try to update Jotunn.dll in \steamapps\common\Valheim\BepInEx\plugins dir, and check the same both server-client

This library was changed after Mistlands release. You can download the latest from Nexus (just type "Jotunn" in search panel)