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Thread: Online Multiplayer Campaign: Medieval II (Setup Guide)

  1. #1

    Icon3 Online Multiplayer Campaign: Medieval II (Setup Guide)




    Greetings fellow campaigners,



    This is the updated version of the Medieval II Online Multiplayer campaign guide. This guide will help you and your friends easily learn how to set up and play a Multiplayer campaign with Medieval II patched to 1.3 over the internet via email or by utilizing a web forum like TWC. If you're planning to play by email be sure you have access to an Email account that has no problem sending and receiving attachments.


    Contents


    Setting up the game configuration

    Using the TWC Forum Upload Tool for Online Campaigning

    How to Play an Online Multiplayer Campaign via Foldershare by [user]elGreco[/user]

    How to set yourself as Administrator [Credits to Tosa & Privateerkev of totalwar.org]



    1) Locate the installation folder of Medieval II on your hard drive.


    2) Locate the medieval2.preference and open it with notepad.


    3) Verify the values of the following settings (if not there added them.)



    [misc]
    unlock_campaign = true

    [multiplayer]
    playable = true

    [hotseat]
    autoresolve_battles = 0
    disable_console = 1
    disable_papal_elections = 1
    save_prefs = 1
    update_ai_camera = 0
    validate_diplomacy = 1




    IV Save the config file.



    V. Open the config file properties (right click on it and choose properties) then check read only. (* Note: if you do not do this the config file will be over written on every new campaign game.) You are now configured to play.


    The factions are selected by the starting player. If you are starting the campaign for all players your faction MUST be the first line in the faction selection list. For example: If three players have chosen the following countries: Germany, Sicily and Byzantium then the first player would be Germany and would start the game like this:


    Launch Medieval II, Click Singleplayer, Click Grand Campaign


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 





    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 





    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 





    Now select Germany, and then Sicily and finally Byzantium (the faction for each player is highlighted when selected - see image below.)

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


    Before you start be sure to choose your settings, I usually go with the following (as in the image above.)


    Advice Level: Optional

    Difficulty: Very Hard

    Battle Difficultly: Very Hard (Since we will be fighting each other's AI armies)

    Manage All Cities: Unchecked

    Show CPU Moves: Unchecked

    No Battle time limit: Checked


    Now Click START and you will see the following screen (see image)


    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 



    Create a password for yourself and begin your turn. Once you are finished click END TURN now you will see a new password create pop up for the next player in line. Press ESC and then SAVE your game then ESC again and choose QUIT game.

    As the first player to complete a turn it is now your responsibility to email your multiplayer campaign.sav (or whatever you named your campaign file) located in the Medieval II > saves to the next player in line. When the next player receives the saved campaign file they must place it in their saves folder of the appropriate campaign and load the campaign. Once loaded rinse and repeat.



    Using the TWC Forum Upload Tool for Online Campaigning
    For this next section I will assume you have basic understanding of how to use Winzip and have no trouble zipping or extracting files.

    Once you've gathered enough players together the First thing to do is start the campaign as instructed above, take your turn and when you are ready to pass to the second player you'll want to start a new topic in the multiplayer sub-forum under the following area:


    Total War Center Forums > Medieval II: Total War > Medieval II: Total War General Discussion > Multiplayer


    Here you can inform others about the particular campaign you will be playing and lay down any unofficial rules you would like everyone to agree to. Name the topic something reflective of the campaign you are playing for example: You could call it 'Online Campaign Game' and maybe add a date or your name to it so it stands out from others. Next let's over the upload tool. Before using the upload tool you will want to get Winzip so you can easily transfer the campaign.sav file to TWC as a campaign.zip file. Get Winzip here http://www.winzip.com/


    So to pass your first turn you will want to do the following:


    Start the campaign as per instructions above, complete your turn, zip your campaign.sav file located in the Medieval II > saves folder.


    - Click Add reply to the Topic you made.

    - Make sure your Thread Subscription is set to Instant email notification. (This will ensure you keep up with the game as each player completes their turn and uploads it to the forum.)


    - Click the Manage Attachments button below your reply.


    - Click Browse under upload a file from your computer.


    - Browse to the location of where you zipped the campaign.sav (now the campaign.zip file which would be by default in the Medieval II > saves folder.)


    - Click Upload to transfer the campaign.zip file to your reply.


    - Click Submit Reply and it is now the next players turn


    It may sound like a lot of work but once you get the hang of it it will be fair smooth for everyone and probably even a little easier than relying on email to pass your turns. So if you have any questions on any of this just ask!

    Alternatively see the following tutorial for how to play an Online Campaign via Foldershare:


    How to Play an Online Multiplayer Campaign via Foldershare by: [user]elGreco[/user]
    Foldershare required version: FolderShare v2.5.10

    Hi folks! This is a guide i have made to play real-time multiplayer campaign game with a couple of programs I've found.

    Download the guide:
    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/attac...8&d=1186183642

    Also you should download this nice program, so you don't have to use speakers or minimize the game:
    http://www.download.com/DirectoryMon...l?tag=lst-0-10

    The program is called Directory Monitor. You simply extract the zip file in any location, open the program, select the directory with the saves and you are done!
    When a file changes in that location an alert will start. That means that the player has played his turn and saved the game.
    I attach a picture of what it should look like:
    http://www.twcenter.net/forums/attac...9&d=1186784129

    One thing you must pay attention is that you must have the autosave disabled.
    This can be done by editing the multiplayer.cfg file .
    Otherwise you will hear one more ring for each player.

    *SEE ABOVE for editing the config file.

    With the above you can play real-time multiplayer campaign over the net pretty good!

    PS: I plan to create a program on my own. In my program you will be able to enter the number of file changes before the alert.
    With this one if there are many players it will be pretty tough to count yourself the number of alerts.

    Download elGreco's guide here



    How to set yourself as an Administrator

    Credit for these instructions go to Tosa & Privateerkev of totalwar.org

    References for this section:

    http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpo...00&postcount=1
    http://forums.totalwar.org/wiki/index.php/Hotseat
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Sometimes online campaigns can be plagued with issues like people dropping from your game or forgetting their passwords. To avoid hang ups like these that can slow down or even ruin the game you will need to set yourself as an Administrator. Being an Admin allows you to change player passwords and even resign factions.

    1. Go to the Medieval II root directory.

    2. Find medieval2.preference.cfg

    3. Right click on it and select properties.

    4. If you have the attribute Read Only selected from the earlier instructions then De-select it now so that you will be able to make these necessary changes (you can always go back and reselect later.)

    5. Click Apply & Close the Window.

    6. Now open your medieval2.preference.cfg with notepad.

    7. Locate: [hotseat]

    8. Below the hotseat entry add admin_password = your_password (your_password is where you will type whatever admin password you would like to have such as "ABC123" for example.

    9. Save & Close the CFG file.

    10. Right click on the CFG file again and select properties to re-enable the Read-Only attribute. (as noted in step 5)

    13. Start your hotseat game as according to the instructions in this guide.

    14. Go into the first player's login screen.

    15. Check to see if the console window opens by pressing: ~

    16. Type in the console window "logon your_password" (the password you entered in the config file) then and hit enter.

    17. If you receive an error message make sure the ` is not in the field like it is when I first open the console.

    18. If you do not receive an error type "logoff" and hit enter. Save and the game.

    You will then have admin access to your hotseat game. Just enter in your admin password at any player login screen. Even with console disabled, you can still access the console in there.

    To reset someone's password:

    Load the campaign sav and open the console by pressing ~ now login with your admin password and then type:

    clear_password <faction_label>


    The password will then be removed and the player can now load their turn and set a new one.

    If a player drops, and you can't find a replacement, you can set their faction as AI controlled:

    It also allows to change control to the AI (so 1 inactive player? => set faction to AI control and move on). Type control <factionlabel>


    To preset passwords:


    There are also functions to set the passwords. To do this type:

    set_password <faction_label> <password>


    The console also allows cheats so to be fair it is best to decide on what cheats will be allowed before the game has begun. To do otherwise is to cheat and no one wants to play with a cheater.


    Helpful Information:


    M2TW faction labels

    Faction labels including non playable are :

    Crusades
    egypt turks antioch jerusalem byzantium slave venice mongols

    Americas
    spain aztecs chichimeca tlaxcalans tarascans apachean mayans slave england

    Britannia
    france norway scotland england ireland wales

    Teutonic
    teutonic_order lithuania hre denmark poland novgorod slave venice

    M2TW
    sicily milan denmark egypt scotland aztecs turks france hre england portugal poland byzantium moors russia spain hungary papal_states slave

    Last edited by Armatus; March 18, 2009 at 06:03 PM. Reason: Updating 03-10-08

  2. #2

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Well you can play this online and not only by lan. Hamachi is like LAN so people connected to hamachi can use foldershare to share files. Tried it with a friend worked fine.

  3. #3

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    I think the general idea is included in elgreco's pdf if you understand that I'm sure they're maybe ways to utilize Hamachi with it. But I haven't tested that and I prefer to use TWC forums for campaigning since I'm not online 24/7

  4. #4

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    I am absolutely stunned that still, there has been no strategy game (that i know of) with a playable multiplayer campaign!

    Some have got close, and i must say that this is no where near playable for me, or anyone that i would play these games with.

    After 2 weeks a quit playing LOTR: BFME II because i just got tired of soloing it out, and the endless random battles online didnt reallly give me the kicks. They had atleast made a campaign which you could play via LAN or even online, but as me and a couple of friends started playing it, we hit a brick wall, we werent able to fight the AI unless all of us were in the battle.

    Then i got Medieval 2. And it seems that your not even able to play against AI in the random battles! It was possible in Rome (i hope!) so why remove that?! And why not make a multiplayer campaign even though there are petitions to you guys to make one?!

    I just cant believe it.. Its a fact that the second someone gets the brilliant idea of adding a desent multiplayer campaign to strategy game, everyone will swap to that, no matter how big a fans they are of TW. So why be a complete idiot and not capitalize on the market, huh?

    Please, make a mode, even if its just for LAN! If someone reads this and is capable of doing so, please hear my pleas and cries!:

    Make a multiplayer campaign mode for Medieval 2: Total War, where you can fight all your battles against human, and AI players, and enjoy your gaming experience!

  5. #5

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    This really isn't the tread for gripes, you're better off at the official forums with those. I see where you're coming from, but you might give this a try several of us here on TWC are having good fun playing multiplayer campaigns regardless of how slow or tedious it may seem to you.

  6. #6
    Trajan's Avatar Capodecina
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    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Thread pinned.

  7. #7

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    is it possible to play the battles to with this?

  8. #8

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    It is possible to play out the real time battles, but only against the AI of another player or an AI faction.

  9. #9

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    too complex to understand but thank you very much!

    I don't understand the HLR issue. why first player has to choose it? We want to play it 2 player As Turks and egypt and what we have to do?

    and why do we choose very hard? it will be very hard

    and you said that we can play against AI. for example I want to enter real time battle and my friend is my ally and stand near me, he can also play real time battle as my alliance?
    Last edited by AmiR TimuR; January 06, 2008 at 05:29 PM.

  10. #10

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by AmiR TimuR View Post
    too complex to understand but thank you very much!

    You are welcome, but very few things good come easy... actually you should look for a game in the forums to join up sometime that way you can get experience without starting one yourself.


    I don't understand the HLR issue. why first player has to choose it? We want to play it 2 player As Turks and egypt and what we have to do?
    HLR? The reason you have to choose factions in order is because each player will have a password and you need to make sure your factions shows up on your turn when you start the game. If you want to play as Turks and your friend as Egypt then you start the game by selecting Turks first then Egypt second.


    and why do we choose very hard? it will be very hard
    You don't have to choose hard choose easy if you want. It's personal preference, but if you plan on fighting each other's armies it might be best to choose the harder settings for AI.


    and you said that we can play against AI. for example I want to enter real time battle and my friend is my ally and stand near me, he can also play real time battle as my alliance?
    The campaign is still 100% a turn based game so you cannot play real time battles side by side. You can however play real time battles with the AI on your turn. The main aspect of cooperations with your ally will be in what strategies you employ together on the campaign map (not the battle map)
    Last edited by Armatus; January 07, 2008 at 10:35 AM.

  11. #11

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by Armatus View Post
    You are welcome, but very few things good come easy... actually you should look for a game in the forums to join up sometime that way you can get experience without starting one yourself.



    HLR? The reason you have to choose factions in order is because each player will have a password and you need to make sure your factions shows up on your turn when you start the game. If you want to play as Turks and your friend as Egypt then you start the game by selecting Turks first then Egypt second.



    You don't have to choose hard choose easy if you want. It's personal preference, but if you plan on fighting each other's armies it might be best to choose the harder settings for AI.



    The campaign is still 100% a turn based game so you cannot play real time battles side by side. You can however play real time battles with the AI on your turn. The main aspect of cooperations with your ally will be in what strategies you employ together on the campaign map (not the battle map)
    Thanks for your answer!!!

    Yes, after reading twice, it is not so hard to apply it.

    HLR = Holy Roman i wanted to say

    I understand diffiult issue

    Lastly, I have some questions. please make them correct or say yes if i understood wrong.
    1-when we play multiplayer, AI is working fine and we can fight with them also even in real time battle.

    2- if my friend is my ally and we go to the war to any AI faction, we can't play real time battle only we can auto solve the battle result. and if my friend is near me on the map, he is counted as my ally.

    3- we play the same turn together, when one of player finishes, he waits.

  12. #12

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by AmiR TimuR View Post
    1-when we play multiplayer, AI is working fine and we can fight with them also even in real time battle.

    Yes, but listen only on your turn. So that means only you can enter a real time battle with the AI. On your friend's turn he can attack them but only he can enter the battle in REAL TIME.

    2- if my friend is my ally and we go to the war to any AI faction, we can't play real time battle only we can auto solve the battle result. and if my friend is near me on the map, he is counted as my ally.

    If it is your turn and your friend's army is allied and joined with the battle against an AI faction then. You will be able to fight the AI in REAL TIME, BUT your friend's army will be under AI control and it will help you.

    3- we play the same turn together, when one of player finishes, he waits.

    No you have separate turns. If you are Turks and he is Egypt you will have separate turns and must wait for each other to finish playing your turns.

    Hope that helps.

  13. #13

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    thanks for your all answer. I got it! only 1 simple question because my friend said it to me. Each turn I have to get save file from email and I have to extract it in the save game file ?

    Thanks!

  14. #14

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by AmiR TimuR View Post
    thanks for your all answer. I got it! only 1 simple question because my friend said it to me. Each turn I have to get save file from email and I have to extract it in the save game file ?

    Thanks!

    No problem if you are playing over email that is correct you need to pass the campaign game .sav file to your friend and he or she should extract it or copy it to their Medieval II/Saves (folder)

    If you want to see how we do it on TWC check this Kingdoms group out they simply upload the file to the forum. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=138318

  15. #15
    Empedocles's Avatar Domesticus
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    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Hi Armatus,

    thanks for the guide.
    I still don't catch up with the idea of battles. How will you resolve the battles between:
    a) Human vs Human factions
    b) Human vs AI factions

    Sorry if you have already answered this.

    regards

    New version of all 77BC and 58BC can be found HERE

  16. #16

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by Empedocles View Post
    Hi Armatus,

    thanks for the guide.
    I still don't catch up with the idea of battles. How will you resolve the battles between:
    a) Human vs Human factions
    b) Human vs AI factions

    Sorry if you have already answered this.

    regards


    You're welcome always glad to see interest here!

    The issue of fighting out battles is really up to you, if you prefer to auto resolve all battles then you can change the config file settings like this:

    autoresolve_battles = 0 (change the zero to a 1)

    However if you leave the option set to '0' then any battles that occur during your turn will have the option of being auto resolved or played out on the battle map. But remember all battles fought in real time are against the AI whether that be your opponents army or an army of a computer faction.

  17. #17
    Empedocles's Avatar Domesticus
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    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    ok, but this kind of campaings (I am also reading your proposal for a BC MP campaing does not mean we will use multiplayer battles against other human opponents, right?
    Because I'm in argentina and it will be almost impossible to play against other human players.

    New version of all 77BC and 58BC can be found HERE

  18. #18

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by Empedocles View Post
    ok, but this kind of campaings (I am also reading your proposal for a BC MP campaing does not mean we will use multiplayer battles against other human opponents, right?
    Because I'm in argentina and it will be almost impossible to play against other human players.

    Right we will not be playing live human vs human battles, Real time battles will be like this:

    Human vs AI

    Human vs AI of other Human player

  19. #19
    Hohenstaufen's Avatar Semisalis
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    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Quote Originally Posted by rial2209 View Post
    I am absolutely stunned that still, there has been no strategy game (that i know of) with a playable multiplayer campaign!
    You should try EU series and HoI series.

    EU=Europa Universallis
    HoI=Hearts Of Iron

    They have an excellent grand campaign multiplayer.
    ΠΑΣ ΜΗ ΕΛΛΗΝ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟΣ

  20. #20

    Default Re: (REVISED 12-11-07) Medieval II Online Multiplayer Campaign - Setup Guide

    Please,

    This guide is open specifically for those who have questions about how to online campaign. Not rants for suggestions for other games.

    Thank you.

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