Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: CP5670 on July 11, 2006, 10:36:32 am
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I'm trying to play some old games over a LAN that only support IPX and not TCP (C&C and RA mainly). I don't know much about IPX though or how to set up a link with it. Do any of you know how to do this?
I have a null modem serial cable that I have used before in these games, but it's way too short given the distance between the computers. :(
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Ooh, wow, IPX. Haven't heard that acronym in a long while. ;)
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yeah, I think that's what everyone used in the old days to play these games. I always used to use that serial cable back then though (never had more than two players at a time so it was good enough), so I have no idea how IPX works. :p
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Just go into your network control panel, add a new protocoll and add IPX/SPX from the list that Windows has on hand and you should be good to go. Has to be done on both computers and its best to reset both of them before you get rolling. Sometimes there's some other things you have to do...I always had to fight with it for a bit before it would work.
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You surely are fast, IceFire... :)
Anyway, the latest IPX protocol driver just translates packets into a standard UDP flow. Most old games will work if the use the MS API to access the IPX channel (if we can so call it). But if they do implement it themselves, you're gonna have trouble.
That's what my experience (did a bit of research on it while I was in University) can tell.
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Just go into your network control panel, add a new protocoll and add IPX/SPX from the list that Windows has on hand and you should be good to go. Has to be done on both computers and its best to reset both of them before you get rolling. Sometimes there's some other things you have to do...I always had to fight with it for a bit before it would work.
Thanks for the advice, didn't know it was that simple. I'll see if I can get this to work.
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http://www.hamachi.cc/
This program has helped me out several times when I've been unable to connect properly to network games etc. Simple enough to use, and it's never failed me so far.
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LOL Wow! The last game I played over IPX was Carmageddon...!
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We were trying to play RA2 the other day and I was surprised to find out it's IPX only (unless I missed a patch or something). Anyway, even after adding the IPX protocols to all the machines, it still didn't work. We kinda just gave up. :(
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No luck here either yet. I'm going to try out that Hamachi program, as both RAs are specifically listed in its compatible games list.
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Cool, let me know if it works? For some reason we were even able to get C&C95 to work (but I think we downloaded a patch). Although, it was buggy and would crash from time to time. I just need to buckle down and build a few Windows 98 machines.
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Back in the day, we used a program called Kali to run IPX-games over TCP/IP connections, but the IPX stuff in Windows really should work...
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I used to get strange clashes and had to remove the TCP Protocol before it would work properly :(
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From what I'm reading it looks like the XP IPX driver is no longer compatible with C&C. I think the serial cable may be the easiest way to do this for two players. My main computers don't have serial ports and are too far apart from each other, but I could use the retro gaming rig I've set up with ME together with my laptop, which has a serial port. I think I also have a really old laptop with 95 lying around somewhere. It has a Pentium 133 or something like that, but it should still be enough for C&C and the first RA.
One issue with RA is that you need the limited release 3.03 patch to play LAN games, but the no CD loader I'm using won't work with that version and you need the Aftermath CD to play multiplayer games if you have Aftermath installed. I'm not about to buy a second Aftermath CD just for this. :p The older 2.00 version works fine with a null modem link though.
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Well phooey. I'm pretty pissed about this since I bought C&C the first decade, and half the games that come with it won't work multiplayer. :mad:
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This worked great with the serial cable and it was fun as hell. I spent several hours today playing RA with my future wars mod against my brother. The computers kept beating us up in the co-op games though. :p We'll try the original C&C and TS with the Eternity mod tomorrow.
If your computers have serial ports or port headers, a cheap serial cable is definitely the easiest way to do this and won't require any extra setup beyond connecting the cable even on XP. There are also programs available that can emulate null modem connections using normal TCP, but you have to pay for them.
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Hm, I'll have to look into getting a cable. But I was really hoping to play with more than two players. :(
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I still use IPX to play Master of Orion 2 with my friend, seeing as it doesn't work over IP :)