Topic: How to play Descent 3 Online

[NUMBERZero]

A little generic instruction topic that I want to make and direct people to when they ask for help. I hope no body minds. No need to post here if you already have D3 installed ( ) or if you'd like to suggest something. It'd be great if this could be stickied.

So welcome whoever glances and whoever I directed here from YouTube or other places!







Descent 3 Multiplayer








To get started, you need Descent 3 to be updated to 1.4. Go to http://www.descent3.com/downloads.php

If you have 1.5, you need the switcher here: http://www.dateiliste.com/en/descent-3/6-descent-3-files-section/499-descent-3-14-version-switcher.html or you can just uninstall and reinstall and update to 1.4. But just so you know, almost NOBODY USES the 1.5 patch because it just added more bugs. There is one guy that I see on the trackers, but my guess is that he just lives under a rock.


After you go to the downloads site for the 1.4 patch, do these steps:
1. Grab [insert your country here] patch Ver 1.4.

2. If you have Mercs as well, grab the Dual Juel fix.


Once that is done, start up Descent 3 so that it brings you to the launcher. Click on "setup." In the new window, click the "Network" tab. Set the internet connection to LAN/Direct connection and then set the speed to "T1, ADSL, T3, etc" because that's how awesome your computer is.




Then you need Vortex here: http://www.slyclan.de/
Download it, run it.


There are several things you need to do before starting a game. You can go ahead and click on D3 serverlist and see all of the games, but you can't play yet.

1. Go to settings, D3 Settings, and where it says Retail v1.4, find the MAIN.EXE in your Descent 3 directory.

2. If you have Pyromania, do the same thing for Retail V1.5 and MOD Pyromania.

3. If you you are signed into a chat room (later on) and you don't want it to exit you out while you are playing, in the same screen, look at the bottom with the 3 check boxes. Uncheck Disconnect all IRC-Connections.

4. If you want 1 on 1 help. First, go to connect, and then you are presented with 4 chat room options. Well, 3, because PXO is KIA

Gamesurge is annoying to start. But go ahead and assign a nickname to yourself, then an alternative, don't wory about the real name, put your nick name again if you want, BUT MAKE SURE TO HAVE NO CAPITAL LETTERS. Then User Name can be the same as your nick again, BUT MAKE SURE TO HAVE NO CAPITAL LETTERS. If you sign in and it doesn't allow you, read what went wrong, and try again in a minute. If you try again too fast, it will say that you tried again too fast.

Descentforum is the place where I usually hang out in as NUMBERZero. It is a more friendlyer atmosphere there. Descentforum.net is a German site so there are a lot of Germans there, but there are a lot of Americans (me) there too. We all speak English, so nothing to worry about. The German clan there, VEX, host Entropy and CTF games every week on a certain date and time.

Shadowfire... nothing ever happens there.

5. Vortex has an auto-download feature for levels. Right click or double left click on a level that has a red mod or level name, then click on download mod or level. Then delete the zip when it is finished.




And that's basically it. You may get killed a lot in the beginning, but if you keep at it, you will improve tremendously. There is a server that has a bunch of BOZ players in it. Those are bots. They cheat, I swear they do. But you can mess with those guys if you want. Just don't mess with the ones with Vauss or MD.

I sometimes host servers. I usually host a no-mod Subway Dancer. Regular Subway Dancer is an overplayed level. The weapons there take NO SKILL to use and the pilots who fly there on a regular basis sometimes have problems in normal matches. I don't have any auto download links for the levels that I host, but you can find a big mission database at a couple of places.
http://d3fischlein.de/home.html
http://www.enspiar.com/dmdb/.
Planetdescent.com used to be a great source, but it has crashed.



Here's the game tracker now if you'd like to see.
http://d3.descent.cx/tracker.d3

You don't need Vortex to get into the chat rooms. You can use something else like Ice Chat.



You don't need Vortex to start a game. Just use the tracker to find the IP address of the game, write it down, start D3, multiplayer, Direct TCP/IP, then find games at the address you wrote down. Write the address into the box provided. It is the IP:Port that you write in. Looks like this: 87.106.184.173:2089
That's the IP to the BOZ match if you want to get started NAO!

There is also some tool called the Descent 3 Direct IP Launcher. You can type in the IP into that. You can find that here: http://www.dateiliste.com/en/descent-3/6-descent-3-files-section/130-descent-3-direct-ip-launcher.html


You cannot host any servers as of now. You can get instructions here as well. They may be a little confusing, but you can ask questions from anyone.
http://www.dateiliste.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17%3Ahosting-descent-3-game-servers&catid=3%3Aplaying-descent-3-online&Itemid=4&7a0755f27cd237741a7868a944518045=c82086b21707f477105ec760980cff98
(I'll help you out a little because I had trouble looking there for the correct ports that needed to be forward in order to host a game. Forward ports 2092 and 20142.)



You are now up to speed.
NUMBERZero (Cypher501)

[-<WillyP>-]

Edit: I wrote this not realizing Omega had already written the post above, so this is merged.


Descent 3
There are plenty of servers up to play D3, unfortunately not many players in them. Getting in a game is very easy, just a few tips here.

First, make sure you are running a patched 1.4. Download the patch from here: Descent 3 Patches or use Thomas' installer, if you haven't already. Note, the country you bought D3 from is not necessarily the one you disc is made for, choose 'North American' if you are not sure.
Next, set your connection speed. In the D3 launcher, go to Setup > Network and select "T1, ADSL, T3, etc." then hit ok to save. Close the launcher. If this setting is too low, you may get kicked from a server with a message, something to the effect of too low a connection speed.

Now download and install Vortex: ..www.slyclan.de..
Vortex is very easy to setup, mainly it needs to find your install of D3, IIRC. You can also set command line switches, and a bunch of other stuff, but I believe it will work without all that stuff.

Once Vortex is up and running, hit 'D3 Serverlist' to get a list of games available. You can click on the column headings to sort as you wish, I usually sort by players, to bring games with people in them to the top. Click on the game you want to join. If the mission or game type is in red, that is because you don't have it. But fret not! Most of the missions and game types are available for download right in Vortex! Click the game and you will see 'Download Mission' or Download Mod'. Wait for Vortex to produce and test a list links to download from then choose one that is not broken. Vortex will download and install the mission or mod (game type) and even give you the option to delete the zip. When the 'Join Game' button becomes available click it to join the game. Vortex will launch D3 and connect you to the game.
 
One more thing, when you see a game with [BOZ] players in them, these are bots, AI players, and as soon as you or anyone joins one will drop out, so there is always room for a real player to join.

Further Reading:
Descent Guides Project Forum, in particular see D3 Command Line options
DescentiaPedia: CategoryD3
DescentiaPedia: CategoryD1D2

Now, I haven't a clue how to get D1/D2 games online, if someone would kindly write up some tips for that it would be most appreciated. And of course any other relevant info, I am sure I missed some.

[Kaiaatzl]

If you right-click on a game in Vortex you can copy the D3: IP Port, which lets you use an external application (such as D3 Direct IP launcher) to launch D3 so that you don't need to have vortex open while D3 is running.
This is useful if you like to have other programs open while you play D3 -- say, Windows media player so you can have your own music in the background.  The other advantage to launching the game this way is the server's IP adress is copied to D3's TCP-IP game launcher, so if you need to leave the game you don't need to quit D3 and launch it from Vortex again to rejoin the server -- just go to Multiplayer - Direct TCP-IP - Search for servers at adress.  The server's IP adress will already be in the TCP-IP adress box.

[NUMBERZero]

Why can't you run media player with Vortex open? I do it all the time, every time.

And WillyP, I already have step by step instructions stickied in the technical forums. I've been linking it to a few guys from YouTube and they like it.
http://www.planetdescent.net/index.php?topic=337.0

[Matthew]

Why can't you run media player with Vortex open? I do it all the time, every time.

512MB of RAM and a Pentium 4?

[-<WillyP>-]

Omega, sorry, I did not see your post there. Someone had pm'd me asking how to get in a game online.

I'm going to merge these threads.

[NUMBERZero]

You are missing one key instruction if you are going to run D3 with Vortex.

"1. Go to settings, D3 Settings, and where it says Retail v1.4, find the MAIN.EXE in your Descent 3 directory.

2. If you have Pyromania, do the same thing for Retail V1.5 and MOD Pyromania."



The only thing that I am missing is the Network type and speed found in the launcher (which I will fix momentarily)

[MetallicTempest]

Great, this is exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks for posting it.

[TechPro]

Here is a compiled set of instructions I've assembled.  Some instructions and links, very similar to the instructions found at Descent Valhalla.  Additional info provided by me and scavenged from the original PlanetDescent site.

Step 1: 
Get your Descent 3 patched to version 1.4.  Most of the online sites require you to be running ver. 1.4.   Don't patch up to 1.5 unless you intend to go to some of the ver 1.5 games because the 1.4 games won't let your 1.5 system play in the 1.4 games.

You can get the patches here (PlanetDescent.net) or here (Descent3.com), or here (Descent Valhalla).

NOTE: If you have the "Dual Jewel" Descent 3 set that includes the Mercenary disc, make sure you install Descent 3 and then install Mercenary before you install the 1.4 patch.

Step 2:
Configure your Descent 3

• Start the D3 Launcher (Start, Programs, Descent 3, Descent 3)
• Click Setup
• Click "Network" tab
• Ensure "LAN/Direct Connection" and "T1, ADSL, T3, etc." are selected
• Click OK, and enjoy

Step 3:
Get Levels

• Download the levels of your choice from PlanetDescent.net (not many levels yet), or Descent3fischlein.de, or DescentValhalla, or Descent Mission Database.
• Extract the levels you choose into c:\games\descent3\missions (Windows users)

Step 4:
 Find Games

• Option 1
  
  • Visit The DescentValhalla game tracker and bookmark it. - Now also supports D1 and D2 Rebirth!
  • Click on a server you'd like to join
  • Check the settings on the page and click "Join Game"

• Option 2
  
  • Download Vortex
  • Install it
  • Run it
  • Click Settings
  • Click D3 Settings
  • Ensure Retail v1.4 is pointing to C:\Games\Descent3\main.exe
  • Click Save
  • Click "D3 Serverlist" at the top and pick a server to join!

• Option 3
  
  • Follow Suncho's Tutorial to use Kquery to go online

• Option 4
  
  • Use the d3.descent.cx/tracker.d3  game tracker

If everything is good, you will be thrown into the game and insanity will ensue.
Direct quote from DescentValhalla site