Multiplayer turns time-out and abort themselves

[the_iron_duke]

Occasionally my mobile broadband internet connection can be a bit sub-standard, when there are transmitter problems. This results in a "cannot connect to server, try again?" message in multiplayer when sending a turn. I then try again (often more than once) and eventually the turn gets sent.

However, twice in the last few days this has happened and then the turn-sending has aborted itself, so the turn is lost and has to be replayed. Fortunately, both occasions have been early manouevring without combat and so have been no big deal but if this happens later in the game it will be a big problem.

I have played many hundreds of multiplayer games of Field of Glory and sometimes have similar situations, but the turn has never aborted itself so a turn has never been lost for this reason.

So I suggest you copy whatever settings/parameters Field of Glory uses for multiplayer concerning time-outs for turn-sending so this situation cannot happen with Panzer Corps multiplayer.

[the_iron_duke]

I have tried uploading the Panzer Corps multiplayer turn many times today but with no success, while I have managed to return a couple of Field of Glory turns so the problem may be related to the larger byte size of my custom scenario compared to a Field of Glory turn (or a regular size Panzer Corps multiplayer file size). Which is fine - I'll just have to wait until my internet service gets back to normal (I can barely load a page at the moment).

Also, it is possible that I have identified why the multiplayer turn appears to be "aborting". The 'Failed to connect to server' message appears in a separate window to the Panzer Corps game. So, if one switches to Windows (by pressing the Windows key) to check the internet connection, for example, and then switch back to the game, then this message is not visible as it is on a separate Windows screen. So it looks like the turn-sending has aborted. Instead, one must restore the 'Failed to connect to server' message window. I'm not certain this is the cause of the problem but I think there's a good chance that's what it is. (Field of Glory has the 'Failed to connect to server' message in the same Windows pane as the main game so it's always visible).

I'll report back if I have any further insight.

[the_iron_duke]

Contrary to what I wrote in the previous post, there is indeed some issue that occurs with the Panzer Corps multiplayer setup in cases of diminished bandwidth or temporarily lost internet connection that do not occur with Field of Glory multiplayer. I have just tried to send the same turn a couple more times as the internet is moving a bit quicker due to it being the quiet hours of the day. Both times it has spent a while trying to upload my turn and then it has returned me to the foyet with my turn unsent and no option to try to send it again.

I repeat that I've played many hundreds of multiplayer Field of Glory games, using the same Slitherine server, computer and internet connection and I don't recall a single instance where a case of diminished bandwidth or temporarily lost intenet connection has not led to 'Couldn't connect to server' message with the possibiity of trying again, so I don't think a turn was ever lost for this reason.

I don't generally have internet issues, it's just every few months there'll be an engineering problem that lasts from one to a few days where I'm reduced to 2G or very limted 3G networks, along with a lot of other people competing for limited bandwidth, so internet becomes very slow.

[the_iron_duke]

Bah, you should really fix this problem.

Further details: my mobile broadband currently has normal service. Sometimes the mobile broadband goes to sleep and doesn't retrieve data. This is solved by disconnecting and reconnecting the internet connection.

With Panzer Corps, when this happens the turn aborts, while with Field of Glory one is always given the chance to retry sending the turn. I normally now, when a Panzer Corps turn is finished, check pages are loading in my browser before pressing send. I didn't this time and the turn was lost due to mobile broadband going to sleep - it was an opening turn before contact with the enemy has been made so it hasn't had any consequence on the game.

If you're trying to roll out the game to tablets and other devices you should really sort this issue out.

[IainMcNeil]

Sorry you are having problems. We were having some PBEM issues recently and we have since optimized the server and it should behave better now.

Field of Glory saved games are much much smaller so it is not unusual that if you have connection issues you would have them more with Panzer Corps. Having said that PzC saves are only a few hundred kb so you really do seem to have a very poor connection if it is unable to deal with those.

I'm not sure what we can do really as mobile connections are not very reliable .

[the_iron_duke]

Thanks for the reply.

As I've said, I have normally good internet connection, just moments where it is poor. The issue concerns the Slitherine server/server settings' response to this. I appreciate that the file sizes are different between the two games, but that should not have any effect on the server's response - if data is not being sent then it matters not whether it's one kilobyte or 100 MB. When no data is being sent with Field of Glory, its automatic response is to let you try and send the turn again. With Panzer Corps, the response is to abort the turn.

So the solution is to have it set that when no data is being transmitted, Panzer Corps should always allow the turn to be re-sent rather than aborting.