AOE3 Forums

Hello. I have 3 users on my LAN workgroup.  None of them have any firewall.  We all have full access to each other behind my router.  We do not play online only on the LAN.  Now when I host the game and they join, we just sit there.  No one can move and the timer does not start to count down.  We can move our cursor and look around the map but that is it.  Can't do anything else can't even use the menus.  We have to ctrl-alt-del the game.

 We are on the same workgroup and we are fully patched with no restrictions for our intranet.

 I am hosting the game on Vista 64 bit ultimate and they have Vista 32 bit ultimate and Windows XP Pro SP2 fully patched and updated all our systems.  This is very odd.  I bought this game so we all could play.  I feel like taking it back now.  All our other games work 100% fine cept this.  Any ideas?

I have not heard of that particular issue before. Have you tried other combinations of hosts and clients, and were those games able to play?  Example have the Windows xp box host and have the vista 32 join.

No I have not had others host.  I figured with a quad core intel @ 3000mhz and a 8800GTX card and 8 gigs of ram, my system would be better to host it all.  I will try that though.  I really hope I can host.  It's very wierd.  The game starts but the timer doesn't begin and no one can move.  The game has to be CAD to end.  No menus work except I can right click on the map and see the red marker.  Very odd.

 I will try to see if others hosting fixes it.  But I do not want them hosting the game.

I can click menus and everything but nothing happens.  When I try to quit via the menu nothing happens.  I can hear sound but everything is frozen on the map but I can move around and place markers.  everyone is frozen.  When the xp system quits then I can use the menus and exit but the characters and everything are still frozen.  Does 64 bit vista ult  have issues with this game?

Anyone have an idea?

I wish someone would speak up about this problem, as I have dealt with it too.

I've found the only solution as of my knowledge so far it to have all computers run on XP Operating Systems. With XP every connects and runs smoothly.

My problem with vista with AOE3 is definetely software related because all other Multiplayer/LAN games run fine on Vista. I can even start a game with 2 computers, running Vista 32-bit version, but the villagers, buildings, etc. are not accessible. The menu are clickable but don't function, such as quit doesn't quit, rather it close the menu and stays back to the game.

I've done everything with ports, firewalls and all that crap. Even made the hosting computer a DMZ Host address.

I know this is was donelong time ago but ive got same problem. Pwerful computers and total freeze up. Can't do anything and its 2player!!!! Im seeing a lot of the same threads and yet nofix that doesn't require some computer confidence

press ctrl+esc and see if a internet suite is stopping it if yes then allow through. another point match each others graphics to the lowest and finally make sure you are all upitodate

You have valid points however we both brought the game at the same store at the same time. It came totally up 2 date. Its a direct connection between two computers no router involved both computers although Vista are basically dedicated to games and word processing. Other than the odd web developement and game creation.

I think the syncronisation isn't able to happen, both computers load and start at very different times. I started thnking that a Warcraft 3 approach where its waits for confirmation from the other computers then asks teh player to push a button to allow game to start however that will require the game to be continued to be updated