Unable to find game server

[dougforce]

Hi all,

new user to FG, have installed and run unity for the last week or so. Today when i try to host or join a game the list is blank and it says it 'unable to check lobby server'. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance for the help

[JudyIscariot]

I'm getting the same thing, guessing there's a server issue going on at the moment.

[rhollander10]

Getting the same thing as well. Then if I try to Host again, it says something like it's already hosting a game under my account and can't create a new session.

[pega_essa_fera]

Same Here....One month waiting to play and now this.

[Alduin Starborn]

Same issue (worked fine till yesterday).

[Zacchaeus]

The Lobby server is currently down

[DenverDrew]

The Lobby server is currently down

Is there an ETA for you bringing it back up?

[Zacchaeus]

I'm afraid not.

[Alduin Starborn]

The real issue here is that it is not possible to host an internet game without connecting to FGU cloud server (which I believe is not necessary to authenticate users).

[pollux]

The real issue here is that it is not possible to host an internet game without connecting to FGU cloud server (which I believe is not necessary to authenticate users).

It is possible to host a game over the internet without relying on the lobby server. Confusingly, the option is still call "Lan" game... but it works over the internet provided you configure port-forwarding. This guide is for FGC, but the only thing that changed is that FGU uses UDP instead of TCP. Port-forrward 1802/UDP and 1802/TCP and you'll be good for both FGC and FGU: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/How_to_Port_Forward_and_Host_a_Game

[StoryWeaver]

Thanks for that pollux. I've been trying to get the direct IP connection working, didn't know I needed to set up for UDP instead of TCP for port forwarding for FGU.
I'll give that a try for my next game.

[Alduin Starborn]

It is possible to host a game over the internet without relying on the lobby server. Confusingly, the option is still call "Lan" game... but it works over the internet provided you configure port-forwarding. This guide is for FGC, but the only thing that changed is that FGU uses UDP instead of TCP. Port-forrward 1802/UDP and 1802/TCP and you'll be good for both FGC and FGU: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/How_to_Port_Forward_and_Host_a_Game

Thanks, that's very useful. I tried to host a LAN game too, but since I only forwarded the TCP port no one could connect. I'll try to forward the UDP port too (anyway yesterday I could access the lobby in the end).

EDIT: I can confirm that forwarding the UDP port does the trick. What's more one of my player who can't connect when I create a cloud game now can. And the program also runs smoother for all of us.
As it is now and as far as I'm concerned I find that completely ditching FGU cloud allows for a significantly better game experience.

[pollux]

As it is now and as far as I'm concerned I find that completely ditching FGU cloud allows for a significantly better game experience.

This may well be true at this very minute, and if you're able to get port-forwarding set up easily enough it's always a handy option to have (nobody ever wants to cancel a game because "the server is down"). But a number of ISPs make port-forwarding difficult or impossible, and some folks just find it difficult to figure out how to do. The cloud server is important to Smiteworks and they'll get it sorted out shortly I'm certain.

But port-forwarding is always a great option as a hedge against exactly stuff like this.

[Alduin Starborn]

This may well be true at this very minute, and if you're able to get port-forwarding set up easily enough it's always a handy option to have (nobody ever wants to cancel a game because "the server is down"). But a number of ISPs make port-forwarding difficult or impossible, and some folks just find it difficult to figure out how to do. The cloud server is important to Smiteworks and they'll get it sorted out shortly I'm certain.

But port-forwarding is always a great option as a hedge against exactly stuff like this.

I totally agree, I wasn't suggesting that the cloud option should be dropped, only that at this very moment it's an hindrance, not only because if the cloud is down you can't create a game with the "documented" procedure, but because in my personal experience it also causes a series of additional problems (like players being unable to connect or making the session "unstable", such as the game client systematically crashing after a while).