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Setting up BG Multiplayer - Full Guide

RyanAGTerryRyanAGTerry Member Posts: 6
edited February 2013 in Multiplayer
Not sure whether this is in the right place, but I didn't know where else to post it:

I purchased the Baldur’s Gate series of games almost two years ago, fully intending to play through it on multiplayer mode with a friend. However, we soon gave up on this and rendered it basically impossible; there was so little information about and neither of us are particularly tech savvy. However, recently I began playing the game's single player again, and we decided to give it another go. After 6 long hours of Google searching and tinkering, we finally had a game session running between us.

However, by searching the web I noticed the vast amount of people who have major problems setting up a multiplayer game. Also, there are no guides out there (that I could find) that just take you through the process step by step. Sure, it’s all there if you search hard enough, but I thought that I’d save people the hassle by writing this guide.

I literally got this working Friday, so I’m not sure what setup this all works on, or if any mods are temperamental, but this is what I had installed:

-Baldur’s Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast expansion
-TotSC patch:
UK - http://tinyurl.com/d7pdlcm
US/Canada - http://tinyurl.com/brsj4ox
International - http://tinyurl.com/bn5kmyv
-Baldur’s Gate II and Throne of Bhaal expansion
-ToB patch:
UK - http://tinyurl.com/3w37mp2
Europe - http://tinyurl.com/balzlce
-Easy Tutu - http://usoutpost31.com/easytutu/
-Tutu Fixpack - http://tinyurl.com/3tv6r
-BG2 Tweaks - http://tinyurl.com/azehsqq

I was also using Windows 7. Obviously this should still work with any setup, but I thought I’d include that anyway. Also, I have only tested this with two people. I have read that the game gets funny with any more than that, but you can try and see what happens.

1) Installation

First of all comes the installation of the game and any mods. You need to make sure that your installations are exactly identical – this probably means connecting to each other on Skype or some other messenger and going through everything to make sure it is all the same. Be sure to install the games and mods to C Drive, but not Program Files. Something else that needs to be done in this stage is ensuring that your portrait folders are the same, as the game requires you to have the other person’s portraits in order to see them in game.

2) Port forwarding

From my experience, only one person needs to port forward; this person has to be the host. However, if you are having problems at the end, try port forwarding on both computers. First of all, open the Start menu, and search ‘cmd’. The black command box should pop up; enter ‘ipconfig/all’, and copy down the following information:

-Default Gateway (Should be something like 192.168.x.x)
-IPv4 Address (Something like 192.168.x.xx) (Different to the Default Gateway!!)

Now, open any internet browser and enter your Default Gateway into the URL bar. It should come up with the login box. If you have had to change your router settings before, you should know the user and password, and may have even changed them. If not, it is likely to be a combination of ‘admin’ in the user box, password box, or both. If this doesn’t work, search for your router and what the default login details are.

When I first log in, it has three tabs on the left hand side of the screen: ‘Quick Start’, ‘Summary’ and ‘Advanced’. Hit advanced, and then, on mine, there’s a tab along the top called Advanced. This may also be something along the lines of ‘port forwarding’. (Relevant, huh?)

Now there are 6 ports that your need to forward; three of them are TCP and three are UDP. I don’t have a clue what they mean, but I know that it worked. So, click ‘Add’, and it will ask for some information. The first of these is ‘Private IP’, and on mine there are two boxes for it. When I was doing it I just entered the IPv4 address in the first box and left the second one blank. Second of all, select ‘Protocol Type’ TCP; after the first three you will change this to UDP. For each type of protocol, you need to forward to three sets of ports, and each has a Public Start Port and a Public End Port. These are:

-Start: 2300 End: 2400
-Start: 6073 End: 6073
-Start: 47624 End: 47624

Once you have forwarded these three ports for both protocol types, you can close down this tab and move on to the next step. Remember that the person who forwarded the ports has to host the game.

3) LogMeIn Hamachi

LogMeIn Hamachi is a programme that allows you to create your own network, and it gives you a ‘virtual IP’. This virtual IP is what the clients will use to join your game. All players will need to download Hamachi.
So first of all, download it from here: http://tinyurl.com/cg829fg

Once it has downloaded and been setup, you will be asked to give yourself a nickname. This is just to make it easy for people to recognise you, and has no other impact on the game or anything. After this, press the power button in the top left corner of the window, and this will start Hamachi. Now the person who forwarded their ports must create a network; give it a name (preferably something related to Baldur’s Gate) and a password if you wish, just make sure that everyone knows these details. After you have created the network, all of the clients must join it. At the top of your window, and next to your name for everyone else, is your virtual IP, and this is what the clients will enter to join your game.

4) Setting up the Game

Before you load up the game, you all need to open the BGConfig file in your install folders. This will open up a window that will allow you to change all of the settings in the game. You need to ensure that everything here is exactly the same for everybody. Also, on the tabs to the left, hit the Display tab and put the game in Windowed mode. If you leave the game in full screen mode while starting the game, every time you try your game will just crash on you.

Open up the game, and if you are the host, hit Multiplayer > Connect > Protocol > TCP/IP. This will ensure that the game is using your IP to host the game. Then hit create game, enter session name, your name and password if you wish, then hit New Game. It will bring up a screen showing 6 character slots, and from this screen you can change permissions for people that join, and assign the slots to different people (as people join). Now you wait for the clients to join.

If you are joining the game, you also need to set your protocol to TCP/IP. Then hit Join Game and enter the host’s Hamachi IP address (displayed next to their name in the Hamachi window). It should say something along the lines of ‘Joining, this could take a few minutes’. Eventually, if everything was done correctly you should join. Congratulations, you’re in a multiplayer game of Baldur’s Gate.

5) Playing the Game and Afterthoughts

When you first start the game, instead of trying to play properly straight away, get a feel for your party and make sure that you’re happy with it. Also, test out any mods that you have installed; it’s easier to remove them now than later on when you’re half way through the game. There were a few mods that annoyed us straight away, so we quit and uninstalled them. No matter what you do, you need to ensure that your installations are exactly the same, including portraits. And if you change your mods in any way you will need to start a new game. Only the host can save and load the game, so make sure that if that’s you, you save often. It’s bad enough dying when you’re not letting down other people as well…
To load the game, just go about like you’re going to create a new game, but instead of ‘New Game’ press ‘Load Game’.

But most importantly, just have fun! :D

Thank you for reading this guide, I hope it helped some people, because I found it to be a massive pain, and nearly gave up a few times. If there’s already a guide out there then I apologize because I couldn't find one that was thorough.

If you have any ways that it could be improved, I’ll leave contact stuff below. I’m aware that there’s probably lots of grammatical mistakes, among others things, but I typed this up in like an hour at about 4am. Also, if you have a way that I can make some of the more technical stuff clearer, or have some screenshots I could include also get in touch with me. Thanks. :)

Email: ryanterry9519@googlemail.com
Kik: RyanAGTerry
Post edited by RyanAGTerry on
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Comments

  • Stargazer5781Stargazer5781 Member Posts: 183
    Appreciate the guide dude. If you're interested a bunch of us are doing some Infinity Engine multiplayer. Add me on skype if you want - stargazer5781.

    Also try using gameranger. It makes everything a LOT easier.
  • RyanAGTerryRyanAGTerry Member Posts: 6
    Thanks, and I've never heard of game ranger haha, we just got it working with Hamachi. :) Can you think of anything I may have missed?
  • DreamestDreamest Member Posts: 2
    Totally adore you for this!
    RyanAGTerry
  • RyanAGTerryRyanAGTerry Member Posts: 6
    Dreamest said:

    Totally adore you for this!

    You're welcome hehe. :)
  • RyanAGTerryRyanAGTerry Member Posts: 6
    @Dreamest

    Did you manage to connect with this guide, and confirm that it works?
  • WigglesWiggles Member Posts: 571
    Could you please post one of these for BG:EE?
  • RyanAGTerryRyanAGTerry Member Posts: 6
    I don't have it sorry. :/ I imagine it should be similar, just find the right ports from the internet?
  • DreamestDreamest Member Posts: 2
    Totally sorry about never replying! I have been waiting for the mac version in all honesty so I havent been on the forums. My friends did get it working and have been playing together since you posted this.
  • RyanAGTerryRyanAGTerry Member Posts: 6
    @Dreamest

    That's good to hear, glad I helped someone at least. :) I had a right pain trying to get it working, just thought someone would have put it all in one place by now. :S
  • Cronus_STSCronus_STS Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2013
    FYI - We could get to the character creation screen, and then when we hit start the game just freezes..

    Any ideas or help would be appreciated! =)

    (we didn't do any port forwarding or anything though.. would that matter if we could connect anyway?)
  • RyanAGTerryRyanAGTerry Member Posts: 6
    Yeah you definitely need to port forward. :/ I think.. @Cronus_STS
  • banjomarxbanjomarx Member Posts: 2
    hmmm im not capable of clicking the tcp/ip tab. its greyed out>:( what do I do? :'(
  • minutusminutus Member Posts: 16


    First of all comes the installation of the game and any mods. You need to make sure that your installations are exactly identical...

    As a rule of thumb, yes, definitely. Although anything that doesn't have mechanical effect on anything that gets transferred or create inconsistency between client and host syncing doesn't break the game. Basically cosmetical differences (GUI mods, fonts, alternative animations / models / paperdolls) are fine - anything that's shown only to you.


    Also, on the tabs to the left, hit the Display tab and put the game in Windowed mode. If you leave the game in full screen mode while starting the game, every time you try your game will just crash on you.

    This seems to be fixed by TobEx. With the fix you can play on your native resolution if you have Widescreen mod installed. Though I would probably use same resolution for everyone playing, just in case.
  • FluffzillaFluffzilla Member Posts: 3
    How long did it take you guys to join the session? My friend and I have been letting it sit for 15 minutes and its still on the joining session please wait screen.
  • minutusminutus Member Posts: 16
    About as long as for a data package to travel back and forth, so depending on latency... eh, almost instantly when you press join. It's direct connect between the two machines. If you don't connect in a moment your game clients are not able to see each other and waiting won't help. Have you tried using Hamachi/Tunggle? That should circumvent blocked ports.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    I'm stickying this thread. Nice work here!
    elminsterCrevsDaak
  • raxtorenraxtoren Member Posts: 228
    It worked, I can now host.
  • TheLegendTheLegend Member Posts: 3
    why is there not a guide for BG:EE like this? I can't for the life of me get a MP game going I keep getting stuck trying to join the game. I've tried all sorts of combinations with regards to fwded ports, different computers being the host. I still have the old version of the game, but would much rather play this more stable edition. Plus my buddy just got the steam version so. But I'm at a complete loss here. Any help would be very much appreciated.
  • XerkatXerkat Member Posts: 8
    TheLegend said:

    why is there not a guide for BG:EE like this? I can't for the life of me get a MP game going I keep getting stuck trying to join the game. I've tried all sorts of combinations with regards to fwded ports, different computers being the host. I still have the old version of the game, but would much rather play this more stable edition. Plus my buddy just got the steam version so. But I'm at a complete loss here. Any help would be very much appreciated.

    Maybe you have an old version of BG:EE
    carmel399
  • ItomonItomon Member Posts: 187
    patch 1.2 multiplayer support \o/
  • FuineFuine Member Posts: 40
    @RyanAGTerry
    Mate. Really really thank you. Your guide saved a bunch of 30+ guys now married and such going back to their teen BG2 lan parties. We were really really disappointed with the default performance which was really unplayable.
  • RemenissionsRemenissions Member Posts: 102
    Can we get a guide this good for changing your version on different platforms to allow cross-platform multiplayer on older versions?
  • victor_vainvictor_vain Member Posts: 1
    Just wanted to stop in because I found this forum page after *many* hours trying to get this game to work so my wife and I could play this game and lo and behold here it is FINALLY working. I made an account just to send a personal thanks! We are about to get started haha THANK YOU very much man!! (From my wife and I haha)
  • plesples4cqlplesples4cql Member Posts: 42
    Who can tell me about the "PAUSE->UNPAUSE, playing movie" thing. I don't want to see it again.
  • serjmaiaserjmaia Member Posts: 8
    if anyone whats to gatter a group of 4 to finish the game, add on skype with the tag Balgurs: sergiomaia01
  • thelovebatthelovebat Member Posts: 218
    GameRanger to my knowledge also supports multiplayer sessions for Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, if you don't want to do a bunch of fancy things with your internet or all that port forwarding business. At least if you plan on playing multiplayer with the original games and not the Enhanced Editions.
  • PenombrePenombre Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2016
    Dear all,

    is it possibile have a multiplayer session (TCP/IP) between two different "version" of BGII EE?
    One, purchased via Steam (for Mac), the second purchased via physical store (for PC).

    Thank you for your very appreciated assistance.

    I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
  • majinsnakemajinsnake Member Posts: 113
    edited November 2017
    Are you sure you have the right ports for the game.

    Other websites I have found said port 47630 UDP.


    Also, may have problems playing with others who have expansions installed. A way to fix is in the link.

    http://steamcommunity.com/app/228280/discussions/7/2381701715732704139/
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