GameRanger
Of the numerous options we had for playing online, we quickly narrowed our potential picks down to two programs: GameRanger and Tunngle. Each program has some very significant advantages over the other, but also significant disadvantages, as well. There are big fans of each program, but there's no way around disappointing the fans of one program or the other. It is of utmost importance for us, as a community, to stand united in the face of the upcoming server shutdown. Each Battle for Middle-earth game still has a strong enough community to remain a great, active game, even without official servers. But this can only happen if we all stick together. In the end, we decided that sticking together on GameRanger is the best option for our community.
Learn about why we selected GameRanger instead of Tunngle.
GameRanger Guide
We strongly recommend that you read our
GameRanger Guide to quickly learn how to use GameRanger, and for some helpful tips, like how to avoid joining games that have already started.
Download the GameRanger client at
www.gameranger.com.
There are a few things you should know before you start playing with us, however. First, we're not going to start using GameRanger until January 1. Don't expect to find many other players on GameRanger during December.
Second, you must name your game rooms informatively. If you want to play on a specific map, with a specific amount of starting resources, or with a specific command point limit, then you need to list that in the name of the game. If you don't include a rule or map in the title of the game room, that means you are willing to negotiate with joining players over the settings. It is, however, implied that you don't want to play a custom map unless you include the name of a custom map in the game title.
Be sure to include the patch in the game name. It's extremely annoying to start a game, only to discover that your opponent isn't on 2.02. Include the patch even if you're playing an arranged match against an opponent who you know already has 2.02. Why? Because since your game is visible even while you're playing, you're advertising 2.02 to every RotWK player on GameRanger.
Do not join somebody's game if he hasn't listed the patch in the game name; he's probably on 2.00 (or, less likely, 2.01), and if he's not, then he needs to learn our rule for naming rooms with the patch. Instead, send him a PM to recommend that he visit our site to learn about joining our community.
Here's an example of a good room name for someone who's flexible about which map to use:
[2.02] 1v1, 1k 1x. "1v1" is obviously optional if you select a map name.
That's all you need to know to get online and start playing with us. May the Battle for Middle-earth continue!
