Can no longer host multiplayer games with a friend

Me and a friend bought Arma 2 CO on steam a few weeks ago and have been playing it for awhile - both dayz and the vanilla game (arrowhead) with custom maps like cipher.

Today we were unable to play together though, and after much trial and error we have made no progress.

Here is what happens: I host the game using the in-game server, aka NOT a dedicated server, when he connects we can see each other in lobby, click continue, see each other on the map and change gear (on the map screen you can do this in cipher). Once we start, though, he seems to de-sync. In cipher you start in a helicopter which is landing, he sees the helicopter but it is simply hovering in the air. If he ejects, the screen freezes. I see him parachuting on ground level but he can not seem to have any actions produced on the server. We turned it around, he hosted the server the same way and I connected - I had the same symptoms.

This problem is not related to Cipher - we experience the same thing on the stock CO-OP Armory map, the connecting player loads in unable to move. They don't see the other player, if you shoot him they report dead but do not fall over until the connecting player disconnects.

Here's what we tried: We have tried many things, we tried launching via "arma2OA.exe" in the OA folder, without any command line options. We ensured only the base Arma 2 mods were enabled and had the same version on the main menu. We also tried the beta (version 94444) with the same exact symptoms - and yes we were launching this with correct command line options and it reported version 1.60 beta 94444 on the main menu.

After much of this back-and-forth we uninstalled Operation Arrowhead and deleted all modified files from the install directory (we left arma 2 base game alone, since we have never extracted anything there. we did a file check with steam though). After about an hour we had redownloaded the game and ran a fresh install. We still have the same problem. However, we did try connecting to a third party server which worked fine (although many servers like to kick you off because we are missing a mod, but that's unrelated). Unfortunately we did not try this before reinstalling, but as we still have the same problem when hosting I do not think anything was fixed.

Lastly, I did try the dedicated server with the beta. Same problem happened, and again only for the person who wasn't hosting.

EDIT: We have also tried connecting using Hamachi, which should bypass any port forwarding or connection issues. Unfortunately we have the same issue when using hamachi IP's.

Things worth noting: We have forwarded necessary ports, and confirmed that at least the port we chose to host on was open via canyouseeme.org. We're both gamers who live in non-gaming families who have pretty much all ports forwarded to us - so I wouldn't suspect that. Neither of us have a firewall or antivirus running or anything like that.

What should we do? Why is this happening, and why has this issue only appeared today?

Me and a friend bought Arma 2 CO on steam a few weeks ago and have been playing it for awhile - both dayz and the vanilla game (arrowhead) with custom maps like cipher.

Today we were unable to play together though, and after much trial and error we have made no progress.

Here is what happens: I host the game using the in-game server, aka NOT a dedicated server, when he connects we can see each other in lobby, click continue, see each other on the map and change gear (on the map screen you can do this in cipher). Once we start, though, he seems to de-sync. In cipher you start in a helicopter which is landing, he sees the helicopter but it is simply hovering in the air. If he ejects, the screen freezes. I see him parachuting on ground level but he can not seem to have any actions produced on the server. We turned it around, he hosted the server the same way and I connected - I had the same symptoms.

This problem is not related to Cipher - we experience the same thing on the stock CO-OP Armory map, the connecting player loads in unable to move. They don't see the other player, if you shoot him they report dead but do not fall over until the connecting player disconnects.

Here's what we tried: We have tried many things, we tried launching via "arma2OA.exe" in the OA folder, without any command line options. We ensured only the base Arma 2 mods were enabled and had the same version on the main menu. We also tried the beta (version 94444) with the same exact symptoms - and yes we were launching this with correct command line options and it reported version 1.60 beta 94444 on the main menu.

After much of this back-and-forth we uninstalled Operation Arrowhead and deleted all modified files from the install directory (we left arma 2 base game alone, since we have never extracted anything there. we did a file check with steam though). After about an hour we had redownloaded the game and ran a fresh install. We still have the same problem. However, we did try connecting to a third party server which worked fine (although many servers like to kick you off because we are missing a mod, but that's unrelated). Unfortunately we did not try this before reinstalling, but as we still have the same problem when hosting I do not think anything was fixed.

Lastly, I did try the dedicated server with the beta. Same problem happened, and again only for the person who wasn't hosting.

EDIT: We have also tried connecting using Hamachi, which should bypass any port forwarding or connection issues. Unfortunately we have the same issue when using hamachi IP's.

Things worth noting: We have forwarded necessary ports, and confirmed that at least the port we chose to host on was open via canyouseeme.org. We're both gamers who live in non-gaming families who have pretty much all ports forwarded to us - so I wouldn't suspect that. Neither of us have a firewall or antivirus running or anything like that.

What should we do? Why is this happening, and why has this issue only appeared today?

Hi there i've read your post regarding the issue, it seems like my friends and i getting similar issue as you! most of the time im the one hosting for them (not dedicated) and today we are free to jump in for some action and NONE of us able to connect :( the only thin we keep seeing is "Connecting failed" and we are out of solution to rectify it :( let's hope someone who has the solution can help me and anyone out!

Hey there, you seem to be having the same issue as the people in these threads (for some reason there's no solution/official response yet):

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?137619-Connecting-Failed

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?135123-Dedicated-Server-NAT-Negotiation-Failed

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/41828-server-suddenly-stopped-working/page__st__20

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/36686-connecting-failed/page__st__40

I'm also experiencing this issue and would appreciate any assistance you can give,

When people try to connect to the server they get 'Connecting Failed'

Any solutions? Please.

Is this related to gamespy being entirely shut down?

Same problem here. If it's a marketing to advertise ArmA3, it's a very bad one. :(

Same problem here. If it's a marketing to advertise ArmA3, it's a very bad one. :(

I doubt it is that, BIS are very good at long term support of their games. Most likely it is either a) related to the complete shutdown of Gamespy or b) some other technical error accidentally introduced. Personally my money is on a)...

Glu (who bought Gamespy's multiplayer services) have shut pretty much everything down, and IGN which owned the remainder of Gamespy just shut all of that down in the last couple of days.

Hopefully we will get an official authoritative response soon.

Ok I tested. I have a directIP shortcut, and regular shortcut to join thru MP screen, and then SU to join server.

So direct no problem (how i usually join),all good. Try thru MP screen... fail.Failed a fewtimes! "connection failed". Bummer... Try SU, it works,all good...hmmm Go back and try MP screen again, and now it works... wtf. Soo maybe the issue just corrected its self?

Its gamespy, and no alternative or even a word from BIS.... no more mp browser just like that from one day to the other... makes me really want to get ArmA 3...

*edit 1 day later

Hmmm today it works again... soo whats that rumors about gamespy?