How to solve this issue?

[BusyUSA]

I got error information like this:

Using main config file: D:\Game\Age_of_empires2DE\ageLanServer\launcher\resources\config.toml
Using game config file: resources/config.aoe2.toml
Game age2.
Looking for the game...
Game found on custom path.
Running as administrator, this is not recommended for security reasons. It will request isolated admin privileges if/when needed.
Cleaning up (if needed)...
'Server' is already running, If you did not start it manually, kill the 'server' process using the task manager and execute the 'launcher' again.
Setting up...
Waiting 15 seconds for 'server' announcements on LAN on port(s) 31978 (we are v. 1), you might need to allow 'launcher' in the firewall...
Found the following 'server's:

1. 192.168.1.21 (KK) - v. 1
   Enter the number of the 'server' (1-1): 1
   Adding hosts to hosts file...
   The certificate for aoe-api.reliclink.com does not match the server certificate.
   Cleaning up...
   Reverting configuration...
   Program finished with errors...
   Press any key to continue . . .

[BusyUSA]

According to Questions and Answers, should I add all the domains to the Windows hosts file?

aoe-api.reliclink.com
aoe-api.worldsedgelink.com
pb-live-release1-api.worldsedgelink.com
pb-live-release2-api.worldsedgelink.com
pb-live-release3-api.worldsedgelink.com
cdn.ageofempires.com

😥😥😥

[luskaner]

Hello:

The launcher should automatically add and remove the configuration without you needing to do it manually.
Please make sure you download the latest 1.10.2 (as it is needed for aoe2), and before running the launcher, make sure the windows hosts file do not contain any of the entries you mentioned, and open the windows certificate store and remove any entry with 'agelanserver' in the name.

If that does not work, as las resort, you may try to add the host entries and certificate manually.

[BusyUSA]

I appreciate the help, but even after trying all the troubleshooting, I'm getting the same error message.

I haven't installed the Steam client; I'm running a downloaded copy of AOE2 that works independently. I can play single-player games without a problem, but I haven't yet figured out how to enable or start an offline multiplayer game. 😭

[luskaner]

:( I've seen more people with these kind of problems but I cannot reproduce it on my machines sadly, have you tried also letting the launcher create the server instead of launching it on your own? Kill server.exe remove the certificates folder and let the launcher do all the work just in case

[BusyUSA]

Thank you for your reply. 😉

I’m not very familiar with the roles of the server and the launcher. My understanding is that under normal circumstances, AOE2 must rely on the Steam server to enable multiplayer gameplay. The server component of AgeLanServer, however, creates a simulated Steam game server over LAN to replace the real Steam server, making the game think it’s communicating with Steam.

If that’s the case, then after I kill server.exe and remove the certificates, the game should no longer be able to communicate with any server. So how does the program still think it’s online?

Also, when you say “letting the launcher create the server instead of launching it on your own,” I don’t quite understand. Do you mean just running the start_age2.bat file in the Launcher folder? That doesn’t seem to do much — it only tells me:

No 'servers' were found, proceeding to start a battle server (if needed) and then start the 'server'.

[BusyUSA]

I once found a video on YouTube that I’ve been studying over and over. It mentioned a program, which I think is ageLANServerLauncherCompanion, but using it together with ageLANServer doesn’t seem to work either:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVb0gqLCpf4&t=168s

[luskaner]

If all goes well, the launcher coordinates everything to make it work, including running the server on the background, generating the certificates etc, so the user does not have to run/configure multiple programs. the companion (which is also mine) will not fix this issue unfortunately. Other people found it in this case that configuring the certificate and the hosts manually worked others could not make it work. As I have no extra logging in the launcher (I will make it create a log file just like the server in the future...) I'm unable to reproduce and fix the issue :(, the most I can do would be a videocall you sharing the screen trying to assist you in either fixing the issue or at least for me to know what's causing it to fit it later ;)

[BusyUSA]

Thank you very much for your previous replies. Honestly, the ageLANServer setup is too complicated and difficult to manage for someone without much relevant technical knowledge. If it could improve and simplify its configuration—automatically adapting to different application scenarios and recognizing the needs of various games—it definitely has the potential to become a truly commercial software product. Clearly, many gamers and enthusiasts have this need but are struggling to find a viable solution.

[luskaner]

No problem, I understand if it does goes wrong it might become a nightmare for a regular user to fix it even with my help. A developer is currently developing a separate project that's GUI so make a self-contained package auto-configured with the Steam Emu and so on that will probably help when it's done ;). Unfortunately, it's too much work for me alone, I'm open, for example, for developers, to contribute an interface for the launcher, for the configuration etc, but as the official servers are still running there does not seem to be much interest in this project sadly :(

[luskaner]

Hello:

As a last resort to try to find you issue, you may try the latest v1.11.1 (or higher) and going to the launcher main configuration file and setting Log to true and sending me the files compressed at luskaner at gmail dot com ;)

[BusyUSA]

Thank you for the information.

I just tested v1.11.2 and received the following error:

Using main config file: D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.toml
Using game config file: D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.age2.toml
Game age2.
Looking for the game...
Game found on custom path.
Cleaning up (if needed)...
Killing 'agent' if needed...
Setting up...
Looking for 'server's, you might need to allow the 'launcher' in the firewall...
No 'server's were found, proceeding to start a battle server (if needed) and then start the 'server'. Press enter to continue...

Found 'server' executable path: D:\ageLANServer\server\server.exe
Running 'battle-server-manager', you might need to allow it in the firewall...
Starting 'server', authorize it in firewall if needed...
'Server' started.
Adding hosts to hosts file, authorize 'config-admin-agent' if needed...
Failed to read certificate from aoe-api.reliclink.com.
Killing 'agent' if needed...
Stopping 'server'...
'Server' stopped.
Stopping battle server via 'battle-server-manager'...
Battle-server stopped (or was already).
Cleaning up...
Program finished with errors...
Press any key to continue . . .

According to the “Simplest way to use it” instructions, I edited the files as follows:

1. "Client.Executable" in "D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.age2.toml":
   Executable = 'C:\Program Files\Game\Age_of_empires2DE\Launcher.exe'

2. "Executable.Path" in "D:\ageLANServer\battle-server-manager\resources\config.athens.toml":
   Path = 'C:\Program Files\Game\Age_of_empires2DE\BattleServer\BattleServer.exe'

3. "Executable.Path" in "D:\ageLANServer\battle-server-manager\resources\config.age2.toml":
   Path = 'C:\Program Files\Game\Age_of_empires2DE\BattleServer\BattleServer.exe'

4. "Client.Path" in "D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.age2.toml":
   Path = 'C:\Program Files\Game\Age_of_empires2DE'

5. Ran "D:\ageLANServer\server\bin\genCert.exe"

Did I miss anything?

[luskaner]

Hey, the purpose of this test was that you could send me the detailed logs generated in the logs directory of the launcher so I can have a deeper look :) All looks good in your configuration.

[BusyUSA]

Oh, yeah! After I set Log = true in D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.toml, I got the following error:

Using game config file: D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.age2.toml
Invalid value for Server.BattleServerManager.Run (required/true/false):
Killing 'agent' if needed...
Program finished with errors...
Press any key to continue . . .

But I couldn’t find a logs directory or any log file in the ageLANServer folder. I must be doing something wrong — maybe I overlooked something.

I will send you my entire ageLANServer folder and even the launcher file (AoE2DE_s.exe) via Gmail. Thank you!

[luskaner]

Hey, I can confirm that all your configuration files you sent me via email are fine! But you've discovered a big bug, as you see in your program log the launcher is not loading the config.toml (shared config file), I will try to fix it right now and will be included in v1.11.3 once that releases please re-run and send me the logs ;)
Edit: see next comment

[luskaner]

Ignore my previous comment xD it should be Log = true not Log = True I will make sure in the next minor release to include a message if a config file could not be loaded, please change it, re-run it and send me the logs :)

[BusyUSA]

Yes, I changed Log = True to Log = true, and now it works. I can see the logs folder, and I’ll send it to you via Gmail. Thanks!

[luskaner]

@BusyUSA I think I found the issue:

You already have hosts mapped in the file manually, and the launcher is trying to add another on top of them, but the hosts are already mapped and only the first ocurrence matters, it ends up with:

IPA	aoe-api.reliclink.com
IPA	aoe-api.worldsedgelink.com
IPA	pb-live-release1-api.worldsedgelink.com
IPA	pb-live-release2-api.worldsedgelink.com
IPA	cdn.ageofempires.com
IPB	pb-live-release2-api.worldsedgelink.com #ageLANServer
IPB	aoe-api.reliclink.com #ageLANServer
IPB	aoe-api.worldsedgelink.com #ageLANServer
IPB	cdn.ageofempires.com #ageLANServer
IPB	pb-live-release1-api.worldsedgelink.com #ageLANServer

You have two options you can do:

A: Recommended. Yo will need to edit the windows host file and remove the entries:

IPA	aoe-api.reliclink.com
IPA	aoe-api.worldsedgelink.com
IPA	pb-live-release1-api.worldsedgelink.com
IPA	pb-live-release2-api.worldsedgelink.com
IPA	cdn.ageofempires.com

B: Change the existing entries from IPA to IPB (see launcher.txt file, I do not want to show the actual IP's just in case).

[BusyUSA]

I removed the entries from the host file as you mentioned. Then, I received the following errors again:

Using main config file: D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.toml
Using game config file: D:\ageLANServer\launcher\resources\config.age2.toml
Game age2.
Looking for the game...
Game found on custom path.
Cleaning up (if needed)...
Killing 'agent' if needed...
Setting up...
Looking for 'server's, you might need to allow the 'launcher' in the firewall...
No 'server's were found, proceeding to start a battle server (if needed) and then start the 'server'. Press enter to continue...

Found 'server' executable path: D:\ageLANServer\server\server.exe
Running 'battle-server-manager', you might to allow it in the firewall...
Starting 'server', authorize it in firewall if needed...
'Server' started.
Adding hosts to hosts file, authorize 'config-admin-agent' if needed...
Failed to read certificate from aoe-api.reliclink.com.
Killing 'agent' if needed...
Stopping 'server'...
'Server' stopped.
Stopping battle server via 'battle-server-manager'...
Battle-server stopped (or was already).
Cleaning up...
Program finished with errors...
Press any key to continue . . .

I will send you my latest logs. Thanks!