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I'm looking for a D&D/RPG game that my wife and I can both play at the same time, and cooperatively. We have a pair of good PCs that are hooked up thru our AT&T router/cable modem so we can both play online games at the same time.

I have never tried to run any game as a 'LAN' or anything, so I'd like to know if BG and BG2 can be set up to play with both my wife and I in the same group/party at the same time - and most importantly, is there anything special I need to do for it (beyond 'buy two copies of the game, install one on each computer'). I am hoping this can be done without having to actually have both of us online - in other words, can we set it up to play together, offline?

I'm not really clueless about PCs, but all multiplayer games we have ever played have been through online servers hosted by someone else (mostly MMOs like SWTOR, DDO, etc). We are hoping to find some stand alone games to play that won't require a subscription/online access/etc.

Thanks in advance for advice and tips!
This question / problem has been solved by Tallimaimage
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scubamatt: ... I'm not really clueless about PCs, but all multiplayer games we have ever played have been through online servers hosted by someone else (mostly MMOs like SWTOR, DDO, etc). We are hoping to find some stand alone games to play that won't require a subscription/online access/etc.
Setting up a BG1 multiplayer game via GameRanger or Hamachi works, but demands a permanent Internet connection to use their service. Alternatively you could setup a LAN multiplayer game by using/simulating the old IPX protocol, but you have to install an IPX wrapper first. Here's a how-to: http://www.gog.com/forum/baldurs_gate_series/baldurs_gate_how_to_connect_via_multiplayer/post6

I'm not sure about the ports used by the IPX wrapper but usually you have to open and forward the following ports (in firewalls or routers) to be accessible for other players of BG1 and BG2: 2300-2400, 6073 for TCP and UDP.

The game tends to crash when you're creating or joining a multiplayer game in fullscreen, so press Alt+Enter to window the game and then press those keys again once the game has been created/joined to go fullscreen again.

Here are some further general advices on setting up multiplayer games with Inifnity engine games like BG1 and BG2.
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2012/08/how-to-play-baldurs-gate-2-icewind-dale-and-icewind-dale-2-multiplayer-co-op-over-lan-the-internet-or-tcpip-without-crashes/
Post edited August 18, 2014 by DeMignon
My wife and I tried to do the same. It was a pain. IPX ended up working.

There's issues with this game in its multiplayer format. You all have to stay in the same zone and you have to control many people. It gets to be a lot of chaos.

If you don't want to deal with the connection issues, I would recommend the Enhanced Edition on Steam. It has some pros and cons, but a big pro would be the nice multiplayer support. I spent 3 days trying to get my wife and me connected, but foreknowledge is key. Doing the IPX wrapper will help you out.

You don't really need to buy 2 copies for BG or BG2. Since it's all in your house, you're fine. GOG doesn't care if you install it on all your machines.

All of that said, my recommendation would be to get Neverwinter Nights 1 or 2 instead (I prefer NWN1 more due to camera and control issues with NWN2). It has a far better multiplayer experience than BG1 or 2 (I like BG1 and 2 more as single-player, though).

There's even a module of BG 1 for NWN2 that you can play if you want to play through the story of BG1.



<added reference for the buying 2 copies>
9. Can I install one game both on my laptop and desktop computer at home?
Yes. We do not limit the number of installations or reinstallations, as long as you install your purchased games on computers in your household. So yeah, if you've got a render-farm in the basement, you might actually break the world record for the number of legal Witcher installations in one household. However, if you think about installing your game on a friend's machine or sharing it with others then please don't do it, okay?


P.S. You only need 1 copy of NWN for you both to play (it comes with 2 codes -- one generic and one unique) or 2 copies of NWN2.

P.P.S. If you wait until Christmas, you can probably buy all D&D games all together for as cheap as buying NWN2 at regular price.
Post edited August 18, 2014 by Tallima
If you decide you'd rather play an infinity engine game (ie one using the BG series' engine) rather than NWN, then I'd suggest the Icewind Dale series as more multiplayer friendly than BG. While BG is certainly playable, the story and dialogue is more in depth and focusses more on a single main character. In IWD the story is rather simpler, and the dungeons and combat are what makes the game interesting - things which transfer nicely to multiplayer.

If both your computers have a reliable internet connection, I'd recommend using Gameranger, as it saves all the trouble of setting things up manually. Just both register and download the client, one of you host a game and let the other join it, press launch and the program should launch IWD(2) and bring it to the appropriate screen.

I've been playing IWD with a friend using Gameranger recently. Although there've been some technical issues (characters have a tendency to jump around on my screen, and we have occasional crashes) it's still been enjoyable to play.