Since I have my Linux firewall running, I seem to be unable to play any games on the zone (or other game sites). I have tried diffrent port forwarding setups that I found on the internet, but non of them have let me succesfully play a game online .

I'm running RH8 on the server, and I'm using thishttp://projectfiles.com/firewall/ firewall. The client is a windows XP machine with DirectX 9.x installed.

Now for the question, does anybody have a comparable configuration and is able to play games on the zone (or other such service)? If so what firewall software are you using? And what ports do you use?

First of all, it would probably help if you'd not keep it a secret what this 'zone' is.

I assume the following (please correct me if I'm wrong): The RedHat machine is used as a local router standing somewhere in your place (as opposed to some remote server somewhere on the Internet). What routing software are you using? Does it work transparantely or not? Masquerading? Is the client machine running an additional firewall?

As for this firewall, I haven't used it, but from the description, it just seems to be a frontend for IPTables which is pretty common.

If I understood all of that correctly, the answer is yes, I'm running a similar setup here. The router is running Fli4l, though, because I like specialized operating systems better (especially compared to this crappy RedHat) and the network clients are running Morphix and AmigaOS. After some work and many tries (which some other regulars will remember...), I'm able to play online games now - at least with ZSNES, didn't try anything else.

The http://www.zone.com is Microsofts version of GameSpy, I would have thought that was obvious, but then again knowing you .

The RH machine is indeed a router as it where, (also used as a server providing other services to the network). It does work transparantly (I think) and I also use it for VPN connections.

As far as I can read the .sh files it is indeed a IPTables firewall/router.

Looks like Fli4l is a standalone router solution, meaning the pc can't be used for anything else, like a webserver or db server, am I correct?

You should really know by now that I'm not playing any current games, so any sites like this are of no interest to me. It's like me posting about a site for action figure collectors and assuming everybody else knows it

Some basics, just so you can check again (sometimes, the solution is so simple you always look over it yourself...): Port forwarding is usually done by ipmasqadm. There are two ways to do it: portfw (for single ports) and autofw (for series of ports). Never forget to say which protocol the forwarder is for - many games don't use TCP, but UDP. The port to be forwarded can't be denied or rejected by the firewall (there's a difference between those...) and it has to be open on the client behind the router as well, of course - both ways in both cases. To test it portforwarding, the easiest way is to run some server (httpd...) on the client and have people try to access it via the Internet and the router's IP. Another common problem is that ipmasqadm doesn't start automatically if used on a router using a dialup connection to the Internet. You need a patch then.

As for fli4l, it started as a pure router (which would fit on a single floppy disk), but there are lots more services (including servers) pre-compiled and ready. Look through the 'opt' section. I'm currently running an ftp server, an ssh server and a file sharing program on the fli4l machine in addition to the routing

Actually, I didn't know what zone was, either, and until you posted the address, I didn't even know Microsoft had a gaming portal.

Now back to your discussion that's confusing the hell out of me

NetDanzr: thank you very much for that helpfull comment

Anyhow, its the best site (=most online players) that you can play ms games on.

Why would anyone want to play "ms games"?

Due to the fact I like AoE II that is my reason, I know you are not a big fan or RtS games, but this one is ok for me.

I've played that one a few years ago. The challenge lasted until I found out it's only about building several hundred workers (or whatever they were called) as quickly as possible. I.e. after the second game.

True up to a point, did you ever play against a real person, not just the computer ai?

No, it didn't motivate me enough to keep it on my harddrive long enough.

Well if you were to play the game and as I think it should be played, no fixed teams and rushing should be allowed, the game can be very interesting. Just thnik 8 players that are woring on alliances. The fastest player could well be killed because he did not have any allies in the game.

That word sums up the whole problem of this 'genre'.

Don't see a problem with that, if you know how to counter I a rush could well be your chance to set back the attacker.

I didn't say there aren't way against what's usually reffered to with this term in these lame-ass games, I said it sums up the whole problem I have with them...

It's not much strategy when there is only one "strategy" that can win the game. I think the whole thing should just be renamed to "RTS" for "Real Time Shit"

Mmmh, still don't see what the problem is that you have with these type of games. I can't see why there would be only one strategy that win's the game.

That's the way they choose to produce the game.

Have to agree there. Talking about single player 'campaigns', all 'missions' are completely 'scripted', i.e. they're only 'exciting', because something unexpected happens suddenly (like for example a new evil army appearing behind your lines). What you do is memorize what happens, and then restart the mission. The perfect example of this is 'Mech Commander': You can always see where you're supposed to go and which way to take, the only thing which makes it a little difficult are said surprises.
AOE isn't much better there: As soon as you have some established base, you're invulnerable (still talking about single player only), because the AI is way too bad to be an actual threat. In multiplayer, this might be a little different, but hearing you (and other players) talk about it, (e.g. "if you know how to counter I a rush" [sic!]), it doesn't seem to be much different. There are a handful of things the others can try, and there are fixed ways to react to them. Learn to apply them (like all the others do), and we're down to speed again.

I love MechCommander and it's one of my favourite tittle for life. What you say is completely ridiculous; only 2 or 3 missions are hard enough so I had to actually restart them the way you described, all the other were easily finished if you don't count the high casuality of my mechs (not a problem) and the little casuality of my MechWarriors (that's the problem).

As for "if you know how to counter a rush that's not a problem" thing, I would say this; if you don't understand how rushing is a strategy in a RTS game or you don't know or have a clue how to counter them, don't play that kind of game watsoever and leave it to the true strategists.

That's about all what I have to say about it.