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nz2004

Newbie

Reputation: +1

Registered: 2024-09-29

Posts: 2

Any way to host a LAN game without a dedicated server?

Hi folks,

Regular reader and player here. I want to host a larger BF1942 LAN party soon.

Has anyone managed to host a LAN game natively without a dedicated server (directly out of the games menu)?

Whenever I do this, the client(s) receive the "data differs issue". I did multiple clean reinstalls and tried on different machines and operating systems — always the same error. The basis is the Anthology version linked in this forum.

I do not want to buy an additional machine just for the dedicated server.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Xberg

Administrator

Reputation: +73

Registered: 2023-07-28

Posts: 75

Re: Any way to host a LAN game without a dedicated server?

Hi nz2004

One year ago I needed a test server so I put up local server with BFSM (V: 2.01) and got that error.
The server was on a Windows 10 PC.

My solution was to copy all the map's from the game directory to the server map's directory.
I don't know if that's the right method to fix it, but it worked.

Game map's dir: Battlefield 1942\Mods\bf1942\Archives\bf1942\levels
I don't have that server on my PC anymore so I cant tell you the server map's dir, but that should be easy to find out.

So you could try to use BFSM and copy all the map's from your game to the server, still strange that your getting this error when your starting server from the game "Multiplay > Create Game".

Here is a link to BF Server Manager download.

Hope that helps.

lllJANll

Player

Reputation: +5

Registered: 2017-09-22

Posts: 19

Re: Any way to host a LAN game without a dedicated server?

Hi nz2004,

Whenever I do this, the client(s) receive the "data differs issue".

Check if on the host game.serverContentCheck is set to 0 in:
C:\games\Battlefield 1942\Mods\bf1942\Settings\ServerSettings.con

If content check is on, the game checks if certain game files are the same, if not you get that message. Its a anti cheat protection, but no big online server has set on nowadays.
On mine bf1942 game instalation content check reset every time to 0, when i start a local server. So i have no idea where that issue comes from.

I do not want to buy an additional machine just for the dedicated server.

You can run the game and the dedicated server on the same machine at the same time, unless when you have a very ancient machine.  A advantage that the dedicated server has that you can put maps with different game modes and dlc/mods in the map list.
But it cost a bit more effort to set up, you have to update the server 2 version afaik, and dont forget to turn contentcheck off and set to to local network.

You can then also install BFSM, it makes banning/kicking people more easy, and it has some more settings, but i dont think thats needed for a lan party.

Last edited by lllJANll (2024-09-30 21:31:37)

nz2004

Newbie

Reputation: +1

Registered: 2024-09-29

Posts: 2

Re: Any way to host a LAN game without a dedicated server?

Hi both,

Thanks so much for your answers!

The dedicated server on the same machine works well, thank you for the hint @Xberg!

The game.serverContentCheck is set to 0 by default on all machines (and that didn't change anything unfortunately).

What really bugs me is that I have 8 identical machines, all vanilla setups with basic Windows installation, and I installed the very same version of BF42 (the one linked here above) on all machines — all the identical steps, nothing else installed, and no modifications to the version. And still: When joining any host, I always receive the "data differs issue". The dedicated servers resolve this issue, but still...I have no clue why it does not work when there were never changes to any files or installations and everything is identical... ?

Xberg

Administrator

Reputation: +73

Registered: 2023-07-28

Posts: 75

Re: Any way to host a LAN game without a dedicated server?

No problem, im glad that this worked for you guys.

When i ran into this problem i talked to some server gurus and they told me also to put "game.serverContentCheck to 0" but that did not fix my problem, i stumbled on this "map copy" solution by accident when i deceided to make one last test to get it running.

I also had "almost" vanilla installation (only few extra maps) but even if i did delete them i got this "data differs issue", so i cant tell you why it happens.