Concering Issue: "Cannot connect to online server - only offline features are supported"

[DireDave]

Hey everyone,

An issue that has come up recently for some players concerning connecting to Multiplayer. After being able to connect to Multiplayer before; it appears it no longer works and gives the error: "Cannot connect to online server - only offline features are supported" when trying to connect to the servers. We have received a series of reports of this issue and are aware of it.

We have been looking into this issue and have yet to find the cause for it. Locally we have been unable to reproduce the issue. We added some additional debug logging to the last release, but sadly it still does not provided enough information for us to solve the issue.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending their logs and providing information so far as it has given us valuable insight. For example, multiple users have been reporting that connecting using a VPN does allow them to play Multiplayer. Unfortunately it has not provided a breakthrough yet.

Now in order to properly tackle this issue we will need a much information as possible from everyone who is having the issue. Some people have already tried most of the actions below, but to make sure that you are having the same issue we still suggest you try:

- Verifying Steam integrity-> try connect
- Re-install the game and launcher-> try connect
- Delete/Backup the \Documenten\Paradox Interactive\Age of Wonders Planetfall folder-> try connect
- Disabling your Firewall -> try connect
- Unlink your Steam account from your Paradox account (can be done on account page on Paradox plaza) -> try connect
- Log in with a different Paradox account -> try connect
- Connect to a different network -> try connect

For users with a comcast/xfinity xfi router:
It is quite possible that the router started blocking the MP connection since the last update for it.
If you are using a Comcast/Xfinity xfi router you can download the xfi app, it will inform you that a threat is detected on your device. Just tell it to allow the connection as it's a false positive. Should you not get this notification, disable the advanced security and try to connect to the game. If it connects successfully exit the game, re-enable the advanced security and connect to the game again. Now it should pop-up as a threat that you can grant access. Please let us know if this was the issue you were having!

Now an action that could provide very important information:

We want you to try and "ping" the server using a nifty tool called tcping.exe available here: https://download.elifulkerson.com//files/tcping/0.39/
This could provide valuable debug information on what is happening with the connection.

How to:
- Download the program
- Open command (cmd) by searching "cmd" in your search bar and pressing enter.
- In the cmd window, navigate to the folder by typing "cd ", then a space and then the folder location of the program; for example: C:\Users\username\Downloads. Then press enter.
- For US users; put in this "tcping us0.planetfall.ageofwonders.com 48066" and press enter.
- For all other users; put in this "tcping eu0.planetfall.ageofwonders.com 48066" and press enter.
- Now it should start probing the server and give information on how the connection is going. Please provide the debug info it gives below or make a screenshot and send it to logs@triumphstudios.com (Both for successes and fails)! (You can also PM me)

The country/region you live in and the version of the game you are running are important things to consider as well; so please provide them if possible.

Any other information you think could be relevant to the issue; please provide it below.

Thanks for your cooperation. We really do want to fix this issue!

 

[DireDave]

Just got what might be a useful post from a user on Steam:

For users with a comcast/xfinity xfi router:
It is quite possible that the router started blocking the MP connection since the last update for it.
If you have xfinity and have this error, download the xfi app, it will tell you a threat is detected on your device. Just tell it to allow the connection. it's a false positive. Please let us know if this was the issue you were having!

 

[Triumph Jordi]

I can still connect to the EU server, but there doesn't seem to be many people on it.

Servers should have been back up for 45 minutes or so. Did you r(re)launch the game when you tried or did where you still in the same session?

 

[Triumph Jordi]

I attempted to ping the server at ~4:25am MDT on July 2nd, and got no response. I sent an email with a screenshot on it to the address in the OP.

Hey Zymak, thanks for reaching out. Let's tackle this as we would normally, Where you able to play online before or is this the first time you are attempting to connect? Do you have a Xfinity Router/Modem? Does it give this exact error message or a different one?

 

[Triumph Jordi]

I am using an Xfinity router.

Okay, and what was the result when trying these steps aimed at Xfinity users?

For users with a comcast/xfinity xfi router:

It is quite possible that the router started blocking the MP connection since the last update for it.
If you have xfinity and have this error, download the xfi app, it will tell you a threat is detected on your device. Just tell it to allow the connection. it's a false positive.

 

[Triumph Jordi]

I can "connect" to the multiplayer, but there are no multiplayer games displayed. Nor do the "email" or "settings" buttons work.

That would make sense as you don't have a session selected. Has either of you gone into the Lobby and tried hosting a game?