PCGamingWiki:Editing guide/Network

The Network section holds all the multiplayer and networking options available for a game. A list of game-specific network ports required to port forward a game is also provided.

The section is split up into 3 distinct tables:

1. Multiplayer types
2. Connection types
3. Ports

Multiplayer types

See {{Network/Multiplayer}} for the condensed template documentation.

Syntax

{{Network/Multiplayer
|local play           = 
|local play players   = 
|local play modes     = 
|local play notes     = 
|lan play             = 
|lan play players     = 
|lan play modes       = 
|lan play notes       = 
|online play          = 
|online play players  = 
|online play modes    = 
|online play notes    = 
|asynchronous         = 
|asynchronous notes   = 
|crossplay            = 
|crossplay platforms  = 
|crossplay notes      = 
}}

Example

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
Local play		10	Co-op, Hot seat, Versus Use <mod name here>.
LAN play
Online play		64	Co-op, Versus Co-op limited to 4 players.
Asynchronous multiplayer
Crossplay		Supported platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 <mode/storefront name here> only.

The first table of the section, it handles all the multiplayer gameplay types available.

Almost all of the fields are split up into three major categories:

• Local: The game's multiplayer can be played on a single system.
• LAN: The game's multiplayer can be played on a Local Area Network (or LAN).
• Online: The game's multiplayer can be played on the Internet with other users.

Each category has a "Modes" row to state the gameplay types that particular networking method supports. There are three possible values:

• Co-op: Cooperative mode (i.e. players work together, player vs. environment. Also called PvE).
• Hot-seat: Multiplayer can be played with a single keyboard/mouse combo or controller. Also known as "Pass-and-Play".
• Versus: Normal multiplayer (i.e. head to head, player vs. player. Also called PvP).

Then, there is a section for Asynchronous multiplayer support:

• Asynchronous: Multiplayer is turn-based (i.e. gameplay is not in real-time).

Finally, there's a section for cross-platform multiplayer support:

• Crossplay: Multiplayer can be accessed by different device families (game consoles, smartphones or microcomputers) simultaneously.

This section makes use of a "Platforms" row to state what particular devices are supported.

• Please refer to {{Network/crossplay platforms}} for accepted values of this row.

General rules

• Fill in only the fields that apply to the game.
  • If a game has either LAN or Online support, both the LAN and Online rows need to be filled in for that particular gameplay type.
    • Ex. If the game has support for online co-op, fill in the LAN and Online rows while mentioning "Co-op" in their respective Modes rows.
  • If a game only has Local support, the LAN and Online rows will be set to "false".
• The Players field for each row displays the maximum amount of players that particular network setup can support.
  • Do not provide range values (i.e. 1-32).
  • Some games require dedicated servers to hit the true max player count.
    • Ex. Creating a multiplayer game in-game will allow the max player count to be only 16, while a dedicated server run externally can support up to 64.
• If a gameplay type is restricted to a specific mode (ex. LAN Co-op can only be played on Horde Mode), provide the name of the mode in the notes field.
• For the Crossplay section:
  • If a game is known to feature it, but does not have a setting to enable/disable the feature on PC or it requires a system-/account-wide solution (such as Xbox's privacy settings) - set the row to "always on" and note which of the either cases is applicable.
  • If a game does not feature either LAN or Online support, set the row to "N/A" and it will be automatically hidden.
  • If the feature is available only for certain modes or versions of the game, set this row to "limited" and note what mode/version supports the provided platform.

Where to find the information

While most of this information is highlighted by the developer or publisher, smaller details (such as max player count) may be overlooked.

There are multiple places where information on multiplayer types and modes can be found, either partially or completely:

• In-game
• Retail game box
• Game manual
• Official README file
• Digital store game page
• Official game website
• Developer/publisher support pages
• MobyGames

Connection types

See {{Network/Connections}} for the condensed template documentation.

Syntax

{{Network/Connections
|matchmaking        = unknown
|matchmaking notes  = 
|p2p                = unknown
|p2p notes          = 
|dedicated          = unknown
|dedicated notes    = 
|self-hosting       = unknown
|self-hosting notes = 
|direct ip          = unknown
|direct ip notes    = 
}}

Example

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP		Open the console (~) and use connect followed by the IP and port.

The second table of the section, it handles all the network options available for a game.

Note that this table only needs to be added in for games with LAN or online multiplayer types.

Field breakdown

Field	Definition	How to find	Notes
Matchmaking	Automatic server and/or game lobby search functionality. Searches are sometimes based on player skill level and other factors.	In the multiplayer menus, check for a option along the lines of "Quick match" or "Find match".	Some games may have matchmaking as the only way to find games.
Peer-to-peer	Multiplayer games are created by connecting players together and using their devices to send and receive data between each other.	When creating a new multiplayer game in-game, check for an option along the lines of "Dedicated" or "Dedicated Server".	If a game does not come with dedicated server support, set the field to "true". If it does come with dedicated server support and games must be created as dedicated servers, set the field to "false".
Dedicated	Official game server software and/or developer-hosted servers for multiplayer are provided.	When creating a new multiplayer game in-game, check for an option along the lines of "Dedicated" or "Dedicated Server". Alternatively, check the developer site, game documents, or official forums for information regarding dedicated server software.	If the game is an MMO, set the field to "true". Also, if a guide on how to set up a dedicated server is available, provide a link to it in the Notes.
Self-hosting	Servers can be created and hosted by any player who wishes to do so.	Check the menus for a "Create game" option. Also check the developer's site and forums for details on any restrictions.
Direct IP	Players can connect directly to a server or computer by entering its IP address.	Check the multiplayer menus for an option along the lines of "Direct Connect", "Connect with IP", "Connect to...", or "Direct IP connect". Alternatively, check the in-game console for a command that provides this functionality (usually defined as "connect", check the documentation as it might be named something else).	Games with dedicated server support normally support this feature.

Ports

See {{Network/Ports}} for the condensed template documentation.

Syntax

{{Network/Ports
|tcp  = 
|udp  = 
|upnp = 
}}

Example

Ports

Protocol	Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP	53, 80, 443, 3074, 7777-9896
UDP	53, 88, 3074

This game supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for automatic port configuration.

The third and final table for the section, it provides the list of ports (both TCP and UDP) required to port forward a game. UPnP support is also shown.

Note that this table only needs to be added in for games with online multiplayer types.

General rules

• Ports are ordered from lowest to highest, separating each new port with ,
• Only provide outbound ports specific to the game itself. Do not include inbound ports or digital store client ports (Steam, Origin, etc.)
• If UPnP support for the game is not known, leave the field blank.

Where to find the information

There are multiple places where information on game network ports can be found, either partially or completely:

• In-game (check for dedicated multiplayer menus)
• Game manual (rare)
• Official README file
• Developer/publisher support pages
• Internet forums
• PortForward.com (the most comprehensive source of this type of information)

Editing guide

Localizations

VR support