[PATCH] Hosting hint to forward the UDP port

[elexis]

Until #2305 is complete, the hosting dialog should show a hint that the selected UDP port has to be forwarded on the router for the game to be accessible.

The lobby welcome message contains this hint, but that message is only visible until a game was selected (presumably, that's one of the first things to do when joining the lobby).

By adding it to the dialog in gamesetup_mp.xml, it will be shown for both lobbied- and non-lobbied games. (Thus the hint should specifically address internet hosting, since LANs and VPNs don't need that port forwarding on a router).

[Itms]

<elexis> Itms: would it be possible to add one more string and more GUI object #4204? It will avoid thousands of duplicate "why cant anyone join my game" repetitions in the lobby over and over again

I agree on principle but I don't like the proposed "hint" very much. I believe it could confuse players if by any chance it works out of the box for them. It is not very clear either about what the user should try to do.

What about: "Note: If nobody manages to join your game over Internet, it is probably because the selected UDP port is not being forwarded properly. Please check your router configuration."

Also I would center the message instead of aligning it left. Finally I am not sure putting it in yellow is useful. It is too scary for a simple "hint".

[javiergodas]

Applied Itms criteria

[elexis]

I don't really like either proposals: By javier:

HINT: To host an internet game the selected UDP port has to be forwarded. Otherwise players won't be able to join!

By Itms:

Note: If nobody manages to join your game over Internet, it is probably because the selected UDP port is not being forwarded properly. Please check your router configuration."

We don't need Hint nor Note as that is self-evident. We should speak in positives, not in negatives. I don't like addressing the reader with "you" in general. (Here the information is also true if the current reader isn't intending to host but knows other people with that problem.) Furthermore that string seems too long. We could have only one string there and an info-icon (one is being used in the gamesetup near the "Civlizations" string f.e.), that displays additional information. Besides not knowing that port forwarding is needed at all, the second most often occuring reason why players can't host is DHCP having changed the local IP address, so we might want to add that for completeness.

Short string:

In order to host a game, the specified server port must be reachable form the internet: [INFO_ICON]

Tooltip:

Hosts who use a router to connect to the internet have to allow this port in the router configuration. This is called "Port Forwarding" or "NAT" (Network Address Traversal). The manual of the router can usually be found by doing a websearch for the name of the router.

Furthermore the specified port configuration can become invalid if the local IP address of the current computer changes (which happens sometimes as DHCP is enabled by default).

Feel free to improve the phrasing.

[Itms]

That is a very good idea IMO elexis :)

[javiergodas]

Icon seems a bit dark thought, tried to find out how bright icons for showing historic details of techs and bonuses are done, but still got no clue.

[Lionkanzen]

Replying to javiergodas:

Icon seems a bit dark thought, tried to find out how bright icons for showing historic details of techs and bonuses are done, but still got no clue.

Which icon?

[javiergodas]

I mean the one that displays civ bonus/tech/hero historical data:

​https://s11.postimg.org/czqdw6tsj/Captura_de_pantalla_de_2016_11_18_14_31_41.png

It also translates the tooltip's content, which I also need. As elexis stated on IRC, the tooltip needs to be transalatable, all that explanations about how to forward ports need to be translated.

Bad news are; the tooltip attribute of an image can't be set as transatable, nor set as a reference to a caption that could be translatable (that'ld be perfect). So either we commit these one as it is or we forget about the icon + tooltip, unless I find out how js loads translations for the civInfo tooltips, which I'm looking at right now.

[elexis]

2016-11-17-QuakeNet-#0ad-dev.log:14:30 < elexis> use translatableAttribute

[elexis]

The icon shouldn't be black. See civInfoButton from gamesetup.xml for correct styling.

[elexis]

With #2305, it is only useful for multiplayer hosting without the lobby. For lobby games, we have a checkbox in place (in the same position as the hint) that says something about firewalls, so the hint doesn't have to be shown for lobby games.

[elexis]

Since the STUN feature, the situation has changed. The now most prevalent issue is that players can't join games if they use some symmetrical NAT. So the issue must be analyzed again. We can reopen the ticket then.