@Melanol

Your report is in the queue and Moderators are aware of it.

If you get harassed via PM, you can report it and I can assure you that is being taken care of, because such personal things have high priority. You have not reported such thing.

I appreciate your suggestion about implementing an anonymous mode for matchmaking. If you are interested in contributing to the project, I welcome your input on GitHub.

The overall toxicity in FAF has decreased in recent years. Sensationalist thread titles are out of place.

If you have any further concerns about your report, please don't hesitate to contact me and I can look into it for you.

Looking for a meaningful way to contribute to the FAForever project? You're at the right place! In this topic you get an overview of existing teams, their functions and responsibilities. By contributing you do not only help sustain the FAForever project. You can also put yourself in situations, take part in discussions and help make decisions that can expand your horizon on the nitty-gritty of collaboration.

In general, becoming a contributor allows you to:

• Understand as a person that there's always nuance involved

The world is not a trivial place. Sometimes what initially appears to be a small contribution can quickly become much, much more complicated than anticipated. FAForever is full of these gotcha's, just like the world and probably your future job. The sooner you learn to understand there's always a nuance involved the better. FAForever is the perfect playground to help nurture that understanding.

• Apply your knowledge

Did you know that the Neroxis map generator was originally a thesis for a bachelor's degree? Years later, it is now a unique selling point of FAForever. By applying your knowledge, you gain valuable experience and at the same time you can create a significant positive impact for the community. Whether that is in programming, graphics design or just great story telling - everything can create value for the community.

• Make an impact

Sometimes all it takes is a small change to make a large impact. A simple hotkey to make information available at the fingertips of the community can create just as much value.

• Be part of something bigger

There's not much more fulfilling than collaborating towards a goal and then seeing it thrive over the years to come. FAForever is a long-term project. What you do now can impact community members in the future long after you've moved on.

If you're a developer, then you can explore the FAForever GitHub organization to find a project in your favorite language. Contributing developers are the backbone of the community. On top of that there are various other roles that create value for the community. This can range from tournament directors, casters, graphics designers, editors to just running a test game on FAF Develop and report back with your findings. Whether you're here as a hobbyist or to apply your knowledge - you are welcome here.

Our Discord server serves as the main hub for connecting various contributors. It also provides detailed information about specific team roles in the application channel. For long-term contributors there is also Zulip available to keep discussions more organized and easier to retrieve. We primarily use the English language to discuss features. Luckily, a translator works just fine these days.

Each team has its own resources to help you get started. The structures of teams are described on our Wikipedia, take as an example the statutes of the Promotion team. There is various content available on YouTube.

If you have no experience but still want to make a meaningful impact on the FAF project, I encourage you to become a member of the FAF association and/or support us on Patreon. As an association member, you can participate in important votes and discussions that help shape the future of FAF and contribute to making it better. You can view the Association forum section to have a glimpse of what that looks like.

A brief overview of the positions we are looking for support - in no particular order:

Credits:

• Thanks to @Fichom for providing the images and feedback.
• Thanks to @Jip for the thread idea and feedback.

Most players are now able to use the FAF service again after security was significantly strengthened. However, the DDoS attack is still ongoing, and it's possible that new attack techniques are being tested, which may occasionally affect our services.

The situation is currently under monitoring.

Edit: Players who are using a Coturn server to connect to other players are encountering some connection issues recently. A permanent solution is in the works.

As for the matchmaking penalty for unsuccessful connections, it's only temporary and you can try again later.

Edit2: The fastest way to stay up to date is by following the announcement channel on Discord

Find out what kind of error you have, by searching up your error text from the following list. (Copy the whole phrase.)

Common errors phrases:

RuntimeException: javax.net.ssl.SSLException: Tag mismatch!

SocketException: Connection reset
or
WebClientRequestException: Connection timed out

TimeoutException: Did not observe any item or terminal signal within 60000ms in 'sinkOneMulticast'

AccessDeniedException
or
IOException: Cannot run program

java.lang.RuntimeException: Forged Alliance Crashed with exit code 1

Alliance Crashed with exit code -1073741515
or
Forged Alliance terminated with exit code -1073741515

java.io.FileNotFoundException

Could not extract value with pattern 'code=([^ &]+)

FileSystemException

cartographic.fx reason: unknown error

LoginException: Could not reach server

Solutions: :

1. Reason:

The client is unable to establish a secure connection to the content server for downloading the game files.

• Disable security software for testing purpose
• Check firewall settings, if it blocks anything related to secure connection/FAF Launcher

2. Reason:

Something is blocking the client to have access to the internet, or you have a very unstable connection.

• Check if your internet connection is stable
• Check if firewall is blocking the access
• Disable security software for testing purpose
• Try a VPN from a different country

3. Reason:

Client can not detect that you are logged in from browser

• Change default web browser.

4. Reason

Program is blocked or has wrong user rights

• Make sure security software is not blocking the client
• Make sure your windows account has rights to run the software
• Remove "C:\ProgramData\FAForever" folder; and reinstall FAF
• For testing purpose, run the client with admin rights.

5. Reason

Some error caused the crash

• Get the last log from "C:\ProgramData\FAForever\logs"
• Create own thread, explain when the error happens and upload the .log https://forum.faforever.com/category/4/i-need-help

6. Reason

Something is not working with your Supreme Commander.

• Start Supreme Commander via Steam/GOG, to download any missing files or additional needed software, then start a skirmish mission to create a Supreme Commander profile

7. Reason

Files do not exist.

• Make sure nothing blocks your access to the FAF client or Supreme Commander folder
• Reinstall FAF client and Supreme Commander

8. Reason

Problem with the current browser to process certain information

• Change default web browser.
• Install another browser like Firefox, Chrome, etc.

9. Reason

Another process is blocking the files

• restart the PC

10. Reason

Unknown, yet.

Reinstall FAF, supreme commander

11. Reason

• On your end, something is blocking the internet access from/to the FAF client
• You have no internet
• Login server is down

If you need any guidance, please make your own thread here:

https://forum.faforever.com/category/4/i-need-help

Notes TODO:

https://forum.faforever.com/topic/4283/cannot-connect-to-some-of-the-players-solution

add command to undo it:

https://forum.faforever.com/topic/4532/cannot-launch-supcom

You can start the coop/campaign maps via the FAF client:

source: https://forums.faforever.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18413

Starting the campaign offline with save/load

AFAIK: Currently broken since ~19.02.2025

Thanks to @deletethis for his following visual guide:

@deletethis said in Playing the campaign:

...I'll provide a visual guide.

Begin with going to your FAF folder. If you are lost, open the FAF client, click on the 'hamburger' button (I put a 1 there for clarity), then click on 'Show data folder'.

This will open explorer and highlight the FAF folder-open it.

Proceed to the bin folder.

Right click on the faf exe, then click on create shortcut.

This will now create a shortcut to FAF to play offline-you can move this anywhere you want (for example on the desktop). Either way, if you now want to play the coop maps offline, you'll need to edit this shortcut, so right click on it and select Properties.

Add /init init_coop.lua to the end of the target like so:

That's it! You can now play downloaded coop maps by opening the game from this shortcut and going into skirmish, where you'll be able to choose the map, faction, options, and whatever else you want.

As an aside, while you do start these maps from skirmish, you actually load the saves from campaign-it's a bit weird but not too much of a problem at the end of the day.

@deletethis said in Playing the campaign:

...
If you are unable to progress in one sitting, there might be something wrong on your end-make sure you are using the latest version of the coop map from the client.

To check, go to the FAF map folder:

Enter the highlighted folder:

Look for x1ca_coop_001.vxxxx

If you see v0027, that's already the last one. Make sure you don't have other ones around in the folder as you might pick an older one by mistake (manually delete or move those folders somewhere else if you want to keep them).

Again, you should be able to complete this map in one sitting, as I have tested it.

As an aside, when launching the client offline, you will only see the coop maps you downloaded from the FAF client beforehand.

source: https://forum.faforever.com/topic/4285/playing-the-campaign

If you need any guidance, please make your own thread here:

https://forum.faforever.com/category/4/i-need-help

TODO:

make the map related thing/version stuff more user friendly to read

Also, note to myself. The images are bugged with some weird confusing character. Need to redo them later

Troubleshooting Guide

Network issues can be frustrating, but this guide will help you troubleshoot and resolve common problems step by step. Whether it is a problem with your internet, settings, or external factors, we have got you covered.

§1 Is FAF Down?

The FAF Discord features a server-status channel, which is updated in real-time, as well as an announcement channel for maintenance updates or any issues causing server downtime.

§2 Switch to a Wired Connection (LAN)

Since Supreme Commander uses a P2P connection (Wiki Link), it is particularly prone to issues with wireless connections that are not in perfect condition. Wi-Fi connections can cause instability due to interference and signal strength issues. A wired connection ensures a more stable and reliable internet connection.

If switching to LAN is impossible, try placing the WLAN router nearer to the PC, or try a repeater.

§3 Check Your Internet Stability

§3.1 WinMTR

To determine the quality of your internet connection, you can use the open-source software WinMTR. Download and execute the tool to start testing.

If your security software blocks the file or flags it as suspicious, this is a false detection.

Run the tests to reliable servers such as:

• Google DNS (8.8.8.8)
• Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1)

These servers are globally accessible, stable, and excellent for diagnosing connection issues.

Example output:

How to Interpret WinMTR Results

Packet Loss:

• If packet loss is consistent across all hops, the issue may be with your ISP or local connection.
• If packet loss occurs only at one intermediate hop but not beyond, it's likely due to ICMP rate limiting on that hop, not a problem with the network.

Latency (Best, Avg, Worst):

• If latency increases steadily as you move toward the destination, this is expected for long distances.
• Sudden spikes in latency at a specific hop can indicate congestion or a routing issue.

Hostname/IP:

• Check the names or IPs to identify where the issue lies (e.g., your router, your ISP's gateway, or a specific remote server).

§3.2 Bandwidth and Load Test

Ensure your network has sufficient bandwidth and remains stable under load:

• Visit Google Speed Test to measure your upload and download speeds.
• You may run the speed test at least once with WinMTR to see how it will affect your latency and packet loss.

Ideal Results:

• Ping (Latency) and Jitter: Low as possible
• Download/Upload Speeds: Consistent speeds with minimal fluctuations indicate a stable connection.
• No Sudden Drops: Network should not collapse or drastically drop speed

Supreme Commander Lag: The Magic 500ms Threshold

In Supreme Commander, delays of up to 500 ms (half a second) are okay-ish, because the game’s simulation already includes this delay for all actions. Lag happens when a player’s ping is consistently over 500 ms or is losing packets, forcing the game to pause until the delayed data arrives for all players.

§4 Use Standard Windows Security Tools

Third-party antivirus or firewall software may interfere with the game's connection. Stick to Windows Defender and the built-in firewall, as these are less likely to block FAF or Supreme Commander-related traffic.

The following security software is known to may cause issues:

• Avast
• Avira
• Norton

Whitelisting FAF and Supreme Commander in Windows Firewall & Creating Exceptions for Windows Defender

Step 1: Open Windows Firewall:

• Press Windows + R, type control, and press Enter.
• Navigate to Windows Defender Firewall.
• Allow an app through the firewall:
  • In the left sidebar, click on 'Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall'. Click Change settings (you may need admin privileges). Scroll down to find:
  • 'faf-client'
  • 'Supreme Commander Forged Alliance Application'
  • 'Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance'

If they are not listed, click 'Allow another app' and navigate manually to the .exe of the applications where you have installed FAF and Supreme Commander.

Step 2: Creating Exceptions for Windows Defender:

Open Windows Security:

• Press Windows + i to open Settings.
• Go to Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection.
• Under Virus & Threat Protection Settings, click on Manage settings.

Add an Exclusion:

• Scroll down to the Exclusions section and click on Add or remove exclusions.
• Click Add an exclusion, then select Folder to exclude
• Navigate to the folder containing FAF and Supreme Commander, then select them.
• After adding the exclusions, close the settings window to save your changes.

§5 Check Router Security Settings

Some routers have built-in security features (e.g., parental controls, firewalls) that might block FAF or Supreme Commander related traffic.

§6 Update Windows to the Latest Version

Make sure your system and drivers are up-to-date:

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and get the last updates.

§7 Use a VPN

Due to recent world events, your internet provider might be blocking access. Try using a VPN to connect. Make sure, the VPN server is located outside your country, has a low latency and is stable.

§8 Inspect Coturn Settings

FAF relies on Coturn servers for NAT traversal, enabling seamless connectivity with other players. The default settings are designed to work for most users without any adjustments. However, if you encounter connectivity issues, you can try selecting a different Coturn server to see if it resolves the problem.

• FAF client > Settings > Forged Alliance Forever > Preferred Coturns for ICE

§9 Nothing Works

If none of the previous steps have resolved your in-game connection issues, follow these instructions to get further help:

1. In the FAF client, go to the top-left menu > Settings

• Under General, check 'Write ICE Log File'
• Windows only: check 'Use FAF Debugger when starting Forged Alliance', then click 'Get the latest version of the debugger'
• Uncheck 'Allow the ICE adapter to use IPv6'
• Select 'Global' under 'Preferred Coturns for ICE'

2. Close the FAF client completely (check Task Manager) and add an exclusion/exception for the FAF Client/Supreme Commander in your Antivirus and Firewall.

3. Reopen the client and play.

If you still experience connection issues, create a post in the FAF Discord tech-support-forum channel with the following—if you already have one created, please share the following files:

• Go to FAF client > top-left menu > Show logs folder > logs, and sort by Date Modified
• Or, you can enter this directly in the title bar of Windows Explorer:

%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Roaming\Forged Alliance Forever\logs

• Attach the following files:
  • client.log
  • ice-adapter.log
  • advanced-ice-adapter.log
  • if the game launched, also include 'game_2xxxxxxx.log'

4. Add the result of the WinMTR output.

If you not already have, include a description of the issue, what you were doing when it occurred, and any troubleshooting steps you have already tried.

This will help experts review the logs and assist you.

Credits:

• Thanks to @Giebmasse for suggesting the tool WinMTR.
• Thanks to @MostLostNoob for his feedback and sharing valuable insights.

There will be weather seasons from now on.

Winter comes with snow avalanche passing throw the map. Spring smelts it and creates rivers which sweeps everything away in his way. Summer will drain rivers and seas. Autumn comes with a tornado.

Ha, exactly. The Cybran benefits a lot from those changes with their HP reg. When the faction buildings have only ±10 HP difference in the T1 phase - it looks odd to me on paper.

Table of Contents:

§1 Fixing Disappearing Sound:

• Known conflicts with software and hardware
• How to apply a possible solution

§2 Fixing Crashes Related to Sound - SND: Error, XACT: Invalid arg, XACT3DApply failed

• A comprehensive guide covering all known solutions

§3 User-Contributed Suggestions

• 3.1 Uninstall Sound Software & Try Alternate Speakers for Testing
• 3.2 Delete Sound Files Responsible for Crash
• 3.3 Reinstall Everything
• 3.4 [Video Tutorial] For RTX card users, NVIDIA Broadcast, or for non RTX users Virtual Audio Cable
• 3.5 Set Compatibility Mode to Windows 7

Content:

§1 Fixing Disappearing Sound:

If your sound, goes silent after a certain time or early in the game - Make sure you have the following sound settings (without applying any filter/sound enhancements to "make it sound better"):

Stereo - 16bit - 44100 Hz

The following software are known to cause conflicts with Supreme Commander or the FAF client:

• Steel Series GG Software Suite
• Steel Series and Corsair Driver Packages
• Creative Speaker Drivers
• Killer Audio/Networking
• Citrix Systems
• Overwolf Overlay
• Sophos VPN
• Asus GPU Tweak III

The following hardware may cause conflicts:

• Intel Core stability issues in 13th and 14th Gen Processors (Discord Thread About The Issue: Link)

It's important to note that Forged Alliance was developed before 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound technologies became available, and as such, they are not compatible.

Example to change it:

§2 Fixing Crashes Related to Sound - SND: Error, XACT: Invalid arg, XACT3DApply failed

Verify sound as the root cause, test the game without sound (shouldn't cause crashes), and inspect for UI or SIM mod issues.

How to disable the sound properly:

FAF Launcher ⇾ Options ⇾ Forged Alliance Forever ⇾ Command Line Format for Executable ⇒ add /nosound behind the "%s"

2.1 Uninstall FAF and Supreme Commander completely and remove any leftover files, so we can begin with a 100% working environment.

Make sure no leftover files are in: (Path may be different, if you have the GOG version, or you have selected a different installation path.)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Supreme Commander Forged Alliance

C:\Users\%username%\Documents\My Games\Gas Powered Games\Supreme Commander Forged Alliance

C:\ProgramData\FAForever

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Gas Powered Games\Supreme Commander Forged Alliance\

%APPDATA%\Forged Alliance Forever

2.2 Install the latest client release from FAF:

https://github.com/FAForever/downlords-faf-client/releases (Or go to https://www.faforever.com/play)

Install Supreme Commander via Steam or GOG

Test for sound issues with a new installation. If problems persist:

• Ensure Windows is updated.
• Configure sound card to stereo mode.
• Set sound card to 44100 Hz / 16 bit; consider 44100 Hz / 24 bit
• Disable sound enhancements for your sound card.
• Deactivate unrelated sound devices (restart PC).

If you have a USB sound card like Focusrite and other devices, disable everything except your primary sound card (e.g., NVIDIA and Waves SoundGrid). If you're not using your onboard sound card, consult Google or your motherboard manual to deactivate it through the BIOS.

Example: In this image, NVIDIA and Waves SoundGrid were deactivated:

§3 User-Contributed Suggestions

- 3.1 Uninstall Sound Software & Try Alternate Speakers for Testing

Consider using other audio devices, such different pairs of headphones/speakers or audio hardware. Uninstall any additional software that applies filters or effects to your sound and stick to using basic drivers to avoid potential problems. Avoid high frequencies and bit depths (Example: 96000+ Hz / 32 bit).

- 3.2 Delete Sound Files Responsible for Crash

Head into your steam folder for SupCom:FA and delete both music files (The .xwb and the .xsb)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Supreme Commander Forged Alliance\sounds

- 3.3 Reinstall Everything

Reinstall Windows, do not install any third-party software and try only with FAF and Supreme Commander.

- 3.4 NVIDIA Broadcast and Virtual Audio Cable (submitted by @Aranei)

The following video tutorial shows both solutions via YouTube.

• For all users (including non-GeForce RTX graphics card users): Virtual Audio Cable from vac.muzychenko.net

• For GeForce RTX graphics card users (recommended): NVIDIA Broadcast

- 3.5 Set Compatibility Mode to Windows 7 (submitted by @Aranei)

[Feedback is needed to confirm whether it works independently or requires in combination with solution attempt 3.4]

Verify sound as the root cause, see §2 to check.

Configure two executable files (main and replay ForgedAlliance.exe) to run in Windows 7 compatibility mode:

Default Installation Path:

C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin
C:\ProgramData\FAForever\replaydata\bin

Alternatively, use the data folder button in the FAF client to locate the game root directory.

If you use an NVIDIA card, perform a clean installation of both NVIDIA Broadcast and the simple NVIDIA sound driver.

While this alone didn’t resolve the issue in testing, it could be part of a working solution.

Conclusion:

The cause of the disappearing sound error is unknown (Well, it is a ~20-year-old game engine) and there is no guaranteed solution, even after many years. It may be related to numerous factors, which makes it difficult to determine the root cause, but it is related to the sound card or other software/hardware that affects sound in some way.

If you need any guidance, please make your own thread here:

https://discord.com/channels/197033481883222026/1083855787518079066
or
https://forum.faforever.com/category/4/i-need-help

When you have found any information that could solve the sound issue, which is not listed here, please PM me about it, and I will add it. Thank you in advance.

@Hakkapeliitta That is really a concerning and alarming statement, which indicates that something with the whole ladder system is not functioning as intended. Which should be investigated.

Well, unless I checked the wrong player history - which I highly doubt -, your ladder games were back in 2018 (3 games) and 2017 (14 games) against enemies from ~500 to ~ -200 rating players. While you were around ~250.

I know some people are exaggerating their opinions, but can we stay at least at the ground, please.

Please avoid pasting large stack traces directly into messages. Instead, attach the error logs as a file for easier review.

Related to your issue, there was an announcement in Discord:

We are aware that there are some server issues right now. Some users are reporting other, non-FAF services are experiencing troubles, so it might be an outage at a larger scale. Please be patient

Edit: Pinging those who reported server issues: it should be fixed

@hu0011 @Kilatamoro

If you feel sharing your Game.prefs file, I might be able to help clean up any leftover entries and send it back to you, so you dont have to reset everything. Or create a moderation ticket and share it there with me if you dont want it public.

Which mod caused it?

If you have uninstalled the responsible mod, and it still shows those values, then you have to delete any leftover trace/values which was written by the mod in your Game.prefs

Skrat, you have raised your concerns respectfully, and that is appreciated.

Exceptions are incredibly rare. They are generally based on sensitive context that usually cant or should not be made public. That does not mean a moderator is being inconsistent with the rules; it means the moderator team applies judgment.

We, as a community, can appreciate that a skilled player has returned after requesting account removal many years ago and is once again contributing to the dying competitive scene, or we can blow a rare exception out of proportion and turn it into an issue to talk about, instead of just enjoying the game.

Sure, there is always something to improve, but spending energy and attention on one rare exception is not where I see real value. Things like this always take more time and create more debate than they are worth to me.

It is never just a "quick fix".

However, if this topic is still very important to you/someone else, I would suggest drafting an official proposal to the Association on how FAF should handle users who had their accounts removed years ago and are now asking to return.

Writing a proposal could help highlight how complex and challenging these decisions can be; and why, in some cases, a simple one-time exception might be the better alternative.

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this.

Use window mode, reproduce the issue and share the game log, please.

Please share the path you have set in the FAF Client for the 'game location' and 'maps & mods location'.

From @Tagada

Unfortunately due to IRL stuff and lack of time I haven't had time yet to prepare the thread for discussing the Ctrl-k rule. You can expect it to appear during the coming week in the Association section of the forums.

I (magge) will share the link to the thread as soon as it is published. Please note that it will only be accessible to association members. Joining the FAF Association is free - it is a simply a more formal way to show that you take FAF seriously.

To keep things on track, summary of the major key points:

• Concerns were raised about core rules, e.g. CTRL+K usage and regarding exploits and when their report should be valid or not in general.

• @Nuggets is working on a draft about a formal proposal to improve clarity and fairness in this area

• A lot of opinions were shared, but the discussion has not resulted in a resolution to the concerns raised by OP and other users who share a similar opinion.

• As response, @Tagada announced that he will open in the future a thread in the Association section for discussing the rules in question, and exploring for possible adjustments.

@NOC The user is not banned from playing FAF. Just a short read-only period to encourage more respectful communication in the forum.

@HOSCHMOSCH You have made your negative views about FAF moderation and administration repeatedly clear, but continuing to derail discussions with inflammatory, hostile, and accusatory posts helps no one - it only further proves why moderation is necessary. If you genuinely want change, engage constructively and respectfully, please.

@Thomy100 said in Connection instabillity:

There are evenings now where it takes hours to get to play a game from start to finish due to all the connection issues.

I believe this could be a separate issue on a players' connection. If you have such an incident again, please share the logs to narrow down the issue.