ds3-failed-support-team

Luffy @BNEA <support-ws@bandainamcoent.com>	Tue, May 3, 2016 at 6:27 PM
Reply-To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
To: slpkvol3@gmail.com
Thank you for contacting Bandai Namco Entertainment America's customer support department.

We recommend forwarding the ports listed below to improve your connection to the Dark Souls III online service and the Steamworks server:

PS4
TCP : 80, 443, 3478, 3479, 3480, 50042
UDP : 3478, 3479, 9305, 49152 - 65535, 50000 - 50003

XboxOne
TCP : 53, 80, 443, 3074, 50000, 50040
UDP : 53, 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500

Windows
TCP : 27014 - 27050, 50050
UDP : 27000 - 27030, 3478, 4379, 4380, 50000 – 50003

What you will need to do is access your router from your computer and input the ports listed above to open them and allow incoming connection. In case you aren't too familiar with this method, we would recommend contacting the manufacturer of your router/modem itself as they would be better able to assist you with the specifics behind your device.

If port forwarding alone does not resolve this issue, we recommend contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to inquire if there are any Firewalls set up on your connection by default or to check your router's/modem's configuration as some have built in Firewall settings that can be turned on/off.

We also recommend checking to make sure you don't have any other devices accessing your network as having multiple devices/items can cause network issues as well (Laptops, Computers, Tablets, smart phones, etc.) Additionally, we recommend checking the configuration of your Network Security as it may be a type that has increased security/restrictions as well.

Finally, we have also received reports from other players that Anti-Virus programs and PC Firewalls (separate from router/modem firewalls) have blocked some users from connecting and would recommend checking to make sure these programs are disabled as well.

We hope the above information and workarounds will help to resolve the issue you are encountering with the game. If you are still experiencing issues, feel free to contact us and we can look further into what may be causing the issue (as we may require additional information regarding the configuration of your PC).

Thanks,

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Sat, May 7, 2016 at 12:11 PM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
I have opened the ports but the disconnections are still happening.
I have disabled all firewalls on routers and Windows, and do not use an antivirus.
No other games have problems with internet connection.

My PC:
Windows 7 Pro x64
Intel i5 3470 @3.20 Ghz
8GB Ram
NVIDIA GTX 970
Crucial 250GB SSD

Attached is a dxdiag.

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Sun, May 8, 2016 at 5:14 PM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
BTW, Attached is a capture for one of the online sessions I tried.
I:

    started the capture
    logged in
    continued my game
    got booted
    stopped capture

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Luffy @BNEA <support-ws@bandainamcoent.com>	Wed, May 11, 2016 at 5:31 PM
Reply-To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
To: slpkvol3@gmail.com
Thank you for contacting Bandai Namco Entertainment America's customer support department.

One thing that may be causing this could be due to having a VPN service, such as Hamachi, installed on your PC. You will want to make sure that Hamachi, or any other such VPN type program on your computer, is COMPLETELY removed as VPNs can cause all sorts of issues.

You may need to use a PC optimization and cleaning program to clean/remove such programs from your PC (i.e. a tool like CCleaner) in order to remove these to make sure nothing is left over from the original installation.

Additionally, some end users have had success adding the -tcp suffix to the Steam Launch options. To do this:

1. Right-click the game title name under the Library in Steam and select Properties.
2. Under the General tab click the "Set launch options..." button.
3. Enter the launch options you wish to apply (making sure to separate each code with a space) and clicking OK.
4. Close the "Properties Window" and launch the game.

Some users who reported similar issues, were able to connect after changing to these settings on their router (for more information on accessing or changing features on your modem/router, you may need to check the documentation for the router or contact the router's manufacturer):

TCP MSS (Maximum Segment Size): 1400
TCP MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit): 1458
Dynamic Route: Set to "RIP1" and Direction set to "Both"
Multicast: Set to "Disabled"
Encapsulation: Set to "PPPoA VC-Mux"
Get IP Address: Set to "Dynamic"

Additional users also reported that resetting their "Winsock settings" was able to resolve this for them as well.

Please try the solutions and above to see if you can get connected to the server. Feel free to contact us if you require any further assistance or if the above workarounds/solutions are unable to resolve your issue.

Thanks,

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Wed, May 11, 2016 at 5:50 PM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
Please note that I can connect to the servers; and even stay online for a while. I have not had a single problem connecting. My problem is that I get disconnected in a matter of minutes.

Did you take a look at the wireshark capture I sent? Did that provide any help?

I will try the -tcp launch option, and removing the vpn (even though I never used it together with the game). I do, however, fail to see how any of theses changes will help.

Since I can normally connect to the server, the amount of time I can stay connected varies widely, and there's no other connection problems during the time I'm connected, I'm getting pretty confident that there must be a "disconnect" command being sent from the server to me. Maybe because of my ping, which can get to to 250ms. Is there any auto disconnects for people with high ping?

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Wed, May 11, 2016 at 10:42 PM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
VPN uninstalled and -tcp option enabled. Same problem persists.
Attached is a wireshark capture of me trying two times to play online;
On the second try, I managed to get summoned as a phantom into someone else's game via white sign soapstone. Got disconnected in the middle of the boss battle.
That really looks like a ping issue...

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Luffy @BNEA <support-ws@bandainamcoent.com>	Mon, May 16, 2016 at 6:45 PM
Reply-To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
To: slpkvol3@gmail.com
Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Bandai Namco Entertainment America's customer support department.

Unfortunately, if the issue is Ping, the best we can suggest is to improve your connection. Make sure that cross-region play is off as well to make sure you are connecting to more local players.

Is your connection to Online Mode working? Without connecting to a player? The game does not use servers, but instead uses a P2P connection. If either of your connections is too weak, then the game will likely have issues when playing online.

Thanks,

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Mon, May 16, 2016 at 8:17 PM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
Luffy,

    Unfortunately, if the issue is Ping, the best we can suggest is to improve your connection.

Again, my issue is NOT my ping. I do not care for it. I hypothesized on my ~200 ping being the cause of the disconnects, which are my main issue, but I do not have any way to be certain of that. I was hoping that you could clarify whether that would be an issue; whether the clients get automatically disconnected when they sense a high ping.

    Is your connection to Online Mode working? Without connecting to a player?

Again, not as intended. My issue is that I get disconnected from Online mode in a matter of minutes after logging in. Whether I'm walking around, fighting bosses, or just standing still exactly where the game loaded. I ALWAYS get disconnected.
My longest session since I started playing DS3 was 2 days ago, 14/05, where I was able to stay online for 15 minutes. I was using a vpn to a server on the US.

I have not tried a coop session using a password; I've only tried random encounters.

Also, I'm not sure you're gonna be able to solve my problem if you keep taking 2 weeks to respond to my emails.
Please be a little quicker in responding because I'm simply not enjoying the full of what I paid for, and the game can give, if my problem persists like this.

Is there anything I can do to help speed up this process? I have already sent you a Wireshark capture of an online session. Is there any tool or configuration that I can try?

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Luffy @BNEA <support-ws@bandainamcoent.com>	Fri, May 20, 2016 at 1:32 PM
Reply-To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
To: slpkvol3@gmail.com
Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Bandai Namco Entertainment America's customer support department.

Unfortunately, we do not have any information that in depth about the operation of the game servers. A 200 ping is REALLY high, though. If it spikes above that, it may as well be a disconnection, and we could see that kicking you from the server.

Please note, ping is how long a communication takes between you and the server. If the connection is taking too long to send/receive, then it. The most likely cause is that your connection is unstable. The Online mode is working as it should, so all we can really suggest is what we have previously told you to try. It is very probable that you won't be able to maintain a connection to the Online Mode with a ping that high. If nothing else, it shows that you very clearly have a connection issue.

What does your ping show as when running a speedtest? http://www.speedtest.net/

If nothing else, you can play the game offline, and it won't kick you off constantly. Make sure your router is as open as possible, make sure that you have all your firewalls off. Other than that, we could only suggest contacting your ISP to find out why your connection is so poor.

Apologies,

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Sat, May 21, 2016 at 9:21 AM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
My connection is not poor or unstable. Ping is basically a measure of distance between two points on the internet, NOT the quality of a client's connection to the internet.

The farther the points are, the greater the ping. Since your servers are on the US, it is obvious that I'm going to have a higher ping than if they were in Brazil. That doesn't mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that my connection is poor.

I can play every other kind of online game, whether with 20 or 500 ping, they ALL work online. DS3 is the first one to have these problems on my machine.
Also, the 200 ping I mentioned was a one time measurement I did while using WTFast.

Here are two speedtest results for the closest server, and a server on the US. Judging by those results, it is obvious that my connection is as good as it can be.
http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/5343133385
http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/5343137600

I sent you a wireshark capture of one of my online play sessions, and mentioned it several times. Why are you ignoring it? I'm pretty sure that's gotta be a valuable tool for your engineers to debug this issue. Please take a look at it.

If you don't have information about the servers, then who does? If there's someone that's got to have this information, that one is you, the support team.
Can you not elevate this support ticket to a higher attendant, with more access to the development team? This clearly is not a simple general issue that can be resolved

BTW, asking for a client to have his router as open as possible and his firewalls turned off is insane. So I'll just forget you said that, even though I have tried it with no success.
I'll have to look into a refund if the game does not allow me to play it like everyone else is.

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Luffy @BNEA <support-ws@bandainamcoent.com>	Tue, May 24, 2016 at 3:32 PM
Reply-To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
To: slpkvol3@gmail.com
Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Bandai Namco Entertainment America's customer support department.

Please understand that Dark Souls III does NOT use a server connection when playing Online in a matchmaking party. It instead uses a P2P connection. If you are having issues connecting through co-op, the issue is on your or the other player's end. There are no dedicated servers for the game beyond the matchmaking servers. Your Ping is a measurement of the amount of time it takes for your connection to reach the other server and receive a response back. While your ping or general connection may be sufficient for some games, it is possible that the Dark Souls III server is more restrictive in the connections that it allows.

Unfortunately, the servers seem to be operating fine, as very few players seem to have issue connecting. The only players who seem to be having an issue connecting to the game are players with overly strict networks or poor connections. Your issue seems to be related to you consistently losing connection. This could be because of latency, because the connection is timing out, or because your connection isn't stable. The best that this service can do in this situation, as we do not have other players reporting similar issues that aren't corrected through various router troubleshooting and management, is to assist you similarly by suggesting such troubleshooting tactics.

As far as opening your connection, we'd still suggest it, as it would provide a good diagnostic opportunity to find if a restrictive setting on your connection is preventing the game from maintaining Online Mode. There is little real risk by attempting this short-term, and would help determine the root cause of the issue.

While we can escalate this, please note that any patches or fixes that would arise are completely up to the developer on whether to release. Regardless, we can do that, but it is still more likely this is an issue on your end and not the server.

Thanks,

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Thu, May 26, 2016 at 9:46 PM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com

    Please understand that Dark Souls III does NOT use a server connection when playing Online in a matchmaking party. It instead uses a P2P connection. If you are having issues connecting through co-op, the issue is on your or the other player's end. There are no dedicated servers for the game beyond the matchmaking servers.


OK. I completely understand how that would work when I am playing with a friend on an online coop match. However, the disconnections happens without me having to initiate a coop experience. I simply click the Log in Main Menu button, click the Continue Main Menu button, and get the disconnected message after a few minutes.
In this scenario, to which machine was I trading packets with? I believe that's your servers. I can't say whether they are the matchmaking or the "lobby" servers, but I'm sure I'm not connected to any players at that point.


    Your Ping is a measurement of the amount of time it takes for your connection to reach the other server and receive a response back. While your ping or general connection may be sufficient for some games, it is possible that the Dark Souls III server is more restrictive in the connections that it allows.


My ping is not sufficient for most games. It is so for ALL games. I have not had a single problem like this before. If your servers drop people because they have a ping greater than 200, that would be a huge issue.


    As far as opening your connection, we'd still suggest it, as it would provide a good diagnostic opportunity to find if a restrictive setting on your connection is preventing the game from maintaining Online Mode. There is little real risk by attempting this short-term, and would help determine the root cause of the issue.


I agree that it is OK to do so for troubleshooting purposes. I made that remark because you seemed to want me to maintain that state indefinitely. As I said, I tried turning off every router and Windows security measures to no avail.


    Unfortunately, the servers seem to be operating fine, as very few players seem to have issue connecting. The only players who seem to be having an issue connecting to the game are players with overly strict networks or poor connections. Your issue seems to be related to you consistently losing connection. This could be because of latency, because the connection is timing out, or because your connection isn't stable. The best that this service can do in this situation, as we do not have other players reporting similar issues that aren't corrected through various router troubleshooting and management, is to assist you similarly by suggesting such troubleshooting tactics.


I just did another connectivity test. I tried to play multiple online sessions together with a constant ping aimed at a server in Washington DC, where I assume some of your servers are. I tried invasions, summoning other players, getting summoned, and simply playing by my own. I got 0% lost packages and my average ping varied 50ms. Yet, my connection to DS3 dropped 5 times in a period of 30 minutes.

Also, would you not agree that if my connection was "too strict" I wouldn't even connect to the server in the first place? And if it were poor the speed.net results and my ping jitter would be way off? And if it weren't stable, connection timeouts would be popping up all over the place?

    While we can escalate this, please note that any patches or fixes that would arise are completely up to the developer on whether to release. Regardless, we can do that, but it is still more likely this is an issue on your end and not the server.


Since I have tried everything in my knowledge (and yours) to fix this issue, shown you repeatedly that my connection is as stable as it can be, told you that I have not had any issue such as this before, and you have no other information or advice to give, I think this qualifies as an issue that should be escalated.
Your team doesn't seem to have the knowledge to track down whatever is causing this problem, so the only option here is to pass this to someone who can. I can give you any kind of information about my connection you want, but it seems that you would not be able to parse it. Please forward this to someone who can help me beyond simple first-level support instructions.


Akatsuki @BNEA <support-ws@bandainamcoent.com>	Tue, May 31, 2016 at 7:58 PM
Reply-To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com
To: slpkvol3@gmail.com
Dear Customer,

I have reviewed your e-mails between our representative Luffy in regards to this inquiry. While I do apologize for the inconvenience, the online features for Dark Souls III are working as intended on all platforms. The game uses P2P for online play and the online stability is entirely dependent on your connection. The game does not use servers for online stability (matchmaking only) and your disconnection issue would be unrelated to the game. I do apologize but we have provided all workarounds/information we have available regarding this issue.

Apologies,

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<slpkvol3@gmail.com>	Tue, May 31, 2016 at 9:00 PM
To: support-ws@bandainamcoent.com

So, if I understand correctly, no one person is going to help me solve this problem, is that right?

As I said, I can provide you with any kind of information about my connection to the internet that you want. Yet, no one has asked for such information, or done anything to try to fix.

Also, every attempt I made at testing my connection turned out positive. And no single problem has been found by your team. The source of the problem is always "something that must be wrong on your side because everything seems fine from here"

I would like you to explain how you think it's OK to leave me without any support after buying the game and trying my best to make it work.