Windrose Developers Seek Help for Co-op Connectivity Issues
In the realm of co-op survival games, Windrose is making waves, focusing entirely on player-versus-environment (PvE) mechanics. Gamers are really excited about teaming up and setting up dedicated servers. The early access launch has been largely successful, with the game hitting nearly 100,000 concurrent players on Steam right out of the gate, and reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. However, the online experience hasn’t been all smooth sailing.
To address the connectivity hiccups, the team at Kraken Express took to Windrose’s Discord, essentially asking, “Is there anyone out there who can help us out with some ISP know-how?” The plea went out on a Wednesday, as they looked for contacts within major internet service providers in Europe and North America to improve the game’s online co-op performance.
While playing Windrose with fellow gamers, issues like significant lag spikes and freezes were common, even for players who were just a short drive apart. This raises some eyebrows, especially when setting up dedicated servers. Some players have pointed out that the server features feel a bit basic and lack typical functionalities like connecting via specific forwarded ports. This is surprising, considering that Pocketpair, the game’s publisher, had released Palworld with more robust server tools. It’s a bit baffling why they wouldn’t provide similar support for Windrose’s launch.
Despite the challenges, Kraken Express is clearly on the case, as indicated in their Discord messages. However, their request for help from players could suggest they’re facing a steeper learning curve in troubleshooting these connectivity woes.
The developers highlighted that they are developing several hotfixes and they appreciate any assistance the community can provide to enhance the experience. They also hinted at a more worrisome issue that has arisen regarding the game’s dedicated server infrastructure, which apparently asks for registration from a server endpoint located in Russia. One user pointed this out on Steam, leading to further scrutiny.
Upon diving into the server code, it was indeed discovered that a URL routes back to an IP in Moscow. Although Kraken Express didn’t address the Russian endpoint directly, they acknowledged that several players have reported issues with their server addresses being restricted or blocked by certain ISPs across Europe and North America. They mentioned, “We’re still trying to figure out what exactly is going wrong here,” emphasizing their commitment to resolving these connectivity concerns.
Kraken Express operates out of Uzbekistan, not Russia, and their server software points to various IPs in Europe and South Korea as well. While this might not be a huge deal, until there’s clarity on why players from other regions are seeing connections to Russian servers, some gamers are bound to remain skeptical.