Can't instance with an alt on the same PC?

[Nadreck]

OK, not sure if this is a bug or a feature...

In a recent thread on multicrew, I said that (as far as I know) if you multicrew into someone else's ship from your own ship in space (rather than from within a station), your own ship disappears, as if you had logged out. But I decided to test that.

I have 3 accounts, and I can run them simultaneously on my PC and tab between them (and muticrew between them, I've had 3 people on the bridge of one ship on numerous occasions). So I decided to park a couple of ships within sight of each other, and see if one disappears when its pilot multicrews elsewhere.

I was unable to perform the test, because I was unable to get both ships into the same instance at all. I was in Private Group, they are all in the same squadron and on the same friends list, and in the same wing, and they can see each other's wing beacons. So I knew both ships were within a few metres of each other: but they remained invisible to each other, despite everything I tried.

Is it fundamentally impossible to get two CMDR's into the same instance if both are being hosted on the same PC? So it's never possible to use one account to refuel another, or shoot each other, using one PC? And is it the same with consoles etc?

If so, I'm starting to wonder about the implications for Carriers. Though if they're persistent when logged off, at least I could log out of my main CMDR and log in as an alt to access the Carrier.

 

[CMDR M. Lehman]

That's a lot of work for two extra pips.

 

[metatheurgist]

Considering people use Alts to store cargo I'm going to say it's possible.

 

[Koben]

Just today I was trying to get into a CZ with a squadron team mate and we winged up but could never join the same instance. We decided then to break the wing and get both back to SC and we magically turned up in the same instance.

I guess the trick is to initiate the instancing process all in super cruise and then drop on a POI or low wake one at a time.

 

[GraXXoR]

The number of times I've been unable to get into the same instance as my wing mates is, indeed, a number!
I'd just say that you're probably having typical ED instancing issues with the game.

 

[Kelster87]

Just hazarding a guess here, but ED uses P2P for instancing and it may be that multiple clients on the same IP cause odd issues.

 

[Ezren]

Just hazarding a guess here, but ED uses P2P for instancing and it may be that multiple clients on the same IP cause odd issues.

Inclined to agree. Though I've never tested this out, it must be a bit strange for the system to try and manage two identical IPs in the same space.

 

[CMDR Eryn Liamson]

Is it fundamentally impossible to get two CMDR's into the same instance if both are being hosted on the same PC? So it's never possible to use one account to refuel another, or shoot each other, using one PC? And is it the same with consoles etc?

It's definitely possible to instance with alt accounts from the same PC, even transfer cargo, refuel, repair each other.

This is all four of my accounts together before I sent one off to Colonia. All running on one box.

 

[Para Handy]

I can wing two accounts on the same PC - use the Wing Beacon to overcome instancing issues.

 

[Nadreck]

Thanks for the replies, knowing it's possible encouraged me to try again.

I used a nav beacon as a meeting-point, and had to get winged-up every time before approaching it in the second ship, despite both accounts being "friends" with each other: without the extra incentive from the wing, even friends in the same squadron don't seem to get instanced on the same PC. This time it worked (though it didn't work before even with the wing, must have been one of ED's "off days").

Having a Beluga and a Courier sitting right in front of each other in the same instance, I was able to perform the test: exiting the wing and then multicrewing from the Courier to the Beluga. This caused the Courier to disappear, just as I expected: multicrewing to another ship causes the ship you're in to be logged-out, your ship can't be attacked while you're "out".

On leaving multicrew, the Courier failed to reappear in front of the Beluga. Switching to the Courier, I could see the nav beacon some way off, but no Beluga. We had been de-instanced. Winging up again, I could see the wing beacon but I could fly straight through it. However, after-low-waking away and then returning while winged-up, the Beluga was there again, I'd been dropped back into the instance.

I then tested the effectiveness of this disappearing trick in a dangerous situation. When fuel-scooping in the Courier, I could menu-log immediately at low temperature, but was given the 15-second countdown when above 80% heat. So I tried again with a pending multicrew invitation, accepted the invitation when hot, and was given a 15-second countdown again: you can't immediately "multicrew-log" when in danger.

 

[B.Roberts]

It's definitely possible to instance with alt accounts from the same PC, even transfer cargo, refuel, repair each other.

This is all four of my accounts together before I sent one off to Colonia. All running on one box.

How do you run several accounts from the same PC? Do you have to install ED twice in the different directories or you can just start two different launchers logged in the different accounts at the same time? I have two accounts but I thought I need to run one of them on the laptop or something of that nature. Running them on the same PC would be much more convenient.

 

[avow555]

How do you run several accounts from the same PC? Do you have to install ED twice in the different directories or you can just start two different launchers logged in the different accounts at the same time? I have two accounts but I thought I need to run one of them on the laptop or something of that nature. Running them on the same PC would be much more convenient.

Would be interesting to find out.

 

[Nadreck]

You can run two accounts on the same PC (but not simultaneously) with two copies of the launcher, each using a different login name and email address (assuming you've bought two accounts, obviously).

For running both simultaneously, you need two copies of the entire folder in which the launcher sits, so that both games can access their files at the same time. Also you can only have one launcher running at a time, so you need to close the first launcher when the first game is running.

 

[d8veh]

I use 2 PCs. The second PC doesn't need to be anything fancy - just enough to run the game.

 

[CMDR Eryn Liamson]

How do you run several accounts from the same PC? Do you have to install ED twice in the different directories or you can just start two different launchers logged in the different accounts at the same time? I have two accounts but I thought I need to run one of them on the laptop or something of that nature. Running them on the same PC would be much more convenient.

My rather complicated method was to copy the install folder without the 'products' folder (which holds the game files) then create junction points to the game files for each copy. This tricks the launcher into running as a completely separate install without the need to have a full copy for each one, and allows multiple copies of the actual game to run simultaneously.

 

[Maro-Val]

Sounds like typical elite networking.

 

[Factabulous]

Any more details on how to actually configure this? I have Different launchers for each CMDR (works fine - no need to log in each time), but when I exit the launcher and start a different one it just foregrounds the first game instance. I'm assuming that the launcher is finding the executable is running so won't start another, but I can't see any config files that I can point to an alternate installation / junction'ed symlink to get around this.

 

[Nadreck]

Hmm. I don't have access to my PC at the moment, but it sounds like you may have multiple launchers in the same "...\Elite Dangerous" folder, whereas for simultaneous running you'd need a separate "...\Elite Dangerous 2" folder with copies of all the files in the first one, including the second launcher running from there.

 

[Para Handy]

Any more details on how to actually configure this? I have Different launchers for each CMDR (works fine - no need to log in each time), but when I exit the launcher and start a different one it just foregrounds the first game instance. I'm assuming that the launcher is finding the executable is running so won't start another, but I can't see any config files that I can point to an alternate installation / junction'ed symlink to get around this.

What @Nadreck says is true - you need separate installations of the game files to do it. @CMDR Eryn Liamson posts (#15) a way of having "virtual" second installation I assume - I have never tried that and wouldn't know how to even begin.

EDIT: Just to illustrate my case - I have a normal (store-bought) game installation with multiple commanders - I also have a separate Steam installation which one commander / account (recent Steam purchase) has to use via a Steam login. I can run the Steam game at the same time as any of my other commanders although I cannot run two of those store-bought commanders at the same time on the one PC (I have another PC for that and in truth that is how I normally do things, not usually run 2 on the one PC).

 

[Factabulous]

I have multiple copies of the launcher folder (mainly because I did it before I realised copying the launcher file would work), but I agree that I think my issue is I need multiple copies of the game files (or the sym links). I tried installing the launcher on a second drive and telling it a different install path, but that seems to have got me yet-another-launcher - and it's still pointing at the same game files (I realised this when it just attempted to start the game rather than re-downloading the whole 5G of game). I guess I'll have another-another go at that second install ...