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Alexa
191 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
191 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
# Joining a friend's DorkNet server
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> Built for players whose friend already runs a server and gave them a
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> code. If you want to *host* instead, see [easy-setup.md](easy-setup.md).
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A "join code" is a one-line string your host's launcher generated when
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they hit Start hosting. It contains everything DorkNet needs to point
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your Rec Room at their server: the public hostname, the Photon AppIds,
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the version, and the server's display name. The launcher decodes it
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locally — nothing is sent anywhere until you actually launch the game.
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## What you'll need
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- Windows 10 or 11
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- A copy of the **same 2020 Rec Room build your host is using**,
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usually March 2020 or December 2020. Bring your own copy; see
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[Getting the 2020 client](easy-setup.md#getting-the-2020-client)
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- The join code your friend gave you (a base64-looking blob a few hundred
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characters long)
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- No accounts / installs needed for the default **Friends anywhere ·
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Localtunnel** join: the host's `*.loca.lt` URL is baked into the join
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code, you just paste it and play. The first time your machine hits a
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given `*.loca.lt` URL, your browser may show a one-time "Click to
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Continue" interstitial — open the URL once in any browser to clear it.
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- About 2 minutes
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You **don't** need a Photon account of your own. The join code carries
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your friend's AppIds; the launcher rewrites them into your client.
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## Download
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Grab `dorknet.exe` from the
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[latest release](https://github.com/DorkSquadRR/DorkNet/releases/latest).
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Same single-file binary as the host's. Drop it anywhere; state lives in
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`%APPDATA%\DorkNet`.
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## First launch
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Welcome screen → **GET STARTED** → setup wizard.
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### Wizard step 1 — Pick "Use a code"
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The right-hand card.
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Join mode skips the host-only wizard steps (server name + Photon), so
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your wizard runs 3 steps total instead of 5.
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### Wizard step 2 — Find your Rec Room install
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The launcher auto-detects common manual-install locations. If detection
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worked you'll see a green "Detected install" banner; otherwise click
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**Browse…** and point at your `Recroom_Release_Data` folder (the *_Data
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sibling of `Recroom_Release.exe`).
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### Wizard step 3 — Done
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That's it for the wizard. Click **Finish** to land in the main view.
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## The main view — Join
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- **Sidebar** (left): same nav as the host's launcher — **Host a
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server**, **Join a friend**, **Settings**, **Re-run setup**. You're
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on **Join a friend**.
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- **Header** (top): JOIN eyebrow, "Join a friend" title, and the
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**Screen mode** checkbox top-right.
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### Paste the join code
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Paste the code your friend sent you into the **PASTE THE CODE YOUR
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HOST SHARED** textbox. Hit **Preview** — the launcher decodes the code
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and pops a "Server preview" panel showing:
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- the server's display name,
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- the host address (Localtunnel `*.loca.lt`, LAN `sslip.io`, or a custom
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host),
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- the version key (must match your install — the patcher will warn if
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not).
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Sanity-check it. **Codes from strangers can point anywhere — only paste
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codes from people you trust.** A malicious code wouldn't compromise
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your machine, but it could send your Rec Room login traffic to someone
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else's server.
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### Confirm your Rec Room install
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Same picker as on the wizard. The path shows in monospace below the
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Rec Room install header. Click **Browse…** to change it if needed.
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## Applying the patch
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Click **APPLY PATCH** (the orange button below the install picker; it
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stays disabled until you've pasted a valid code).
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The launcher runs three steps:
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1. **Download patcher** — fetches the version-specific patcher payload.
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~10 MB, cached for next time.
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2. **Strip Steam DRM** — only runs if your install is a Steam build.
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3. **Apply patch** — rewrites network URLs and Photon AppIds in place.
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Progress steps show inline. If anything fails, the row turns red and
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you get **Retry** + **Get help** buttons.
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The original `Recroom_Release.exe` and its DRM-stripped copy are
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preserved as backups next to the modified files; the patcher is
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reversible.
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## Launching Rec Room
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When the patch completes, the **LAUNCH REC ROOM** button (teal)
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appears. Click it. The launcher starts your patched Rec Room with the
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right command-line.
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Tick **Screen mode** in the top-right of the header first if you want
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to play in 2D desktop mode instead of VR.
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You'll see the regular Rec Room login screen — log in with the account
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your host gave you (each DorkNet server has its own player database),
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and you're in their world.
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---
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## Switching to a different friend's server
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You can re-patch any time. Paste the new code, hit **Preview** to
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verify, click **APPLY PATCH** again. The patcher detects the existing
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patch and updates the destination — no need to repair first.
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If you want to go back to the official Rec Room servers, the patcher's
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backups are still there: rename `Recroom_Release.exe.bak` (or
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`.steamless.bak`) back to `Recroom_Release.exe`. Or just reinstall.
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## Switching to host mode
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Sidebar → **Host a server**. You'll need to fill in server name +
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Photon AppIds before you can host. See
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[easy-setup.md](easy-setup.md) for that workflow. The launcher
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preserves your install path and screen-mode preference when you switch.
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---
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## My account doesn't exist on the server
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Each DorkNet server runs its own player database. The first time you
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join, you need an account on that server. Your friend can sign you up
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through their admin panel, or you can use the in-game "Create account"
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flow if signups are enabled.
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If you've joined the same server before and switched away, your old
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account is still on their database — log in with the same credentials
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you used before.
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## Voice chat doesn't work
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Voice routes through Photon Voice, which is a separate AppId. If your
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host hasn't set one up, voice chat won't work in-game. You can still
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use Discord or any other voice tool alongside.
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## "Photon CustomAuth 401" or game stuck on the loading screen
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Almost always one of:
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- Your host set up a new Photon AppId since your last join. Paste the
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new code, re-apply the patch.
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- Your Photon **region** in the code doesn't match the server's. This
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is set by the host; ask them to confirm the region.
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- The patch didn't actually apply — check the launcher's progress
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panel; a red row means the patcher errored.
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## "Check your internet connection" / black screen
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Almost always: the host restarted hosting since they sent you the join
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code, so the Localtunnel URL it points at no longer exists. Ask the
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host to copy the current join code from their launcher and re-share it.
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Re-apply the patch with the new code.
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If that doesn't fix it, open the host's `*.loca.lt` URL in your browser
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once — Localtunnel sometimes shows a one-time "Click to Continue"
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interstitial that needs to be cleared by hand before the patched client
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can reach the server.
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## More troubleshooting
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[troubleshooting.md](troubleshooting.md) lists the rest.
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