Mandatory Login?

[Leak]

Ignoring the fact that Kano is for the most part a trollish character; the recent power failure/ server loss proved to all that we cant play the game we paid for without first logging in to Maniaplanet/ ( read Ubisoft ).

Uh... so exactly how did I manage to run the game with all my network connections disabled?

Oh, wait - the "Stay offline" option:







np: Anodyne - Jigoku (Destruction 808)

[isamu]

Owned

[paralipsis]

Owned

Are you trying to say that evidence trumps anecdote? Never!

[Trackmaniack]

Ignoring the fact that Kano is for the most part a trollish character; the recent power failure/ server loss proved to all that we cant play the game we paid for without first logging in to Maniaplanet/ ( read Ubisoft ).

Uh... so exactly how did I manage to run the game with all my network connections disabled?

Oh, wait - the "Stay offline" option:







np: Anodyne - Jigoku (Destruction 808)

Okay, so wait a second here. I've -never- seen that screen. And if I do anything that gets me to "Stay offline", then I get the lovely series of errors where it says "Cannot install or update this titles files." So, what gives?

[Leak]

Okay, so wait a second here. I've -never- seen that screen. And if I do anything that gets me to "Stay offline", then I get the lovely series of errors where it says "Cannot install or update this titles files." So, what gives?

Like I said - turn off your network adapter.

Yeah, telling the game to "stay offline" for some reason doesn't work (sounds very much like a bug to me), but when Windows tells it "that machine IS offline" (as indicated by a red "x" on the network indicator in the system tray) it'll let you play offline...

[Trackmaniack]

Okay, so wait a second here. I've -never- seen that screen. And if I do anything that gets me to "Stay offline", then I get the lovely series of errors where it says "Cannot install or update this titles files." So, what gives?

Like I said - turn off your network adapter.

Yeah, telling the game to "stay offline" for some reason doesn't work (sounds very much like a bug to me), but when Windows tells it "that machine IS offline" (as indicated by a red "x" on the network indicator in the system tray) it'll let you play offline...

Tried it--no dice.
EDIT: NVM, figured it out. This should help if I'm ever without internet, thanks

[DeluxeGamer]

but why is the normal solo mode not available when i choose stay offline? everything is possible without solo and online - just local play, edit and profile
why is the solo disabled offline? just lol ... ^^

[maniaracer]

You login, play whats the issue?

Any error messages?

[maniaracer]

solo allows you to record the fasted time on any dev TM2 map, hence online

[Dimitri1993]

I think I get it now. There may be a bug or a "code flow"/logic error somewhere...


First, to reproduce these test results, make sure you have successfully connected to the master server the previous time you had launched ManiaPlanet. Just so you end up doing all the tests properly, instead of having to deal with cases 5) and 6)...

1) While being connected to the Internet, run ManiaPlanet, and whenever the "checking the connection to the master server" box is shown, *CANCEL* it.
If done correctly, "My Documents" stuff should load, and Canyon should be loaded successfully (though the Solo mode is locked). Then, exit the game.

2) While NOT being connected to Internet (break or disable the link between the router and your PC), re-run ManiaPlanet.
This time, instead of "checking connection to the master server", you should see a large "You aren't connected to the Internet" box or something similar. At this point, press the "Stay Offline" button. Similarly to 1), the Canyon environment should be loaded successfully (without the Solo mode). Exit the game.

3) Do exactly as in test 2), except the part where you press "Stay Offline".
At this point, press the "Connect" or whatever button; as soon as the error box comes back, press "Stay Offline". The results should be *exactly* the same. Exit the game.

4) While being REconnected to Internet, re-run ManiaPlanet.
This time, wait for the "Connecting to mp01.maniaplanet.com" box to appear, and *CANCEL* the connection (or make it fail somehow) as soon as possible. Then press the "Stay Offline" button when the small "You aren't connected to Internet" box appears.
This is WHERE the "unable to play locally" problem appears to begin. Once the "My Documents" stuff is loaded, the game complains about not being able to load Canyon due to an activation/download/update [most likely the latter] issue.
Whenever Canyon can't be loaded, you are presented with the standard ManiaPlanet menu (where only the Profile menu can be accessed).

5) NOW is the part where this problem can be confirmed as *RECURRENT*.
Just perform the steps described in the previous tests [especially 1), 2) and 3)]. Normally, you except the game to load Canyon successfully; but instead, the game remembers having to do something [perhaps checking for updates or something else?], and fails because the connection is unavailable; therefore, Canyon STILL will fail to load and you will be presented with the standard ManiaPlanet menu instead.

6) To conclude, this is how to recover from (or work around) this problem:
Just connect to the master servers successfully, once, and never perform (at least, not on purpose...) step 4) again. If I didn't miss anything, the local mode should be OK as long as you do this.


TLDR:
It is more likely to be a bug rather than a lie or a commercial/DRM move.
(Though the unavailability of Solo mode in local mode may be seen as a pending, suspended or removed feature.)