What is TribesNEXT?

TribesNEXT is the multiplayer support update to the free release of TRIBES 2, Dynamix's final entry in the Starsiege: Tribes series.

The patch enables players to create new accounts, host and join online servers, and have a generally great time playing together.
TribesNEXT is completely free to play.


How to play Tribes 2 online:

    HOW DO I INSTALL THE GAME?

    STEP 3: Launch the game

    Use the default "Tribes 2 Online" shortcut created in your start menu, or in your installation directory.

    STEP 4: Create your account

    Click the "Create Account" button in-game and follow through the steps outlined in the prompt.

    STEP 5: Play the game

    Set up your skin and voice on the "WARRIOR" tab, then switch over to "JOIN" to get a list of servers.

    STEP 6: Invite your friends

    The more people you convince to play, the better!

    STEP 7: ???

    STEP 8: Profit





FAQ:

I can't connect to the authentication server / I can't see any servers

First, make sure you've correctly installed the TribesNEXT patch from above; this is absolutely necessary for playing online.

Otherwise, this is usually due to HTTP traffic to the game being blocked by a firewall or antivirus software.

  • In the case of firewalls and some AV software, the game may require an exception to be able to connect and play online.
  • Some anti-virus software incorrectly blocks the server-listing traffic from the game with features such as HTTP filtering or "Link Scanning"
    • AVG Anti-Virus is particularly notorious for this, and may require re-installing AVG to fully disable the filtering.

In rare cases this can be caused by the online services being temporarily offline for maintenance.

My server and/or game is jittery

This can sometimes be solved by setting the CPU affinity of the game to a single core. In the case of servers, you can try setting setPerfCounterEnable(0); in a script loaded on startup.

What ports do I need open/forward to host a server?

The only required port is the one you choose to host your server on. The default server port is 28000 (UDP).

I get an "Unhandled Exception" error when launching the first time

In most cases, this error occurs on startup when your display drivers are out of date or incompatible with the game. The game also defaults to a low 4:3 fullscreen resolution that may not be supported by some monitors, but running the game in a window will allow you to choose your desired resolution once you get ingame.

Check this thread for more solutions, and ask in the support section if you need additional help.

"Tribes2.exe is not a valid win32 application."

This error can after you have attempted to patch:

  • An out of date version of the game (such as when installing from the CD without applying the final Dynamix update).
  • A corrupt or non-standard installation.

The patch requires version 25034 of Tribes 2, which is included in the full download above. If you're installing from the original 2001 release CD, you must install this update before attempting to install TribesNext. If you have already attempted patching an out-of-date installation, it is recommended you completely uninstall the game and start over.

If your installation or media is damaged, it is recommended you use the full installer available above.

Can I run the game on a Mac or Linux PC?

Yes. There is experimental support for running the game through Wine (Linux) and Crossover (MacOSX), you can find instructions here.

What are the recommended specs?

Nearly any PC built in the last few decades should be fine (yes, modern operating systems are supported)!

The original recommended specs were:

  • 500+ MHz CPU
  • 128+ MB RAM
  • 650+ MB hard disk space
  • 16 MB+ video card (with up-to-date drivers)

Where can I get more help?

You can visit our Tribes 2 support forum!