Some games are left to shine alone - like Bioshock Infinite, one of my favourite games as you can tell from this blog. Others shine because of the competitive value, like DotA 2. And some for the streamlined, friendly bro-wholesome co-op value, like Warframe.
You join Warframe for some quick RPG-shooter-ninja fun. And you have friends, who want to join in for some bro action. So you invite them, and this happens:
"Failed to join session".
I'll discuss a quick and simple way to deal with this - no tech jargon included, and no router config needed, to deal with Warframe and many other client-based games connectivity problems.
This is strictly a guide for PC, however. Mac users can also use a different variant of the program I'm about to introduce (which I'll include in minor tidbits below, hope it helps but don't expect much because I'm more a PC than a Mac guy, sorry). PS4 players have no other choice than configuring over the strict NAT on either their router or PlayStation network settings.
First, download Hamachi, a tiny programs that takes a bit to install (click on the Hamachi blue letters! :3 )
This is what you should see (provided that it's the same as when I wrote this, April 2014)
Straightforwardly enough, download the version for your type of machine, install it and run it. I only have a PC (Windows 8.1 64 bit, so Windows 8 users, don't fret, this should work for you), but I truly hope that it would be at least similar on Mac OS so I can be of some help.
The program will do some simple configs by itself, and you'll see in its status bar the tinkering that it does automatically. After it is ready, there will be 2 options for you to choose from, either create a network or join an existing network. Chances are you have to create one for you and your friends - make up a name, and a password for it, much like the way you create a private game lobby. Tell those credentials to your friends so that they can join your lobby in Hamachi too. Leave it running in background.
Start up Warframe, go in the planet view (not the star chart/solar system), invite your buddies and go.
FAQ:
Q: I have lots of friends. Do they all have to install Hamachi in order to play with me?
A: No. In fact, I regularly have a Warframe match with a friend whose router is owned by his landlord in Finland, so we have to Hamachi ourselves, but the 3rd teammate living in California does not need Hamachi. You only have to invite the friend that needs Hamachi in your session, then invite the people that don't need it.
Q: Would there be any lag?
A: Regrettably, some lag and low latency problems, but it should be fine. My friend in Finland experience a bit more lag as Hamachi is used, but not to the point of a 1 second delay. However, it is noted that if we put the match to Private or Invite only, the latency is enormously improved. A 3-man team playing privately has a much higher performance than when we play in an online squad with a random player added from elsewhere. I don't know why, but Warframe is like that for the moment (Update 13 right now as I'm writing this), so maybe try a Private or Invite only and see if it helps. We did a 30 mins Infestation map with no lag at all so no worries.
Q: What else can Hamachi be used for?
A: In the simplest sense it it a program that gives the users in a lobby a virtual LAN network - so it's like you share the same local network as if you are 3 guys sitting in an Internet cafe or in a basement filled with Wi-Fi. With Hamachi, you can play old-school LAN games, or even newer ones, like Minecraft. We played Local Area Network Warcraft III: Frozen Throne games using Hamachi, even when programs like Garena Plus doesn't work.
Q: Are there any alternatives to Hamachi?
A: Yes, actually, I'm not paid by LogMeIn (creators of Hamachi), so I can introduce whichever I like. There are tons of LAN programs out there that works. Tunngle should work, and might work for Warframe, I didn't test that, but it is usually slower (for me at least). If Hamachi fails, give Tunngle a shot. Garena Plus works in an entirely different way, and if you're having problems regarding NAT ports chances are you need to give up on Garena - but try it anyway if you feel like you want to.
Click these links for my other Warframe posts:
* Warframe - Failed to Join Session (PC fix): (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)
* Warframe - How to Invite Friends (Update 14)
*Warframe - Update 14: The Mad Cephalon
*Warframe - How to get a Kubrow (step-by-step with pictures)