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[[File:Logon_play_offline.png|thumb|398px|The [[Play offline|Play Offline]] button on the Foldit logon screen.]]
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Since foldit's network administrator has recently stated that there is no functional reason why a player cannot play offline, and that there is no important data required by the foldit project contained in your puzzle when playing offline, since it is , and I quote "only to prevent cheating" I no longer have any reason or compunction not to share this with you.
  
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Normally, Foldit is played '''online''', with the Foldit game clients communicating with the Foldit server. Online, players see scoreboard updates, and can upload and download [[Recipes|recipes]] and puzzle [[Solution|solutions]].
   
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Players with a metered internet connection may not find it advantageous to stay connected to Foldit for hours at a time.
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Do you want to play offline? Do you have a questionable internet connection? Do you want to avoid being pestered in chat? Do you want to avoid being monitored by bots used by certain groups? Do you wonder why foldit continually requests data packets even if, as the network administrator stated, "We do not record all these interim steps" instead of addressing the larger issue? If so, I have now decided to teach you all how to do it. Unfortunately for Linux and MAC OS users, I can only do so in the Windows environment, as I do not use either of the other two, but the principles are still the same, so the information below should have at least some value to achieving the end....
  
   
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Foldit also offers the ability to [[Play offline|play offline]]. When playing offline:
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you will need a software firewall like Sygate Personal to accomplish the goal. It can be accomplished using the default Windows firewall but it's a bit less elegant, at least for me.
  
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*all [[Intro Puzzles]] are available
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*puzzles and solutions already saved locally (on the computer's hard drive) can be opened and played
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*solutions can't be uploaded to or downloaded from the Foldit server
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*the scoreboards are blank
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*solutions can be saved locally
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*any solutions saved during offline play are opened in [[evolver]] mode when returning to online mode
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*[[IRC Chat|chat]] is not available
   
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The "Play Offline" button on the Foldit logon screen is one way to play offline.
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Once Sygate Personal or a similar firewall is installed and operating: (note that this example uses Sygate since that's what I use and I have no details on other products to that end.)
  
   
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Other methods include using a software firewall, turning off WiFi (or a "MiFi" mobile hotspot), or simply unplugging the internet cable.
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1. Open foldit
  
   
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The Foldit team cautions:
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2. Once the main foldit menu is shown (after logging into the game the "normal way"), use Sygate to block internet traffic to and from the foldit site. This will not impinge on your game play or your competition score, except that you will need to re-load foldit and unblock it from communication to upload your score following offline play.
  
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<blockquote>
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We strongly discourage playing offline, as it does not guarantee that your high-scoring structure will be reported to the servers, thus defeating the key purpose of playing this game.
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</blockquote>
   
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==Windows offline play using a software firewall==
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In Sygate, the process is pretty staightforward:
  
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While the "Play Offline" button is preferred, a software firewall, like Windows firewall, Norton, or Sygate Personal, can also be used to play offline.
   
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Disconnecting the computer from the internet (using "airplane mode" or the equivalent) also has the same result, but affects more than just Foldit.
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a) open the Sygate console by clicking on the symbol in your tray (bottom right side of the window)
  
   
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With a firewall is installed and operating, open Foldit, and log in as usual. Then use the firewall to block Foldit, or simply disconnect from the internet.
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b) in the lower portion of the console, under the heading of "running applications", locate the foldit.exe.
  
   
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In this mode, gameplay is normal. You won't see any scoreboard updates, and you won't be able to upload or download solutions or recipes, until you unblock Foldit or reconnect to the internet.
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c) Right click the icon and choose "Block"
  
   
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The exact steps to configure the firewall may vary. In Sygate, the disconnecting process is straightforward:
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3. When you are done playing offline, make sure to re-enable internet communications between the program and the foldit website so that your score can update on reload of the application as follows:
  
   
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a) open the Sygate console by clicking on the symbol in your tray (bottom right side of the window)
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#open the Sygate console by clicking on the symbol in your tray (bottom right side of the window)
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#in the lower portion of the console, under the heading of "running applications", locate foldit.exe.
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#Right-click the icon and choose "Block"
   
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Other firewalls have similar options for blocking applications or addresses.
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b) in the lower portion of the console, under the heading of "running applications", locate the foldit.exe.
  
   
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The steps to unblock in Sygate are as follows:
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c) Right click the icon and choose "Allow"
  
   
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#open the Sygate console by clicking on the symbol in your tray (bottom right side of the window)
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That's it..now you can play without worrying about that iffy dial-up connection or prying eyes. Since you're already logged in as <username> to the game, you work is encrypted, and still assigned to you, so these FAKE security issues are overcome by default. Sad they couldn't see reason and provide a secure login without being on their server instead of choosing the path of most resistance and obfuscation (injecting purposeful confusion and difficulty)...
  
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#in the lower portion of the console, under the heading of "running applications", locate foldit.exe.
  ⚫
#Right click the icon and choose "Allow"
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When reconnecting, you should stop any recipes and manually save a solution. In most cases, when you disconnect and reconnect in this way, you'll still be logged in to the game, and your work will soon be credited when reconnect. In some cases, however, the Foldit client may fail to reconnect to the server. A "hang" may result if you try to share a solution, where Foldit "stops responding" and must be closed.
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Manually saving a solution before reconnecting ensures you won't lose credit for your offline work.
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If the puzzle you're working on is expiring soon, be sure to check the fold.it website to make sure that your best score is reflected after you reconnect.
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==Playing offline from the start==
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To play Foldit offline from the start, simply click "Play Offline" when the game starts. Once a client is started in offline mode, you must close it and restart it to play online again.
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Playing offline from the start avoids the need to change firewall settings or disconnect from the internet.
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When opening one or more offline clients, you can:
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*play [[Intro Puzzles]]
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*play puzzles that where already downloaded before and/or saved locally, and save the results locally
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*save a result in one client and open it in another client (provided both clients were started from the same directory)
  +
*save a result that was previously downloaded from a shared solution or from one of your soloist designs
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Playing offline from the start means that any solutions you save will be opened in [[evolver]] mode when you play online. You or your teammates will need to add 2 points to the score for it to count as an evolver solution.
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This restriction makes it possible for "pure soloists", who aren't members of a [[Groups|group]], to play as evolvers. A group member can also "auto-evo" a solution by playing offline.
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The steps involved in being a "self-evolver" are:
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*save a solution while playing online
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*start Foldit with "Play Offline"
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*open the saved solution
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*save the solution again (optionally after improving it)
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*close Foldit
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*open Foldit with "Play Online"
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*open the solution saved in offline mode
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*improve the solution by 2 points to join the evolver competition
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While this procedure is not recommended, it sometimes comes in handy. For example, if you have a breakthrough shortly before a puzzle is due to expire, you can use this procedure if no group members are available to play as evolvers.
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== Avoiding client crashes or hangs when playing offline ==
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As mentioned above, Foldit sometimes "hangs" or stops responding after a network outage. This can happen after a local network outage (unplugging the internet cable or switching to airplane mode) and also after problems with the Foldit server or other parts of the network.
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Closing Foldit and restarting is generally the only way to resolve this condition. In some cases, players have been unable to recover their best scores after restarting.
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When playing offline, or anytime you suspect an internet outage, be sure to manually save a solution before doing anything that connects to the Foldit server.
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The actions which may result in a hang include:
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*sharing a solution
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*creating or deleting a track
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*refreshing the puzzle list
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*refreshing the list of shared solutions
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*downloading a recipe
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*sharing a recipe
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Hangs and crashes due to network problems are rare, but having a manually shared solution before attempting the actions listed above helps ensure you won't lose work.
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[[Category:Help]]
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[[Category:Help foldit]]
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[[Category:Foldit Internals]]

Latest revision as of 20:07, 20 February 2018

Logon play offline

The Play Offline button on the Foldit logon screen.

Normally, Foldit is played online, with the Foldit game clients communicating with the Foldit server. Online, players see scoreboard updates, and can upload and download recipes and puzzle solutions.

Players with a metered internet connection may not find it advantageous to stay connected to Foldit for hours at a time.

Foldit also offers the ability to play offline. When playing offline:

  • all Intro Puzzles are available
  • puzzles and solutions already saved locally (on the computer's hard drive) can be opened and played
  • solutions can't be uploaded to or downloaded from the Foldit server
  • the scoreboards are blank
  • solutions can be saved locally
  • any solutions saved during offline play are opened in evolver mode when returning to online mode
  • chat is not available

The "Play Offline" button on the Foldit logon screen is one way to play offline.

Other methods include using a software firewall, turning off WiFi (or a "MiFi" mobile hotspot), or simply unplugging the internet cable.

The Foldit team cautions:

We strongly discourage playing offline, as it does not guarantee that your high-scoring structure will be reported to the servers, thus defeating the key purpose of playing this game.

Windows offline play using a software firewall[]

While the "Play Offline" button is preferred, a software firewall, like Windows firewall, Norton, or Sygate Personal, can also be used to play offline.

Disconnecting the computer from the internet (using "airplane mode" or the equivalent) also has the same result, but affects more than just Foldit.

With a firewall is installed and operating, open Foldit, and log in as usual. Then use the firewall to block Foldit, or simply disconnect from the internet.

In this mode, gameplay is normal. You won't see any scoreboard updates, and you won't be able to upload or download solutions or recipes, until you unblock Foldit or reconnect to the internet.

The exact steps to configure the firewall may vary. In Sygate, the disconnecting process is straightforward:

  1. open the Sygate console by clicking on the symbol in your tray (bottom right side of the window)
  2. in the lower portion of the console, under the heading of "running applications", locate foldit.exe.
  3. Right-click the icon and choose "Block"

Other firewalls have similar options for blocking applications or addresses.

The steps to unblock in Sygate are as follows:

  1. open the Sygate console by clicking on the symbol in your tray (bottom right side of the window)
  2. in the lower portion of the console, under the heading of "running applications", locate foldit.exe.
  3. Right click the icon and choose "Allow"

When reconnecting, you should stop any recipes and manually save a solution. In most cases, when you disconnect and reconnect in this way, you'll still be logged in to the game, and your work will soon be credited when reconnect. In some cases, however, the Foldit client may fail to reconnect to the server. A "hang" may result if you try to share a solution, where Foldit "stops responding" and must be closed.

Manually saving a solution before reconnecting ensures you won't lose credit for your offline work.

If the puzzle you're working on is expiring soon, be sure to check the fold.it website to make sure that your best score is reflected after you reconnect.

Playing offline from the start[]

To play Foldit offline from the start, simply click "Play Offline" when the game starts. Once a client is started in offline mode, you must close it and restart it to play online again.

Playing offline from the start avoids the need to change firewall settings or disconnect from the internet.

When opening one or more offline clients, you can:

  • play Intro Puzzles
  • play puzzles that where already downloaded before and/or saved locally, and save the results locally
  • save a result in one client and open it in another client (provided both clients were started from the same directory)
  • save a result that was previously downloaded from a shared solution or from one of your soloist designs

Playing offline from the start means that any solutions you save will be opened in evolver mode when you play online. You or your teammates will need to add 2 points to the score for it to count as an evolver solution.

This restriction makes it possible for "pure soloists", who aren't members of a group, to play as evolvers. A group member can also "auto-evo" a solution by playing offline.

The steps involved in being a "self-evolver" are:

  • save a solution while playing online
  • start Foldit with "Play Offline"
  • open the saved solution
  • save the solution again (optionally after improving it)
  • close Foldit
  • open Foldit with "Play Online"
  • open the solution saved in offline mode
  • improve the solution by 2 points to join the evolver competition

While this procedure is not recommended, it sometimes comes in handy. For example, if you have a breakthrough shortly before a puzzle is due to expire, you can use this procedure if no group members are available to play as evolvers.

Avoiding client crashes or hangs when playing offline[]

As mentioned above, Foldit sometimes "hangs" or stops responding after a network outage. This can happen after a local network outage (unplugging the internet cable or switching to airplane mode) and also after problems with the Foldit server or other parts of the network.

Closing Foldit and restarting is generally the only way to resolve this condition. In some cases, players have been unable to recover their best scores after restarting.

When playing offline, or anytime you suspect an internet outage, be sure to manually save a solution before doing anything that connects to the Foldit server.

The actions which may result in a hang include:

  • sharing a solution
  • creating or deleting a track
  • refreshing the puzzle list
  • refreshing the list of shared solutions
  • downloading a recipe
  • sharing a recipe

Hangs and crashes due to network problems are rare, but having a manually shared solution before attempting the actions listed above helps ensure you won't lose work.

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