Yes Ive had good success with multiplayer. I didnt with v1.02 (I have the older version of the game, European I assume). But after loading the v1.10 patch (from combatsim.com downloads for MA), I was able to both fly over TCP/IP and MPlayer.com.

Its not real clear in the manual, but you need to understand the multiplayer use model before you give up on it. So for those of you that didnt read the manual 5 times like I did before it made sense, here goes:

You are the one that is doing all the game set up work. The client just joins what youve set up. Much like Flying Corps Gold did. Go to page 81 of the manual for details. Believe it or not, the manual looks casually written, but its actually in exact order of what you do in the interface.

Which means you do these steps:

1. Start game,
(note you can click out of the opening
video with the left mouse click)
2. go to MULTIPLAYER
3. SELECT A PROVIDER (ive done TCP internet
and MPLAYER successfully). By clicking
provider once, you can now select CREATE
(for the HOST) or JOIN (for the GUEST).
Double clicking the provider of your
choice will automatically do a CREATE.

4. For the HOST, hit CREATE with mouse
or for the GUEST, hit JOIN.
(Assuming you hit CREATE, go on to the
mission creation steps.)

5. Make a PLAYERS NAME, keep it simple. Im not sure what is legal here. I use just
a combination of alpha-numeric of 8 or
less characters. But be unique from
other players of coarse.

6. The SESSION NAME will be MIG ALLEY by default, but you can change it to
anything. Just be sure you agree before
entering the game to the name and the
text case and spaces. You wont see the
pre flight chat window until you connect
up.

7. PASSWORD. Make sure you agree on this be
fore you enter the game as well. I use
the same as the session name to keep it simple.

8. DATARATE. First try the default, then go
go lower if that doesnt work. Only use
higher once you have success at the lower
settings. Again, agree on same settings before hand. If you have slow
modems, I wouldnt recommend voice comms
until you first get the game running with
out it. There is a bandwidth sharing
issue that might screw up the game.

9. GAME TYPE. I recommend starting with DEATH MATCH before you try other things.
Its the simplest case,with the least work
for your connection. IF you have success
here, then try more complex modes.

10. SELECT SIDES. All are Sabres in DEATHMATCH (dumb huh!). Start here first
and then try opposite sides if successful with DEATHMATCH.

11. SCENARIO. Use default of implode (head on)till things work. Then play around with other settings if it works. Mission choices come if you pick something other than DEATH MATCH. But keep things simple first.

12. FLIGHT LINE. MA's multiplayer use model is such that you can join after the HOST has started the game with the FLY button. The FLIGHTLINE lets you see who is flying or in preflight, chat with them. I know of no inflight text chat. I assume they figure we all have voice comms working.
(BAD CHOICE!).

13. FRAG. This is just the screen where you get to choose what position in the package or flight you want to be. Like leader, wing1, etc. Go back to FLIGHTLINE after you pick your position.

14. FOR THE GUEST THAT JOIN...
Things are easier if you are just the GUEST. After entering the game you just go to multiplayer and hit the SELECT SERVICE button (TCP in my case here).

Then you will see the internet IP address
entrance box (that is copy paste-able in
case you dont want to write it down). Put in the IP address and ok the box.

From here you will see the session name or names. Just double click on the one you want to join, and be patient. If the HOST
is watching the whole video sequence, youll see a HOST IS BUSY message. Just hang in there for 2 minutes. Otherwise youll see the PLAYER NAME entrance window (GAME SELECTION) and the steps are like what was explained for the host.

Then go to the FLIGHTLINE and FRAG as you
desire, and hit CONTINUE to be ready to
fly.

Its IMPERATIVE that the GUESTs put the same info in as the HOST, for everything. I have not had the time to try otherwise.

Once all players have hit FLY (HOST) or CONTINUE (GUESTs), you are in the cockpit with the WAITING red/white status indicator.
I would stay here until the game starts or
about a minute or 2 if its going to fail. Then you can either try to exit with the ALT-X or CONTROL-ALT-DEL commands. I would
restart the game before trying again each time to insure the game isnt messed up. Being its a join while in progress game, you can try reconnecting to the HOST if the HOST is still up and running.

Good luck, and remember, try the simple settings before going more complex. Changing only one thing per session as you go more complex. This procedure should serve you well. Its also good to get a PING utility and test your connection to be below 400msec before trying to go online with TCP/IP internet. Otherwise try MPlayer.com

Im not a MIRC or IRC guru, but I hope someone sets up a MIGALLEY channel on MIRC like they have done for Falcon4 and Flanker2.

Perhaps all we have to do is go to these already set up sites and create another channel for MA.

Would one of you MIRC guys post the details for those new to MIRC/IRC chat and show how to d/l the program and how to set up the server and channel settings?

Being I fly F4, F2, WW2F online ALOT, the community nature is what makes a good online sim great. So I hope someone will help star t this. MigMan? Anyone else?

FYI in deathmatch,
when you get to the Flightline screen
you can select what ever plane you want from
the paintshop option.

S!

This is what networking means

FYI... my experience with MA MP to date at first seems encouraging but after we looked closer there were apparently some serious problems. I wonder if anyone else has seen these problems too.

I have flown both on Mplayer and Direct TCP/IP with USA release. Had some problems at first and got HOST BUSY. Then got the Waiting thing. Finally, just being patient seemed to be the answer. Setting data rate didn't seem to make too much difference but we weren't sure.

Then finally got connected most of the time, RogerWilco was working and just flying around with someone else online was great... However, we quickly noticed the game wasn't in sync or something. I was on his six and he was on my six at same time! And we both shot each other. Or one of us would fly underground apparently. It appeared our two games had our opponents in different locations. Hmm, something wrong here.

Also, you apparently have no external views or even a padlock when flying an opponent plane (although if you and opponent are in same plane, the friendly padlock works, hehe).

I will continue to try some more things. However, at this time it appears to me that multiplayer is unplayable online at this time. Hope a new patch which makes MP work okay comes out soon. If so, this would be the BEST dogfighter online, bar none!