[cpv]

The ESO servers are still online (at least till a couple of months ago). I had issues with AoE 3. In case you forget your password, you can't recover it because they don't send recover emails, sending emails to some support emails from their support page/faq doesn't work (getting "Message could not be delivered"). And each account is connected to one cdkey. A last option is to play with friends/other people on game ranger, or buy a new game, and create a new ESO acount.

[speleding]

AoE 3 plays great on LAN, you only need a single copy to play with friends if you apply the latest patch (which removes the CD key dependence). I still play it regularly with my kids. If you're not all on the same LAN there's software around that will set up a tunnel to make it appear you are to AoE (forgot the name).

[cpv]

With friends I play the steam version (we all have it on steam) via game ranger. Strange, steam and game ranger. But it works. I just can't play a random game via ESO.

[sleepychu]

Are you thinking of Hamachi?

[Asooka]

I just run OpenVPN on my server with password authentication and really weak (but fast) crypto. Obviously only for LAN games, don't run a minimal security configuration for anything important.

[speleding]

Yes, that's the one, thnx