Dark Forest Stream Disruptions: What You Should Know

The Dark Forest is a unique area in our game, implemented using the Alexa Audioplayer. Despite numerous security measures, there are unfortunately occasional stream disruptions. In this section, we'll explain the underlying causes and what we're doing to mitigate them.

How It Works:

When your Alexa device needs a new MP3 file (loop in the forest), it informs the Alexa Cloud. The cloud then forwards the request to our server, which creates an individual MP3 file and sends it back to the Alexa Cloud, which then sends it to your device. The Alexa Cloud essentially serves as a middleman; there's no direct communication between your device and our server.

Our Safety Nets:

We meticulously review the generated MP3 files. If something is off, we send a standard file to prevent the stream from breaking.

Possible Reasons for Disruptions:

• 24-Hour Router Disconnect: Your router refreshes its IP address daily. If this happens while you're initiating a request, the stream will break.
• Playing on Another Device: If you initiate the skill on another device, the stream on the first device will be terminated to prevent cheating.
• No Orcs Found: If you hear only footsteps for an extended period while in the Dark Forest, you might have been hit with a soft ban. This occurs if you enter the forest too frequently in a short period. In such cases, just wait and don't repeatedly try to re-enter, as this will only extend the ban.
• Alexa Updates: Occasionally, there are software updates for Alexa devices, often at night, which can also cause the stream to break.
• Immediate Stream Stop: If the stream stops as soon as you enter the forest, it's usually a device issue. Restarting the device (unplugging and plugging back in) often helps.
• Communication Errors: Sometimes neither the device nor the Alexa Cloud send requests to our servers. We can't solve this problem but we're continuously forwarding all available information on this issue to Amazon.

Additional Information:

The Alexa Audioplayer is not designed for continuous operation. Therefore, we can't promise that sporadic disruptions will soon be a thing of the past. However, we're constantly working on improvements and are in regular contact with our representatives at Amazon.