Troubleshooting

Prefer to install each runtime manually? The Rookery Isles ArcheAge 3.0 client is a 2017 CryEngine build and needs the following installed on your PC:

1. DirectX June 2010 Redistributable — gives you the legacy d3dx9_43.dll file the CryEngine renderer needs. Download from Microsoft → run it → point at a temp folder → run DXSETUP.exe from that folder.
2. Visual C++ Redistributable 2015–2022, both x86 AND x64. The game is 32-bit so you specifically need the x86 one.
   • vc_redist.x86.exe (most likely the one you're missing)
   • vc_redist.x64.exe (the installer bundles this; reinstall if unsure)
3. Visual C++ Redistributable 2010 x86 — older CryEngine builds want this too. Download from Microsoft.

Install all three (reboot once at the end), then try the game again.

Other crash causes (rarer):

• Win11 + 4–5 year old hardware sometimes needs the launcher set to Run as administrator (right-click AAEmu.Launcher.exe → Properties → Compatibility → "Run as administrator").
• Antivirus quarantining game files. Add the install folder (default C:\RookeryIsles\) to your AV's exclusion list, then reinstall.
• Outdated GPU driver. NVIDIA: GeForce Experience. AMD: Adrenalin. Intel: Driver & Support Assistant.

This is a Cloudflare edge issue between you and our server, not us. A small number of edges (particularly in some Mexico / Central America / mobile-carrier routes) drop the connection between Cloudflare and origin servers.

What works:

• Connect via a VPN — even a free one. Routes you through a different Cloudflare edge.
• Try again in a few minutes — Cloudflare often self-heals as routes rebalance.
• Use a different network — phone hotspot, public WiFi, etc.

If you ever see 520 specifically while trying to register, just retry — the website itself is fine.

Windows Smart App Control (Win 11 22H2+) is overly cautious about unsigned installers from new publishers. The Rookery Isles installer isn't code-signed (yet — see the FAQ), so Windows shows this warning.

To install anyway:

1. When SmartScreen pops up, click More info.
2. Then click Run anyway.

If you see "Smart App Control blocked..." with no Run anyway button, your SAC is in enforcing mode. To install:

1. Right-click RookeryIsles_Installer.exe → Properties.
2. At the bottom of the General tab, check the Unblock box → OK.
3. Try running it again.

If that doesn't work, you'll have to temporarily disable SAC: Start → Windows Security → App & browser control → Smart App Control settings → switch to Off. You can turn it back on after Rookery Isles is installed.

The "Server Offline" indicator inside the launcher is cosmetic and often wrong. Click PLAY anyway — the actual login still works in most cases.

If clicking PLAY also fails:

• Firewall: Windows Firewall sometimes blocks the launcher's outbound TCP. Allow AAEmu.Launcher.exe and archeage.exe through Windows Defender Firewall (Settings → Privacy & security → Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app).
• Corporate / school / hotel WiFi: game ports (1237, 1239, 1250) are commonly blocked. Use a phone hotspot or different network.
• VPN: some VPN providers also block game TCP. Try without VPN if you were using one for the website.
• Server actually down: check #announcements in Discord.

The patcher pulls small per-file updates whenever we publish changes. Failures usually come from:

• Network drop mid-download: close the launcher and reopen it. The patcher resumes from where it stopped.
• Antivirus quarantined the .patch\download.patch file: exclude your game install folder in your AV. Then delete .patch\download.patch if it exists, and reopen the launcher.
• Disk full: the patcher needs free space to stage downloads. Free up a few GB.
• Hash mismatch: the launcher detected a corrupt local file. Delete .patch\download.patch and reopen the launcher — it'll restart the download cleanly.

The ArcheAge 3.0 client uses FMOD for audio. Audio issues are usually:

• Default output device changed: close the game, switch your Windows default output device, switch back, then relaunch.
• FMOD bank missing: a patcher download was interrupted and audio files are corrupt. Reinstall fresh.
• Volume slider muted in-game: Esc → Options → Sound → all sliders up.

Code-signing certificates cost $200–400 per year. Rookery Isles is a free private server; we don't currently have one. We're looking at Azure Trusted Signing ($10/mo) which would solve the SmartScreen warnings for everyone, but it's not active yet.

By default C:\RookeryIsles\. You can change it during install — just pick somewhere with at least 35 GB free.

Useful subfolders:

• bin32\archeage.exe — the game client
• AAEmuLauncher\AAEmu.Launcher.exe — the launcher
• game_pak — the 33 GB content blob (don't delete or move)
• .patch\ — patcher staging cache (safe to delete, will re-download)

Start → Settings → Apps → Apps & features → search "Rookery Isles" → Uninstall.

If that doesn't appear (old install), just delete C:\RookeryIsles\ manually.