Will Lag be the only winner?

[Miir]

It'll probably become more apparent as the open beta starts and some larger battles take place (300-500+ people) But I'm a little concerned..... most of the regular FPS games are small in scale compared to PS yet there is still lag, so how is PS going to differ?

I'm wondering what people are thinking is going to happen in a mass battle scenario with regards to LAG and from your past experiences with FPS games what happens to your gameplay when you play in really bad lag. <---me with lag

I'm coming over from Dark Age of Camelot where the large epic battles were generally very very laggy, pretty much a slide show. But for the most part the computer was in control of your character so it was bearable and we learned to live with it.

What are your thoughts?

[Fire_Monkey]

I'd like to see video of current large scale battles. But, they say that 56k are minimum requirements for a reason. Those with cable and T1 are going to be very happy. To cut down on lag they don't have the greatest graphix if you'll notice, and are more focused on gameplay. The bodies will become coffins, also cutting dwon on lag. Later serious gamers will want cable or T1.

[Dravz]

I too come from DAOC, so I know exactly what you're talking about.

However, I think the primary difference is that there are no NPCs in PS. In DAOC, in the big relic raid lag, the guards and anything computer controlled tore you up, because they weren't affected by lag. Then you have PS, where everything is player controlled, and realize that everyone will have the same lag.

So even if there is lag, it'll affect all players equally, unlike DAOC.

Those are my thoughts.

[Nightmare]

I prefer DSL, but that's just me...

I hope a lot of people consider getting BB. Not only would it help them in the game, it would help everyone around them as well.

[Miir]

Good point Dravz, I never thought about it that way.

Lag still makes me

[FireFrenzy]

I think a lot of you people are getting lag mixed up with fps

lag != fps

In a 300-500 player battle, a 56k would probably get a very high ping, but on top of that, everyone would have ROTTEN frame(s) per second. It is going to be very interesting to see how it goes, not too many first persons that have ventured into such a mass fight.

[Moleculor]

....

ARGH!

Get your terms right! It's graphics strain and frames-per-second loss, not 'lag'. Lag is where you have an inordinate (say, a second or more) of time between your computer and the server.

Large scale battles in such games as DAoC are problematic because of all the models and polygons on your screen at once, NOT because of lag.

So how do you solve this in PS? Lower your graphics settings. Upgrade your graphics card (and possibly your processor). It has NOTHING to do with your connection.

[Spy]

Originally posted by Nightmare

I hope a lot of people consider getting BB. Not only would it help them in the game, it would help everyone around them as well.

Whats BB?

[nerveRX]

bb is broadband.

and also, low fps is still lag, thats why people say "my frames are lagging"

dderrrrrrr

[MrVulcan]

guys, games like this are run all server side, you are just a log in to it, the actual data going back and forth is very little.
56k i am sure will have some lag issues, it is just 56k, but I expect almost no lag from beyond that.

Anyone here ever play battletech 3025? it will be run the same way, all server side, with all core data your side, so all you are doing is sending a single line of a text file back and forth.

also, unlike other games, the lag is not compounding, since it is server run, if someone has lag, it will be just their problem, unlike in many other games, where everyone has to wait for that person.

in the end, dont worry about it, lag wont be that bad....

[mikkyT]

Vulcan I think what hes trying to say is the screen lag on large scale encounters will be ridiculously high.

[TimberWolf2K]

Originally posted by FireFrenzy

In a 300-500 player battle, a 56k would probably get a very high ping, but on top of that, everyone would have ROTTEN frame(s) per second.

I dont think anyone with a 56K connection is gonna get any enjoyment out of PS (including myself). they just cant keep up with the data flow. I remember playing Teamfortress Classic once, 2Fort (small map) with 32 players, Suddenly! 10+ guys where all in the same room fighting, my FPS droped like a stone and I lagged around trying to shoot while everyone ghosted around me.

I think when your comp started to lag real hard it gives the illusion of poor frame rates. I know my comp can handle the Half-life engine no problem so it must just be some kind of illusion brought on by packloss.

[simba]

im kinda of a idiot, so I was wondering what T1 is (not tribes) and what is the diff with broadband and cable? Which is the best?

[Miir]

Anytime a game slows I consider it lag.

I read that when you die you'll have the option to respawn either in a safe spot or where a battle is taking place. So if you can choose the battle to respawn. Unless it's a random spawn, there is potential for large scale battles to get over populated real quickly.

In DAoC too many people resulted in servers crashing.

I'm looking forward to seeing how PS will compare in the big battles.

Ok lets say that the lag/fps is horrid at the mass battles. So what's the solution? In DAoC most of the enjoyable PvP combat was done in smaller groups. If you figure people might just avoid the large battles and fight in 100 people scurmishes. Then the game starts to become very similar to exisiting FPS games.

So then....why pay for the "massive" side of things?

[mikkyT]

Ok simba here goes...

In simple laymans terms a T1 is an (american) telecommunications industry term for a data connection at 1.544 Megabits per second. Commonly used to connect companies to Internet Service Providers or other offices.

In Europe it is referred to as an E1, and in laymans terms these can be considered equivalent. But an E1 is infact a data connection 2.048 Megabits per second.

Basically the carrier system consists of a number of 64kb channels, the T system carries 24 channels, the E system 32 - The T system does some bit-robbing for its signalling whereas the E standard, developed after the T standard, does not giving a larger number of available channels down the same physical wire.

"Cable" is a term used to refer to the internet access provided by a cable operator (as opposed to your telco. operator). Typical access speeds are 128Kb, 512Kb, 1Mb, 2Mb lines.

"DSL" is a term referring to Digital Syncronous Line - provided via your telco. operator via your telephone copper wire. Its a method of squeezing data down the un-used frequencies of that copper wire. Data rates can be affected by many things, most noticably the distance you are from your telephone exchange. Data rates are similar to that of cable, although technically you wouldnt be able to reach the same theoretical maximum, as DSL protocols do not permit.