Ping Question - Help!

[skulface]

Hey all! I have a ping issue, and I was wondering if it was affecting everyone.

Basically, when I look at servers through Novaworld, I see tons that say they are 30-70ms ping. I'll jump into a server, but once I do, my ping on the upper left of my screen will jump everywhere, from 50-500 (all in game) or else it will be in the 250+

I'll see players lagging, I'll see them skipping, I'll shoot people and it won't hit them. Basically confirming that I have high ping to the server I'm playing on along with some serious packet loss.

I've been playing online FPS for years now, so I'm very familiar with ping/packets/servers, etc. I was wondering if this ping issue is simply my bad luck with choosing servers? Or, is the Novaworld browser useless in showing true pings? Are people trying to run 16+ man servers off their home cable connection?

Any help would be great!

[skulface]

*bump*

Am I really the only person who sees a huge discrepency between the "listed" pings in Novaworlds browser and the "true" ping reported during gameplay after I join a server?

I'm really getting sick of going into servers where pings jump all over and basically nullify the gameplay.

[zza1pqx]

I would have said that the "true" ping reported in gameplay has no relation to the "actual" ping at all.
I have played on UK, US and nova servers and get the same nonsense arbitary number in the top left corner everytime.

It could well be that the people you see skipping and lagging are the ones with the packet loss issues rather than you.

In BF1942 which sucks far more processing power and bandwidth the Pings seem accurate, in that if you get to 200+ it becomes unplayable.

However I have seen no evidence that the BHD pinger in-game is in any way accurate at all. It could well be based on a formula Nova only know about.

My guess is its that others are losing their packets if you don't usually. It may well be evidence of people page stacking to help their game out, its difficult for me to say because I host about 90% of my playing time.

[Nev]

ok, here's the explanation (i *think* i even read that in the manual)

the ping displayed on the server list is a 'system ping'. means your system sends a packet, and the server's system sends a reply.
but in the game, the software has to handle the communication. somehow like this:
your game sends packet to your system, your system sends packet to server's system, server's system sends to server's game, server's game sends reply to server's system, server's system sends reply to your system, your system sends reply to your game.

this also inclines that your system (including cpu, graphics card, ram etc) also affect your ping. because when the system is completely busy with drawing the screen because you set your details too high, it wont have much time to handle ping.


hope i've been clear enough

[skulface]

Thanks for the repones zza and nev!

I'm guessing this must simply be my bad luck of playing on shoddy servers, or with players who are using 56k conns.

It seems like most of these servers are just put up by people at home, and are not dedicated servers running from server farms. I'm so used to teams (like my own) running dedicated servers off of huge backbones for minimal lag and low pings...instead of what appears to be every Joe and his brother running a 16 man server off their home DSL/Cable connection.

[zza1pqx]

If its done well then home serving can be great.
I serve a lot and the squad enjoys the freedom to play what it wants, when it wants, without having to pay £100 a month.

Its a serious drawback in our other game of choice BF1942 where you can host about 3 players (maybe 4) IF they are UK broadband AND you are as well.

The trick is to find a good server and stick with it.
I used to love I SEE ELVIS in DFLW which I see has just appeared in BHD.
It was DM and had great maps, solid (reasonably) ping, and a community of players as a consequence. I met some great guys (and girls) in that place. Like a dynamic posh chatroom where you could shoot people if they didnt like your politics LOL

[skulface]

LOL, roger that zza!

I'll just keep looking for servers and hopefully find some I like. Is there a "Favourites" option in DF:BHD? I haven't even looked. As in, a place where I can save the IP of my favourite servers and be able to refresh and view them only?

[zza1pqx]

Dont think so.
But wait. It wont be long before someone brings out a good IP locator. The best ones of old had favourites sections within them.
Great stuff only if the IP remained static.

[bobsm8]

lets hope dffaves comes out for it soon ....that has a server connection prog.....and bhd would be better for it..

[EL_BASTARDO]

Yeah I agree.

I know the guys have been working on one for a while

[skulface]

Originally posted by zza1pqx
Dont think so.
But wait. It wont be long before someone brings out a good IP locator. The best ones of old had favourites sections within them.
Great stuff only if the IP remained static.

Roger that zza. But, I'm assuming any "serious" servers would be dedicated and hosted on a static ip. Such as servers that will be used for ladder and league play.

The best server browser ever has to be the one built into Unreal Tournament 2003. I don't get why companies don't create great server browsers.

I'll be doing my server dance tonight, as usual. heh

[zza1pqx]

Try Friction *f
Its up and its stats.

[skulface]

I looked, but didn't see it.

I did my usual play on 10 different servers, all with crappy ping, bad lag, etc. Is it the code of this game, or just the lag because of low end servers that is driving me nuts?

I have a hard time believing this game can be played competitively. Too many times I can literally unload a clip on someone and have nothing happen. Too many times we both die (I would love to believe this happens once or twice, but every game I kill someone at teh same time they do). I don't know...I'm feeling like the code and lack of servers is starting to push me away from a fun game.

[Stephen]

i don't even load the pings i press cancel to bybass it cuz i really do care i only play public t1 servers anyways

[zza1pqx]

It was up all night until 0630 GMT.
How many servers do you see usually?

[skulface]

Hey zza!

I click on "The Big List", so I see 60 or more servers. I usually don't go up past around 20 though, the ping listing there begins to hit the low hundreds.

I went through the server list today, and checked the info on the servers...2 out of 23 were dedicated. One of those was passworded, so really, only 1 out of 23 servers were public and dedicated.

I'm just used to games like SoF2 and UT/UT2003, where 95% of servers are dedicated. Not that this game is a huge resource hog...but having a server running while someones playing on it will always cause some lag...and give the 0 pinger a huge advantage.

Jeez, I don't think I've ever complained so much in a forum! lol

I'll look for your server tonight zza! Where are you located? I'm in Boston.

[zza1pqx]

Im in the UK.
If our US host puts up a server I will give details in here.

[skulface]

Hey zza!

I use the big list, so I see around 60 or more servers. Usually I only check the first 20 or so, they tend to have pings between 25-100. I avoid servers that tell me my ping is over 100.

Do you have a static IP? Is there a way I can "open" a server and play on it, instead of logging in through novaworld?

[skulface]

Heh...whoops...missed your post!

Ahh in the UK...so I won't see your server, it's probably up in the 200s Shame, I would like to get in a game with you, you seem like a mature gamer. Keep me posted if your host puts up a server.