Latency

[johnsey 10]

Hi,

Has the "latency" been improved with new patches in the last 6 months?

I used to play as a sniper back in the days but i could rarely hit anyone from a 90 degree angle, until they stopped because both AI and other players were laggy. I had above a decent computer, with a 30/30 mbit connection, so I'm doubting it was my equipment.

Seriously considering buying a new computer just for this game...

How effective is the 1.57 patch?? Is it smooth now!?

Edited January 6, 2011 by johnsey

[johncage 30]

i've been playing on a server close to me (ping under 50) and moving targets still sort of teleport around which makes hitting moving targets difficult. this is one of those domination/evolution type servers. i don't know how the latency is for regular coop scenario servers.

[walker 0]

Hi all

ArmA II is very smooth. BIS are very good with optimisation since OA BIS's ArmA series have been getting solid 8s 9s and 10s from the media reviews.

Latency is primarily down to choice of Server.

Meaning play on a server close to you and that is well run.

If you live in Australia are trying to log on to European servers then you are going to get Lag and Latency.

Good indicators are player numbers. Popular servers are popular because they are well run. Also do people on your continent recommend the server.

I am in the UK and I can happily play on European and US servers such as Zeus, Dao and Kelly's Heroes. If you are in Europe start on Dao.

Also join a community; many community servers are hidden though they may have a front facing Public server to use for recruiting.

This is really an MP Question. I will ask a moddy to move it for you.

Start here:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=79628

a lot of what people ask has already been answered, so try using the search function. ;)

Kind Regards walker

Edited January 6, 2011 by walker

[KeyCat 131]

Hi,

Has the "latency" been improved with new patches in the last 6 months?

I used to play as a sniper back in the days but i could rarely hit anyone from a 90 degree angle, until they stopped because both AI and other players were laggy. I had above a decent computer, with a 30/30 mbit connection, so I'm doubting it was my equipment.

Maybe the problem was on the other end... Look (or ask) for capabel servers with a low MinErrorToSend value in their configs. Note that a low setting requires more of the hosts HW and bandwidth so not all servers are able to.

/*

Minimal error to send updates across network.

Using a smaller value can make units observed by binoculars or sniper rifle to move smoother.

Default: 0.01

*/

MinErrorToSend = 0.005;

/KC

Edited January 7, 2011 by KeyCat

[johnsey 10]

Walker, I'm aware of how ping affects gameplay... But I'm playing with 20ms ping etc, and still as johncage sais: "They teleport around". So gotta be a netcode problem. So im guessing from what is being said that its still no good... ? Or, its not like it should be - smooth...

[walker 0]

So im guessing from what is being said that its still no good... ? Or, its not like it should be - smooth...

Hi johnsey

As I said; I find ArmA to be very smooth. So no your guess is wrong, but since you have not by your own admission tried ArmA recently I can see why your guesses are wrong. As to your having a low ping that does not mean servers you are logging on to are good servers. As I ponted out log on to good server on your continent.

Kind Regards walker

[Maystor 10]

ARMA 2 is one of the laggiest games I have ever played. I've read all the threads regarding this issue and people always say it's the server that is at fault when in fact that's not entirely true. Even in perfect conditions with zero latency (LAN), optimized server settings and no scripts running, soldiers still lag and warp all the time. I posted a video in the troubleshooting forums showing how bad it is in comparison with OFP. Me and a couple of friends of mine were also considering buying new computers just for ARMA 2 and gave up in the end just because of this issue. I have never managed to have a smooth online experience with this game. High FPS, fast sever, low ping, low number of players, and it still lags like hell. I'm also yet to see a video that shows smooth multiplayer gameplay so until I do, I'd say it's just the way the game is.

[DieterWeber 0]

Lag isn't a problem people should be focusing on, it's the game modes and missions.

[Maystor 10]

Haha! I don't really agree though. At least you can join a clan or something and play with a group of people that aren't into just domination and warfare game modes. The lag problem on the other hand is unavoidable and ruins the whole multiplayer experience. What gets me is that with each major version of the game, it's been getting worse and worse. In OFP as long as there aren't performance and ping issues, everything is smooth. I didn't play ARMA 1 much but going by Youtube videos it was considerably smoother in multiplayer than ARMA 2.

[johnsey 10]

So to conclude: Everyone still thinks the game is laggy, except walker because he has a different version than anybody else =)

Man i don't get it why they dont jus't create a better netcode. How hard can it be...

[blurgh 10]

the netcode in both arma and arma 2/OA is the worst i've ever seen... its genuinely the laggiest and least smooth online experience ever.

whenever you are in a vehicle with other people that vehicle jerks along, literally everyone who i've spoken to online admits its just armas shocking netcode. players warping about is a regular thing. it doesnt matter if you are playing on a server with a low ping, you still get lag. im convinced its the main reason arma 2s PVP scene is so dead, and im not even sure if the forthcoming PR mod will be popular due to erratic player movement/lag issues.

with regard to walker, he thinks the game is perfect... so he's never going to admit to its many failings !

[Pulverizer 1]

It's a mental condition, popularly known as fanboyism. With years and years of self-deception, he has become completely blind to the faults.

[kremator 1065]

the netcode in both arma and arma 2/OA is the worst i've ever seen... its genuinely the laggiest and least smooth online experience ever.

whenever you are in a vehicle with other people that vehicle jerks along, literally everyone who i've spoken to online admits its just armas shocking netcode. players warping about is a regular thing. it doesnt matter if you are playing on a server with a low ping, you still get lag. im convinced its the main reason arma 2s PVP scene is so dead, and im not even sure if the forthcoming PR mod will be popular due to erratic player movement/lag issues.

with regard to walker, he thinks the game is perfect... so he's never going to admit to its many failings !

Wow ... you made your FIRST post to send this drivel! Get onto a better server then if you are warping. The server is not set up correctly !

[Nicholas 5]

It's not the netcode. Play on LAN and it will be very smooth. But playing online is a different story. The server might not be able to properly handle ArmA or many people. Not everybody has a perfect connection. Of course there are going to be laggy people.

Heck, I encounter laggy people quite often in BF:BC Vietnam. Yet I'm playing on a North American server.

[Maystor 10]

It's not the netcode. Play on LAN and it will be very smooth.

The thing is, it won't! Moving objects still stutter and warp even in perfect conditions. Bad server, high ping etc just makes it even worse. It's so bad that even people right next to you stutter all the time and those further away lag so badly it's painful to look at. It's definitely the netcode.

[rundll.exe 12]

It's all down to the server configuration and bandwidth, as was already pointed out.

On the other hand, the interpolation could be waay lot better. The predictions of the movements are always off, even when Ai walks in a straigt line, you see them jerking. It shouldn't be too hard to make the speed of the interpolation be equal to the speed of the unit?

[KeyCat 131]

So to conclude: Everyone still thinks the game is laggy, except walker because he has a different version than anybody else =)

No! My experience seems pretty far from yours... For me things works fine as long as I connect to good servers that are capabel to run current scenario and are properly configured etc.

Sure as rundll.exe says, interpolation could be improved but it's not as horrible as you and blurgh tries to depict it as long as you (again) connect to good servers...

Man i don't get it why they dont jus't create a better netcode. How hard can it be...

Probably much harder than you/I can imagine... Compared to "shoe box" shooters like CoD/BF/etc there are quite a few things going on in the Armaverse that needs to be synced across the network.

/KC

Edited January 9, 2011 by KeyCat

[hellfire257 3]

Its all dependent on how the server is configured. Nothing wrong with the netcode or game, its just how its configured.

[Maystor 10]

If it's all down to how the server is configured, how do you guys explain stutter and warping in LAN with the server completely optimized for high bandwidth network? To say that interpolation "could be improved" is a massive understatement IMO. AI soldiers moving in one direction and at constant speed shouldn't warp and yet they do all the time. It just shouldn't happen. That alone tells you a lot about the approximation code.

[walker 0]

So to conclude: Everyone still thinks the game is laggy, except walker because he has a different version than anybody else =)

Man i don't get it why they dont jus't create a better netcode. How hard can it be...

Ah A Troll!

the netcode in both arma and arma 2/OA is the worst i've ever seen... its genuinely the laggiest and least smooth online experience ever.

whenever you are in a vehicle with other people that vehicle jerks along, literally everyone who i've spoken to online admits its just armas shocking netcode. players warping about is a regular thing. it doesnt matter if you are playing on a server with a low ping, you still get lag. im convinced its the main reason arma 2s PVP scene is so dead, and im not even sure if the forthcoming PR mod will be popular due to erratic player movement/lag issues.

with regard to walker, he thinks the game is perfect... so he's never going to admit to its many failings !

Anyone notice the similarities in language?

The thing is, it won't! Moving objects still stutter and warp even in perfect conditions. Bad server, high ping etc just makes it even worse. It's so bad that even people right next to you stutter all the time and those further away lag so badly it's painful to look at. It's definitely the netcode.

Statement of fact

I have rarely seen this in ArmA on a good server.

What servers are you playing on?

Kind Regards walker

Edited January 9, 2011 by walker

[Richey79 10]

Another voice that the problems listed in this thread manifest themselves on any server I choose to play on (usually under 60 ping, no lost packets reported). If it's a case of the servers not being properly set up, then somebody's keeping these perfect servers very well hidden behind passwords for some reason... .

And that's before we start on the game-modes being played on 95% of public servers. I have had my fill of Domination and Warfare for a lifetime.

I'm guessing that PR will include almost zero AI units as a way of totally avoiding these warping and latency compensation problems.

[Nephris1 10]

I also know these kind of warps onservers since OFP, and yes even on a listen server.

But i also know better ones, like my own when i am hosting on a 50/10mbit (CD@2,4ghz;4giram) with a handfull of people or the Charlie Foxtrott Server (around 100-120 player), what is pure PvP. Great configured, since its beginning they seem to have invested some time for getting the best of it.

So the truth maybe anywhere in between.

It is probably hard and time consuming to find the proper configuration for each different HW and cable/connection.

[KeyCat 131]

If it's all down to how the server is configured, how do you guys explain stutter and warping in LAN with the server completely optimized for high bandwidth network?

If it is as bad as you say something is probably wrong and I would suggest you post your completely optimized sevrer configs in MP section and I'm sure the more experienced server admins will take a look at it and maybe find something...

Another thing I forgott to add last time that it's not only ping time that matters actually more important are packet loss or the lack of it. Ping more than default 4 times to check this against your router, then do it again against your ISP's gateway and again to the A2 server you are testing, that way you can easier pinpoint any potential issues.

ping x.x.x.x -n 100

And of course you can't have tons of other stuff running in the background that streams/downloads stuff from the net and expect a smooth experience, same goes if you have other computers on the LAN. Tell your little brother to stop DL pr0n ;)

How are you guys connected, via cable directly to your router or maybe some of you connect via WiFi? IMO the only way to have a gaming PC connected to the net is via a cable directly to the router, WiFi is great for many things but not gaming! I know that some people don't have a choice but if you have take the time to deploy a CAT5/CAT6 cable to the router.

/KC

Edited January 9, 2011 by KeyCat

[hellfire257 3]

If it's a case of the servers not being properly set up, then somebody's keeping these perfect servers very well hidden behind passwords for some reason...

Correct :)

Rexehuk has configured our server to run okay. I did have warping yesterday but I also had packet loss. Usually its fine; good enough to snipe on. The AI will warp in the sense that their animations are not smooth, but they move correctly and its good enough to snipe.

[Maystor 10]

Statement of fact

I have rarely seen this in ArmA on a good server.

What servers are you playing on?

Kind Regards walker

Hi Walker. It happens to me on any server really but I try to play on ones located closest to me with good ping. Still, playing in LAN and optimizing the server settings should exclude the bandwidth and latency being the issue, shouldn't it?

If it is as bad as you say something is probably wrong and I would suggest you post your completely optimized sevrer configs in MP section and I'm sure the more experienced server admins will take a look at it and maybe find something...

I did post my settings and was given some advice although it was in the troubleshooting section I think because there's a topic on this exact issue. At first, I was testing it by running a server and client on the same machine. I posted a video comparing it to OFP and how it handles 6x more units much smoother than ARMA 2 does and some people told me what I was doing is "retarded" even though it was only a group of soldiers on an empty island, the server FPS was nearly at max and there was obviously no latency. Later I managed to borrow another, even more powerful computer so I could have real dedicated server setup in LAN connected via cable directly to the router and I didn't see much improvement. Setting MinErrorToSend to lowest possible value makes a difference but not enough for me to consider the gameplay smooth. I didn't check for packet loss but I've just tried pinging the router and the ISP gateway like you told me and it says there is 0 packet loss. WiFi was off and there were just these two computers connected to the router.

This probably all comes down to each person's definition of smoothness. As Hellfire257 says, "the game is fine, the AI will warp in sense that they are not smooth but it's good enough to snipe". Obviously our definitions of smooth and good enough differ greatly which is OK but it doesn't mean there is nothing wrong with the game :) In OFP it is possible to have smooth multiplayer experience with a decent amount of players as long as there are no performance and ping issues. I can sometimes even forget I'm playing online. In ARMA 2 on the other hand, I am yet to experience smooth multiplayer gameplay in any circumstances really. I can join a <40ms ping server, run a simple mission all by myself and still see the AI lagging and warping. For me, it completely ruins the whole experience of an otherwise fantastic game.