Arma 2 Worth the Online Play?

[Maystor 10]

The multiplayer is below average indeed. It has huge potential but is let down by bad netcode amongst other things. People say it's the server that is at fault, or it's a poorly configured server and yet units still lag and warp even in perfect conditions (LAN + a powerful and well optimized DS + low number of players). For example, OFP while not supporting as many units, seems to update unit positions like twice more often making it much smoother. The warping alone ruins the whole ARMA 2 experience for me.

[Beagle 684]

The multiplayer is below average indeed. It has huge potential but is let down by bad netcode amongst other things. People say it's the server that is at fault, or it's a poorly configured server and yet units still lag and warp even in perfect conditions (LAN + a powerful and well optimized DS + low number of players). For example, OFP while not supporting as many units, seems to update unit positions like twice more often making it much smoother. The warping alone ruins the whole ARMA 2 experience for me.

Indeed there is currently only one server that uses the right setup for non warping A.I. on long warfare games...TV2

Some server admins seem to think more A.I. makes a better warfare game experience...well it does not, it just delays the PvP confrontion turning warfare into two sided Domination.

And yes, server setup and mission parameters do matter. You can stall any server easily with first aid and civil life modules.

[76 0]

The multiplayer is below average indeed. It has huge potential but is let down by bad netcode amongst other things. People say it's the server that is at fault, or it's a poorly configured server and yet units still lag and warp even in perfect conditions (LAN + a powerful and well optimized DS + low number of players). For example, OFP while not supporting as many units, seems to update unit positions like twice more often making it much smoother. The warping alone ruins the whole ARMA 2 experience for me.

I don't really think you know what you're talking about...

I play regularly on -C5- with a ping of ~240ms and I barely notice any lag.

When I use to play on local servers it was bloody perfect....

Been playing BI online since day one of Armed Assault and had only a few bad experiences and I can only assume its a dodgy isp or slack server config.

Cause when I'm on a server with owner/admins who actually know whats going on there is never a problem.

You must play on some shoddy servers man or just not know.

Edited March 8, 2011 by 76

[Baff1 0]

The multiplayer is below average indeed. It has huge potential but is let down by bad netcode amongst other things. People say it's the server that is at fault, or it's a poorly configured server and yet units still lag and warp even in perfect conditions (LAN + a powerful and well optimized DS + low number of players). For example, OFP while not supporting as many units, seems to update unit positions like twice more often making it much smoother. The warping alone ruins the whole ARMA 2 experience for me.

I got a certain amount of improvement by editing the config file especially for LAN. A really big noticeable improvement. It didn't eliminate the problem, but it was well worth the effort.

Some nice server hosts posted me how last time I mentioned it in a thread like this.

I added this onto the end of the Arma2 config file found in mydocuments/arma2.

minbandwidth=102400000;

maxbandwidth=104857600;

maxmsgsend=4096;

maxsizeguarenteed=512;

maxsizenonguarenteed=64;

minerrortosend=0.001;

maxcustomfilesize=1600000;

I tried a few variations first and settled on that one.

There were plenty of examples and walkthroughs on Google.

Not exactly a cure... but a step in the right direction.

In the end this kind of game has limits.

The SOI is simply so big, the network tranmissions are going to be huge.

The distances involved are also so large that even tiny packet losses or prediction errors are going to be highly visible.

And since it's open world... all the usual MP optimisation tricks used in map design don't really apply.

Planetside was another one that had the same sort of issues.

So it's a compromise deal. You get to do far more complex things in this game than you do in say Battlefield... but you pay the price for it.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Baff1

[Maystor 10]

I don't really think you know what you're talking about...

You must play on some shoddy servers man or just not know.

It has nothing to do with my IPS. Like I said, even in LAN with server running at max fps there is still lag and warping. Optimizing the settings helps but doesn't eliminate the problem at all. I've posted a video in a thread on this issue in the troubleshooting forum and there are people who have the same experience as me. Also, by searching Youtube for ARMA 2 online gameplay videos, I can see laggy and jerky gameplay in all of them which leads me to believe people are so used to it they don't notice it anymore.

I got a certain amount of improvement by editing the config file especially for LAN. A really big noticeable improvement. It didn't eliminate the problem, but it was well worth the effort.

So it's a compromise deal. You get to do far more complex things in this game than you do in say Battlefield... but you pay the price for it.

Thanks Baff1, I've already played with all these settings and minerrortosend seems to make the biggest difference but the game is still far more laggy than OFP and OFP maps while not AS big, are pretty damn big. I'd rather have OFP island size/unit count limit if it meant smoother multiplayer experience. As it is, ARMA 2 seems like a great game until i try to play online and lose all interest immediately.

[EDcase 87]

Wow, you must be REALLY picky about lag if it bothers you with LAN.

[Infam0us 10]

I've had some of the greatest experiences of any online game in ArmA 2. If you don't play it online with friends your missing out, simple as ...

[Laqueesha 474]

I don't play ArmA II online multiplayer much, as there a lot of bugs and issues with it.

But, when it works, it works phenomenally well is a a whole lot of fun. ;)

Edited March 10, 2011 by Laqueesha

[Maystor 10]

Wow, you must be REALLY picky about lag if it bothers you with LAN.

What bothers me is that playing ARMA 2 in LAN feels like playing some other games, including OFP on a high-ish ping server online. Even if it's playable, that just shouldn't happen with high bandwidth and zero latency, and I think it says a lot about the netcode.

[walker 0]

Hi all

Join the DAO Vallhalla Server to see how well ArmA II plays on line in large scale PvP anything from 40 to 120 players, average of an evening 60 players filling up on weekends, then join any one of the larger ArmA II communities, like DAO, there are many, to access their locked and/or hidden servers that show how well ArmA II plays with masses of AI in Coop or large scale asymetric warfare with players showing the best team play of any game.

Kind Regards walker