Just a quick question...

[superhit1000]

Why are the international servers much more unplayable then other multiplayer games?

For example, if you play a FPS and you play on an American server you'll still be able to play normally if you have a decent internet connection. But for warband anything above 150 ping is unplayable. Why is that?

This question came up when i was thinking about the Nations Cup.

 

[HJKL]

No FPS I've ever played has been tolerable on transatlantic servers : o

 

[Wira]

it's because of the latency between you clicking and something happening ingame

 

[Mabons]

No no, Superhit brings up a valid reason. I can play on American servers in other games, why does it exaggerate it just so in this game?

 

[EdwardWellcraft]

You don't have to manual block in other games? Or do you mean your ping is higher in Warband than in other FPS games on transatlantic servers?

 

[Alec{zacool}]

I think it's just the netcode and stuff like that.

There's also a delay on YOUR screen as well as in game.

 

[Vornne]

Techniques for predicting collision detection and smoothing opponent movement in a FPS would not necessarily work for the melee combat of Warband, with swords rotating in arcs rather than bullets travelling in a straight line. Just my guess, I haven't looked deeply into it; though I have played around with a bit of multiplayer position synchronizing code for another game. There is no way to get around the fact that any movement you make in response to what you see has to wait for the messages to travel to and from the server; the best that can be done is to fudge things slightly in ways not likely to be recognised. Meaning that in warband, depending on your ping time, the quick changes in combat from feinting and the like can actually be over before it can be shown on your client, giving you no chance to do anything about it.

Trusting the clients for collision detection and physics leads to insane madness; in a battle with many players, who would you trust? Every single client would run the simulation differently, due to slightly different data, and the errors or differences would multiply very fast. I prefer just having the server control things, and play locally; that way it's fair and straightforward.

 

[Mulek]

I think that Warband has a lot more data to transfer than your common FPS.

 

[HTAPAWASO]

I think you just need faster reaction time in this game than most.

But I haven't played many MP games that aren't strategy-ish so I'm not sure.

 

[Spec]

It's as easy as that, yes. In an FPS, no matter if I have 50 or 150 ping, I can still shoot my enemy. But the difference between 50 and 150 is huge in this game, simply because manual blocking is so much more difficult and has to be much more precisely timed than pointing a gun and someone and shooting.

 

[Reapy]

In other games I can roll a frag grenade into a room or nail people with hitscan weapons. In warband you have up close short range melee weapons and arcing arrow shots.

Warband is a very timing oriented game, and changing your ping really messes up your timing... but this game is very playable at higher pings, just about as much as any other game. You just have to recalibrate yourself to it, and realize that certain things you could get away with on local servers you can't on EU servers.

I think if I kept up with it and didn't know any better, I'd be able to play decently at a high ping. Unfortunately I know better with my lower pings so I can't take being overseas for very long

 

[Alec{zacool}]

Probably the biggest thing that makes it hard is the friendly fire. Most FPS games haven't got friendly fire on in public servers, but most of the Warband servers have reflective FF, so you kill yourself trying to attack.

 

[Mulek]

Most FPS games haven't got friendly fire on in public servers

I find your choice of FPS... disturbing.

 

[Stabbing Hobo]

Hey, a good FPS doesn't have team at all.