UT99 online gaming latest years - bad impressions
Posted: Fri May 26, 2017 10:18 am
To start with that I play this since official demo arrived, somewhere at end of year 1999. I remember there were maps like Morpheus and Phobos.
Played it a lot online with phone Internet connection, was even on some contest with about 50 players. Then around 2002-2005 we played a lot in LAN by diverse houses.
Later faster and better Internet connections spread, so we can now play it via some multi MB/sec connections. And man would expect that it will be nice experience, especially for old game, what should not have big demands for online gaming. However, my impressions in latest ~4 years were really not much good. What I noticed is that not all players move at same speed - some were significantly faster, even by simple running. And here starts really messy and sad story:
On my complains about it, I got diverse answers:
1 - most heard: you talk crap, it's your fantasy, you don't see it well, and like.
2 - I'm very skilled, I play this over decade and like
3 - I have very good connection, fast computer
Then I talked with many admins. They just ignored speed difference, saying that on their servers all players have same speed. Or: what is your speed setting - admin who don't know that server is who determines speed for all players. Really can't remember any who admitted existence of problem.
All above made me thinking that all it is because cheat. And such cheats - for faster speed exist, and there are indeed cheaters using them.
But I experienced in latest month something very interesting. Will not name exact server - it uses Newnet 0.9, and when I was first time there, it was really much better than on most server. They did lot changes, experimenting there. But all time I complained about different speeds there. Some player were much faster, and even my speed could change, even in middle of one match.
Then it started kicking me off with message that my fire speed is too high. While I did not change anything. So, I tried with changing netspeed. And then came the real thing up: when I set it to LAN (was on 1 step lower, what means usually 10000-12000, while LAN is 20000) I got much faster running speed on most of maps. What the Hell ! I switched back to lower speed, and running speed went down too ! Back to 20000 and again extreme fast running. I wrote about it to admin, but he denied problem, saying that I don't see it well etc. I even sent him some demo recordings where it is clearly visible, and after that he did not reply.
Furthermore, not just my running speed is much better, but almost everything - like throwing teleports - much faster, so overall play advantage is huge.
And whole thing stays not only for that server, not only for NewNet. There is other server, where I go frequently, but there LAN netspeed is not good for me, then it pulses somehow, and my effective running speed is lower than with netspeed 10000. What is most intersesting, and I see it now very well: players there, who are very fast, almost all have netspeed 20000 (other fast ones are likely cheaters). And of course, they are close to server. So, whole concept, solution just sucks. There is zero ping to equalize somehow lags, but nothing what will enforce equal player speeds - what a nonsense !
Here to add, that we never seen speed differences among players in LAN parties. I even don't remember them from old online gaming (with slow connections).
So, what we have now on many, if not most of popular UT99 servers is unfair conditions for players. OK, in online gaming it can not be total fair, of course. But this is just pathetic,and worst is that ignorance of problem from admins.
Equal speed of players is of course possible. Server will give info to player about current speed for that match, and then on client computer it will go with that speed. Unless there is cheat. If speed is excided - and that can be checked, and is checked by some anti-cheats then can slow player, kick him or whatever. But this new ACE-s, Newnet and other stuff is made, it seems by incompetent people, and even not tested properly. Or admins just say that it is OK, while it sucks.
I can post here links to those demo recordings.
My goal is not to whine here, but I want to start some moving in right direction - making this old game enjoyable for all fair players, by ensuring fair conditions as much possible for online gaming.
As it is now, and not counting cheaters, there are some players, who are almost unbeatable just because their much higher speed - in almost everything - their redeemers fly faster, they even fall faster in Melfunnel XII,
Played it a lot online with phone Internet connection, was even on some contest with about 50 players. Then around 2002-2005 we played a lot in LAN by diverse houses.
Later faster and better Internet connections spread, so we can now play it via some multi MB/sec connections. And man would expect that it will be nice experience, especially for old game, what should not have big demands for online gaming. However, my impressions in latest ~4 years were really not much good. What I noticed is that not all players move at same speed - some were significantly faster, even by simple running. And here starts really messy and sad story:
On my complains about it, I got diverse answers:
1 - most heard: you talk crap, it's your fantasy, you don't see it well, and like.
2 - I'm very skilled, I play this over decade and like
3 - I have very good connection, fast computer
Then I talked with many admins. They just ignored speed difference, saying that on their servers all players have same speed. Or: what is your speed setting - admin who don't know that server is who determines speed for all players. Really can't remember any who admitted existence of problem.
All above made me thinking that all it is because cheat. And such cheats - for faster speed exist, and there are indeed cheaters using them.
But I experienced in latest month something very interesting. Will not name exact server - it uses Newnet 0.9, and when I was first time there, it was really much better than on most server. They did lot changes, experimenting there. But all time I complained about different speeds there. Some player were much faster, and even my speed could change, even in middle of one match.
Then it started kicking me off with message that my fire speed is too high. While I did not change anything. So, I tried with changing netspeed. And then came the real thing up: when I set it to LAN (was on 1 step lower, what means usually 10000-12000, while LAN is 20000) I got much faster running speed on most of maps. What the Hell ! I switched back to lower speed, and running speed went down too ! Back to 20000 and again extreme fast running. I wrote about it to admin, but he denied problem, saying that I don't see it well etc. I even sent him some demo recordings where it is clearly visible, and after that he did not reply.
Furthermore, not just my running speed is much better, but almost everything - like throwing teleports - much faster, so overall play advantage is huge.
And whole thing stays not only for that server, not only for NewNet. There is other server, where I go frequently, but there LAN netspeed is not good for me, then it pulses somehow, and my effective running speed is lower than with netspeed 10000. What is most intersesting, and I see it now very well: players there, who are very fast, almost all have netspeed 20000 (other fast ones are likely cheaters). And of course, they are close to server. So, whole concept, solution just sucks. There is zero ping to equalize somehow lags, but nothing what will enforce equal player speeds - what a nonsense !
Here to add, that we never seen speed differences among players in LAN parties. I even don't remember them from old online gaming (with slow connections).
So, what we have now on many, if not most of popular UT99 servers is unfair conditions for players. OK, in online gaming it can not be total fair, of course. But this is just pathetic,and worst is that ignorance of problem from admins.
Equal speed of players is of course possible. Server will give info to player about current speed for that match, and then on client computer it will go with that speed. Unless there is cheat. If speed is excided - and that can be checked, and is checked by some anti-cheats then can slow player, kick him or whatever. But this new ACE-s, Newnet and other stuff is made, it seems by incompetent people, and even not tested properly. Or admins just say that it is OK, while it sucks.
I can post here links to those demo recordings.
My goal is not to whine here, but I want to start some moving in right direction - making this old game enjoyable for all fair players, by ensuring fair conditions as much possible for online gaming.
As it is now, and not counting cheaters, there are some players, who are almost unbeatable just because their much higher speed - in almost everything - their redeemers fly faster, they even fall faster in Melfunnel XII,