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Nightraid3r
Nightraid3r
Join Date 04/2008
+20

Please increase ICO bandwith

March 19, 2011 1:26:48 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I have played on ICO since the release of the game in early 2008.  Never have i seen the server lag this bad for this long.  I feel slighted by Ironclad for clearly reducing the bandwith on the servers without being informed.  It's like you take out a bank loan, and then they change the interest rates on you.  Does it happen?  Yes of course it does.  Should it happen?  No, it shoudln't.  And for a company that supposedly values its relationship with its customers it seems absurd.  Anyone who plays on ICO knows what I am talking about, it seems as if there is one hamster powering the entire server.  We are customers who not only have paid for sins, but entrenchment, and diplomacy.  We are also potential customers for your macroexpansion, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion.  This is your chance to impress your customers and encourage us to shell out cash for your next endeavor.  Please, improve the quality of the servers.  Do not give me the excuse that you do not do so because player count is low.  Player count is only low because no one can bare the lag that suffocates the life and fun out of Ironclad Online.  I've stuck it out for over two years with you guys, and you have rarely disappointed, and I hope you do not choose to start now.

Sincerely,

[DT]Star Player

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Nightraid3r
WHIPperSNAPper2008
Join Date 03/2008
+126
Reply #1 March 19, 2011 5:31:11 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I don't know if it's an issue of bandwidth, the server's CPU, the server's RAM, a router problem, or something else, but I wholeheartedly agree.  The lag on ICO is awful.  I play FPS games and the servers don't have lag problems like this.

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Nightraid3r
myfist0
Join Date 01/2010
+319
Reply #2 March 19, 2011 7:47:25 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

maybe try to use ico to get everyone together and have the person with the best upload/download rate host over IP. I play IP all the time with no lag accept late game where it happens in single player as well.

Hamatchi will create a vurtual lan if you play with the same people a lot. Once your all connected through hamatchi, just go to lan in game and you will see the host.

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Nightraid3r
Nightraid3r
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #3 March 19, 2011 12:26:51 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting myfist0,
reply 2
maybe try to use ico to get everyone together and have the person with the best upload/download rate host over IP. I play IP all the time with no lag accept late game where it happens in single player as well.

Hamatchi will create a vurtual lan if you play with the same people a lot. Once your all connected through hamatchi, just go to lan in game and you will see the host.

 

It's hard enough to get 10 players for a 5v5, never mind convincing all of them to download hamachi, find a usable server on hamachi, and then hosting a game.

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Nightraid3r
WHIPperSNAPper2008
Join Date 03/2008
+126
Reply #4 March 19, 2011 1:01:11 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting myfist0,
reply 2
maybe try to use ico to get everyone together and have the person with the best upload/download rate host over IP. I play IP all the time with no lag accept late game where it happens in single player as well.

Hamatchi will create a vurtual lan if you play with the same people a lot. Once your all connected through hamatchi, just go to lan in game and you will see the host.

This isn't such a bad idea, but it would be like herding cats.  In theory there's no reason why we need ICO at all.  If people were a little more proactive we could all just meet up at a series of IRC channels and organize things from there.  We could even use pugbots.  (We could also play on a number of custom maps, use voice comm for pugs, etc.)

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Nightraid3r
myfist0
Join Date 01/2010
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Reply #5 March 19, 2011 1:10:17 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

If you build it, they will come.

Hamatchi, anyone can run a server, just give out the login ID but I did state this was for regulars playing regulars. Want to stomp on n00bs do it in ICO.

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Nightraid3r
Nightraid3r
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #6 March 19, 2011 5:38:32 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting myfist0,
reply 5
If you build it, they will come.

Hamatchi, anyone can run a server, just give out the login ID but I did state this was for regulars playing regulars. Want to stomp on n00bs do it in ICO.

regulars playing regulars? that never happens on ICO

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Nightraid3r
MizarAlcor
Join Date 03/2011
0
Reply #7 March 25, 2011 4:15:58 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Me and a friend just dropped 40$ each into the game and Expansions, and while online playing we are recieving long lock lags. Figured it was just big fleets or something but really its very smooth otherwise, and now reading this I am kinda upset as it felt more like an Internet/ICO issue... if this is the case, yes, do something...

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Nightraid3r
Mecha-Lenin
Join Date 02/2006
+36
Reply #8 March 25, 2011 7:39:24 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

ICO lag only occurs in lobby, if you lag ingame issue is on your side.

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Nightraid3r
master1a
Join Date 01/2008
+10
Reply #9 March 25, 2011 1:01:03 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Mecha-Lenin,
reply 8
ICO lag only occurs in lobby, if you lag ingame issue is on your side.

Mecha I'm not 100% sure how ICO is set up but I think ICO can and does lag your game just as it lags the lobby.

I could be wrong about this but given my knowledge and experience; I have come to the conclusion that ICO does cause lag in games being played over it.

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Nightraid3r
JohnJames
Join Date 03/2008
+17
Reply #10 March 25, 2011 1:24:37 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Before ALLOY, ICO just allowed players to start a game and all the traffic gets sync with the host.  Theoretically  if the host dropped the game would move to the person below the host but if that person didnt setup to port forward on their router properly then game would just end when the host dropped or left the game.

With ALLOY, ICO syncs the games also.  Therefore if the host drops or leaves, the game doesnt skip a beat and keeps going. The bad thing is if ICO lags the game lags.

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Nightraid3r
WHIPperSNAPper2008
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #11 March 25, 2011 1:33:35 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Mecha-Lenin,
reply 8
ICO lag only occurs in lobby, if you lag ingame issue is on your side.

I don't believe that.  How do you explain instances where multiple players who are known to have good computers and Internet connections are listed as "lagging"?  If games run independently of ICO then why is it that it's possible to become "Disconnected from Ironclad Online" during a game?  JJ's explanation sounds very plausible to me.

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Nightraid3r
Mecha-Lenin
Join Date 02/2006
+36
Reply #12 March 25, 2011 3:18:57 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I recall reading some "official" info on how ICO works saying that it's only used to setup game, but it might have been dating back pre-alloy. I was based my post on that info, it might have been wrong though.

My knowledge on internet protocols equals about 0, so all I have are subjective observations, but usually  when ICO lags horribly game itself runs smoothly. So maybe ICO and Alloy have separate servers?

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Nightraid3r
lbgsloan
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #13 April 1, 2011 4:23:53 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Easiest way to test it is to try the IP way with a group of regulars at least once and see if the lagging persists.  Once that issue is confirmed either way, you might want email Ironclad support or something rather than post it here.  I'd honestly be surprised if any of the devs come to this sub-forum.

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Nightraid3r
Mecha-Lenin
Join Date 02/2006
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Reply #14 April 2, 2011 4:24:23 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

ICO is lagging so bad right now that online player count went fromt 60 to 40 in matter of minutes... Ironclad FFS please fix this, atm this looks almost like you're intentionally trying to kill Sins MP. ICO is unplayable right now.

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Nightraid3r
John_Cowski
Join Date 12/2006
+1
Reply #15 April 13, 2011 9:07:21 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

A co-worker & I tried playing online for the first time together last nite.  Utter failure.  He tried hosting, then I tried hosting.  Same results (virtually).  Our systems aren't junk either.  I'm running a quad-core 2.8ghz w/4gigs of DDR3 hi-speed ram, blah, blah, blah.  Plenty of horsepower for this game. He's running something similar.  Our pings were under 60 the whole game but next to it in status it stated: "Lagging" virtually the whole 20-25 minutes we tried to play. 

 

I thought I read in another post you can ip directly into someone else' machine to play together.  How is this accomplished?  I was under the impression that it was either play through ICO or on a LAN.

 

Hopefully ICO fixes this & doesn't blame people' computers.  I have no issues with CoD or any other FPS game playing online.  Just ICO.

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Nightraid3r
Pbhead
Join Date 12/2008
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Reply #16 April 13, 2011 9:26:26 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

you just posted the same post in 2 locations. wow.

And, some people have no problems with lag online.

with pings under 60, you shouldnt have lag issues.

most importantly, the "lagging" screen only pops up once, and never again. if it "lags" after that, the game will just pause for a second.

 

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Nightraid3r
Pbhead
Join Date 12/2008
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Reply #17 April 13, 2011 9:34:36 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

and i just posted 2 things in the same location.  wow. stupid forums.

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Nightraid3r
John_Cowski
Join Date 12/2006
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Reply #18 April 13, 2011 1:46:34 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Pbhead,
reply 16
you just posted the same post in 2 locations. wow.

...and???

Quoting Pbhead,
reply 16
And, some people have no problems with lag online.

Hurray for "some people".  "Some" indicate a minority.  Therefore I am (as are others) in the majority. 

Quoting Pbhead,
reply 16
with pings under 60, you shouldnt have lag issues.

I got nuttin' for this comment other then what the game is telling me.  Pings of <60 with the word "Lagging" next to it.  You tell me since you're "some" people and never lag.  Hurray for you.  You want a cookie?

Quoting Pbhead,
reply 16
most importantly, the "lagging" screen only pops up once, and never again. if it "lags" after that, the game will just pause for a second.

Never got the "lagging" screen.  The game would just stop for 30-40 seconds (or longer) then continue on.

 

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Nightraid3r
Yarlen
Join Date 01/2005
+369 sdemployee
Reply #19 April 13, 2011 2:21:56 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

We're investigating this actively.  By default Alloy is turned on in the Multiplayer Options, can you try turning it off to see what performance is like?  You may have to set your router to open up port 6112 for TCP/UDP.

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Nightraid3r
master1a
Join Date 01/2008
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Reply #20 April 13, 2011 5:46:53 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

ICO based lag

1. the lag is global it affects chat, game lobbies, and games being played

2. it does it to everyone at the same time

3. it seems to do it when a game ends and people join the chat lobby after a game; and when there is alot people moving around in game/chat lobbies

4. it can last longer then 30 seconds and possibly results in people being disconnected from ICO

5. I am unsure if turning alloy off bypasses the cause of the lag; however someone told it it doesn't

6. it can lag with less then 20 people online

7. some days are worse then others

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Nightraid3r
WHIPperSNAPper2008
Join Date 03/2008
+126
Reply #21 April 14, 2011 2:26:46 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I think Master pretty much summed it up.  You can see it simply when you try to look at another player's record.

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Nightraid3r
JohnJames
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #22 April 14, 2011 2:44:42 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Yarlen,
reply 19
We're investigating this actively.  By default Alloy is turned on in the Multiplayer Options, can you try turning it off to see what performance is like?  You may have to set your router to open up port 6112 for TCP/UDP.

 

having Alloy off not only slows the game down because having alloy on increases game speed, but if the host loses or leaves the game will usually end.

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Nightraid3r
John_Cowski
Join Date 12/2006
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Reply #23 April 14, 2011 8:10:23 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Well I'm glad that ICO is actively looking into this and simply not ignoring the issue.  Hopefully they will have it rectified soon so like Pbhead, we can be "some" people with no lag in the game.

 

As a side note regarding this...I was able to directly IP into my co-worker' machine & play the game with no issue whatsoever.  So that does tell me it was something with ICO, Pbhead. 

 

 

 

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Nightraid3r
Yarlen
Join Date 01/2005
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Reply #24 April 15, 2011 11:36:48 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Hmm, okay, thanks for the info gang. Everything helps.

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Nightraid3r
master1a
Join Date 01/2008
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Reply #25 April 20, 2011 6:00:18 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

It seems as though with alloy off you don't get ICO lag in your games however the game speed seems slower.

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