Lag Creation and Avoidance

RUDEBOY! · Post by **RUDEBOY!** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 11:51 pm

first off some people blame their deaths on lag when in fact its low fps which is a different story all together.
the only tips i can offer are dont run messenger programs beacuse tehy cause lag when new messages are recived and watch your music program if you are using one sometimes the tracks switching will cause slight lag.
Also WATCH THE LAGOMETER i cannot express this enough people that big triangly thing in front of the other bikes shows you where tehy might be or probly are so if you're turning into someone else make sure you are in front of that little white thing ok? So sll of yo who say you were ahead you werent get over it watch the lagometers. Of course the lagometer can be used to your advantage. if you know someonedoesnt know about it imagin your bike is just a bit behind from where it is as tahts how it appears on teh other persons screen . if you practice its an exellent exploitation!

Post by **Tank Program** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 11:55 pm

Also, lag can be reduced serverside as well. Running a smaller game grid can reduce lag, as well as a slower cycle speed. Armagetron is like anyother server app, it will eat CPU. Try to make sure there's not too much else eating CPU too. Armagetron is pretty fine memory wise, so it doesn't care in that respect. Client side, turning causes lag as well. (Mainly for the client that does it.) Your rapid keystrokes get sent to the server and it being busy with other things (like keeping track of everyone else) gets almost clogged with them and has to process through them while keeping track of where everyone else is too. Oh well... Also, the oldest trick to reduce lag is fewer people on the server, they use less bandwith...

Communist · Post by **Communist** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:49 am

I've also learned it's not a good idea to have other background programs stealing bandwidth while playing, e.g. BT, DC, streaming media... you get some interesting lag effects in Armagetron like curvy walls and warping/teleporting, but it will definitely not be beneficial to your gameplay.

n54 · Post by **n54** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 9:59 am

slightly off topic but i never use the lagometer, find that i do a better job myself in prediction of where ppl are (does the lagometer lag itself maybe?)

RUDEBOY! · Post by **RUDEBOY!** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 3:56 am

DONT EDIT THINGS IN TEH CONSOLE DURING GAMES LIKE COLOR PLEASE IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT IN GAMES WITH FEW PEOOPLE OR DURING THE BLACK LOADING SCREEN

Post by **Tank Program** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 1:05 pm

Rudeboy, what does that have to do with lag?!?!?!?!

n54 · Post by **n54** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 6:41 pm

it has to do this with lag: editing settings (like which colors your bike has) in config during play seems to increase the server workload more than it should... this in turn makes things go slower and people experience more lag (not always the case but often).

same thing can be experienced if people flood the server with spam (often happens when things are slow to begin with for example in between games).

i have no proof, it's just my perception of what happens

Post by **Tank Program** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 10:05 pm

Well, from what I've been seeing of the source code, (I'm learning C++ now and am poking in the source, adding some things...), The dedicated server uses many, many of the same files of the client, so that may have something to do with it. Probably there are a few functions which aren't used, and effect things in some wierd way or something... I'm not sure, but anyway, there are different client chunks of code in the dedicated server, and even though they may not be executed, who knows?

RUDEBOY! · Post by **RUDEBOY!** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:23 am

if you are having real problems with lag just leave no one wants to hear you complain and you people with yor lag is a myth no one cares. when we see our bikes jumping around and sliding all over teh place its lag ok we dont care what its really caused by!

and if you dont want to leave sacrifices to pagan gods works too.

BLOOD FOR BAAL, BLOOD FOR BAAL

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 7:08 am

the server dont read the color settings during the round it reads them at the start of the round (thats why when you change em you have to wait 1 or 2 rounds for the change to take place) so changing them during play wont effect the lag in the slightest

n54 · Post by **n54** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 3:41 pm

thats right but i think we are dealing with narrow margins here, even if the processing of the information takes place between each round. the transmission of the data, and saving of the data on the server (until it will implement it), seems to be enough. i don't think this happens directly because of the data (which is a tiny amount), rather that there's something in the spaghetticode which makes the server run some code not usually used during games (just in the course of the two things above), and which makes it slower.

i don't believe lagbombing is a myth.

does the server use udp or tcp on config changes? could explain a lot.

in addition most ppl do this a lot if they for example try to find themselves a new color theme, so one can multiply the effect

anyway i might be wrong (i often am

) , armagoshdarn seems to be quite a few steps removed from the backbone so that might explain it.

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:06 pm

i know of 2 ways you can easy lag the sever to hell

not sure if i should post em here but maybe it might help developers fix it

1) edit user.cfg and put 4000 characters on one of the instant_chat_string's hit that key and the server will get really f-ucked up (causes major lag and some players get kicked off the server)

NOTE: i think this has been fixed with v0.2.6.0 but 0.2.5.2 and lower has a real problem with this nasty trick

2) set your dialup modem to slowest speed (like 9.6k !!) and connect

locutus · Post by **locutus** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 8:06 pm

I have collected several screens shot of lagged situations on my site at http://randypalmer.com/tron

You should check them out and see what the screen looks like during those moments if you haven't already experienced it first hand yourself. Send me your cool "lag" shots too and i'll post as many as I can.

I have my 56k tweaked a bit and a couple of people have asked me how I did it, I used an ebook with a chapter on modem tweaking, seems to increase effciency a little bit. The software is virus checked and is only an ebook anway. The link is below:

http://randypalmer.com/tron/insider_pc_secrets.exe

It may help to reduce lag with the server for better game play if you use a modem

n54 · Post by **n54** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 12:21 am

another very easy way to create lag is turnbombing!

C, Help im a bug and i have found this (prob other ppl as well).

it troubles the server with (i guesstimate) about 10-16 turns a second. works down to a rate of just 4 turns a second or similar (not much really compared to what should be ok, read http://guru3.sytes.net/viewtopic.php?t=67 if you're curious).

it does have a legitimate use in short bursts to bleed off speed really fast.

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 8:47 am

this is some funny shit ! lol

when the round starts (count down 3 2 1 etc)
keep tapping on the brake key as fast as you can (even works on servers with no brakes)

keep doing this for about 20 or so seconds and your bike will stop completely !!!

then it will shoot off at lightspeed and explode ! lol

Armagetron Forums

Lag Creation and Avoidance

Lag Creation and Avoidance

hmmmm

2 ways to **** up a server

lagbombs

laggy brake bomb ! lol