Unplayable

unplayable247unplayable247 Join Date: 2016-11-28 Member: 224304Members
I remember NS1. I played it a lot. It was absolutely awesome!

Came back to NS2 a few month ago and this game is just fucking unplayable.
Here is how every second encounter works out:
All these situations occur right from the start where armor and biomass should not be an issue.

As Alien:
I sneak up on a marine and start biting. After the first bite he turns around and kills me before I bite a second time
As Marine:
An alien snuck up on me and as soon as I hear the first bit I turn around and ...die before I the gun even fired once.

As Alien:
I jump around a lot. I jump from left to right and above the marines.
I usually die before I get even one bit in.
Every third of forth time I hear the machine gun a fraction of a second before I die. It feels like I have been one shot at full health with the standard gun.
As Marine:
I'm guarding a long floor. An alien attacks. I shot him. I hear the hit indicator go off. My magazine is empty according to the hit sound i should have hit 25% - 50%. The alien is almost at full health and kills be before I can pull out the pistol.

As Alien:
I'm in the face of Marine biting his nose and somehow miss
As Marine:
I get killed by a skulk 5m away facing another direction. Or by a skulk at the ground while I'm jetpacking on the ceiling.

As Alien:
I entered marine start in ns_veil as a lerk. Saw an exo. released smoke and left. While flying trough the door the exo started shooting at me. I died over the first resource node... 2sec later

Now this seems like a case of very very bad lag. But I usually have a ping of 15-40. And I play on servers where everyone is green.

So here I'm sitting trying to enjoy the game but unable to calm the rage that's starts after 10+ encounters.
Its really really frustrating.

Now please don't give the the "aim better" crap. I'm not a pro, but also not a noob I recognize when I fail and when I don't. I'm also not new to NS and usually fall back to do a lot of support work for my team because that's the only thing I feel I can help my team at all.


So here I am wanting to play but totally put of by this mess of a crap-fest.


«1

Comments

  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Yeah there's something wrong with your internet.

    You get stutters or dropped packages?
  • SantaClawsSantaClaws Denmark Join Date: 2012-07-31 Member: 154491Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited November 2016
    Maybe your PC performs poorly? What is your framerate at?

    If you can, record some games and post them. I know you don't want to hear it, but you are most likely making mistakes that you don't recognise, everybody is. Share some footage and expose them. Even if it turns out to be a fault with the game, video footage would help expose the issue.
  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    Exaggerating doesn't help your case. You're blaming the game, but nobody else is having those problems. The common denominator in these scenarios here is you.

    We can give you some tips like not trying to bite their faces, but everything else is just so unbelievable that we can't give any feedback. Some of what you described sounds like bad latency, but since you say that its not the case, I don't believe you. By the way, most/all servers have NS2+ installed and you can view your average accuracies after your death using your flashlight? key.
  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    To be devil's advocate, I've experienced some network issues similar to this guy before. It kinda fixed itself so... (shrug)
  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I think it involves server tickrate and server/client mismatch. Happens to me in other games sometimes (get facestabbed by spies in TF2, get shot in CS before the guy even walks around the corner). Just happens on and off.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    The default flashlight key is "F" while the default key to show your accuracy on ns2+ servers is "X"
  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    I think it involves server tickrate and server/client mismatch. Happens to me in other games sometimes (get facestabbed by spies in TF2, get shot in CS before the guy even walks around the corner). Just happens on and off.

    It doesn't just happen out of nowhere, and certainly not constantly. If it happens on low ping, one of them must have some insane ping spikes and should also be rubber banding, which I assume would be fairly obvious.
    Nordic wrote: »
    The default flashlight key is "F" while the default key to show your accuracy on ns2+ servers is "X"

    Thanks. I swapped a lot of my keys around and its mostly just muscle memory at this point.
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited November 2016
    Server performance, random packet drops, and other odd things can cause this. People with wireless internet have it worst. I know it is not an uncommon experience to die not just around a corner, but a few seconds around a corner. Odd things happen fairly often.

    Most of what this player is describing sounds like a mix of poor performance be it server, wifi, or other and not yet knowing how to play. Knowing how few players NS2 retains, I think his experience might be very common.

    I wonder if he uses wifi, and if the server has yellow plugs indicating poor server performance.
  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited November 2016
    I'd blame wifi/network in this case, as his specific examples indicate. If he's new to NS2, but had played NS before, he's most likely ahead of the curve, especially since he'd be in the rookie only servers. Shit man, he's talking about lerk gassing and swapping to his pistol, so I'm pretty sure he's not retarded.

    Maybe help him instead of shitting on his skills?

    @unplayable247 , best I can start you with is: are you using WiFi or eth cable?
  • RammlerRammler Join Date: 2013-06-18 Member: 185607Members, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow
    Record some videos. This would help us to see the problem. Right now it could be two things:

    1. Lag due to bad internet.
    2. Your are just a low skilled player who does a lot of mistakes.

    I read a lot of posts from beginner like you who complain more about the game than about their own failures.

    But i don't want to judge you before i saw some ingame-record. So make one please.
  • unplayable247unplayable247 Join Date: 2016-11-28 Member: 224304Members
    I'll try to record something.

    I don't use wifi. But I'll check packet loss.

    What really started to spark the idea of "its not me" is that I had a usual bad game after which half the people left and we played 4vs4. I went from a K/D of maybe 0,3 in the first game to a K/D of 1,5 in the second game. It felt way more "direct" in the second game. It could of course be, that all the good player left, but it still felt different.

  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    Nordic wrote: »
    Server performance, random packet drops, and other odd things can cause this. People with wireless internet have it worst. I know it is not an uncommon experience to die not just around a corner, but a few seconds around a corner. Odd things happen fairly often.

    Most of what this player is describing sounds like a mix of poor performance be it server, wifi, or other and not yet knowing how to play. Knowing how few players NS2 retains, I think his experience might be very common.

    I wonder if he uses wifi, and if the server has yellow plugs indicating poor server performance.

    I strongly disagree. Network issues like these cause you to rubberband quite a bit and is fairly noticeable. Latency is less noticeable but he has denied that being an issue.
    I'll try to record something.

    I don't use wifi. But I'll check packet loss.

    What really started to spark the idea of "its not me" is that I had a usual bad game after which half the people left and we played 4vs4. I went from a K/D of maybe 0,3 in the first game to a K/D of 1,5 in the second game. It felt way more "direct" in the second game. It could of course be, that all the good player left, but it still felt different.

    Seems like the server is shit if performance improves when you have less players. Its not an issue of having good players or not. If you were getting attacked a couple of seconds earlier than your screen, it doesn't matter if they are good or bad unless they literally are so bad that they can't hit you.

    Still, server issues like these are incredibly painful to play on and will be accompanied by freezes and rubberbanding. I can't imagine that you would not mention that.
  • EbichuEbichu Japan Join Date: 2014-12-09 Member: 199999Members
    @unplayable247 I know what you a talking about.
    there are reasons:
    1. Network lag. NS is a very fast game. Fractions of time do matter. I play on Russians servers with ping 5-10 and have the same issues. I think hit registration is going on client side, then confirms by server, then goes to an opponent. So it can took around half a second due to a shitty network code. In NS2 - half a second is a huge amount of time. So you can fly around a corner when you get message that you killed on opponent side before. Or you jumped into the air, but on opponent side - you are still on a floor.
    2. Hit registration issues. Sometimes there's no registration for your hit because packet has been lost. Games use UDP unreliable protocol, so drops happen.
    3. When biting distance to the opponent model is too far. There's some distance to object to bite. You can check it by biting static object. Try to click fire only when you are sure, not use long press constantly biting. Also don't shoot constantly. Use short bursts.
    4. Low fps. Due to game speeds it requires around 100 fps for comfort playing. You don't need the most decent game card, but very good CPU. I suggest recent Intel 3,5-4,5GHz. Don't forget about gaming monitor. 120Hz monitor+120fps means you get twice more skulk position than 60Hz monitor on high fps => easy to aim. Good player can kill 2-3 skulk without reloading
    5. Practice. You previous experience from different games means nothing. You need to spend >500h of practicing to get top scores each round and skill >2500.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    h1naiiiaggl6.png

    You're like a unicorn o.O

    On topic: Yeah getting killed around corners can be pretty bad in this game, especially if you have a high ping.
  • _INTER__INTER_ Join Date: 2009-08-08 Member: 68392Members, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow
    h1naiiiaggl6.png

    You're like a unicorn o.O

    On topic: Yeah getting killed around corners can be pretty bad in this game, especially if you have a high ping.

    Look at that unfortunate member count. I would have made another account straight away.
  • VetinariVetinari Join Date: 2013-07-23 Member: 186325Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    _INTER_ wrote: »
    h1naiiiaggl6.png

    You're like a unicorn o.O

    On topic: Yeah getting killed around corners can be pretty bad in this game, especially if you have a high ping.

    Look at that unfortunate member count. I would have made another account straight away.

    Nonsense, the 9s are awesome. Plus being on here for two years, but only having a post count of one AND being probably the only forum member that claims to be from Japan? That's three rare traits right there. (Admittedly, you see old accounts with 1 post more often than you'd think, but the other two...)
  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    From my observations, I can conclude that it is a hamster, not a unicorn.

    *takes off two monocles*
  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    Aeglos wrote: »
    I strongly disagree. Network issues like these cause you to rubberband quite a bit and is fairly noticeable. Latency is less noticeable but he has denied that being an issue.
    Poor server performance and or network issues are not always accompanied by freezing or red plugs.

    I remember this one time I flew from west route into platform as lerk. Ironhorse was was just inside the doorway right by the platform. I bit him as I flew by. He fired his shotgun. I made it up and over the platform, then down to the ground again and died. Ironhorse one shot me with that shotgun shot. It just took over a second for it to register. Both of our pings were good. The server was Tactical Freedom which afaik performed pretty well. There was not freezing or rubber banding. There were not red plugs. Yellow plugs didn't exist yet.

    In my experience, stuff like that doesn't happen every game but it happens often enough to be noticable.

    There is actually a hitreg tool in game to let you know when or if there was an actual hitreg issue. You can read how to use it here. Using this tool the first thing you will notice is that there are a lot of client server can have very different information. Hitreg problems are far and few between in my testing, but network oddities like I described are much more frequent.
  • BicsumBicsum Join Date: 2012-02-27 Member: 147596Members, Reinforced - Gold
    If you haven't alreardy, then set your graphics settings to a minimum.
  • 2cough2cough Rocky Mountain High Join Date: 2013-03-14 Member: 183952Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Supporter
    edited November 2016
    tbh, most of the time when an inexperienced skulk tries to ambush me solo from behind, i can strafe and turn quickly enough to dodge the second bite and empty a third of a clip into it before they even get to 3rd or 4th bite attempts. as a skulk, i can usually solo an inexperienced marine just as capably. at this point, my guess is that there are more players who are like me than arent.

    key word in both of these instances is inexperienced.

    if a vet gets the jump on me when I'm rine, them skulk, its def not an easy battle and could usually go either way. experienced rines will also cut me down for even little mistakes or hesitations when I'm an alien.

    point is that while lag, interp, etc. can sometimes be the culprit, imo alot of the time its just a matter of working to improve your game, and honestly a lot of it is just psycholigical. understanding or inferring how your opponent will react to you when you engage and training yourself to stay a step ahead thru positioning and juking.

    if your net sux, then rip, sorry.
  • RevanCoranaRevanCorana Join Date: 2015-08-14 Member: 207125Members
    getting killed around corners can be pretty bad in this game, especially if you have a high ping.

    OR also if the guy shooting you has a high ping extreme example being rio that guy from snails who plays with 800 ping what a pain I always quit when he joins the server the guy seem to land skulk bites from 10 meters away and literally empty his whole LMG mag on you before you see your health bar drop.

    But the netcode itself isnt entirely to blame. What's different here is that everything moves faster so during that ping delay you travel more so it feels worst when you compare to games with slow movements like CSGO.
  • AeglosAeglos Join Date: 2010-04-06 Member: 71189Members
    Nordic wrote: »
    Aeglos wrote: »
    I strongly disagree. Network issues like these cause you to rubberband quite a bit and is fairly noticeable. Latency is less noticeable but he has denied that being an issue.
    There is actually a hitreg tool in game to let you know when or if there was an actual hitreg issue. You can read how to use it here. Using this tool the first thing you will notice is that there are a lot of client server can have very different information. Hitreg problems are far and few between in my testing, but network oddities like I described are much more frequent.

    I find it very dubious that your damage input will get lost/late but your movement will not. Or, why aren't you crashing into walls/losing your wall jumps? I guess you guys are the playtesters and so will have more tools and experience to break this down, but I just don't see the logic.
  • SquishpokePOOPFACESquishpokePOOPFACE -21,248 posts (ignore below) Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165262Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Interpolation on movement, most likely.
  • HandschuhHandschuh Join Date: 2005-03-08 Member: 44338Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Community Developer
    Killling around corners is mostly due to lag. When I played with UMTS i had soome hardcore latekills when there even was a difference of 2seconds till the kill was done.. so my opponent verified that he was over 2seconds gone till he died.. which is kinda weird, that this late package is even allowed to still reg
  • RevanCoranaRevanCorana Join Date: 2015-08-14 Member: 207125Members
    Well thats clientside reg in a nutshell sooner or later if it hit it hurts
  • HandschuhHandschuh Join Date: 2005-03-08 Member: 44338Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Community Developer
    Well, a hit that comes 2seconds to late should not be allowed to reg by the server... because in thos 2 sec i look at my hp for example as a lerk, see that im still on full hp because the sg which tried to trap me apparently didnt shoot... So I decide to attack the other lone marine without shotgun and then die instantly because the shotgun which is far away stillgets me down to 40 hp and the moment I notice it Im already dead anywaay because its hard not to get hit by 4 bullets...


    In one case I killed a fade because my whole lmg clip went into the fade instantly after I emptied my clip.. he had no way to react since it looked like I wasnt shooting or simply missing everything
    This has nothing to do with “realtime gaming“
  • RevanCoranaRevanCorana Join Date: 2015-08-14 Member: 207125Members
    But then the dud who meatshot your ass and had you in his crosshair perfectly when he shot would come complain here just as legitimately. whats fixed? nothing
    Yes that would be nice if everyone in the world had 10 ping but in reality all forms of netcode have different compromises.
Sign In or Register to comment.