»UTComp v1.6 Beta 3« (with enhanced netcode)

1337 · Feb 25, 2005

Several people have been asking how the enhanced netcode works. Here it is, straight from Lotus:

Hitscan:
How it works: The client draws its own client effects. The client sends info to the server. The server decides if the player would have hit if he were not lagged.

The immediate downside is 'through the wall' hits. These are not nearly as noticable in UT as you might imagine. Most experience with it comes from counter-strike, where the movement caused by damage is also reverted to 0 ping conditions. What this means is, that unlike CS, you won't get stuck behind a wall being hit over and over. You will be hit only if you would have been hit versus a lower pinger. This is currently capped at 350 milliseconds, but a lower cap will probably be done later.

Another downside is that the client may register hits, or misses that will not actually register on the server. These are rather infrequent, but will happen nonetheless. The majority of these come from already existing innaccuracies in UT's netcode. In ut2k4, when you fire a shot, the shot is not only not guaranteed to be fired when you shot, but also is not guaranteed to be even aiming in the same direction, or from the same place as you shot. For example, if you move your mouse *QUICKLY* from left to right or up to down. There is basically a random cone of fire, even on weapons like the shock rifle and lightning gun, and even on lan. This is why snap-shots are so innacurate in ut2k4. Basically, the errors are made more visibly noticable.

Projectiles:
Projectiles are reverted much like the hitscan weapns, but are currently limited to 100ms. You cannot be hit behind a wall by the projectiles.

Downsides: The immediate downside is that the projectiles are actually slightly harder to dodge vs a higher pinger. However, the magnitude of this effect is equal to the effect that the high pinger feels from the lower pingers projectiles. For example in the case of a 10 pinger vs a 100 pinger, they will both have equal difficulty in dodging projectiles, the approximate difficulty of a 110 ping player. Above 100 ping, the lower ping player has an advantage in dodging.

Shock Combos:
Your own shock balls are moved forward approximately as far as your ping, so that you do not have to lead them.

Downsides: The shock ball will look to be in a slightly different position when the actual combo explosion occurs. This is only visible to the firer, and has no real impact on play, but it looks wrong.

But in reality, all of this doesn't matter. You have to try it and see if its worthwhile to you. There are downsides to every ping compensation, and these are the biggest ones with this that you would have noticed eventually, just perhaps not for a few weeks. The bottom line is, give it a try. If you don't like it, don't use it. If you do, do.

T2A` · Feb 25, 2005

He said "do do." :Poop:

-AEnubis- · Feb 25, 2005

Yeah, I figured it'd have to be a new form of prediction. Like a modified ZP, but that at least affects projectiles now.

edhe · Feb 25, 2005

If it works, i'll maybe be at FBU more

Taleweaver · Feb 25, 2005

Wow...that's the largest link I've ever seen.

@edhe: ehm...we don't use UTComp at fragBU...You do mean fragBU with FBU, right?

edhe · Feb 25, 2005

Taleweaver said:
Wow...that's the largest link I've ever seen.

@edhe: ehm...we don't use UTComp at fragBU...You do mean fragBU with FBU, right?

Maybe you should then, it will 'even things up' for the whole community - turn the rest of everything off at server level to make it like a standard server and you're sorted.

Renegade Retard · Feb 25, 2005

Edhe, am I mistaken, or weren't you against having UTComp on the FragBU sever when I brought it up a month ago?

dXII][Pa · Feb 25, 2005

As a 160 pinger I say "let's give it a try!"

T2A` · Feb 25, 2005

Me said:
He said "do do."

<--- Needs to stop posting late at night under the influence of no sleep. :lol:

This actually sounds kinda cool, though I didn't really understand the whole thing about dodging projectiles. Does it mean as a low pinger I'm going to see rockets spawn out of nowhere away from the people who shot them because UTcomp corrected it for them?

Sir_Brizz · Feb 25, 2005

Yes.

I am usually very turned off by this kind of thing (and laugh a little that some of the "enhanced netcode" is making up for UTcomp's own packet usage). I'd have to try it, but I'm still pretty much turned off by this kind of thing.

edhe · Feb 25, 2005

Renegade Retard said:
Edhe, am I mistaken, or weren't you against having UTComp on the FragBU sever when I brought it up a month ago?

Your point being?

New feature that could be of use, i'm fairly sure people are allowed to change their opinions on things that change themselves, no? Previous to this it would've just added lag to the ping, now it could be of benefit.

Sorry for bringing up an idea. Imho, it should be tested on behalf of FBU - Ci are already testing it to see how worthy it is, and i'm not even home yet

Renegade Retard · Feb 25, 2005

edhe said:
Your point being?

New feature that could be of use, i'm fairly sure people are allowed to change their opinions on things that change themselves, no? Previous to this it would've just added lag to the ping, now it could be of benefit.

Sorry for bringing up an idea. Imho, it should be tested on behalf of FBU - Ci are already testing it to see how worthy it is, and i'm not even home yet

No point. I was just a little confused. I thought you were dead set against it, but I guess a change like this could in fact cause people to re-think their views.

I agree with you. It would be interesting to test it out. I'm very curious about it. Can you imagine someone with a ping of 300 shooting at someone, then that someone runs around the corner and THEN dies due to the fact of the attacker's high ping?

hyrulian · Feb 25, 2005

I think this would be worth a try. It might be helpful to those of us with crappy connections.

Skold · Feb 25, 2005

The "enhanced netcode" reminds me of ZeroPing from UT. Didn't people start unplugging their network cables to line up shots with that?

Catdaemon · Feb 25, 2005

LL|Skold said:
The "enhanced netcode" reminds me of ZeroPing from UT. Didn't people start unplugging their network cables to line up shots with that?

That was a huge bug, it dosent work in this.

1337 · Feb 25, 2005

This thread was made because the "enhanced netcode," not to resurrect the dead horse topic of "brightskins". And yes I enjoy brightskins in UTComp regardless of how much some individuals feel it ruins the feel of the game. When playing "competitively" it is better to get rid of as much random factor crap as possible, without ruining gameplay. Some maps have odd lighting which adds to the fun of the map, but when trying to play "competitively", it is rather annoying and random. In competitive TDM and CTF there isn't supposed to be a "camoflauge" or "hiding in a bush" factor to the game. In FragBU, UTComp bright skins don't belong, because we aren't playing extremely competitively, and the brightskins ruin the visual aspect of ut2k4.

Has anyone tested the new version out yet?

What are your opinions about the new version's "enhanced netcode"?

Share your experience

nick89 · Feb 25, 2005

AS a 250 pinger i thing this is worth a try. I think it would be nice if we did a trial run - just as we plan to do with Anti-Tcc. If it works i can play a serious game at Fragbu rather than the regular "muck around" due to my ping. Also this is beta version. Its highley likely this netcode will become more advanced.

Skold · Feb 25, 2005

This seems to be getting a lot of great feedback in general, and it's only in beta. Sounds like it could definitely even pings out when people are playing from different locatoins. i'd say give it a try for FragBU.

Zur · Feb 25, 2005

So let me get this straight ... this mod goes one step further than zeroping which handled hitscan clientside and works for projectiles too ? That sounds nifty but you'd have to make sure it's not tampered with.

The Warden · Feb 27, 2005

the ping compensation is NOT CLIENTSIDE.

I was already called a stupid person for asking or hinting that it was similar to ZP.

»UTComp v1.6 Beta 3« (with enhanced netcode)

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