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Once again, the XXX Clan, one of the leading groups playing the popular game Outwars, has decided to share some of their tips and gameplay techniques. The Zone wants to thank this clan and all the other Outwars clans on the list for sharing their knowledge and having fun on the Zone! -- The MSN Gaming Zone
By XXX_Quitch
of the XXX Clan
You are running through the corridors of dead2m, missiles armed, rifle at the ready. Suddenly the door in front of you opens into a wide-open area, the Red Base. You spot your opponent perched on a bank of computers. Grinning, you let loose volley after volley of missiles until your pods are empty, then suddenly your grin disappears. And so does your opponent, as immediately he appears on radar BEHIND you. Yes, your modem has fallen behind, only to update the position of your opponent after you have wasted your missiles on his phantom.
Lag is a problem that affects all online games, from Quake 2 all the way down to Doom. Now, on some games, lag can have a crippling effect. This is becoming more common as graphics improve, and Internet connectivity speeds stay the same.
Here in the world of Outwars, we do not realise how lucky we are: lag is not a devastating factor. In fact, lag such as 400ms that would destroy any game of Quake, is considered "not bad" among the Outwars community. Lag in Outwars generally consists of: - Slow updates of player positions
- Phantoms of players being left as the computer attempts to find their new location
- Computers not realising some players exist
- Weapons being wasted on a target that the server knows does not exist, but that your computer believes does exist
- Flags in "Capture the Flag" being in 2 places at once, as the server fails to keep up.
A sign that a game is going to be unplayable is when you see a player running in circles, or spiralling into the air. This shows that something is wrong with your link through the server to that player.
During a game keep tabs on a player's latency status by pressing "N." This allows you to know whom you are most likely to be able to hurt. If you start spending all your time shooting someone with high latency, then you are never going to score any points, and you will have a game of only limited enjoyment. A sure sign that you are doing damage is when a health bar appears above your target. A health bar will always appear if your guided missile hits home.
There are some steps you can take to try and reduce your lag and help your game run more smoothly:
- Close all non-Zone programs (including your Web browser) to help free system resources.
- Close all Internet programs to lower latency (ICQ is a big one people forget).
- Check that you are using the correct phone number for your server, often servers have special lines dedicated to 56K modems.
- If you are feeling extravagant, it is worth splashing the money on a cable modem line. It really makes a difference!
If you find lag is a horrendous problem, then I would recommend turning off gliders. It is hard enough for a server dealing with a marine running around a flat surface, let alone a marine flying round a 3D world.
Just remember the next time someone complains about bad lag, check "N," they may be right!
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