I decided to write this guide as a result of seeing way too many people refer to poor framerate as "lag".
First, let us define "lag".
From the Wikipedia:
Lag often refers to delays experienced in computing communications, however it may also apply to written or other forms of communication.
Within computing, Lag refers to the time taken for a packet of data from the sending application to the receiving application. This includes both transit time over the network, and computer processing time at both the source and destination computers.
Whilst in the strictest sense every packet experiences lag, the term lag is implied to refer to noticeable delays to the user caused as a result of extended or unexpected delay. As the time taken for a packet to travel from a server in Italy to a client in Spain is likely to differ from a trip from Italy to Australia, it is possible that two users may experience different lags from the same source.
WHAT LAG IS Rubberbanding, temporary Mapserver Disconnects, "jumpy" game world (i.e., enemies or character moving around, appearing in one spot, then another spot 20ft ahead, then 20ft behind), all as a result of a poor connection between the server (the computer hosting the data) and the client (your PC and the game running on it).
WHAT LAG IS NOT choppy gameplay, low framerate, poor performance in areas with lots of players (though lag may be experienced in this scenario if the number of players becomes detrimental to server stability) or enemies.
HOW TO FIX LAG First things first: check the netgraph. This can be enabled by binding "Show Netgraph" to a key through the Keybind window in the options interface. It will show you your connection rate. The main thing is packet loss, and red on the graph. Consistently high packet loss is a sure indicator of lag.
Ok, you've got lag, now what?
You can ask other players if they are experiencing lag, but 9 times outta 10, the issue is client related and is not effecting other players. However, there are occasions where the server is experiencing stability issues, so always check with other players.
If it's the server, log out and check the forums. If you plan on posting, (Technical Issues forum is the place for this kinda thing) make sure that there are no other posts with the same topic (i.e., Lag on Champion). If you find a similar thread, post on that.
If it's just you, there are some things you can try, such as repairing your connecting (right click on your connection icon in the task bar and click repair), resetting your broadband modem, or resetting your router (if you have one). Sometimes you might have to try some port forwarding or some such stuff, the support site has more in-depth info.
If bad comes to worse, and no matter what you try, you can't fix your lag, send a message to Tech Support. There are some really helpful people here that will work with you to isolate problems and find solutions (they were AWESOME when I had problems connecting to CoH at college, turns out the network was blocking it, but I wouldn't have been able to pinpoint the source if it weren't for those meddling kids and their dumb dog- I mean wonderful, resourceful techies).
And hey, maybe your connection just sucks. Some ISPs are better than others. At home, when I play, I play offa Earthlink DSL (in the Clarksville, TN area, kinda near Nashville). Never had any problems whatsoever.
BUT SIR, WHAT ABOUT POOR FRAMERATE? Turn down some settings. World detail has a BIG impact. Texture size and anti-aliasing can also cause problems. You can also talk to the support people if you have a top of the line rig that has poor performance. If all else fails, upgrade.
There, I think we have gone over the basics of what lag is and isn't. If there is any technical information or links that should be here, just lemme know.
I decided to write this guide as a result of seeing way too many people refer to poor framerate as "lag".
First, let us define "lag".
From the Wikipedia:
Lag often refers to delays experienced in computing communications, however it may also apply to written or other forms of communication.
Within computing, Lag refers to the time taken for a packet of data from the sending application to the receiving application. This includes both transit time over the network, and computer processing time at both the source and destination computers.
Whilst in the strictest sense every packet experiences lag, the term lag is implied to refer to noticeable delays to the user caused as a result of extended or unexpected delay. As the time taken for a packet to travel from a server in Italy to a client in Spain is likely to differ from a trip from Italy to Australia, it is possible that two users may experience different lags from the same source.
WHAT LAG IS Rubberbanding, temporary Mapserver Disconnects, "jumpy" game world (i.e., enemies or character moving around, appearing in one spot, then another spot 20ft ahead, then 20ft behind), all as a result of a poor connection between the server (the computer hosting the data) and the client (your PC and the game running on it).
WHAT LAG IS NOT choppy gameplay, low framerate, poor performance in areas with lots of players (though lag may be experienced in this scenario if the number of players becomes detrimental to server stability) or enemies.
HOW TO FIX LAG First things first: check the netgraph. This can be enabled by binding "Show Netgraph" to a key through the Keybind window in the options interface. It will show you your connection rate. The main thing is packet loss, and red on the graph. Consistently high packet loss is a sure indicator of lag.
Ok, you've got lag, now what?
You can ask other players if they are experiencing lag, but 9 times outta 10, the issue is client related and is not effecting other players. However, there are occasions where the server is experiencing stability issues, so always check with other players.
If it's the server, log out and check the forums. If you plan on posting, (Technical Issues forum is the place for this kinda thing) make sure that there are no other posts with the same topic (i.e., Lag on Champion). If you find a similar thread, post on that.
If it's just you, there are some things you can try, such as repairing your connecting (right click on your connection icon in the task bar and click repair), resetting your broadband modem, or resetting your router (if you have one). Sometimes you might have to try some port forwarding or some such stuff, the support site has more in-depth info.
If bad comes to worse, and no matter what you try, you can't fix your lag, send a message to Tech Support. There are some really helpful people here that will work with you to isolate problems and find solutions (they were AWESOME when I had problems connecting to CoH at college, turns out the network was blocking it, but I wouldn't have been able to pinpoint the source if it weren't for those meddling kids and their dumb dog- I mean wonderful, resourceful techies).
And hey, maybe your connection just sucks. Some ISPs are better than others. At home, when I play, I play offa Earthlink DSL (in the Clarksville, TN area, kinda near Nashville). Never had any problems whatsoever.
BUT SIR, WHAT ABOUT POOR FRAMERATE? Turn down some settings. World detail has a BIG impact. Texture size and anti-aliasing can also cause problems. You can also talk to the support people if you have a top of the line rig that has poor performance. If all else fails, upgrade.
There, I think we have gone over the basics of what lag is and isn't. If there is any technical information or links that should be here, just lemme know.
@Demobot
Also on Steam