Marines and TCP play

[Derfel]

Okay, enough people have asked me about this to make me put it here:

Question: Does the new Marine module solve the problems with TCP (LAN or Internet) play reported on the tech forum?

Answer: Yes and no.

This is from my thread on the tech forum:

OK, troops. Here's the stuff on "Marines" and multiplayer:

I'll start with the bad stuff:

STILL NO SAVE OR PAUSE IN TCP GAMES!!!

WTF doesn't even begin to cover it. Why, why why... BF get a grip!

Secondary gripe: LAN games still crash though much less often, definetely progress here.

Good stuff (and it is good): Vanishing vehicles have vanished, i.e for us at least this particular problem is solved. Vehicles now work as they are supposed to. Huzza!

Many and improved Byte Battles will now be appearing shortly!

[panzermartin]

Thanks..Did you notice an improvement in host/client syncing too? Most of my TCP/IP games featured non responding units and horrendous lag.

Also, to BFC..Please consider adding a time out/pause option, at least for the Normandy game, as an alternative to the old WEGO TCP/IP. It would still be Real-Time but pauses would allow for more complex planning and larger maps would be playable. Also, going to the WC would be possible again

[Derfel]

Hi!

No, we didn't. But bear in mind we didn't have that particular problem to start with. Also you should note that these tests were within a gigabit LAN. Internet TCP play testing is planned for sunday or tuesday.

[panzermartin]

I see. Hope internet testing goes well.

[BFCElvis]

I've played a fair amount of Marine TCP lately the solution they came up with for lag has done the trick (at least in the connections I've had and with my equipment). The game now does automatic pauses to to allow each end of the communication to sorta catch up. Most TCP battles I have played have done this a hand full of times in the first couple of minutes and then not again. During these pauses (usually 5-15 seconds) you are able to move around the map. Once it has happened a few times it doesn't seem to do it or need it again and the game plays as smoothly as single player. That has been my experience with v1.1

Adding a pause feature would be great.

[BFCElvis]

Derfel, I just reread your post. Did you have a crash playing the Marine module via LAN? If so what form of crash was it (locked up system, disconnect, crash to desktop, etc..)? It has been months since I have heard of someone having TCP problems but things come up once the amount of eyes on something increases.

Is anyone up for taking TCP for a spin in about an hour or so?

[Derfel]

Hiya, Elvis!

Yeah, we did have a couple of crashes during TCP play, only one serious though. After 40 min of play in a 1 hour battle the "client" computer crashed to desktop with the dreaded "Something has gone wrong with cmsf.exe and it has been shut down" message.

In the other cases the game crashed when the battle was over and the player tried to return to the main menu, that happened at least 50% of the time.

And, yes. Pause and save are absolute necessities, I'm still flabbergasted that they aren't in the game from the start.