Author Topic: Suggestions for 'Host Connection Lost' Annoyance (Read 1276 times)

Casper1 · « **on:** October 17, 2006, 06:39:03 PM »

Notice - This thread is not intended to be a bashing, ridiculing, or upsetting thread. If it does any of the above, accept my apologies. I have some constructive criticism to offer as a Software Engineer/System Architect, so the points made may seem harsh. Please understand that my point is simply to make suggestions and to support the suggestions with fact/standards/etc.

Currently, when a user attempts to connect to a full arena and cannot, a Dialog box pops up stating "Host Connection Lost". When the user clicks "OK", the whole game exits.

This is probably the silliest behavior I have seen from a popular game title, not to mention poor software design. (maybe this is due to some desired effect from previous versions...I dont know)

1. The error is not 'Host Connection Lost'. This is a bad Error Message and shoudl be fixed so it is more useful and meaningful.
2. The attmept to join a full server should not necessitate a complete program shutdown. In fact, software should never just close/exit unless the user has told it to do so, or there is some failure in the execution which caused the OS to kill its process(es).

I highly suggest this be fixed in a future release (sooner rather than later b/c of the arena caps that are maxed out every night). It is extremely annoying when a user wants to grab the 390th position in a 390 player-capped arena, is denied, and has to restart the whole app. (It's worse when this happens 6 or 7 times a night)

In my personal opinion, the changes with the arenas were implemened before a lot of thought was put into the effect on aspects of the software that may not have mattered in the past. While this is understandable in some cases, I cannot say that this is one of those.

Overlag · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2006, 07:15:35 PM »

100% agree, but then it does only take 10seconds to reload AHII (for the lucky ones)

i dont think this is top priority for HT, i think they too busy messing with new arena's and stuff......

The Fugitive · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2006, 07:47:51 PM »

I read someplace on these boards, posted by an HTC employee, that the reason it was set up that way was so that the computer would disconnect COMPLETELY from the host so when you went to a new arena, it wouldn't have problems that might be caused by it NOT being totally disconnected from the "full" arena.

Overlag · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2006, 10:20:06 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by The Fugitive
I read someplace on these boards, posted by an HTC employee, that the reason it was set up that way was so that the computer would disconnect COMPLETELY from the host so when you went to a new arena, it wouldn't have problems that might be caused by it NOT being totally disconnected from the "full" arena.

ohh yeah, i seem to remember something like that too. it was to with the caching/loading of the map. I had it a few times when you would load a offline map, then try to go straight to MA, only to have AH crash because it tried to load you into MA, with the offline map you set up still in the memory?

HT comments?

Schatzi · « **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2006, 03:52:09 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by The Fugitive
I read someplace on these boards, posted by an HTC employee, that the reason it was set up that way was so that the computer would disconnect COMPLETELY from the host so when you went to a new arena, it wouldn't have problems that might be caused by it NOT being totally disconnected from the "full" arena.

It was Skuzzy.

And yes, the complete disconnect "CTD" is to tie up loose ends that might be causing all sorts of artifacts and weirdness otherwise.

Casper1 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2006, 12:03:40 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Schatzi
It was Skuzzy.

And yes, the complete disconnect "CTD" is to tie up loose ends that might be causing all sorts of artifacts and weirdness otherwise.

Well, there's a reason then.
But, its a really REALLY bad reason.

Something needs to change in the architectrure of the software so that you dont have to CTD every time you attempt to connect to an almost full arena that is actually full by the timr your join request packets hit the game server.

I suggest this become higher priority or the caps be upped substantially so this isnt an issue any longer. Why continually build on a faulty foundation? Its gonna come crashing down before long...

Casper1 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2006, 04:16:17 PM »

Pyro, HT?

hitech · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2006, 04:21:27 PM »

You are incorect in your assesment.

It realy is a host connection lost.

The system does not prevent you from trying to attach to a full arena.

Once you attach, the system does a current count. And then since it is full you get disconected.

The resone it is done this way , is because the counts are not 100% real time up to date. For instance you could be in the arena list screen for a long time, and the real state of the arenas are different from your current display.

The resone why you are shown the message vs returned to the arena list, was by user request. Because most real disconects are caused isp connection loss, and then you could not get the arena list anyway, and you would be on a hang / waiting for time out condition.

navajoboy · « **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2006, 04:26:12 PM »

you definitely are a code jockey.....

Quote

Originally posted by hitech
You are incorect in your assesment.

It realy is a host connection lost.

The system does not prevent you from trying to attach to a full arena.

Once you attach, the system does a current count. And then since it is full you get disconected.

The resone it is done this way , is because the counts are not 100% real time up to date. For instance you could be in the arena list screen for a long time, and the real state of the arenas are different from your current display.

The resone why you are shown the message vs returned to the arena list, was by user request. Because most real disconects are caused isp connection loss, and then you could not get the arena list anyway, and you would be on a hang / waiting for time out condition.

Rocket · « **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2006, 04:52:47 PM »

Hmmm I don't get CTD when the arena is full. It just dumps me back to the pick an arena spot or pick a game spot (scrathes head stuck at work here) but not CTD. But I am playing on a minimum spec machine too

S!
Rocket

Casper1 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2006, 09:45:44 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by hitech
You are incorect in your assesment.

It realy is a host connection lost.

The system does not prevent you from trying to attach to a full arena.

Once you attach, the system does a current count. And then since it is full you get disconected.

The resone it is done this way , is because the counts are not 100% real time up to date. For instance you could be in the arena list screen for a long time, and the real state of the arenas are different from your current display.

The resone why you are shown the message vs returned to the arena list, was by user request. Because most real disconects are caused isp connection loss, and then you could not get the arena list anyway, and you would be on a hang / waiting for time out condition.

I completely understand the logic to your statement here HT. I appreciate you clearing up the reasons behind all of it; you squashed my assessment in item #1 in my original post. Good stuff!

What I should point out here, though (see #2 in orig. post)...is that everytime I try to connect to a now full arena (maybe my list is stale, or someone gets the last spot milliseconds before me, whatever)...my game shouldnt close out completely. I should instead be returned to the arena list or something.

I have no idea how your software is constructed for player joining functionality but...couldnt you do something to this effect?

onArenaConnectAttempt...

if (currentArenaCount < MAX_ARENA_COUNT);
{
joinArena(playerID);
}
else
{
disconnectPlayer(ARENA_FULL_MESSAGE);
ShowArenaList();

//instead of:
/* disconnectPlayer(HOST_CONN_LOST_MESSAGE);
Application.Exit(); */

}

I know you reponded to my other post, which spawned 4 pages of whining, etc. that this might require a full client release. If so, can we get it in the next release??

BugsBunny · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2006, 10:18:40 AM »

Hey mr software engineer sir. Did you notice that we did not have a front end roll out? I am sure HT will do somthing about it when a new FE comes out but, what would you do if you had to make a change on the Host but did not have time to roll another FE?

hitech · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2006, 11:33:05 AM »

Casper: If you notice you no longer get disconected if you click on a full lw arena. Instead you are put in the other LW arena.

Casper1 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2006, 03:28:41 PM »

I'll check it out tonight. Thanks HT!

Casper1 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 23, 2006, 03:30:07 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by BugsBunny
Hey mr software engineer sir. Did you notice that we did not have a front end roll out? I am sure HT will do somthing about it when a new FE comes out but, what would you do if you had to make a change on the Host but did not have time to roll another FE?

I would personally fix it, but thats me

.