Author Topic: BBS is working itself out..MA is rocking! (Read 559 times)

Pongo · « **on:** November 01, 2001, 10:52:00 AM »

The bbs seems to be setting in to its post AW version...people are establishing who hates who..
The MA is increadable. Lots of chatter and help being offered, guys getting killed, shooting shoots <S> each other... nice fur balls in every corner of the map(baltic rocks-best map I think).
These AW guys are playing the game without a hitch.. No one could have doubted that it would be anything but good for the game to have a load of experianced flyers join up...
Lets push for 300 players on the server!

Maverick · « **Reply #1 on:** November 01, 2001, 10:56:00 AM »

Lets push for a server that can handle 300 players first! Seriously, HT and company already know about the server load problems. Disco's, lagging with increased warping and so on. I know it's being fixed but the new influx has certainly strained the system. I hope all players will be patient while the solution is being implemented.

Mav

Skuzzy · « **Reply #2 on:** November 01, 2001, 11:51:00 AM »

Uh Maverick, the MA server can easily handle 300+ players.
The connections are the issue.

Most people automatically log into the MAIN connect, without any regard to the second connection (ALT) to the MA. Whenever it gets warpy, does anyone really try the other connect?
Only reason I ask, is the MAIN connect appears to be carrying about 95% of the load. Maybe Savvis (MAIN) does a better job than Verio (ALT), but I know for a fact that most @home users, in the U.S., should get better connects through the ALT route, as Verio has private peer points with @home now.

Beleive me, it is not server related. While at the CON, HT showed some of the players how little load there is on the server when 200+ players are online.

Now things are in progress to increase the bandwidth available to the servers, but for right now, try both connects and use what works. Keeping in mind, that in any instance the other connect could suddenly get better than the one you are on.
It is just the way of the Internet.

LePaul · « **Reply #3 on:** November 01, 2001, 11:57:00 AM »

I always use the ALT route and most of the time, its great. However, on evenings where there are over 250 players, its pretty warpy even though the Net Status shows nice n flat.

But again, most of the time, its fantastic.

popeye · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2001, 12:15:00 PM »

I test both routes before I log on, and usually get a better connect on ALT.

Nifty · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2001, 12:15:00 PM »

ooo, verio will be better for @home users? I'll give that a try next time for sure then.

thx Skuzzy, you rule and whatnot!

Westy MOL · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2001, 12:32:00 PM »

"I always use the ALT route and most of the time, its great. However, on evenings where there are over 250 players, its pretty warpy even though the Net Status shows nice n flat."

Because most of the players warping are coming in on the main path. You're not warping, they are.

I've always chosen the ALT route and it's predominately a solid connection. Well. It was till Skuzzy let the secret out

Westy

Skuzzy · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2001, 12:35:00 PM »

Nifty, just remember, at any given time one connection to the MA could be better than the other.
If you get in and it is warpy, then try the other.
Sometimes "warpy" may be closer your ISP, than to here. In that case you would see virtually no difference in the connections.

By the way, there is no "magic" to the naming convention of the connections. MAIN and ALT are just names for a different route to the servers over the Internet. I guess HT could have called them MAIN1 and MAIN2. Maybe that would help?

I really would like to know if players are not using the ALT because it is worse than the MAIN. It will help me make good decisions on which pipe I need to grow first.

Thank you.

Pongo · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2001, 01:01:00 PM »

If I see probs with my connect I log and join alt to see if that helps.
Could the assignment not be automated for load ballanceing Skuzzy.
And anyway. The MA is fine. No extra warping that I am seeing..

Skuzzy · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2001, 02:33:00 PM »

Load balancing is difficult to do. Trying to answer, "what parameters would measure what would be best?" is difficult.
the process could be automated by us using BGP routing, but that is not a good solution, as BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) makes assumptions about things. Most of Sprint's problems can be directly related to poor implemetation of BGP.

Giving the client a choice allows you to pick what works best. And if conditions change, you can log and pick the other path. This could not be automated.
There are some things best left to the choice of the player. Until we get a packet protocol games can use that has some level of priority associated with it, we are all pretty much stuck.

Nifty · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2001, 02:40:00 PM »

Actually, I used Main because I had no reason not to. Only once can I recall where my net status meters sucked. Since it was a Saturday morning and college football was about to come on, I really didn't bother checking the Verio connection.

I'll pay attention to my connects on both routes.

Hmm, maybe Hitech could display the number on each route so we could balance the loads ourselves?

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2001, 02:47:00 PM »

I always use alt route... Very stable, and is usually the line that leaves people in the MA when there's a net burp.
-SW

Weave · « **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2001, 02:47:00 PM »

Skuzzy, is there a way to show the percentage of use, or load rate for both Main and Alt? That way people could choose the lowest and kinda balance things out.

Wilbus · « **Reply #13 on:** November 01, 2001, 02:49:00 PM »

Log in to the MA guys, new server

Westy MOL · « **Reply #14 on:** November 01, 2001, 02:58:00 PM »

Wilbus, is it a noticable difference???

Westy