56K Modems not truely playable..

[Waffen]

So, the claim is that 56K modems are playable multiplayer.. Here are my results (NOTE: I have DSL, but find most compitition on VNet have modems):

2 players: Playable at 1:2 speed. Modem client stays reasonably up to date. Fairly high delay on commands reported.
3 players: Passable at 1:2 speed. Pauses required 1 or 2 times a year to allow modem players to catch up. High delay on commands reported by modem players. 1:1 speed a minor improvement, but not much.
4 players: Barely playable at 1:1 speed. Pauses required several times a year. High command delays reported. Some say unplayable.
5+ players: Unplayable at any speed.

Not to mention, the game download takes about 10 minutes PER modem player (it doesn't seem to send the data in parallel).

Just something to think about when you guys are setting up a game.. And (honestly no flame intended) another piece of evidence that Paradox needs to learn some more about multiplayer programming.. ;-)

Waffen

 

[unmerged(6761)]

That aint good....

 

[Mowers]

Depressingly facinating.

Someone really needs to invite EU-lite for MP

 

[boehm]

Originally posted by Waffen
So, the claim is that 56K modems are playable multiplayer.. Here are my results (NOTE: I have DSL, but find most compitition on VNet have modems):

2 players: Playable at 1:2 speed. Modem client stays reasonably up to date. Fairly high delay on commands reported.
3 players: Passable at 1:2 speed. Pauses required 1 or 2 times a year to allow modem players to catch up. High delay on commands reported by modem players. 1:1 speed a minor improvement, but not much.
4 players: Barely playable at 1:1 speed. Pauses required several times a year. High command delays reported. Some say unplayable.
5+ players: Unplayable at any speed.

Not to mention, the game download takes about 10 minutes PER modem player (it doesn't seem to send the data in parallel).

Just something to think about when you guys are setting up a game.. And (honestly no flame intended) another piece of evidence that Paradox needs to learn some more about multiplayer programming.. ;-)

Waffen

Im playing MP with my friend and I only have 56k modem....sure we only 1mth per 1 min...to avoid delay...which we have if we play 2mth per 1 min...

so if u can live with 1:1 which I by the way find totally ok as long as something is happening....56k modem works fine...and NO it doesnt take 10min for me to download the scenario ...it takes about 1-2 min...

 

[cfeedback]

I too find the game almost unplayable on a 56k modem. I was in Waffen's game but bowed out because of the lag when we had 3-4 players. I don't think I'd stand a chance against a human player in a war as all my commands (troop movements, etc) were delayed 15-30 days.

 

[unmerged(536)]

I tried to play some EU 1 games but the lag usually killed the fun, sad to hear that it doesn´t seem better in EU 2

 

[AndrewT]

I did find as a cable connection playing a modem connection, that you had to have the slowest connection be the host. So make sure the guy with the slowest machine - least RAm, etc, is the host. That way the other PCs can keep up and it minimises the lag-crashes.

 

[unmerged(2778)]

Playable over 56k or not, the amount of time you have to play an EU2-game (especially in MP) combined with the huge cost (in Sweden) of being online a long time with 56k, wouldn't make it worth it to me.