Yes. I mean only with computers.
I am aware I can do the ffa game creation on server, and that's what I've been trying to do. Is there an alternate to this for single player? Doesn't seem like it.
You can edit a map and change the controller from 'human' to 'computer' then load it in single player. IIRC the interface only lets you select then number of AI opponents, whereas with the multiplayer interface you can select 'fixed order' then choose exactly which slots you set to 'computer' abd what race each is, so it's a lot more flexable.
I've timed how much delay I get offline and online. It's a negligible difference between the two(on low latency).:
offline single player: 0 delay
0ms(my test server): 0.8 of a second delay for an action to deploy
250ms(war2.ru): 0.82 of a second delay for an action to deploy
How exactly is this a problem with my computer?
WC2 is a 100% peer-to-peer game. The server is a matchmaking/messaging service only. When a game is underway the communication is only between the client computers. The TCP connection is only used for server commands (messages that start with the '/' character) and reporting post-game results.
So if you're the only human player in the game, then it's a problem with your computer because
that's the only place anything is happening. There is an idle TCP connection handshaking every now and again, but that has no effect whatsoever on gameplay, it's being done by your TCP drivers and wouldn't even amount to 0.01% of your CPU or network usage.
My internet connection is fine. I have a fiber connection that doesn't drop packets.
I am very happy that you are pleased with your fibre-optic connection.
You will notice I said "i.e. your ISP
or some server along the route". The internet functions by each IP packet having an address attached to it. Your network adapter forwards this packet to your router which in turn forwards it to your ISP where the rules programmed into your ISP's routing table will then forward it on to the most appropriate (or perhaps even the cheapest!) server downstrean, which will in turn forward it to any number of other servers along the way before it finally reaches it's endpoint.
It does not matter if your connection is fibre-optic or a gold plated salad-fork jammed into a mains outlet - it only takes one server along the route to cause this effect. It happens quite commonly regardless of what your ISP's glossy brochure or any dinky-toy network app you have plugged in says. You can't know this because UDP doesn't report it. That is the fundamental difference between UDP and TCP. ...anyway based on your most recent post this isn't the main problem, at least.
VPN wouldn't solve this issue due to it being an internal delay put on when a network game is played.
As I stated in my post
"Although adding the VPN layer actually increases latency in the connection, if it stops packet loss it can cause a dramatic improvement in lag". Some long term users have reported greatly improved connections after switching to VPNs, despite the overheads, and now routinely use VPN connections to play server games for this reason.
Seems like that's the go to if you don't know what the issue is.
Explain to me how this delay is possible on 0ms still.
I could guess, and will do shortly, but as you sound a bit sceptical, first try this:
1) Start a server game with just you and AI players.
2)
Turn off your routerNow explain to me how it is NOT a problem with your computer. ..... Lamb waits patiently for some new guy to realise he should actually be paying attention zzzZZ
ZZZOk Willie. Hi! I'm Lamby
Tech support isn't my job, but I usually try to help if you pay attention and don't tell me I'm just making stuff up because I don't know what I'm talking about. Deal?.... KEWL
If you have tried the standard fixes from the en.war2.ru site (ddraw etc.), and you aren't simply attempting to run WC2 on a system...maybe a VM... that doesn't have the processing power to run it (seems unlikely) then based on the information you are supplying, I would GUESS that it is related to either some firewall and/or anti-virus program that you have running
or you have some messed up stuff going on with your network drivers. Perhaps it is related to Kaillera (which is basically a 15 year old kludgey hack), or it could be related to any one of the numerous backyard networking apps I suspect you may have at some time installed on your system... possibly even the one you are using to get this 0.8 second figure from. It could even be related to a rootkit/botnet malware of some type.
I really don't know, (and can't diagnose without looking at your system) but I do know that if it's happening with no other players in the game
it is a problem with your system. .... and an unusual problem at that - I have never heard of anyone else having this particular issue.
.... as a completely wild stab in the dark have you (or anyone else on your network) ever used or installed libPcap/WinPcap, tcpdump, Wireshark or anything else that forces a network adapter to operate in promiscious mode, or any other similar scullduggery?
Here's a bunch of random stuff that might be useful in your situation:The PvPGN server will report your /ping as 0ms, before it has scheduled and completed the task of checking it. After you have been connected for a minute or two check again and you will get a more accurate /ping result.
The server /ping results are server->client->server roundtrip times and aren't necessarily related to gameplay because the game is all peer-to-peer and the server isn't part of the loop.
Normal network pinging such as via the DOS or unix 'ping' command is done using the ICMP protocol. Most servers handle ICMP traffic completely seperately to IP traffic so the results from pinging can be radically different from actual IP transmission speeds.
Internet speed testing sites such as speedtest.net and many other similar sites are quite often totally useless. This is not because there is anything inherantly wrong with the function of these sites, but because ISPs routinely give traffic to and from these sites the highest possible priority to make their service appear better than it is to gullible end users. It is not uncommon to have speed test sites report 3 to 10 times the actual service speed being supplied to the end user. I don't know if your ISP does this, but many do.
Uninstalling software that has installed custom drivers on your system will not necessarily remove the drivers of fix any mess the software may have made.
Have you tried changing to a random game port? (certianly if you have more than one client on the same LAN you must use different game ports).
As I understand it, Kaillera operates by blindly sending user-input to 1 or more remoter computer(s). I don't use it but under those circumstances I would guess it could be very hard to detect either packet loss or a <1 second delay.
The single player and multiplayer games actually use entirely different game engines internally, so even offline (i.e. just you and AI players) there is still different code running.
Much of the above information can be found
HEREThanks for trying to educate me.
You're welcome.
I do understand how UDP works vs TCP already.
Awesome