New player - questions

Questions and comments on tactics and playstyles
z[h]ero
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Post by z[h]ero »

David_UK wrote:...but unfortunately I am physically remote from the router and can only realistically use wireless.
Another option would be "dlan" (dunno how it is called in english). Maybe it's called powerline in usa?
"dlan" = Technology for networking via Home-"electric circuit".

You would need two of these adapters.
For two of these adapters of the second most new generation (with a theoretically speed of 85MBit. Practically in best case only about < 50% of theoretical speed) you would need to pay about 100$ in USA (just an estimated price, as I assume usa-prices a little bit less than in europe)
Wirth's law: "Software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster."
z[h]ero
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Post by z[h]ero »

David_UK wrote:I'm directly one floor above router.
Physical the frequency of an 11mbit standard has a better pervasion characteristic (like pervasing walls) than the frequency of the 54mbit standard. So changing the router status to the 11mbit modus (with it's severe disadvatages) could help!
Wirth's law: "Software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster."
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Post by Tank 52 »

Spazzy McGee wrote:
Tank 52 wrote:
Spazzy McGee wrote:Bee-zed-flag all the way. I shall defend the british english pronunciation of the letter 'Z' to the death.
Ok,lets see you defend this :)
Battle flager :wink: (bzflag...) was from battle zone,which were both made in America not british english pronounciation..so bee zee flag for the win? or battle flager if you try to make it sound better or just dont want to have your friends say what the heck is bee zee flagger? or just stumble over the terms....
If i'm saying the title of an american movie or TV show - or anything made in america, I don't say it in an american accent. Why should this be any different?
Darn....defended perfectly in one post...I can't find any way around that :(
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Home Guard
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Post by Home Guard »

Technology for networking via Home-electric circuit.
Yes, I've heard of these. I'll have a look into it, thanks.
...changing the router status to the 11mbit modus ... could help!
Ah, great idea and I hoped we were onto a winner - sadly though I'm still kicked off the server within 5mins just the same. Thanks though!
Darn....defended perfectly in one post...I can't find any way around that
Yep, I think we've concluded that discussion. :D
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z[h]ero
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Post by z[h]ero »

Home Guard wrote:
Technology for networking via Home-electric circuit.
Yes, I've heard of these. I'll have a look into it, thanks.
Feel free to ask questions.

Something important, this technology depends much on the home-electric-circuit-infrastructure.
Generally it works more bad in old houses with their old-circuit-net.
Also modern "multiple outlet strip" with functionality to automatically switch of all devices if the main machine is off, are leading to a drastical signal attenuation of these home-newtwork-circuit-technology, which results either in a low speed modus of the adapters, or in connectivity-loss! (So simply using a conventional "multiple outlet strip" for the adapters is the key)

PS: I guess you are watching a little bit too much "national socialistic" "body of thoughts" in Great Britain...
Wirth's law: "Software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster."
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Home Guard
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Post by Home Guard »

All my PCI slots are full, but I have no NIC. Does anyone have experience of a USB NIC? If so, is it quick enough to play?

Thanks
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joevano
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Post by joevano »

No NIC??? How are you posting to these forums?
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Home Guard
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Post by Home Guard »

No NIC??? How are you posting to these forums?
Ah, sorry. That was a misleading sentance I see now. I mean I don't have a wired NIC (mobo or PCI). I have USB wireless networking.
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blast
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Post by blast »

I had bad lag with a USB NIC (even at LAN games), but then again, that was also USB 1.1. It would probably be okay with USB 2.0, but I'd still rather have a PCI one.
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Home Guard
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Post by Home Guard »

Blast:
I had bad lag with a USB NIC
Can I clarify, was this a USB driven, plug-me-in-with-a-network-cable socket? Or a wireless dongle?
Thanks
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blast
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Post by blast »

It was a USB wired ethernet adapter. It was one from Microsoft. I think it was this one.

Anyways, it probably would have been fine on a USB 2.0 port, but I have no way of knowing now. I gave it away quite some time back after ditching dialup and thus freeing up a PCI slot. ;)
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zebedy
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Post by zebedy »

Hi Home Guard,

Good to see the Brits in control....Don't Paniiiiiiiiiiiic !!

I have played against you in the Pillbox server a few times now and although it is easy to tell you are a newbie it is also obvious that you are not without certain skills.
Gaining experience on b(ZED)flag is a matter of time. A lot of the players you see with positive scores haven't been playing just a week or 2 but have been around for many years. Bzflag is not just a flash in the pan gam and has been around for close on 10 years I think of which I have been playing 7.

I used to have problems with my FPS and have now got it to a stable 65-75 fps. I don't know if this is good, bad or ugly but I can now at least tell whats going on.
I am not a techy guy but some of the tricks I have learned to help with FPS is in the "Display" setting to turn off lighting, shadows, anisotropic. (whatever that is). I have my "Quality" set to experimental. In "GUI" turn off every extrenuous effect that doesn't have a direct tie to performance of the tank ( which must be most of them).
Set your screen res 1 setting lower.
I am sure there are many-sylabol words to describe what I mean but as I said, I am not a techy guy.
For direct playing performance I don't think you can beat turning your radar to as big as possible. This seems very strange at first but has a massive effect on what you are able to dodge. Although I don't do it personally I have heard that some of the better players don't even use the HUD but use the radar to dodge, steer and aim by.

The best way to learn how to play this game though is to play this game. In time you will get better and quickly but it is a slow curve to begin with as many players you go up against are just so much wiser in the bz ways. You do learn quickly though and I have seen some new players go from rags to riches in just a matter of months..it just takes practice
Someone else said that to me once......only once
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Home Guard
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Post by Home Guard »

zebedy

Yes, I remember dying by your hands many times! Thanks for the words of encouragement. I even capture the flag from time to time now....

Tech probs are now solved, as below.
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Home Guard
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Tech problems: solved

Post by Home Guard »

Thanks all for your input. I realise now this would have been better in the technical forum - admin pls move if you wish it.

To summarise for other newbs:

My jitter was too high (20-30) and I was being kicked off the server.
I was playing on an old pc (AMD athlon, 1Ghz, 1Gig RAM, natively USB1, but with a USB2 PCI card fitted) with a usb wireless internet connection. Even at lowest quality and with no background apps running jitter remained high. Moving the PC to the router and connecting via a cable removed the jitter - so it was clearly the wireless causing the problem.
I borrowed another PC and ran the game using the same wireless connection - but this time, no jitter! The newer PC had higher specs.

So my solution was to pick up a second-hand P4, 2.4GHz, 256RAM, win2000 rig from an office clearance sale (£50). Using the same wireless connection my jitter is now 1-2 even with full resolution and quality. Solved.
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Bambino
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Post by Bambino »

I to also get jitter spikes sometimes and my computer is 3gb ram 2.0gh but its wifi so i know what the problem is but i do hard wire it sometimes (laptop)
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