Disciples of Greyness: Internet Play

INTERNET PLAY

Many people have already noticed this themselves, but it has come to my attention that many people DON'T know it. The host of Jedi Knight games has distinct advantages over the people who join his/her game (hereafter called "joiners").

The reason for this ignorance is less complicated than I figured it was at first. The main reason people don't know is because they don't have faith in the ability of their connection to the internet, or the ability of their computer to host a game. Because of this, they never host a game, and thus, don't know how much easier the game is when you host.

All information herein about Internet games are reported here by experience of game play by Essobie in the game of Jedi Knight. Some understanding of these phenomena are also derived from other games playable on the Internet such as Descent 1 and 2, Quake, Interstate '76, Netmech, Virtual Pool, Duke 3D (I know... I know...), and other games I don't even remember trying on the internet (read that as: they weren't that great)

I have heard a lot about how the host is at a DISadvantage due to the joiners "warping" around the level and whatnot. This may SEEM like a disadvantage but it isn't. You see, when you see someone while you are host, they are REALLY THERE. When you join a game, and you are aiming at someone, what you see is your computer's rendering of where it THINKS that player is.

Advantages of Hosting/Joining:

The host's system keeps track of ALL the objects on the map. These include weapons, powerups, doors, fans, switches, etc. This means that when a host runs to pick something up, or pulls it to him, or push a button on a wall, they get use of it right away. The Joiners, on the other hand, have to wait for the host's computer to update an event on the HOST computer and so send the "event" packet to the join computer. With a solid 33.6 connection to the host over the Internet, Joiners usually have to wait at least 200ms to get something to work, or pick up. Two tenths of a second don't mean much, right? Wrong. The reaction speed needed to do well in this game relies on being able to change what you are doing in LESS than .2 seconds based on what is going on around you.

Not only that, but most of the time 200ms is a TERRIFIC connection. It looks like is more between 300 and 500 on average.

Playing for fun:

Probably the worst thing you can do is get really mad because you are losing... regardless of the reason. This carries over to who hosts an internet game. True, it might be just the fact that the guy winning is winning because he gets to open doors faster than you, but hey... you could have hosted too, you know.

Just play the game, and try to have fun. If you really don't like getting beat by a host, then don't tell him that he is only winning because he is hosting... just tell him "good game" and go find a game elsewhere. You don't need people hating you because you make excuses for losing.