- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Comments from the three of you typify the polarity I have seen as I research this topic. First we have the majority opinion:
Now let me explain if you are using dial up and you connect to a server full of people using Dsl you will cause EVERYONE to lag like there is no tomorrow! The server is only as fast as the slowest person. It happens all the time I will be playing perfectly fine with no lag then all of a sudden some smuck with a dial up connection logs in and everyone starts lagging cuase he is dragging them down with him.
Get Dsl then come play!
And we also have goweb talking about laggy games with a high speed connection, which I am guessing were caused by another person's modem (corroborating the quote above). I have seen many other similar explanations.
Then we have a smattering of folks who say things like:
One of my clanmates has dialup, as long as he closes everything else before he plays, it's fine, he hosts more often than I do.
So here we have someone on dial-up HOSTING a lagless game!!! If **ANYONE** has a computer which can host a lagless game on a 56K connection, it tells me that the bandwidth is not the problem (if a player's dialup really is running anywhere near 56K)! And I've seen several tutorials (some on this forum) for how to reduce lag. In addition, we have the Halo PC box that advertises that it is good for 56K, AND internet chatter that says that CE reduces lag even more.
What I am trying to find out (and I honestly don't know, yet; but am leaning towards paying my $30 to find out), is: Are laggy games inherently due to the low bandwidth connection (I highly suspect not); other local PC issues (like low end CPU or video card); (overworked) server issues; or is it that some dummy just doesn't know how to configure his connection -- or SAYS he has DSL, when in fact he has a modem?
I've read many complaints about lag. What I'd like to know is: Are there people out there that are having a fantastic LAGLESS good time in Halo PC or CE (you AND those you are playing with); and, if so, what (if anything) did you do special to achieve such Nirvana? Is it a dedicated server? Correct configuration of your connection? Good video card? Or are you just living with crummy gameplay AND ticking everyone else off, to boot? If you are using a modem to play Halo PC or CE, please speak up!
EDIT: Thanks Xraf! Your post came in while I was composing mine, and your email is exactly the kind I've been looking for. So, did you do anything special, or just load CE and start fragging away? And how good do your graphics look compared to single player campaign?
[Edited on 7/9/2004 9:22:48 AM]