MMORPGs moving to 1-10 MS server side polling

[Bixby]

Right here.

Which is talking about how often their servers process actions and says absolutely nothing about movement/position updates, which is what FFXIV's 300ms (100ms in instances) is all about. Edit: Not directed at you, Dwill, you just provided the source. Directed at the general idea presented in the topic.

[Domira]

I remember this GIF going around early on, possibly back when the game was in beta. It's still a 100% accurate representation of what goes on in this game, and it consistently makes me feel like I'm still playing a beta version of FFXIV.

Spew excuses about my internet connection or system specs all you like. The fact remains I have played lots of MMOs, some more action/timing intensive than FFXIV, and none of them behave anything like this.

Guild Wars 2 works the exact same way. But yes, the games that require strict timing suffer the most.

[Alukah]

However, for those with crappy connections, those who currently fail to get out of the AoE ground effects and such, absolutely nothing is going to change. Better yet, by ensuring that players with a good connection get to play even more solid increasing server-side polling may even bite you back. As in comparison you'll end up playing even worse. After all, increased server-side polling is going to do absolutely nothing about delay and packet loss on the route between your PC and the FFXIV servers.

You are assuming all net issues are on the players side, that is not true.

Currently the issue is not as bad as in that gif, but it's not 100% fixed either.

[reality_check]

Which is talking about how often their servers process actions and says absolutely nothing about movement/position updates, which is what FFXIV's 300ms (100ms in instances) is all about. Edit: Not directed at you, Dwill, you just provided the source. Directed at the general idea presented in the topic.

I've witnessed too many benediction deaths and hallowed ground deaths to believe that FFXIV processes actions at intervals any less than 300 MS.

[Bixby]

I've witnessed too many benediction deaths and hallowed ground deaths to believe that FFXIV processes actions at intervals any less than 300 MS.

In those cases, the effect isn't applied until the animation ends. Which is the case for most actions. Varying animation length makes it hard to determine if the kind of action batch-processing delay WoW says they're moving away from exists in FFXIV at all, let alone what it might be. Doesn't sound from that blue post like this is necessarily some kind of industry standard that Blizzard is ditching (unlike the movement/position polling, which is), it's just how they were doing things before.

[Sadana]

What that gif isn't showing (and is the key in this game) is the enemy's casting bar. That aoe circle is almost a red herring. It'll tell you WHERE you're gonna get smacked upside the head, but not WHEN (the casting bar gives this). The aoe circle will stay until the attack itself. ><; I've seen lots of complaints about this, so I'll ask folks "were you out before the casting bar was complete?" Invariably, the response is, "Oh, I dunno." ><; Mind you, on ps3 (I've played on it), that latency is killer (literally). By the time you see the aoe mark, the casting bar is probably already complete. >: ( You have to be psychic to dodge shit.

[Judge_Xero]

Lag kills in endgame. People get called "bad" for having the only option for broadband in their area. Something needs to be done, besides using 3rd party tools.

If you're using the only Broadband available to you, and it's causing lag, then your only option may be 3rd party tools.

I have a 60ms delay in FFXIV - 300ms has not been an issue so far for me luckily.

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You could take a stop-watch and click it as fast as you can. See how close you can get to 0.1s. Most people can click it in 0.6s (600ms). See how fast that is?

[Fornix]

You are assuming all net issues are on the players side, that is not true.

Currently the issue is not as bad as in that gif, but it's not 100% fixed either.

Nowhere did I say all net issues are player side. However, as is very apparent for those of us with solid connections to the servers. There's minimal issues with the servers itself. Dodging AoE can be done without flaw for example. So gain there is going to be very minimal to non-existing by increasing server-side polling.

Net issues at player homes, within player ISP's networks or en route to the servers however will not be impacted by increased server-side polling.

The only thing increased server-side polling is truly good for is making a competitive environment more rely on player reflexes than sever-side delay. On skills with 2 - 3 seconds cast timings that is irrelevant. Nor is it of importance for improving a player-versus-player environment as that is next to non-existent in FFXIV.

[Alukah]

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Either I'm blind or your previous post says "those who currently fail to get out of the AoE ground effects and such, absolutely nothing is going to change", that sounds pretty generic.

Sure dodging AoEs can be done without flaw once you learn the fight and know what's coming, since everything is scripted, but still many times people get hit even if they leave in time.

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How do you explain someone with a stable latency, leaving an aoe circle before the casting bar finishes, still getting hit? Not on PS3 btw.

[reality_check]

In those cases, the effect isn't applied until the animation ends. Which is the case for most actions. Varying animation length makes it hard to determine if the kind of action batch-processing delay WoW says they're moving away from exists in FFXIV at all, let alone what it might be. Doesn't sound from that blue post like this is necessarily some kind of industry standard that Blizzard is ditching (unlike the movement/position polling, which is), it's just how they were doing things before.

Except it still eats the cool down which is a classic example of delayed communication between server and client.