Why the netcode issue exists, and why it cannot be fixed.

[Alcyon_Densetsu]

Wow! That is probably the most enlightening explanation I read on the issue. Thank you very much for such an interesting read!

I have a couple of follow-up questions if you don't mind

1. Considering that in Japan, most customers are connected to the internet through very good connections (100Mbps symmetrical with quite low latency), do you think it could explain why SE chose a server live-state architecture? And do you think it's a wise choice considering the quality of worldwide connections as of 2013 (NA, SA, EU, Asia…), bearing in mind that's there's only 1 datacenter for each half of the world?

2. Do you know of any other games that are also based on such a server live-state architecture?

[Sinth]

Wow! That is probably the most enlightening explanation I read on the issue. Thank you very much for such an interesting read!

I have a couple of follow-up questions if you don't mind

1. Considering that in Japan, most customers are connected to the internet through very good connections (100Mbps symmetrical with quite low latency), do you think it could explain why SE chose a server live-state architecture? And do you think it's a wise choice considering the quality of worldwide connections as of 2013 (NA, SA, EU, Asia…), bearing in mind that's there's only 1 datacenter for each half of the world?

2. Do you know of any other games that are also based on such a server live-state architecture?

Thanks, glad I could help. To answer your questions:

1a. I would say your guess is likely to be quite accurate as to why SE would choose this model of networking in their game. In addition to the advanced network infrastructure in Japan, the geographical size of the country also provides for a reduced latency due to less lengthy hops a connection has to make between server and client.

1b. I would say it was an unwise decision based on the limited availability of localized servers (2 data centers for the whole planet). If SE had licensed servers to data centers all over the world in order to serve local communities, these issues would not be so apparent.

2. No MMOs that I know of, specifically, for the reasons stated above.

[Alcyon_Densetsu]

Answers

Thank you for these answers.

(no more double-posts!)

I suspected something was off, but not at this magnitude. Much like Sunarie, I didn't know the technical side, though. At least now I can put words on it. That's a mild consolation, even if it somehow fails to offset my whole disappointment over this realisation, but… Oh well, at least I'm left with an interesting topic to further dig into in my spare time. I suppose we'll play nothing but server live-state games a decade or two from now!

Who said SE isn't focused on the future? Though, admittedly, perhaps a bit too much for their own sake…

______
EDIT

This doesn't make sense to me.

QA testing could easily be done by Square Enix Headquarters USA, which is located in California, and more than likely was. Granted, this is California to Japan up until the later Beta testing. However I wouldn't go so far as to presume that they did not test, at least in the mid stages, the connection quality of the netcode outside of region.

How their connections would be solid while others are having difficulties, I cannot know. Perhaps this issue did not articulate itself gravely until stress tests began, which at that point it would be too late. But this is all just speculation on my end.

These are fair questions, especially after Phil Rogers (SE's NA/EU CEO) stated that teams from all around the world worked on ARR's development.

Also, they involved players fairly early in the process (since alpha testing), and the issue was mentioned to SE repeatedly (I only arrived during beta 3 in june, I don't know first-hand about before though, but it was clearly a topic when I got hands-on the game). At the time they blamed "server-side checks that would be disabled come release"; yet very late during the beta process they did offset the whole red zone by several hundreds milliseconds (making it appear earlier than previously), as it used to be much more penalising in the beta, downright impossible to dodge. At the same time it somehow broke immersion though —the obvious "dodge the red zone rather than the actual spell animation", which somehow seems ridiculous that you have to dodge a UI indicator but still can dance in the subsequent fire without concerns…

[IzumiRaito]

2. Do you know of any other games that are also based on such a server live-state architecture?

Path of exile is like this. And suffers from desyncs and rubber banding. Although its not same game type. Diablo 2 and 3, but its blizzard so problems are minimal.