Sync bug... What is it and why does it exist.

[FlashFF]

I know as with most threads that discuss this topic this will have the comments "we try to fix it" added then be closed, but its a real concern to me. Sync bugs are one of the main reasons I left, and one of the main reasons I doubtful that I'll be coming back. Unfortunately as its not the majority that are affected, it doesn't seem to be a problem worthy of a decent look.

This time round I have a fresh install of windows and a fresh install of NC, with file verification check. Yet when I log in I'm still getting stuck in sync. Which raises my first question:

1.) Why do some people seem to get stuck syncronising while others don't?

Then the sync continues a few minutes which raises another question:

2.) Is the game actually doing aything to try to "sync".

I actually managed to log in yesterday with all my skills, weapons, items, I was even next to a gogo and a citycom and could use both easily, yet I was still stuck in sync.

It's my stong belief that some sort of diagnostic needs to be brought in. Hell, put a bit of debuggy text at the bottom to tell you what it's doing and what it's stuck with.

At the end of the day I like the concept of NC, and would love to be given the opportunity to give it a fair try, but all the time this problem exists, it's just not feasable.

I ask for sufferers of sync bugs to give your opinins and anything you've done to make the horror stop, devs to give your opinions (if you have time) and eveyone else just to give your two cents.

NOTE: Please do not flame, insult or whine in this thread. And mods, if someone does can you just smoosh them and let the thread live. I wanna see if real answers are given, but these threads normally have about a 30 second life.

[IceStorm]

The really short version is that if you get yourself a high quality ISP, like Speakeasy in the USA, you should be fine. My Speakeasy connection is two hops to The Internet (i.e. to Speakeasy's GSP peer(s)).

The longer version is of the opinion that NC's UDP-based communications get stepped on by most oversubscribed ISPs. The client takes a while to fall back to TCP, hence the Synchronizing... screen.

Since August 2001, if I use Speakeasy, NC runs fine (unless there's a server-side issue), rarely getting stuck in sync. If I use a regular ISP like Verizon or Cablevision, I get stuck in long syncs far more frequently, along with a higher incidence of incorrect money/inventory.

[UnderLoK]

That is why I had quit too... I've moved across the country twice and the problem does vary in place to place. I think it is a latency issue of some kind. I had previously done a ton of testing and posts about this problem, but it is just one of those things that since everyone isn't experiencing it, it is ignored.

Not like anyone cares, but I am a network engineer and had offered my help to KK in the past which they didn't deem necessary which is fine... I wouldn't be any help now as I barely see sync bug anymore which is even more odd.

[FlashFF]

I'm in the UK on cable (blueyonder). And I play plenty of games that used UDP across the net, even running 3 or more systems at some times, and have done so while hosting voice servers. Yet none of those have any trouble. One single copy of NC running as the only thing using the network, big trouble.

And the problem is, the sync never ends. If it were falling back fine, but I've gone and had dinner while its stuck in sync, come back and I'm not happilly running around.

[No1male]

when i select a player i go into a never ending sync. I have to escape out (upto 3 times) then it will eventually let me in.

2.1 i used to get straight in but for whatever reason no chance with 2.2

[Kierz]

I ask for sufferers of sync bugs to give your opinins and anything you've done to make the horror stop, devs to give your opinions (if you have time) and eveyone else just to give your two cents.spamming movement keys while logging in gives me a much higher chance of logging in (i swear ;x) it almost never logs in when i don't actually..

[UnderLoK]

The longer version is of the opinion that NC's UDP-based communications get stepped on by most oversubscribed ISPs. The client takes a while to fall back to TCP, hence the Synchronizing... screen.

Most games are UDP based... They only use TCP to setup the conversation and for some communication controls.

It is a problem with the game, there are no two ways about it.

[Dogface]

spamming movement keys while logging in gives me a much higher chance of logging in (i swear ;x) it almost never logs in when i don't actually..

I find it takes me longer to log in if it hold shift or movement keys :p

If I hold down my movement keys it takes a fair few seconds longer, then I realise what I'm doing and lift the keys - bam I'm in-game :confused:

[IceStorm]

Most games are UDP based... They only use TCP to setup the conversation and for some communication controls.

It is a problem with the game, there are no two ways about it.I'm not saying it isn't an NC problem. I was suggesting a solution that works around the problem.

[Kierz]

I find it takes me longer to log in if it hold shift or movement keys :p

If I hold down my movement keys it takes a fair few seconds longer, then I realise what I'm doing and lift the keys - bam I'm in-game :confused:maybe it's delaying it long enough for the connection to be made in my case, whereas you don't need to..

[Whitestuff]

I just posted about this last night.

I left my modem and router off all night, started them up in order, then started my PC and I still can't get in. I have opened every port NC needs to my PC, I have even opened my PC's IP to the internet completely un-firewalled, and I still get the sync bug.

Here's (http://forum.neocron.com/showthread.php?t=138596) my post about it. If you read my post, the problem seems to suggest some major mishap between the server and the client that never gets resolved. But for some reason, while a half connected connection exists, you can use it to connect on a seperate account. I have no idea why this would happen, but I assure you I can get it to work 9x out of 10. But I won't continue to play the game if I have to find a BS work-around that takes up more time than it's worth.