Things you can do to improve latency?

[DarthVindictus]

I'm in the West US and I'm on Harbinger, which is supposed to be a West coast server, but I still always have about 120-200ms ping. It makes it really hard to get accurate aim in starfighter where speeds and distances are so high. I have to LEAD gunship shots because there's about 0.2s delay between me releasing my mouse button and actually firing. Some matches It seems like I can't hit anything. If I'm on a scout or fighter it's even worse, the lead indicator isn't very accurate, I never hit when I'm aiming at the lead indicator.

 

Is there anything I can do to improve the connection? I'm on 12mbps cable. Other games I have a ping of 40-60..

[Solloby]

I connect from Australia and have around 250ms, often more, and have not noticed any GSF issues because of it. I don't have to lead shots or anything, so I am wondering if your issue is more with stability/lag spikes than just general latency? That said, I am used to playing MMOs with ~500ms latency so perhaps I just don't notice it.

 

You might like to run a tracert or pingpath to see what's going on on the route between you and the server though, especially since you are so close to the server geographically.

Edited December 13, 2013 by Solloby

[Sharee]

Some matches It seems like I can't hit anything. If I'm on a scout or fighter it's even worse, the lead indicator isn't very accurate, I never hit when I'm aiming at the lead indicator.

 

Just a side note, aiming at the lead indicator and not scoring a hit is quite normal. Some math:

 

My Novadive has 41% passive evasion. Shooting me with a light laser cannon at the edge of your firing arc (28 degrees, 1% aim penalty per degree), you are looking at a 69% chance of your shot missing, and that's assuming you are aiming perfectly and there is no lag.

 

(This is simplified, but does bring the point across i think )

Edited December 13, 2013 by Sharee

[DarthVindictus]

Just a side note, aiming at the lead indicator and not scoring a hit is quite normal. Some math:

 

My Novadive has 41% passive evasion. Shooting me with a light laser cannon at the edge of your firing arc (28 degrees, 1% aim penalty per degree), you are looking at a 69% chance of your shot missing, and that's assuming you are aiming perfectly and there is no lag.

 

(This is simplified, but does bring the point across i think )

 

While you're on this, I KIND of understand what firing arc is, but I'd really need to see it explained using an in game screenshot to really know what it is, and how to guage it, and I don't understand what "tracking" is at all.

[Sharee]

While you're on this, I KIND of understand what firing arc is, but I'd really need to see it explained using an in game screenshot to really know what it is, and how to guage it, and I don't understand what "tracking" is at all.

 

There are 2 circles on your screen, in the middle. One is for missiles, the other for guns.

 

When you have an enemy ship selected, you can fire on it (move the targeting reticle over it with your mouse) as long as it is within the 'gun' circle. The circle is your maximum firing arc,

 

If the enemy is right in the middle of the circle, your guns do not suffer any tracking penalty. But if it is 1 degree away from center, they suffer 1% accuracy penalty(for light laser - varies per gun). As you move your targeting reticle closer to the edge of the circle, the penalty gets bigger and bigger, until, at the very edge of the circle, it becomes the maximum.

 

If a gun has 1% tracking penalty, and a 25 degree firing arc(the radius of the 'gun circle'), then shooting an enemy that's on the edge of your gun circle carries a 1%*25=25% to-hit penalty.

[renegadeimp]

Use a proxy, get a better router, get a new ISP.

[DarthVindictus]

There are 2 circles on your screen, in the middle. One is for missiles, the other for guns.

 

When you have an enemy ship selected, you can fire on it (move the targeting reticle over it with your mouse) as long as it is within the 'gun' circle. The circle is your maximum firing arc,

 

If the enemy is right in the middle of the circle, your guns do not suffer any tracking penalty. But if it is 1 degree away from center, they suffer 1% accuracy penalty(for light laser - varies per gun). As you move your targeting reticle closer to the edge of the circle, the penalty gets bigger and bigger, until, at the very edge of the circle, it becomes the maximum.

 

If a gun has 1% tracking penalty, and a 25 degree firing arc(the radius of the 'gun circle'), then shooting an enemy that's on the edge of your gun circle carries a 1%*25=25% to-hit penalty.

 

How do you see your tracking penalty?

 

Nevermind, I found it, apparently railguns have HUGE tracking penalties.. so maybe lag is affecting me a lot less than I thought, but because gunships turn so slowly you often have to aim further from center than you'd like.

 

I think having a companion with a kill zone passive is probably not a good idea and I should go with accuracy and secondary cooldown instead?

Edited December 14, 2013 by DarthVindictus

[The_Raven_Lord]

WTFast works for many people.

 

Though, some game companies do give bans if you're using the same IP as gold/credit/whatever farming bots. So use at your own risk.

[Sharee]

I think having a companion with a kill zone passive is probably not a good idea and I should go with accuracy and secondary cooldown instead?

 

Killzone passive is more for missiles. I'd go with accuracy.

[DarthVindictus]

I've also found I think queuing from inside my personal starship results in lower pings, 70-80 instead of 120+ when i queue on fleet

[Gavin_Kelvar]

There are 2 circles on your screen, in the middle. One is for missiles, the other for guns.

 

When you have an enemy ship selected, you can fire on it (move the targeting reticle over it with your mouse) as long as it is within the 'gun' circle. The circle is your maximum firing arc,

 

If the enemy is right in the middle of the circle, your guns do not suffer any tracking penalty. But if it is 1 degree away from center, they suffer 1% accuracy penalty(for light laser - varies per gun). As you move your targeting reticle closer to the edge of the circle, the penalty gets bigger and bigger, until, at the very edge of the circle, it becomes the maximum.

 

If a gun has 1% tracking penalty, and a 25 degree firing arc(the radius of the 'gun circle'), then shooting an enemy that's on the edge of your gun circle carries a 1%*25=25% to-hit penalty.

 

Pretty much this. I've noticed my ability to hit has increased significantly now that I try to avoid firing off center by more than a few degrees.

 

That being said the way accuracy + evasion work makes me kinda wish they'd just make the crosshairs fixed center (or give an option to toggle between locked center and free movement). That way when turning to follow an enemy you could lock crosshairs center to have a better chance to get an opportunity to fire without a huge tracking penalty and unlock crosshairs when you aren't making tight turns.