Host Compensation

[Farley4Fan]

I realize that this isn't CT, but I wanted to know what to do about host advantage.
I searched for host advantage but couldn't find a distinct thread for this certain issue.

  As you already know, this game has a terrible amount of host advantage bugs.  I've also heard reports of bad cases of host advantage on UE 3.0  If we were to find out that there is a considerable amount of host advantage problems while play testing, how would you fix it?  Would you give all players in the game a bigger hit/detection box?  Meaning you would make it easier for them to grab players/jump on them?  OR would you decrease the host's ability to grab/jump? 

The bad thing is that by doing all that it can lead to even more problems.  I bring this discussion up because I really feel that it took a lot away from the game by not giving everyone a fair chance.  I know it wasn't intentional but Ubi never bothered to fix it, so that's just as bad.

Discuss.

[MacBryce]

The PS team will do everything it can to make sure that the game is fair to all its players.

[Farley4Fan]

Awesome.  Good to hear.  I expected it would be that way but I still wanted to know a little bit about how exactly you would compensate for host or how you would fix it.

[frvge]

It's too early to think about that on a technical level.

[Farley4Fan]

You are right.  But it's better to prepare and not let host get too out of hand in the first place right?

[frvge]

I am hoping we can get dedicated servers. (personal pov, does not reflect the team's decision). So you can ping as low as 5-9 ms. Should be ok.

[Cyntrox]

5 ms internationally? That's... Optimistic.

[frvge]

Not internationally, d'oh. Locally.

[Farley4Fan]

All dedicated servers would be awesome.  Is that a feature that depends on the engine you are using?  If so, hopefully UE 3.0 supports it.  If someone's connection is bad atleast not everyone will suffer.  And I was going to say, internationally?  Lol

[MulleDK19]

UT3 has built-in dedicated server, and can also be used for PS.

[Overstatement]

Every game (including CT) has dedicated servers. The challenge is to design it good because "SAM" games (omg, did I just say that?) require more server administering (DM TSJ, lobby when someone dies or a new joiner) than the average game.

[Cyntrox]

That could be fixed easily by having a remote admin, or just voting.

[Overstatement]

The host for dedicated servers in CT could do admin stuff but most of them don't want to babysit their servers all day. Voting would make the most sense.

Besides, host advantages should be reduced now that 80% of server pings aren't question marks. You'll naturally join the servers with the lowest pings.

[Gawain]

it's quite a good question who's making the decisions on a dedicated server. maybe the admin can name sub-admins that can change the map and kick players. if there's no admin/sub-admin on the server it could be a map-cycle and voting (with n players on the server): n-1 votes to change the map differing from the map cycle, n-1 votes to kick someone, at least 2 players required to vote. n players need to press ready to start the game, n players need to vote to go lobby.

[Cyntrox]

Votes could work, but the first player to join the server could become a sub-admin - or remote admin.