Still getting the "Moonwalking" disconnection issue

[zeropositivo]

Yes, that looks like a server disconnect

[evilC]

Update on this issue...
I tried restoring to a fresh acronis image of my OS and installed a fresh copy of the game (standalone, not steam) from the web site - still had same problem.
Interstingly, it seems that when it happens, you can in fact control your ship, you just don't see it. I know because I was on TS playing a game and got disco'd mid fight. My teammate was watching me and I asked if he could see me launch rockets, which I did (scoring a kill) but I saw nothing, which is hardly surprising seeing as TCPView was showing my client sending packets but none coming from the server.

Also, it now seems that they have ICMP enabled, so I was able to keep a ping going and when the problem happened, I saw no blip in the reply. This rules out the possibility of the return route from the host flapping.

So it seems that it is pretty certain to be a server-side issue, no idea why it seems to choose me to do this to with such extreme frequency and hardly anybody else though.

[evilC]

OK, well I spoke briefly to Tyraelius in chat today and he assured me he is looking into it.
He had to shoot, but while he is gone I had an idea on how to track down this issue, so I thought I would post while i waited for him to come back.

Seeing as it seems that the client keeps on working, just packets from the server stop coming, how about this:
Every time a packet is sent to the server, increment a variable by 1.
Each time a packet is received from the server, decrement the same var by 1.
If the variable ever gets above, say, 10 (ie 10 packets sent with none being received), client enters "debug" mode and sends a packet to server to say "I have been disconnected". The server should get this - if I can fire rockets it must be getting something.
The server can then maybe run some code to establish what is going on ...

[Panimu]

I doubt the game engine they use (Unity, which comes with its own netcode) allows them that level of access.

[evilC]

When I said "packets", maybe that was a poor choice of word as Unity3D does indeed not expose such low level networking. "Message" would perhaps be more appropriate.

Any game engine would certainly have control over messages sent between client and server. For example, one way in Unity3D is using RPC.
The server quite possibly isn't Unity - it may well be SmartFox or something.

[Borvo]

I have the exact same issue every 3-4 games. Few games in a row work fine then this issues pops up out of the blue and happens several times in a single game, usually ending up with me spinning my way into asteroids, out of the battlefield or into the sun. At least now I know that we can still issue commands so I can stop and hope to reconnect before I'm annihilated.

Most notable occurrence of this happened yesterday when it happened right as the "Waiting for other players" message disappeared at the very start of the game and I closed the game logged back in the clicked rejoin matchmaking only to be put into a different game altogether =D

[evilC]

Originally Posted by Borvo

Most notable occurrence of this happened yesterday when it happened right as the "Waiting for other players" message disappeared at the very start of the game and I closed the game logged back in the clicked rejoin matchmaking only to be put into a different game altogether =D

Oh man, I haven't had that, but I have had it not show me the reconnect option.

I spoke to someone at tindalos today and a coder had a look but apparently it is another coder's job to do netcode stuff and he just took 2 days' holiday. However, they seemed agreeable to the possibility of code changes such as I had suggested so it looks like we have a hope of some salvation.

So we should be on for trying to fix it Weds. I will be in Teamspeak (same nick) so maybe you might want to try and make yourself available too.

Do you seem to get it more in high player games? I seem to be able to play 2v2 fine but 6v6 I get loads of disconnects.

[Borvo]

Haven't played many games larger than 2v2 so cant really comment on that, I also haven't noticed any common factors in the dc's either. They happen at seemingly random times, but heres hoping for a swift solution cause this games immensely enjoyable. That said the last couple of days I have noticed a huge jump in "fishtailing" with the ships spinning from side to side, it doesn't cause me to dc and doesn't seem to actually affect the game in any way.

[evilC]

I spoke to the netcoder today and we are starting to work towards fixing this problem. The finger of blame is currently pointing in the direction of the client's TCP buffer.

I will have a custom EXE or something tomorrow with a significantly increased TCP buffer and we will see how it goes.

[Borvo]

Small update: Around 10 hours worth of games since my previous post on different maps, game modes, setups and game sizes and it hasn't happened once, dunno if there was anything done on their end but I haven't changed anything more technical than a router reboot. That said my next game will probably be riddled with it...

Might just have been because there was so many people on at once, when it happened there was 400-500 online at any one time and now its sorta stabilized at around 200-250.

[zeropositivo]

I have to say, that is a lot of commitment you put into solving that issue

[evilC]

I have the custom build of the game, am about to try it out.
Fingers crossed!

[Borvo]

Best of luck to you /o/

[evilC]

Nope, custom version did not fix it, had issue within 3 mins of 1st game

[evilC]

2nd game - no discos