THIS IS HOW H5 NETWORKING SHOULD BE DONE

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

I found this interesting article about Titanfall 2 multiplayer system and networking.
Damn, this is an example of excellence and proper work on server side. This is how H5 networking should be done in the first place.

It makes me so angry that we have to stick with this faulty system another two years until H6 (if 343 wakes up and doesn’t screw something again) and in the meanwhile every other concurrent game is making enormous steps forward with their server systems.

The Halo saga was the first one to introduce a proper multiplayer system, it doesn’t deserve a treatment like this.

2

I clicked the link but then I didn’t understand what I was reading

3

H5. The only game out of my collection that disconnects me from a game every other day. Sad to see how the servers are unable to support properly especially since H5 will be facing tough competition this year again

4

“We want fast servers running everywhere, ready for you when you want to get into a match…Let me be clear on this: all of our servers will be running in major datacenters, and we are obsessive about our requirements for performance and user experience. We absolutely will prioritize user experience over cost, and our goal here is to have the highest server reliability and to make sure we can handle the wall of users coming on launch…Our work on Titanfall 2 should bring you even better, even lower latency servers”.

This right here^

I wish Halo would have that. I am going to play the game that provides me the best user experience and based on what the first Titanfall was like, and based on those statements quoted above, it´s going to be sweet to play Titanfall on reliable low latency servers.

I prefer Halo as a game, but not with inferior networking solutions.

5

> 2535409260317548;4:
> “We want fast servers running everywhere, ready for you when you want to get into a match…Let me be clear on this: all of our servers will be running in major datacenters, and we are obsessive about our requirements for performance and user experience. We absolutely will prioritize user experience over cost, and our goal here is to have the highest server reliability and to make sure we can handle the wall of users coming on launch…Our work on Titanfall 2 should bring you even better, even lower latency servers”.
>
> This right here^
>
> I wish Halo would have that. I am going to play the game that provides me the best user experience and based on what the first Titanfall was like, and based on those statements quoted above, it´s going to be sweet to play Titanfall on reliable low latency servers.
>
> I prefer Halo as a game, but not with inferior networking solutions.

You hit the exact same points that impressed me. Respawn did a great job also in TF 1 and now they are improving things over and over again.

Halo stays my favourite, its universe and story is inimitable, but these servers are really throwing half of the population (if not more) into hell, and it’s an undeniable shame for the presumed Xbox lineup’s top game.

6

I had the opposite experience during titanfall 2 beta I played one game and I couldn’t find another. I had been saying as soon as Titanfall 2 comes out I would more than likely play that more cause I had an insanely high KD on the 1st game and used to get about 5 perfect games a day but I don’t know if the servers will work for me.

on day 1 halo 5 servers were amazing I had such a great connection less than 1% disconnects but as people complained about the servers and they tried to make them better for every one. It got a worse for me. Lagg started to get really bad when I had had limited lagg for months. I had such a good connection I was able to get some perfect WZ assault games, no deaths. It really went down hill when they added search preferences.

7

> 2533274962122285;6:
> I had the opposite experience during titanfall 2 beta I played one game and I couldn’t find another. I had been saying as soon as Titanfall 2 comes out I would more than likely play that more cause I had an insanely high KD on the 1st game and used to get about 5 perfect games a day but I don’t know if the servers will work for me.
>
> on day 1 halo 5 servers were amazing I had such a great connection less than 1% disconnects but as people complained about the servers and they tried to make them better for every one. It got a worse for me. Lagg started to get really bad when I had had limited lagg for months. I had such a good connection I was able to get some perfect WZ assault games, no deaths. It really went down hill when they added search preferences.

I played several games in a row during the beta.
The most appreciated thing for me was server selection, player counters everywhere and an update that added even more datacenter to choose from including the 4 new ones in EU (2 in England and 2 in Germany).

I want to underline that these 4 new datacenters are still unused by H5 networking: i spoke with several Netduma users, the only ones able to track with precision on which servers they’re playing a match, and all of them confirmed this.

No love for networking system, even less for EU.

8

It makes me suffer seeing other games 10 steps forward compared to halo on networking side.
This game has so many flaws that is almost impossible to remember a single match without any kind of issue.

Too bad IMO.

9

TF isn’t even out yet, how bout we wait till its real stress test happens before judging? Also, what do you mean by halo being the first to give a “proper multiplayer system” it’s p2p servers were a joke if you’re going on about its servers.

just a personal note: TF2 played like crap and it seems respawn is going backwards in many directions.

10

I can probably count on one hand how many times I disconnected from a game, and I’ve played since launch.

11

This is one thing 343i has never been good at… But 343i are followers not leaders… They should of at least had server selection in H5… But of course they cheeped out of it…No surprise there… No matter how good your game is if your servers are -Yoink- then the rest doesn’t even matter… 343i should keep a mindful eye on this… If there smart… But honestly I don’t hold much to Halo6… If they don’t even have selectable servers chances are I wont even bother with the game.

Zippy.

12

There is actually another topic on this but it’s long gone now but I’ll say here what I said there. Titanfall 2 is the prime example of what game devs should strive to be. They have taken EVERY single complaint and fixed it, they changed whole gameplay elements to suit what their fans wanted. They see how obviously bad EA’s servers are, and they went and got their own too fix it. Currently, Respawn is the pinnacle of what game devs should strive to be.

13

> 2533274822267898;1:
> This is How H5 Networking Should Be Done. I found this interesting article about Titanfall 2 multiplayer system and networking.
> Damn, this is an example of excellence and proper work on server side. This is how H5 networking should be done in the first place.

> 2533274923562209;9:
> TF2 isn’t even out yet, how bout we wait till its real stress test happens before judging?

Thank you!

First of all, let me emphasize that I thoroughly enjoyed the first Titanfall game. I am actually one of those relatively rare people who played it so much, I earned all 88 achievements! I have the utmost respect for Vince Zampella and his team at Respawn.

That being said, finding yet another way to bash 343i based upon a two-month old article filled with rhetoric regarding a game that hasn’t been released yet is getting carried away.

EBLspartan, when you say that “this is an example of excellence and proper work on server side. This is how H5 networking should be done in the first place,” what is that statement based upon? Since the Titanfall 2 network hasn’t seen launch day yet, are you simply praising their theories? Are we assuming that it will be “an example of excellence and proper work on server side” just because they say so? Do you have an extensive background that includes designing, installing, and maintaining WAN network architecture that allows you to make an educated guess like that? As it so happens, I do… but I would never be that presumptuous.

The fact of the matter is that we don’t know yet. I like both Titanfall and Halo, but let’s wait and see before we pass judgment.

> 2533274833081329;10:
> I can probably count on one hand how many times I disconnected from a game, and I’ve played since launch.

Exactly! It is all a matter of perspective. I have logged over 3000 online matches since launch day, always find a match rather quickly, and I have been disconnected approximately 12-15 times. In other words, from my perspective we are talking about a 99.5% reliability rate.

Also, don’t forget the problems we encountered for many years when Halo was on a P2P network: black screens in the middle of the game during a “host migration,” hosts who have a tangible advantage over everyone else in the game (especially in certain game types like Grifball), and last but not least, the people who would resort to cheating while they had host.

Are there other regions and/or countries where the server connectivity is worse? Yes, I have no doubt that’s true, although many end-users in more austere locations probably have a problem with their ISP, also. The Microsoft Azure server network is much more robust than the average person might imagine.

14

> 2542657289632179;13:
> > 2533274822267898;1:
> > This is How H5 Networking Should Be Done. I found this interesting article about Titanfall 2 multiplayer system and networking.
> > Damn, this is an example of excellence and proper work on server side. This is how H5 networking should be done in the first place.
>
>
>
>
> > 2533274923562209;9:
> > TF2 isn’t even out yet, how bout we wait till its real stress test happens before judging?
>
>
> Thank you!
>
> First of all, let me emphasize that I thoroughly enjoyed the first Titanfall game. I am actually one of those relatively rare people who played it so much, I earned all 88 achievements! I have the utmost respect for Vince Zampella and his team at Respawn.
>
> That being said, finding yet another way to bash 343i based upon a two-month old article filled with rhetoric regarding a game that hasn’t been released yet is getting carried away.
>
> EBLspartan, when you say that “this is an example of excellence and proper work on server side. This is how H5 networking should be done in the first place,” what is that statement based upon? Since the Titanfall 2 network hasn’t seen launch day yet, are you simply praising their theories? Are we assuming that it will be “an example of excellence and proper work on server side” just because they say so? Do you have an extensive background that includes designing, installing, and maintaining WAN network architecture that allows you to make an educated guess like that? As it so happens, I do… but I would never be that presumptuous.
>
> The fact of the matter is that we don’t know yet. I like both Titanfall and Halo, but let’s wait and see before we pass judgment.
>
>
> > 2533274833081329;10:
> > I can probably count on one hand how many times I disconnected from a game, and I’ve played since launch.
>
>
> Exactly! It is all a matter of perspective. I have logged over 3000 online matches since launch day, always find a match rather quickly, and I have been disconnected approximately 12-15 times. In other words, from my perspective we are talking about a 99.5% reliability rate.
>
> Also, don’t forget the problems we encountered for many years when Halo was on a P2P network: black screens in the middle of the game during a “host migration,” hosts who have a tangible advantage over everyone else in the game (especially in certain game types like Grifball), and last but not least, the people who would resort to cheating while they had host.
>
> Are there other regions and/or countries where the server connectivity is worse? Yes, I have no doubt that’s true, although many end-users in more austere locations probably have a problem with their ISP, also. The Microsoft Azure server network is much more robust than the average person might imagine.

While azure servers may be robust but not having full access to them is worthless. Did you even read the article?

Zippy.

15

> 2533274795501334;14:
> While azure servers may be robust but not having full access to them is worthless. Did you even read the article?

Yes, I actually read the entire article two months ago when it was first written… and Titanfall 2 wasn’t released back then, either.

16

> 2533274923562209;9:
> TF isn’t even out yet, how bout we wait till its real stress test happens before judging? Also, what do you mean by halo being the first to give a “proper multiplayer system” it’s p2p servers were a joke if you’re going on about its servers.
>
> just a personal note: TF2 played like crap and it seems respawn is going backwards in many directions.

Halo 2 was the first one to introduce a modern matchmaking system with automatic players search etc. if I’m right.

For the TF 2 part: being able to choose from over 40 datacenters, with counters everywhere showing how’s the actual state of every playlist, with a maximum ping of 30ms on the nearest server (to me of course) is playing like crap?!

Maybe you don’t like the gameplay, but this topic is about the networking part: even I prefer halo to Titan fall but on networking side the former is a utter disaster, the latter is sublime since the first game and can be only better with the second (and the beta showed it clearly).

17

> 2542657289632179;13:
> > 2533274822267898;1:
> > This is How H5 Networking Should Be Done. I found this interesting article about Titanfall 2 multiplayer system and networking.
> > Damn, this is an example of excellence and proper work on server side. This is how H5 networking should be done in the first place.
>
>
>
>
> > 2533274923562209;9:
> > TF2 isn’t even out yet, how bout we wait till its real stress test happens before judging?
>
>
> Thank you!
>
> First of all, let me emphasize that I thoroughly enjoyed the first Titanfall game. I am actually one of those relatively rare people who played it so much, I earned all 88 achievements! I have the utmost respect for Vince Zampella and his team at Respawn.
>
> That being said, finding yet another way to bash 343i based upon a two-month old article filled with rhetoric regarding a game that hasn’t been released yet is getting carried away.
>
> EBLspartan, when you say that “this is an example of excellence and proper work on server side. This is how H5 networking should be done in the first place,” what is that statement based upon? Since the Titanfall 2 network hasn’t seen launch day yet, are you simply praising their theories? Are we assuming that it will be “an example of excellence and proper work on server side” just because they say so? Do you have an extensive background that includes designing, installing, and maintaining WAN network architecture that allows you to make an educated guess like that? As it so happens, I do… but I would never be that presumptuous.
>
> The fact of the matter is that we don’t know yet. I like both Titanfall and Halo, but let’s wait and see before we pass judgment.
>
>
> > 2533274833081329;10:
> > I can probably count on one hand how many times I disconnected from a game, and I’ve played since launch.
>
>
> Exactly! It is all a matter of perspective. I have logged over 3000 online matches since launch day, always find a match rather quickly, and I have been disconnected approximately 12-15 times. In other words, from my perspective we are talking about a 99.5% reliability rate.
>
> Also, don’t forget the problems we encountered for many years when Halo was on a P2P network: black screens in the middle of the game during a “host migration,” hosts who have a tangible advantage over everyone else in the game (especially in certain game types like Grifball), and last but not least, the people who would resort to cheating while they had host.
>
> Are there other regions and/or countries where the server connectivity is worse? Yes, I have no doubt that’s true, although many end-users in more austere locations probably have a problem with their ISP, also. The Microsoft Azure server network is much more robust than the average person might imagine.

My dear, I’m a programmer, I work every day with azure servers and I know they’re solid.
I’m sure that the problem is the netcode, I can bet on it.

For Titan fall: do you played the first game?
If not try now: you’re probably going to find 1000 players in total, but try to log into a server near to you (remember, you can CHOOSE) with 200 players. Surprise surprise: reliable games found instantly with 0 lag.

Try to do the same on halo: you haven’t the evidence of nothing (server, counters etc.) but if you play in a low pop playlist (that probably has at least 200 players) you NEVER won’t be able to find a game, unless using expanded or being a player in the most “halo populated” zone: NA.

TF2 not only maintains all the good of the first iteration, it brings more: more servers, more partners, a backup infrastructure of Respawn private servers and a polished netcode.
Playing with 30ms ping during the beta was a dream, and I wish halo could be like that one day.

At the actual state H5 has so many flaws that count them is nearly impossible, the last joke is this: here in Europe there used to be 2 datacenters: Dublin and Amsterdam. Microsoft added 4 more (2 in EN and 2 in GER). Guess how many new datacenters is using H5? None of them. I know this for sure because I asked to the only ones able to say it for sure: Netduma router users.

H5 is a good game, the best multiplayer since H3 IMO, but on networking side is just ridiculous and that it’s a fact.

18

> 2542657289632179;15:
> > 2533274795501334;14:
> > While azure servers may be robust but not having full access to them is worthless. Did you even read the article?
>
>
> Yes, I actually read the entire article two months ago when it was first written… and Titanfall 2 wasn’t released back then, either.

The beta showed us that those words were not a bunch of lies as usually are the ones of another well known developer about this argument.

19

This is amazing, thanks for sharing this article.

What a great initiative by Respawn.

Sadly, I spent the first few months of Halo 5 lobbying 343 (and the many months up to release) for proper regional dedicated matchmaking support for Halo 5. For so long my games were on foreign servers and it led to me not playing my favourite series for months at a time. To be fair this was more to do with matchmaking rules than it was actual servers.

It’s really great to see a company like Respawn take ownership of this aspect of the game and realise that they’re deploying a service as much as releasing a game, and that latency and ping are such a HUGE impact on gameplay and enjoyment in a multiplayer FPS, especially for regional players.

> We absolutely will prioritize user experience over cost

Just incredible.

20

Halo 5 definitely has network issues. I would lag almost every game at some point. I could jump across something only to see my screen skip, realize I am on the ground and didn’t make the jump, then get shot at. Not fun.