Observation - Noticeable Drop - Summer?

Discussion in 'General Titanfall discussion' started by ensc, May 20, 2017.

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  1. ensc

    ensc Generation 7
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    I've noticed a drastic drop in activity in 2 places recently: TF1 and this site.

    TF1 - over the past 2 weeks I would say, it has for the first time become more likely that you will NOT be able to find a game in Campaign mode.

    This site - over the past 2 weeks, there has been very minimal activity as far as new posts or replies.

    I'm wondering if this is due to us approaching the official start of summer in a few weeks and the warmer weather we are enjoying lately. For those of you who have been on this site for years, is summer normally a slower period? I'm only asking because I would not know. I only joined this site around this time last year and with all of the hype for TF2 and the tech test last summer, I'm assuming the activity was probably higher than normal even if summers are generally slower.

    TF2 is a little harder to judge if there is a dropoff at all, because it is still relatively new (7 months old), it is spread over 3 platforms, and they have been making weekly changes that may keep some interest peaked. Perhaps any of you who are better at gauging TF2 numbers could comment on if there has been any noticeable drop in TF2 interest or not as well.
     
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  2. Ik0n88x

    Ik0n88x Generation 7
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    I haven't noticed a drop personally on PS4.

    As for as activity on here, my activity has dropped because I've said my piece with all the regulars so I'm usually only posting updates and/or my gameplay videos.
     
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  3. rainman0211

    rainman0211 Generation 7
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    TF1 for me was so much fun for so many and this was the place to be. Pep talks, tips, advice, info and lots of fun back and forth. This place held my hand during my big gooser drought of gen 5. It felt to me like one big family. There are quite a few that have moved on probably becasue T2 is so not T1. The weather in my opinion dosn't make too much of a difference with the player base of T2. T2 just ain't T1and that in my opinion is the difference.
     
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  4. Sgt_rawk

    Sgt_rawk Generation 7

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    I'm not posting here as much as I'm onto other things.
     
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  5. ensc

    ensc Generation 7
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    Thanks for your replies. I was just curious. I have been going back and playing part of the TF2 Single Player Campaign recently. With the talk of the new Monarch titan possibly being like the "Expedition" titan in the Single Player, I've been going back and playing either "Blood and Rust" or "Trial By Fire". They are loads of fun with that particular titan.
     
  6. ThirdGuyver

    ThirdGuyver Generation 6
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    #6 ThirdGuyver, May 21, 2017
    Last edited: May 21, 2017
    Gotta agree with Rainman. I love tf2 dont get me wrong, but nothing will recreate the 'golden age' for me, which was meeting some fine folk on here, Rain, A-train, E-Z, Bruvas, Kernel, Sarge and Rotty to name a few, being inspired on here by my hero is me, working through the challenges, and having the best times on tf1 in my gaming life!. Ahh..fond memories..


    Oh ensc, believe it or not I still havent played the campaign yet!! I really need to get on that.
     
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  7. ensc

    ensc Generation 7
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    Yeah, I really wish I would have known of this site back when TF1 first came out, because it was and still is my favorite video game of all time. It would have been nice to go through it and enjoy it with all of you.
     
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  8. rainman0211

    rainman0211 Generation 7
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    :eek: What!!! 3G you've just got to get on that. Didn't have this in T1... go have some fun with it.
     
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  9. ReedyChannel146

    ReedyChannel146 Generation 2

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    Been in a lul since they removed Titan Brawl, hope it comes back soon.

    Campaign was fun, it also help me understand how phase shift comes into play and why most maps look like you are in dome ( I didn't play TF1 so don't know if they were there too)
     
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  10. ensc

    ensc Generation 7
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    Wow, that is a great point Reedy. I never even thought of how that Dome comes from the Single Player. Never put two and two together there. TF1 didn't have that at all.
     
  11. RottweilerluvNZ

    RottweilerluvNZ Generation 5
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    I know all the negative and hate kind of put me for one off a bit for a while there here, don't know about others, and not so bad at the moment thank god - but for a while there it was nothing but negative & butt reaming posts bringing it all down, so if you liked TF2, you may as well have just not logged in here and got on with it playing the game. Like I said, thankfully that's gone a bit quiet now, for a while there I was a bit worried lol. Maybe that's because of the new modes and the likes with the updates dunno, People are happier with it being mixed up and fixed up as they go. Just my opinion that's all.

    But I like Rainman's idea, and he's probably more than right. Maybe the TF1 main body has moved on since TF2 has come out.

    I have only managed to get into Attrition games TF1 after hours here. But can get into CTF & Campaign on the US servers morning here (which I think is late arvo day before over West Coast). Bit of a shame, Campaign is cool I really like that being a mix up with hardpoints and everything vs just running around killing everyone. Love going back for a smash, miss my Stryder badly.

    I thought about going and stomping on PS4 TF2 to see how that goes, would actually be quite cool to see how they do it and as ikon88x say's theres no drop there, maybe it's worth heading to PS4? I might have to dust mine off and give that a go.

    You know what sucks though, I've been dabbling in Battlefield Hardline, Infinite Warefare, and BF1 multiplayer quite a bit off to the side. Never can't get in. Scores, if not hundreds of people in matches all the time. Absolutely multiplayer heaven.

    Really surprised to see the BF Hardline servers are 'always' full, and you can join a match within seconds no probs, being older now.

    TF2 on the other hand, dead as a door nail here in the evenings. I am forever on the US servers now pretty much.

    Whatever is happening, hopefully it picks up. TF is such an awesome game, and I can't wall run in Battlefield and it really winds me up.

    TF all the way.
     
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  12. ReedyChannel146

    ReedyChannel146 Generation 2

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    I hope to the new content will breath some life back into the game.

    I have noticed a lot of lag in the games lately to the point it is getting unplayable or no longer fun which is too bad because I just love the play style of this game. This also tells me the player base is getting thin.

    Win or lose I can have fun, but the game has to feel even.
     
  13. A4eaTransformer

    A4eaTransformer Generation 6
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    Hey Rotty, we will have to get you hooked up with some of our random playing. I think you would enjoy it. Regardless of how good or bad TF2 is, I am still addicted. I guess I am just an optimist that things will evolve into an even more perfect game. I do not play much else as I do not have time. Probably any thing with colour that moves would capture me like fairy glitter and I could spend 24/7 on line so I have to be really careful. The Forum goes hand in hand with the game. I hope that rainman and 3G (and any of those who found the supportive fun space in the Forum from the past) do not loose their interest in the Forum completely. I believe the spirit remains and we will have things to talk about as in the past. So everyone just chillax and hang in. Keep playing and enjoy. There are still an infinite number of ways to challenge and do really cool things in TF2 and I think if Respawn hangs in it will only get better.
     
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  14. Omega82

    Omega82 Generation 5

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    Just keep putting the word out , just mention it whenever you can. The game needs more exposure.
     
  15. ensc

    ensc Generation 7
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    #15 ensc, May 26, 2017
    Last edited: May 26, 2017
    It's interesting that you mention this, because I'm sure you are referring to TF2. What I find interesting is that I still play at least 75% of my time on TF1 and it has also experienced more lag of late as you are suggesting. If it is happening in both TF2, which has a fairly large active base and TF1, which may only have 40 to 90 players worldwide at any given time, then it makes me wonder where the problem lies. Is it something Respawn is doing? Is it something Respawn is not doing? Is it something Origin is doing? Is it something Origin is not doing? Is it a universal problem with the internet worldwide? The place that it makes absolutely no sense to me that there is lag is in TF1. If you think about it, if you are using the same size pipe, but running less water through it then all of the water should be getting through it with no problem. There should be no chance of any of it getting stuck or having to wait. So, if the TF1 user base is lower than it has ever been, but yet the amount of lag has gone up, does this mean Respawn is intentionally reducing the pipe size? If so, I've got a serious problem with that. I know in something like Azure, you can set things up so that you are only paying for what you need or are using. If that is why this is happening, then they need to change the setup so that the formula is something like, "Make sure we always have at least (a bare minimum) of pipe size that is ALWAYS 10% larger than what we are currently using." We deserve that much. We paid for the game. We deserve to be able to play it at full speed at ALL TIMES.

    See, to me, it would make sense that this could be the problem. If you think about it and they are being cheap and only paying for what they are using at all times, then if no one new is coming in, we have JUST ENOUGH, but if you have a spike of new players joining, now immediately you don't have enough and until it resets and allocates more we have to suffer. If that is the case, it is TOTAL BS. They need to set enough buffer so that there is room to accomodate new players joining. We should not have to suffer because they want to save money.
     
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  16. Omega82

    Omega82 Generation 5

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    Well EN as you know I have complained about the lag for a long time. Let me be clear , the game has ALWAYS lagged. From DAY 1. Now I know it doesn't lag for every single person , this is what I don't understand and where they mystery is . The reason why i haven't been on here still complaining about the lag is because I found a remedy at completely fixed the problem. I simply un plugged the PS4 Ethernet from my wireless router and plugged the Ethernet directly into the modem. So when I play Tf2 I have the Ethernet running directly from the modem and there is NO LAG on my end anymore. Not even one game was I lagging. I can see other people from the other team lag sometimes , they blink all over the map ( rubber band lag). This is exactly what I would experience, but not anymore since I bypassed the router.

    Now that is a mystery but maybe EN you could figure out why that fixed the problem for me ? Since you are pretty damn smart lol. Keep in mind other games such as bf1 does not lag for me even when playing through the router. The only game I have seen lag consistently like this is titanfall 2
     
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  17. rainman0211

    rainman0211 Generation 7
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    Oh I'm not going anywhere... all my friends are here. :D
     
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  18. ensc

    ensc Generation 7
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    I'm glad you found a solution to your lag problems Omega.

    Thank you for your kind words.

    You provide some good information.

    As a programmer, I tend to like to look at variables and whether they are changing or not to determine what might be the problem, so let me try to layout some data here:

    Omega - BF1 - Origin portal - All Hardware and Peripherals - wireless router - NO LAG
    Omega - TF2 - Origin portal - All Hardware and Peripherals (the same) - wireless router - BAD LAG
    SUMMARY: Only variable that changed was the actual game and it resulted in bad lag.

    Ensc - TF1 - Origin portal - All Hardware and Peripherals - wired internet connection - month ago - user base 85 to 200 - MINIMAL LAG
    Ensc - TF1 - Origin portal - All Hardware and Peripherals (the same) - wired internet connection - now - user base 40 to 90 - BAD LAG
    SUMMARY: Only variable that changed was that the user base has dropped by almost 50%.

    OVERALL ANALYSIS:
    I believe 1000% that my theory is correct that Respawn is being cheap and only paying for the minimal bandwidth needed at any given moment. Here is why I believe that:
    1) In Omega's case, the only thing that changed was the game, which means the problem is Respawn. It's not Origin. It is not EA. It is Respawn.
    2) If my theory is correct, what I am saying is that as new players join, more bandwidth needs to be allotted and paid for, which is not going to happen instantaneously. Those already in the game are going to feel it until the increased bandwidth is fully implemented and the game is able to take advantage of it.
    3) I believe the problem is ALWAYS there, but there are things that make it not as noticable. Some things may even make it appear as though it is not there at all. One example of that is Omega switching from using a wireless router to a wired connection. Another factor that could dilute the noticeability of the problem is a larger user base, which brings me to my next point.
    4) If you have 1000 people playing and 5 new ones join, you only need to increase your bandwidth by 0.5%. Users are barely going to feel that until it kicks in. If you have 200 people playing and 5 new ones join, you need to increase your bandwidth by 2.5%, so you are going to feel that a little more until it kicks in. If you have 40 people playing and 5 new ones join, you need to increase your bandwidth by 12.5%, so you are REALLY going to feel that until it kicks in.
    5) That explains why it's not felt as badly on TF2 as TF1 and why TF1 has really gotten worse recently.

    BOTTOM LINE:
    Omega or anyone else should be able to play using their wireless router with no visible performance drop if they would like to. And all players of TF1 or TF2 should be able to play either game at full speed whenever they want. In my opinion, Respawn is causing the problem by being cheap and they need to stop doing that.
     
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  19. Omega82

    Omega82 Generation 5

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    Excellent response. I do also think it has to be a problem with the servers like you said. Now is it up to respawn to fund all the money for more bandwidth ? Or does EA suppose to get involved here ? Respawn is a small team do they have the resources they need ? I honestly can't see why respawn would cheap out on the game knowing it's causing such an awful problem with lag. But i could see EA not wanting to allocate more resources to respawn because they look at titanfall as not worth it ?

    I just was on YouTube watching Vince Zampella talk about Tf2 BEFORE the release. And he just seems like an awesome person and a guy who loves what he does. He seems very dedicated to his work and believes in it. I don't know why he would want to cheap out on the network. What is EA's role in all of this ? I feel guilty recommending this game to people knowing that it suffers from such a horrible lag problem. I stuck through it because I loved the game so much but I don't think other people and newcomers are going to tolerate a broken game
     
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  20. Omega82

    Omega82 Generation 5

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    I'm not exactly sure how this networking stuff works. But maybe titanfall requires a certain optimal bandwidth or whatever to run properly. Like when I have the game running through my router the signal is getting split through other devices in my house , right ? But when it's directly through the modem it's opening the signal up enough to run the game properly ? I really know know I'm confused with this whole thing. But I am absolutely sure there is virtually no lag when connected directly to the modem. It's probably have been atleast 3 months now with no lag.

    Could my router be bad or not set up properly? I guess that's a possibility as well. But bf1 runs fine, and other games there was no problem. I have a $200 nighthawk router. I even had my brother go on twitter since he has an account and had him tweet respawn a few times about the horrible lag and what they are going to do to fix it . I don't know what else to do. You remember I posted a message for Jay about the lag but there was never any response. Not that I would have expected a truthful or helpful response anyway
     
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