can a spectator lag the game?

[dust]

is it possible that a spectator with a slow pc who only watches the game lags it for players?

[Satirik]

yes

[Masure]

is it possible that a spectator with a slow pc who only watches the game lags it for players?

But he doesn't lag the game (networkly speaking). The simulation slows down to fit the slowest cpu abilities.

[Otherside]

yes

[dust]

is it possible that a spectator with a slow pc who only watches the game lags it for players?

But he doesn't lag the game (networkly speaking). The simulation slows down to fit the slowest cpu abilities.

that means very stupid code...

[Masure]

No it's nicely done.

Slowing the game simulation prevent people to drop due to lack of power.

Host has the choice to kick a player if he slows the game too much. It's always better to have the choice.

[SwiftSpear]

To clarify, the majority of spectators will NOT in any way lag a game. Realistically speaking... what a spectator is potentially capable of doing isn't really even "lag", although many people would use that slang to describe it.

The way it works, is spring runs it's calculations at the speed of the slowest machine in the game, that way the simulation stays synced. If the slowest machine in the game is a spectator, than yes, that spectator will be the reason why the game has started to slow down, if the slowest machine is a player, than every spectator who is has a faster machine than that player has absolutely no part in contributing to the slow speed of the game.

Adding on 15 spectators to a game has basically no effect on the performance of the game. In some cases, hosts on very limited internet resources won't be able to meet the upload stream requirements, but we're talking like 56k levels here, a normal broadband host won't experience any problems.

So ultimately, yes, a spectator CAN lag the game, however, it will be a very very rare occasion when a spectator DOES lag the game, and when it's happening the game is really good at reporting who is causing the problem, so there's really no guess work as to weather you should be kicking the spectator for being the cause of the lag, or weather it's another player's fault.

I consider kicking spectators who are at no fault destructive to the community, and I've disciplined game hosts in the past for it. It's not something I support except in cases of obvious wrong doing.

[Masure]

I consider kicking spectators who are at no fault destructive to the community, and I've disciplined game hosts in the past for it. It's not something I support except in cases of obvious wrong doing.

Pro spec agrees

[hunterw]

whoever is the weakest computer in the game lags everyone down with them

if there are 8 players and 8 specs, theres a 50% chance its a spec all thigns considered

also specs tend to alt tab and shit which usualy makes them no sync and if a spec no syncs i usually kick em

[SwiftSpear]

whoever is the weakest computer in the game lags everyone down with them

if there are 8 players and 8 specs, theres a 50% chance its a spec all thigns considered

also specs tend to alt tab and shit which usualy makes them no sync and if a spec no syncs i usually kick em

No sync is a different ball game. When a machine stops syncing, in some cases it will even become unstable. I can't fault anyone who kicks nosynking players, weather they are spec's or players.

[lurker]

And you seem to be confusing when someone starts not responding, 'no sync response'/'delayed response' and when they desync, 'sync error.'

[Tobi]

Neither of which causes anything bad for the other players in the game btw.

Also sync errors generally don't propagate to other players as some people suggest sometimes. It may seem so at times but that's usually because there is a common cause.

[lurker]

Also sync errors generally don't propagate to other players as some people suggest sometimes.

People have suggested that?

It could be done as some kind of share-the-pain gadget, though.

[Evil4Zerggin]

Also sync errors generally don't propagate to other players as some people suggest sometimes.

People have suggested that?

It's an understandable, if not completely fair, conclusion for people who don't know anything about the underlying engine.

[zerver]

is it possible that a spectator with a slow pc who only watches the game lags it for players?

But he doesn't lag the game (networkly speaking). The simulation slows down to fit the slowest cpu abilities.

that means very stupid code...

In the next Spring version, the host will have an option "EnforceGameSpeed" that has the following effects:

* Speed is regulated using not the slowest, but the median cpu (median is a type of average).
* Players having speed problems will not be able to adjust the game speed or pause the game.

This means that slow players will drop. But it's optional and default off so don't worry.

[lurker]

It would take a really bad computer to actually drop, but I can see 5fps on a poor one.

[KDR_11k]

Wouldn't median mean 50% of the players are screwed?

[lurker]

It means 50% of the players have less than ideal cpu, but only 0-2 are likely to be screwed.

[YHCIR]

In the next Spring version, the host will have an option "EnforceGameSpeed" that has the following effects:

* Speed is regulated using not the slowest, but the median cpu (median is a type of average).
* Players having speed problems will not be able to adjust the game speed or pause the game.

This means that slow players will drop. But it's optional and default off so don't worry.

That sounds fantastic, it really annoys me when the game slows down to 0.5 speed (or even 0.8), it just seems to make it more difficult to play when you have to wait longer for units to move around.

[Evil4Zerggin]

It means 50% of the players have less than ideal cpu, but only 0-2 are likely to be screwed.

Yeah, but when they drop, the median increases. Unless dropped players are still counted in terms of speed?