Connection "burp"?

[TorenT]

To begin: I'm running an AMD 64 3000+ With an ATI x800XT so my computer can handle TAspring EASY!!
I'm connected through a university connection giving me up to T1 capability (normally slightly above cable).

My Problem: Every once in a while, midway through a game, I stop being able to give orders. I can see everything happen just fine and my processor usage is low (20% or lower). BUT my ping starts slowly growing (because the server isn't receiving my data).

The only way I know to fix it is to pause the game and let it recover (taking between 5-30 seconds). After this I can finish the game without any problems at all. HOWEVER: I can't send messages during this time and invariably someone unpauses it and the problem continues. (How they can ignore pings like 50,000 yes 50 thousand! I don't know). This "lag", for lack a better term, doesn't affect the other players so they tend not to recognize any problem (once again how can they ignore my ping!). When I attempt to pause they un-pause it and I can't tell them why I'm trying to pause!! Of course they quickly the resort to cursing me out for pausing the game. Depending how long the problem has "grown" it can take minutes between when I hit the pause key and when it takes effect, thus I can only attempt to fix the problem every few minutes.

If handled correctly this causes only a 10 second pause in action ONCE per game if at all, but seldom do I get the chance. However, when people are too impatient to wait for a response before un-pausing it seldom do I get the chance to fix it thus ruining every third game or so.

This is driving me crazy! Anybody have any ideas what├óÔé¼Ôäós happening or how to fix it. My GUESS is that the connection ├óÔé¼┼ôburps├óÔé¼┬Ø and the host does not actively listen for connections (can├óÔé¼Ôäót reacquire the connection) after the game has started unless it is paused.


Additionally, I have replays if nobody believes me of it freezing and then coming back after a short pause), and other (more demanding) games don't have this problem.

Sorry for the rant and the post length,
Toren Tigris

[TorenT]

Now I've even got kicked because I was trying to pause it! Is there any hope for me or should I give up on TASpring (which I don't want to do).

[Belmakor]

I dunno how to solve your problem, but regarding being able to pause, etc, without being kicked - is it possible for you to host games at all? And, when you are host, does the problem occur at all?

[TorenT]

No I can't host (I wish I could) because I don't have access the the network's firewall. However, it doesn' t happen every game. I have played some games in excess of an hour without encountering the problem at all. Also if I ever get it to pause it never happens again that game. I'm supprised this has never happened to anyone else.

BTW if I alt-tab during the freeze the game just crashes

[patmo98]

BTW if I alt-tab during the freeze the game just crashes

I bet the most of the time when you pause people are't so much impacent as much as thinking you are cheating. IE pausing to give yourself more time to give out orders. You might want to warn people at the hosting screen.
Sorry I can't give you better advice.

[bluesun]

I've been having the same problem. Sometimes I can play games that are a few hours long with no problem, other times it "freezes" up (a few minutes in, an hour in, it seems random), with me still seeing what my allies are doing but with my units all ignoring my orders. Does anyone have any idea what's causing this, or how to fix it? It looks like at least one other person has been having this problem - see this thread.

[Acidd_UK]

At the start of the game or in the lobby you could explain your problem and tell people that it resolves itself as long as you can pause for 15 seconds or so. Usually people will be ok with this. Otherwise people mayh not realise you're lagging, so understandably kick you if you don't respond.