Forums

meter problems!!!!!!

• Tightrope 1,072 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 4:57 PM

  Richard4168:

  The things making for meter stutter are the flash animations going on within the game-client. The clubs name changes, and the ball name changes when we use the spin option. If a person tries to swing while these animations are in motion, their going to get a meter stutter every-time. Flash needs to to settle-down, and make ready for the next command. A slower rate of play would reduce meter problems considerably for a lot of members.

  There are many, many reasons that will cause Adobe flash to skip, to say it's the servers isn't one of them. The Adobe flash forums are a good place to read about the many bugs within the flash platform.

  There are free downloads to speed-up information packets sent to and from the servers like Leatrix Latency fix. Members can also choose to download a free Internet accelerator to speed-up their Internet connection. These things work and will make for a better playing experience if members are having connection issues. Google search them.

  First of all, let's make one thing clear: There is not ONE reason for the meter stuttering, there can be many. Some of them we can blame Flash, Adobe, Antivirus programs, slow computers, the neighburs cat, the weather and Santa Claus. Other can be the result of factors that is in fact within the WGT's power to control. Allowing the game to act on events like chat, friends status changes and things like that falls under the category "can be improved". And since that can be improved, it should be improved. The meter and the predictability of the meter and the response to mouseclicks is central in this game and should not be treated lightly.

• borntobesting 9,710 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 5:13 PM

  It has nothing to do with speed. It shows that there is NO data sent or received during the actual swing. Data is not transferred until you click your mouse to complete the swing. You should know that. So if you get a stuttering meter during the actual rendering of the swing meter and there is no data being transferred it is NOT on WGT's Side it has to be your or my computer. Can you not see that. 

  So seeing that there is no data being transferred you have to start looking at your own system to find what is causing your meter problems. WGT can not cause problems if there is no data being transferred. It's that simple. What is not so simple is finding out what in a top line computer is causing trouble with flash. One thing is that many companies even in their top line computers scrimp on the video card that is installed on the motherboard. One of the first things I do when I buy a new computer is add a video card ,usually in my case it is a Nvidia  but ATI makes some very good boards as well. You need a board that has a high frame rate as one main reason for stuttering meters is a board with too low a frame rate. 

  Andyson posted a link here a few months ago to show how low frame rates affected flash. I did the test taking the frame rate down to 12-15 frames per second and tried to play .The meter was so laggy and jumpy it was unplayable. I closed the test page and my frame rates returned to normal and My meter was once again as smooth as silk.

• andyson 6,415 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 5:16 PM

  Tightrope:

  Of course the meter is rendered locally, the question is: Is there other activities that could interfere while you are making a shot? Activities that is unrelated to the swing but triggered by an event such as, for instance, a chat message or establishing a new connection to download a part of the next course or another players new position........

  I am just saying that the likelihood that the game is already optimized and perfected absolutely to the limits of it's environments are close to zero. It never is.

  You are exactly right Tightrope, excellent comment.  We cannot forget Flash is a platform to execute WGT's Action Scripts the .swf files downloaded on startup of the game client.  Those are the files the platform uses to create the animation of club changes, moving the aim marker, adding spin, and the meter. 

  Its WGT's files that determine what actions are taken on the screen in response to our actions. 

  Its WGT's code that determines what goes on in the background when we do nothing on the screen.  Things like the friend updates mentioned by Priestess.

  The is room for WGT to optimize their code just as there is room for Flash to improve their platform.

  borntobesting:

  It has nothing to do with speed. It shows that there is NO data sent or received during the actual swing. Data is not transferred until you click your mouse to complete the swing. You should know that. So if you get a stuttering meter during the actual rendering of the swing meter and there is no data being transferred it is NOT on WGT's Side it has to be your or my computer. Can you not see that.

  Can you see if a message arrives from the server just before you start your swing and shut down communication the work required to process that new incoming message could interfere with the meter?

   

• eurantia 318 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 5:48 PM

  once again a ping test measures the quality of the connection...anything under  70ms is desirable.when that value is larger  by definition the online video games suffer.try ping test .net  and find how you stand with WGT also with the immense power our computers hold is it feasable that  the game would suffer with an influx of  incoming information during the game??

• Tightrope 1,072 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 6:01 PM

  eurantia:

  once again a ping test measures the quality of the connection...anything under  70ms is desirable.when that value is larger  by definition the online video games suffer.try ping test .net  and find how you stand with WGT also with the immense power our computers hold is it feasable that  the game would suffer with an influx of  incoming information during the game??

  Personally I believe ping is irrelevant (but not Ping :) since there is nothing in this game that really needs to be updated in real time. If it is relevant, then that is another thing WGT should look at and make irrelevant. The avatar does not move (after the backswing) until after you have (almost) "dinged" anyway, so there is nothing interesting to either transmit or receive during that phase..

• borntobesting 9,710 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 6:10 PM

  Yes. There is no data sent or received from the time the hole loads until I click to complete the swing. Unless I use the reverse angle and then it is only for a fraction of a second. There is no activity after that until the swing is completed. And I always wait 3 seconds before I release the mouse button to start the swing. 

  I had not known about this before because my old dsl modem did not have data send and data receive lights. All it had was dsl  usb ethernet power and internet lights.The Usb light stayed lit if the modem was coonected via usb ans the ethernet light stayed if if the modem was connected to the ethernet board.   The internet light stayed on green as long as you were connected to the internet. It turned red if you lost your connection for any reason. 

• Tightrope 1,072 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 7:45 PM

  borntobesting:

  Yes. There is no data sent or received from the time the hole loads until I click to complete the swing. 

  I would not use that as evidence no data is ever being sent. I have many times received chat messages and status updates during the time period you specify above. They can not be brought into my computer by anything but the Internet...

• Richard4168 4,309 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 7:50 PM

  Tightrope, you make a valid argument about WGT stopping some things like chat, friends status, and the things I mentioned that go on in the game-client, but WGT has said many times, in so many words, that they have a gem of a game here and have done all they can do to assure playability for their members as it is laid-out in the Term & conditions as well. 

  Don't look for WGT to make a change to the platform they have worked so hard on for three years plus. There are things the members can perform on our own machines to ensure smooth playability. Things that are out of WGT's hands, and in all actuality there are things that make a real difference in whether we have a good, or poor meter. The WGT.com forums have a wealth of information on how to play this game with little to no meter stutter, or experience gaming issues. Finding a way to configure flash on the users end is the best way to the least amount of meter stutter, and that is simply out of WGT's hands.

  I'd like to see WGT reconfigure some animations that go on with this game, and with the game-client, but it's just not going to happen.

• Tightrope 1,072 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 8:33 PM

  Richard4168:

  Tightrope, you make a valid argument about WGT stopping some things like chat, friends status, and the things I mentioned that go on in the game-client, but WGT has said many times, in so many words, that they have a gem of a game here and have done all they can do to assure playability for their members as it is laid-out in the Term & conditions as well. 

  Don't look for WGT to make a change to the platform they have worked so hard on for three years plus. There are things the members can perform on our own machines to ensure smooth playability. Things that are out of WGT's hands, and in all actuality there are things that make a real difference in whether we have a good, or poor meter. The WGT.com forums have a wealth of information on how to play this game with little to no meter stutter, or experience gaming issues. Finding a way to configure flash on the users end is the best way to the least amount of meter stutter, and that is simply out of WGT's hands.

  I'd like to see WGT reconfigure some animations that go on with this game, and with the game-client, but it's just not going to happen.

  Well. The game is good but the competition is not sleeping. Look at this video for instance http://www.ea.com/games/tiger-woods

  WGT has a money machine here, but only as long as they have the best game. They have a big user base, but how faithful is it? Personally I think, quite frankly, that they are a bit greedy. Second hand value of clubs for instance, and the prize of balls you can use with the driver you need from the Master tees..

  Look at this:

  1) As a beta tester, you are invited to play beta games for the sole purpose of evaluating the games and identifying errors. Nothing in these Terms, or on the Site, shall be construed as granting you any rights or privileges of any kind with respect to the beta games or content that you find here. The beta games are provided for testing on an "as is" "as available" basis and we make no warranty to you of any kind, express or implied.

  (2) When playing some beta games, you may accumulate rankings, equipment, or other value or status indicators. This data may be reset at any time during the testing process, and it may be reset when the particular game completes this testing phase. In this case, all player history and data will be erased and each player will return to beginner status.

  I read it as that we might log in one day and discover we have nothing. No clubs, no credits...

  In any case, if they want to keep us, they must listen to us. I do not think we make anyone any favors in just blaming Adobe if there indeed is things WGT can do.

  A simple experiment for anyone playing with someone on Skype would be to ask someone prepare a big chat message, release the swing and say "SEND" and see if the message pops up on your screen before you click for the ding.

  A change of platform is inevitable though. A Flash game can not stand up to the competition forever. Technology to scan surfaces like a golf coarse is becoming more and more mature and it will not take long until real 3D models of golf courses will be available. Such a model will be Gigabytes big. You do not put that in a online Flash game.

   

• Tightrope 1,072 Posts

  Tue, Dec 28 2010 8:48 PM

  ...why do we need "real 3D" you might ask? Would it not be nice to see your ball roll  slowly to a stop in the bunker, knowing that it means max 10% lie, or seeing it stop at the edge fairway knowing you are safe instead of seeing it lie perfectly and when it time for the shot it says "Rough 30-40%"?

  Not to mention trying to get yourself out of the trees at Bethpage Black :)