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Keyboard NOT Causing Chat-Lag Problems... Recommendations?

• PugsAce 1,825 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 6:07 AM

  This is probably specific to my own system, because I've not seen mention of it anywhere here in the forums...

  I've been experiencing "lag" problems after (and during) typing into the chat box. Sometimes I'm shown a "Shockwave" error, but it's so briefly displayed that I haven't managed to get a screen capture of it.

  The entire screen freezes, then slowly comes back... if at all... all while gameplay is continued by the other players.

  Initially, I thought it was my spacebar that was the culprit, but after using underscores ( _ ) to seperate the words, the problem remained. It's possible that one (or more) of my keys is sticking, as my <enter> key often does - sending a flood of messages into the chat box  :|  so I'm looking into a new keyboard anyways.

  Another time it happens is when I use the <backspace> key to remove characters/words. It seems the more I remove (the longer I hold-down the <backspace> key), the longer the lag I'm faced with.

  I've been seeing these problems for about a month now, and lately, they're seemingly getting worse by the day.

  Any ideas or recommendations for a new keyboard? (My current one is a "standard issue" Dell USB Human Interface Device with a driver dated 5/30/2009)

  Thanks,

  Pugs

• NickN85 193 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 6:14 AM

  That has nothing to do with your keyboard. I have seen that happen on multiple occasions during my own gameplay... its an issue with the server and your cpu trying to load the next required images while also trying to communicate the chat dialog going on and it cant decipher between the two so it tries to load both at the same time and it lags. Thats one of the reasons I suggested being able to disable chat completely.. not only would it help with meter issues but it would also help with load times due to people's systems getting lagged when its trying to load the image files and chat dialog.

• PugsAce 1,825 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 6:26 AM

  All this occurs prior to hitting the <send> button. Wouldn't that preclude any server/cpu communication?

  As mentioned above, it happens either during text entry, or afterwards. All before I'm even given the chance to click <send>.or hit the <enter> key.

• NickN85 193 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 6:34 AM

  I understand what youre saying and I know exactly what your describing.. and trust me when i say your cpu is communicating with the server long before you actaully think it is.. and whats happening is this...

  say its someone else's shot.. and theyve taken their shot already but the server has a delay (even if its miniscule) between the time they physically take the shot and start sending data.. to when you ACTUALLY SEE the replay of the outcome data.. so when you see the shot being taken.. your computer is already loading the info for the next hole.. 

  ..well while its loading this info and getting ready to switch you to the next shot.. (or scorecard screen whatever the case may be) its also taking with it the chat data.. 

  ..well its already loaded the chat data that has already been posted and is trying to load the data youre currently sending it while typing.. and this causes a delay between the server and your cpu trying to keep up with each other.. 

• PugsAce 1,825 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 8:05 AM

  Assuming this to be the case... I find it exceedingly odd that it happens during the time when it's my shot. I try to limit my comments (text entry) 'til it's my turn (to be less obtrusive)... and usually post (pre-shot) my comments... hence, any server activity that I might see (during or after someone else's shot) wouldn't seem to come into play. I'm pretty sure that my "next screen" can't be loading yet, given the fact I haven't even begun to line-up my current shot.

  And if this indeed was the case, I'd think that I would've been experiencing these "glitches" from the start, but as I said, it has only become an issue within the last month, or so. That's why I'm thinking it to be more a hardware problem on my end, than a software/cpu/connection issue.

  Thanks for your input, Nick. I'm guessing my next step would be to switch to a different keyboard... either to rule it out, or to provide the "cure". This one's begun to bug me more and more anyways.

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 10:02 AM

  I also don't think it's the keyboard. I use basic Dell one too and occasionally I have same issues. But that's just during the game when I play for hours without reset. It seems to be lag between hitting key and it showed up in text box.

  Not sure if it's an actually issue though, just something that maybe unique system to system

  -wgticon

• PugsAce 1,825 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 12:10 PM

  I don't think we're talking about the same thing though, Icon. My "issue" is not a simple lag before a key entry shows up in my text box... I often have to wait 30-60seconds 'til everything "settles in" before being able to setup my shot, or see what the other player did with their shot. This sometimes happens 2-3 times/round.

  I'll have my "Printkey" app ready next round to capture the "Shockwave Error" popup I get at times, as well, if it occurs.

  Something is obviously "undone" causing Flash to wait... sometimes causing it to time out and give me this error. I've never submitted a bug report about it, because I don't believe it's a "WGT issue".

  edit: just wondering... does Chrome keep track of errors somewhere? I may be able to go back through and find each occurence...

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Feb 21 2011 2:57 PM

  Ugh, sounds like a software issue not a hardware. Can't help ya there, sorry:(

• PugsAce 1,825 Posts

  Wed, Feb 23 2011 8:41 AM

  PugsAce:

  I'll have my "Printkey" app ready next round to capture the "Shockwave Error" popup I get at times, as well, if it occurs.

  Got it!

  This is the popup that appears/disappears (sometimes very briefly - other times causing a "gameclient crash") when I use the chat box...

  

  Soooo... wouldn't this mean that it's a Flash problem? Orrr... something else that's running that is competing with Flash for the resources necessary to keep Flash "responsive"? And what-in-the-world would ONLY make it happen when I'm using chat (hence... my belief that it involves my keyboard, or something pertaining to it)?

  Another possibly-related "quirk" that I've noticed during the time period that I've been having this particular problem is - sometimes, my view shifts to the "zoom view" on it's own - immediately after a screen loads. It happens whether it is mine, or my playing partner's turn to hit. Could this also be a result of my space-bar command "sticking"?

  I've also reverted to using the on-screen icon to switch views (with a mouse-click) because of a delay I get when using the space-bar to do it.

  I haven't as yet been able to pick up a new keyboard to rule that out. 

  I'm truly befuddled.  :/

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Wed, Feb 23 2011 8:50 AM

  Pug-Didn't you go with the latest version of Flash just recently? This might be a browser compatibility bug or something. Can you verify it in another browser? I know you know about the cache handling. I saw that same error some time ago when I used to use FF to play. Didn't do anything and never saw it again. 

  On the keyboard thing, most keyboards are easy to split the case on and if you can, look under the keypad cover-you'd be surprised at what collects under there and gets in the way.