Retro's Tick Rate

[lousiest]

Found this tutorial online (didn't know much about rates before this):

 

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A small tutoiral on fixing your rates.

 

First of all you would need to find the tickrate of the server.

 

Once you have figured out what the servers tickrate is. your ready to go, so if the servers tickrate is 100, i would need to set my rates to 100. so the following commands i would need to enter in console would be:

 

rate 25000

cl_cmdrate 100

cl_updaterate 100

 

So if the servers tickrate is 66 you would do the following:

rate 25000

cl_cmdrate 66

cl_updaterate 66.

 

Thanks for reading this small tutorial. i would hopefully update it with more information about rates! and remember admins if your wondering why you shoot a guy other 10 times and he doesn't die. type ma_rates in console and if his rates are very low tell him to update it!

 

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Hence, was wondering what the server tick rate on Retro is.

[mookie]

It's running on 100.

 

That's a very simplistic approach.

 

What you may want to look at when setting cl_updaterate is the far right number of the in line in the net graph. This is the number of updates you're actually receiving from the server. Set cl_updaterate to 100 and see what you see here.

[lousiest]

Got it. Thanks!

[Belphagor]

So what happens if someone sets theirs above 100? does it get limited to 100? or do they run higher? I think I saw a 101 the other day.

[mookie]

If you want to set your tickrate over the server's it just won't do anything.

[Warpig]

It's running on 100.

 

That's a very simplistic approach.

 

What you may want to look at when setting cl_updaterate is the far right number of the in line in the net graph. This is the number of updates you're actually receiving from the server. Set cl_updaterate to 100 and see what you see here.

 

I did that, got about 97-98...set my cmdrate to 100...and got choke...so I set it back to 60...works alot better

[lousiest]

Yea, noticed that too. So if your choke spikes when you set it to 100, is it bad? Or is the choke worth it, as I dunno, you get better performance by setting your update rate to 100?

[Warpig]

Yea, noticed that too. So if your choke spikes when you set it to 100, is it bad? Or is the choke worth it, as I dunno, you get better performance by setting your update rate to 100?

 

choke I believe is comp lag....I lag way too bad when I have alot of choke...so I set it where I have 0 choke

[lousiest]

Ah, so choke can be fixed, by getting a better computer?

[mookie]

"Choke" is probably something very specific, but nobody seems to know exactly what it measures. Having your framerate drop will cause "choke." Choke can also be caused by network situations, typically having to do with your rate being too low to support the updates you want from the server. With enough players in a game, 25000 will not be enough at some times.

[Demoner]

"Choke" is probably something very specific, but nobody seems to know exactly what it measures. Having your framerate drop will cause "choke." Choke can also be caused by network situations, typically having to do with your rate being too low to support the updates you want from the server. With enough players in a game, 25000 will not be enough at some times.

25000 is the server limit though correct?

[7otenkopf]

For anyone that really wants a detailed explaination on rates/choke/loss/net_graph this is the link for you: http://www.fishtankclan.com/e107_plugins/c....php?content.44

 

Choke has nothing to do with your comp performance (although I've heard, but cannot prove, if your FPS is low this can affect your choke rate), it's really a measure of how much information your computer is sending the server in relation to other players. If the server is a 100 tick, such as GC retro, you want to be as close to 100 as possible for your cmd and update rate. Why? well this means that your shots will register more, and more importantly, you will not appear to lag/jump to others on the server with their rates set correctly.

 

For example, I was in a spray battle with Dadeo the other day (who has a great ping). I put a whole clip in him from 5 feet away and only 3 shots actually hit him. After I inevitably died, and I immediately checked his rates (type "ma_rates" in console), and saw he was set to update @ 30 and cmd @ 20 (default for CSS). In my mind, this means he's playing in a whole different dimesion than me, and really only pops into my realm every 2 seconds at which point I have a chance at hitting him. Now he isnt required to change his rates to apply for 100tick server, but it certainly would help his game if they were - and genuinely make things more enjoyable for the people playing with him. I encounter this issue all of the time on pub servers and tend to spray more when there is a large number of people with default rates playing. What really gets me is when people complain about registration on a great server like retro, and then you check their rates and they arent even setup to play on a 100 tick server...

 

So let's say you actually go through the trouble of setting your rates to the recommended 100 and you still get choke or loss (Warpig you might want to try this). Try lowering your update rate to under 100, but leave your cmd rate at 100. Eventually, you find that sweet spot of 0 choke! For me, 95 updaterate seems to work well. Also, make sure you are changing your cl_interp rate to .01 or 0 (zero is auto). One more tip, choke will always jump at the beginning or a round, then slowly taper down to a consistant number. So dont base your choke average on what you see right at the beginning of the round.

 

I hope some of this info actually helps some of those curious minds out there, and if you're wondering if it really makes a difference... IT DOES! You wont find any of the competitive CAL teams with default rates, and technically they can force you to change your rates to the server standard before a CAL match if they are incorrect.

Edited April 2, 2008 by 7otenkopf

[lousiest]

So let's say you actually go through the trouble of setting your rates to the recommended 100 and you still get choke or loss (Warpig you might want to try this). Try lowering your update rate to under 100, but leave your cmd rate at 100. Eventually, you find that sweet spot of 0 choke! For me, 95 updaterate seems to work well. Also, make sure you are changing your cl_interp rate to .01 or 0 (zero is auto). One more tip, choke will always jump at the beginning or a round, then slowly taper down to a consistant number. So dont base your choke average on what you see right at the beginning of the round.

 

Thank you!!! :luxhello:

 

Edit: Great post btw. Really helpful, especially that link

Edited April 2, 2008 by lousiest

[Laz.e.rus]

erm.

Heres some links to old topics/ stickys on this subject, which also include other links.

Remember, much of this is older, so some of the .cfg's carry commands that no longer work or are cal-blocked etc. and some of the way the commands are handled/maxxed are changed as well. But inside these threads are also some links to others. I'm sure theres enough links to drive you crazy with info on how it all works.

 

http://www.gamrs.co/forums/in...mp;#entry270158

 

http://www.gamrs.co/forums/in...showtopic=20942

[lousiest]

Aight, that 2nd link... man.. information overload

[3vil]

i thought retro was a 66 tick server?

[7otenkopf]

It was 66 for awhile when they increased the slots (large 100 tick servers are very expensive), then after a few months they upgraded to 100 again with the extra slots. I remember because I was happy to not have to change my rates to optimize for 66 tick anymore

[Warpig]

For anyone that really wants a detailed explaination on rates/choke/loss/net_graph this is the link for you: http://www.fishtankclan.com/e107_plugins/c....php?content.44ctly.

 

So let's say you actually go through the trouble of setting your rates to the recommended 100 and you still get choke or loss (Warpig you might want to try this). Try lowering your update rate to under 100, but leave your cmd rate at 100. Eventually, you find that sweet spot of 0 choke! For me, 95 updaterate seems to work well. Also, make sure you are changing your cl_interp rate to .01 or 0 (zero is auto). One more tip, choke will always jump at the beginning or a round, then slowly taper down to a consistant number. So dont base your choke average on what you see right at the beginning of the round.

 

I hope some of this info actually helps some of those curious minds out there, and if you're wondering if it really makes a difference... IT DOES! You wont find any of the competitive CAL teams with default rates, and technically they can force you to change your rates to the server standard before a CAL match if they are incorrect.

 

Ok so, I get 0 choke 90% of the time with my rates

 

a quote from the link"

"Your computer is sending too many packets to the server per second. If you try to send 100 commands to the server per second, and it can only accept 40, you are going to be getting 60 choke. This will make you SUCK, none of your shots will register, and only 40% of the things you try to make your player do will be done."

 

I have tried different rates, but they all end up with choke, so I leave them be

 

 

and I just tried cl_interp rate , but theres no such cmd...

Edited April 3, 2008 by Warpig

[Laz.e.rus]

Dotn worry too much about small amounts of or sporadic little bursts of choke. This is a Net-based game afterall, and stuff happens.

If you are constantly receiving a large amount of choke ( and not just at round beginiings), then there are issues that need to be addressed.

The simplest and most effective way is lower your rates. If you are trying to run 100/100 and you keep choking out, slowly drop them (relatively evenly) say 5 at a time each. The default is 20/30 ( or was it 30/20?).

If you have a good highspeed connection, make sure your Rate is at least 20000. GC servers max/cap at 25000 I believe.

If you have an "ok" broadband, try say, 15-18000.

 

You can read all the guides and technical briefs and diagrams in the world ( which HAS been done here before), but in the end..

You need to adjust for yourself. Find out works best for Your connection and Your PC.

Keep in mind, dont trade choke for Loss. Loss is BAD.

 

An example of why technical info only helps so much:

I got 0 choke at 100/100 with a 3 meg providor. When I upgraded to a 10 meg connection (same rig, same house), I had to drop my rates to like 65/75 or Id choke out. Technically, this makes no sense at all, and should really have been the opposite.

Also, FPS can affect it, as does latency/ping/distance/net congestion/etc.

 

I can't remember all the tech info that goes along with it, but in a nutshell, dont try to sync up 100 Frames(packets/updates/whatever you wanna call em) per second with a server and be in perfect harmony with it, if you are only processing 60 Frames of the info at home and its taking a 10th of a second for the info to move around anyway.

 

Basic rule of thumb:

Higher is better...UNTIL and UNLESS it causes choke, loss, or surpasses the ability of the server.