Regarding Pilot “IDontCare”

[[RIP]Machete_Bug]

Does anyone here fly under the pilot name “IDontCare” or know the person who does? His IP traces back to Windsor, Canada.

The reason I ask is because there are members of team RIP (myself among them) who are losing patience with this person. Well, perhaps not so much the person as the connection this person has to our gaming server, the Descent Retirement Home.

I’ve been playing Descent in one form or another online for nearly 11 years now. So I’ve seen some seriously bad connections in my time. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by a few years of really good connections by a majority of players, but I honestly believe IDontCare has the worst that I’ve EVER seen. At least with such constant severity. Since I’ve played p2p dial-up with people in some far-flung and remote corners of the world, this is pretty impressive. Not in a good way.

Folks who know me well can attest I’m not prone to whine. And I’m hardly a connection snob. We have some players on wireless who I wish would connect with a hard cable, but any weirdness I tend to see out of them is intermittent. We have folks from remote and rural areas and across continents and oceans who can be a challenge to properly lead. But the issues observed in IDontCare are severe and constant.

Myself and others have done some nagging at him in game. He (or she) has stated that he has low ping and no loss, and gameplay on his end is smooth. Furthermore, he claims to be on wireless, with a router “downstairs”. Also he claims nothing else is running that would interfere with the game. Despite this, he tends to skip – no, “skip” probably doesn’t adequately cover it – warp around the level like he has a teleporter operated by an over-caffeinated ferret.

It’s bad enough that there have been calls to “do something”. And since I can’t physically go to his house with a cat-5 and plug his jumpy behind in, that “something” would be to ban him. With an ever shrinking community of players, this is a last resort that I’d rather not have to undertake. I don’t like to ban anyone, especially when they otherwise seem to be behaving decently. So I’d much rather resolve this by other means if possible. Maybe it’d be the thing to get him to take his connection issue more seriously than he seems to at the moment, but more likely, it’s only bound to generate hard feelings.

But on the other hand, a high-performance and professionally maintained server like the DRH does not come cheap. The people who pay for it do so because they wish to have a high quality gaming experience. We maintain high PPS on our Descent server settings to help insure this. Our clients who patronize us regularly expect all that too. So it seems a bit of a waste when, despite all this pricey quality, there’s a player online skipping like a schoolgirl, and flooding hallways with laggy, burstly weapons fire packets. It’s diminishing the gameplay experience of everyone else.

So, I’m afraid I’m going to lay down the ultimatum. Probably before the week is done. “Fix your connect in the next week, or find another server to play on.” Don’t want to, but I’m out of other options.

There is some suspicion that the issue is deliberate – perhaps some packet management trick. If so, this pilot is in desperate need of a lesson in subtlety. Perhaps it’s perfectly innocent. One pilot on our forums suggested that some wireless routers come with a packet bursting options engaged by default. Which would explain some of the bursty behavior noted in game. Anymore, I’m not so certain I care which it is as long as it gets fixed.

If I were better educated on networking, I’d gladly offer this pilot help in resolving this issue. Hopefully the kind folks in the wider community will offer their expertise should he seek it.

If you are this pilot, know who he is, or might have some insights worth sharing, feel free to speak up and help get this problem solved.

[Ferno]

Do you have a very good reason for posting this? or did you figure this was an appropriate place to complain about another player?

[Foil]

Ferno, he isn't whining about another player; this is actually something we (the DRH admins) have been looking into for a while now.

In most cases, complaints come and go, and usually just boil down to folks whining about who killed them (which we of course ignore). Plus, we usually know who players are. If it's someone having an issue, we can drop them a PM or email.

But in this case, it's been almost a universal complaint for at least a couple of months now, and we don't have anything but an alias and an unfamiliar ip address.

Sure, a ban would be simple, but that's something we almost never use, as it's really a last resort (and it's still unclear if this guy's wacky connection is intentional or not).

If anyone knows who IDontCare is, or how we can contact him, that's really what we're looking for.

[Zero!]

hes on wireless im sure its not on purpose

[Sirius]

To be perfectly honest, I didn't notice. I could hit him as well as most people. But I might just not be particularly observant.

[Xamindar]

Just ban his ip for a week or so, he probably doesn't care.

[TheWhat]

Sweet! Now I can make a pilot called ICareSoMuch just to be a contrarian. Because in the Descent community doing the opposite = a sense of humor. hohohohahaha die in a fire you pukes.

[Heretic]

So how much foreskin do you have around your neck dude.

[flip]

I love playing on the DRH servers for the very reason of low ping, but I also regularly play on Descentforum.net servers JUST because of the high pings. it seemed like forever I couldn't get a kill no matter what, but after awhile my shots started landing.
Lag shooting is a skill too.

[Ferno]

are you kidding foil? first it's a complaint, followed by a threat to ban.

[Xamindar]

I forget, how does a player with a poor connection lag everyone else down as well? I thought it was client/server just for that reason so one player can't ruin the game for everyone else by slowing everyone down.

[Foil]

Not kidding, Ferno. Yes, I know that there are too many folks who love to whine on the DBB.

The DRH admins aren't the ones complaining - we're getting all the complaints. Enough complaints that Machete_Bug felt it's something we can't ignore.

Like I said, under normal circumstances the DRH admins just deal with complaints internally (99.9% of it is just folks whining about getting beaten anyway), but in this case we just don't have any way to address or even contact the pilot.

Bug is trying to avoid a ban, if possible.

[Spidey]

Whatever happened to setting the minimum ping/loss on a server?

[Foil]

I forget, how does a player with a poor connection lag everyone else down as well? I thought it was client/server just for that reason so one player can't ruin the game for everyone else by slowing everyone down.

You're correct; one players' poor connect does not cause anyone else any extra lag on client/server games.

The issue is that the IDontCare is apparently sending very infrequent position updates from IDontCare, much less than the 10/second he should be at. This causes everyone (including the server) to see him 'warp' from point to point around the level.

-----------

If this was clearly an intentional thing, the DRH admins would have already dealt with it.

That said, the connect may be causing him problems as well (e.g. the last time I played him, he whined about getting hit by 'impossible shots').

[Foil]

Whatever happened to setting the minimum ping/loss on a server?

Not an option in D3, unfortunately.

Now, we ARE able to enforce a minimum network-speed setting (e.g. players must set their D3 network-speed to "T1"/12PPS to join), which makes for smoother games. However, there's no auto-boot function when someone's actual packet-rate doesn't measure up.

[[RIP]Machete_Bug]

So how much foreskin do you have around your neck dude.

More than your boyfriend. Now go outside and play. The adults are trying to have a conversation.

Do you have a very good reason for posting this? or did you figure this was an appropriate place to complain about another player?

Alright Ferno, I think Foil's adequately explained my intent. Sorry you don't get it. I'll only add a couple of tidbits.

If I were half the jerk-off I'm being painted as, this thread wouldn't exist. He'd be banned already. Because as much as a funky game of Descent can be a buzz-kill, listening to people complain annoys me more. Actually, the complaints have been quite civil and even humorous at times. But even then it gets a little old, and I get tired of it. Even more than I dislike flying against this pilot myself. If you think I'm complaining here, then perhaps you're right. Misery loves company, and I'm just sharing a bit with you.

Just banning him outright is the easy choice. And the only people I have to answer to for it are the owners and paying clients of the DRH. And at least one of them is already losing patience with my patience.

I knew I would get some flaming for making this post, but did it anyway because I'd rather get the guy some help if he needs it. But to do that effectively, it'd be nice to have more bandwidth than an F8 or server message.

No one in RIP knows any contact information for him, so I came here. It made more sense than the Blu-ray forums.

IIRC, Ferno, you're a moderator for this forum. If I'm really that far out of line, then delete/lock this post, or ban me, or whatever you think is appropriate. I have about a half million things I'd rather be doing than this, and another half million I need to be doing instead of this.

But it won't really help the issue I'm trying to resolve here.

If your only contribution to the conversation is that I suck, then I think you've made your point.

However, there's no auto-boot function when someone's actual packet-rate doesn't measure up.

You sure? I thought anit-cheat allowed for it, but we just disable it because network uncertainties can generate an annoying number of false positives.

Lag shooting is a skill too..

Not only that, it builds character and puts hair on your chest, too.

I fly in Germany or Australia often enough, and regularly play against folks from there and other distant lands on this continent. Lag is lag, and just about any experienced player knows that. If this were simply lag, it'd be one thing. I'm fairly convinced this is something else. So I think the guy's being honest when he tells me he has a low ping. But a ping tends to be an average that may not reflect an inconsistent flow of packets. At least as much as my meager networking know-how reckons.

The guy, and his fire, seems like it comes in bursts. Again, something I see from other folks from time to time. Even hard connected ones. Net congestion happens. It just seems to be happening an awful lot with him. Something's wrong.

Well so far, no one seems to have any more clue than my RIP buddies about how to reach this guy. Hope lives eternal, so I'll wait it out a little longer. I don't IRC, but those that do might ask around if you're so inclined.

Oh, and TheWhat... we already know how very much you care. It's why we love you so much.

[AlphaDoG]

Bug, I think Heretic's comment was directed at TheWhat.

[[RIP]Machete_Bug]

Bug, I think Heretic's comment was directed at TheWhat.

Really? Aw, that's dissapointing, because it did make me chuckle good. Why I threw in a before my own snarky reply.

Oh well, directed at me or not, I'll have to use that one myself some day.

[Ferno]

see, that's what i was looking for machete bug. a good reason from you, not from someone else, as to what your intent was.

I'd rather see a productive thread than one that simply rants about another player. I'm sure you understand and would probably agree that a post of that nature does nothing but bring down a forum, so that's why I said what I did.

there's only two reasons why I would shut down a thread: if it's one long whine or someone decided to bring up a thread that died a natural death.


and since the dbb is having mondo issues again, i hope this gets through and I don't have to edit it.

[Foil]

Note: I got some contact info from IDontCare today, so this thread can probably die now.

[Heretic]

Yes it was for that @$$ TheWhat. You may not know me Bug but I know you. I was at your Gauntlet when you joined RIP. I rather stay anonymous for now. I know all you RIPpers.

[Foil]

I know who ya are, H. I'll keep your secret, though.

[TheWhat]

So how much foreskin do you have around your neck dude.

Bug, I think Heretic's comment was directed at TheWhat.

Actually it was a question - an exceedingly boring attempt at a dig. Go eat yer hard whurkey turkey burgers or whatever you do.

Yes it was for that @$$ TheWhat. You may not know me Bug but I know you. I was at your Gauntlet when you joined RIP. I rather stay anonymous for now. I know all you RIPpers.

It's strutting @$$ to you mr. anonymous. Have you paid 12% of your income to your cult this month? You kookie crazy Rip members, you just make my loins throb.

<3

[flip]

Not only that, it builds character and puts hair on your chest, too.

/me pulls shirt out and sees a few
I completely enjoy a good sense of humor and that made me laugh.

[Hunter]

Surprised I don't get more complaints playing from Korea and all

[Foil]

Nah, you still appear smooth. The the only complaint about you is, \"How the he%% can he beat me with 250+ ping?\"

[Mickey1]

Brown Coats transcend ping.

[Behemoth]

stop being annoying ferno

[Ferno]

you're confusing me with neo, behemoth.

[Duper]

lol!

I remember when when a 200 ping was about average and we were all swearing at anyone with a sub 100 as a \"LPB\". DSL was just coming on the scene as was Cable .. which was brand new and had serious skipping/loss issues.

now we're head hunting for a 250 ping?

[BUBBALOU]

now we're head hunting for a 250 ping?

How dare they, No0bz

Don't forget It was "One way cable" in the beginning.... Phone line for upload and coax (cable) for your download... shudders... which technically is part of D3's old network settings instead of just 12pps for LAN DSL CABLE of today.

[Duper]

oh wow. I'd forgotten that. Like satellite.

[Xamindar]

Don't forget It was "One way cable" in the beginning....

Not by the time Descent 3 was out. By that time it was both ways.

[Behemoth]

you're confusing me with neo, behemoth.

just felt like ruffling some feathers
bawk bawkk!!

[BUBBALOU]

Not by the time Descent 3 was out. By that time it was both ways.

This was while you were in daycare with a pacifier
... so go away kid and do some research before you speak/post/troll/insert foot

[Xamindar]

Sorry gramps.

[Ferno]

you're confusing me with neo, behemoth.

just felt like ruffling some feathers
bawk bawkk!!

yeah well, that's just dumb.

[Neo]

DON'T BE A NOOB THAT'S AN ORDER SOLDIER!

[Hunter]

I usually only get 250 ping on Sundays - The rest of the week it's about 190-200 to DRH. Sadly I no longer can play in the week

[jesusfr3ak4evr]

Clearly all of you have forgotten about HPB JF on dial-up. Also, don't forget my rival Nofx.