Sorry, Just Wondering.!?

[Machazzard]

So............ I always hear people complaining about lag (not saying i dont lol), but (since im not computer inclined, im lost) HOW CAN THEY DO THAT!!!?!!!

Ever since day one, lag was an issue. But, im totally lost when it comes to it....

Why is there lag?? How do you fix it?? And what do graphics have to do with lag?? If they make islands more expansive, will lag increase tremdously with size???

So, if anyone can help me, feel free to post away!!!




*Sorry if this wasn't the right section to post in, and/or if it has already been posted about.

[Jack Stormshot]

There is Different Types of Lagging,


There can be Lag due to a connection Issue.
For example your Ping (time it sends to relay to the server) can be high.
So someone with Dial-up will relay to the server a lot slower than someone with cable.

Therefore there will be a High Ping. There's many ways High Pings can be caused, one being you could possibly be downloading things in the background to slow down your internet connection, or the server itself can be experiencing connection issues, causing the server to relay back to you slowly.

The server can increase its lag if it has a high volume of people on, but not likely since there are so many servers to stop that.

The second lag I know of is Graphical Lag, pretty much long story short for a Graphical lag, it just means your Graphics card is too old or too little of a size to handle the requirements of the game. Say you have a 256 MB Graphics card which is okay, but you experience the graphics lagging and going slow, to fix this you would need to Lower your settings, because the game exerting too much work for the graphics card to handle. If lowering your settings on a graphics card and it still has lagging, or say you cant' see anything in the game, it's all silver colored, or black, then it means your graphics card can't run the game, and you'll need to purchase a better one.


I hope this answers your question,
Regards,
Jack Stormshot

[The Commodore]

Or, if yer in my boat with two measly gigs of RAM, that may be yer cause for lag.
RAM, if yer not computer inclined, is what allows you to play pirates.

[The Skirata Clan]

Both of you are wrong. Lag is a magical thing, almost like pixie dust.

[Swash]

Originally Posted by The Commodore

Or, if yer in my boat with two measly gigs of RAM, that may be yer cause for lag.
RAM, if yer not computer inclined, is what allows you to play pirates.

2 Measly? Pirates can run fine with only 1 gig of Ram your fine with 2.

[Jack Stormshot]

2 GB of Ram isn't making your game lag, I guarantee that, like Swash said.
And, apparently my experience with computers is all wrong, it's a Lag Guru that sprinkles business on your computer.

Yep.

[StellaInTheSky]

I had horrid problems with lag til I changed my graphics from fullscreen resolution 800X600 to 1280X800. HUGE improvement in the lag problems, and my graphics are absolutely gorgeous now. So yeah, all that mine needed was a resolution change...which should technically increase lag, but didn't. Weird.

[cptnruthless]

other things that can help your lag are simply switching to a non-busy server. I have a new computer that is otherwise very fast - and when it's a busy server, I lag forever. Ideal and quiet servers are perfectly fine though.

Also, try not to be running TOO many programs when you're running Pirates. So turn off AIM, close your browser, turn of itunes, and you'll notice that the lag is further reduced.

Another thing I've noticed is that I start to lag after playing the game for too long (like a couple hours) - which means there's a memory leak in the game (still). Close the application (COMPLETELY, not just logoff/logon) and it seems to clear up.

-Ruth

[Miss Hexsilver]

There are many variables that "cause" "lag". Disney side-servers aren't exactly the best and they have to host many players. Obviously, the further you live from one of their servers, the more "lag" you are going to experience. But, this isn't usually the form of lag that people complain about. Usually, the "lag" is generated from client-side issues.

There are many components in a computer that you may want to look into upgrading to reduce lag:
1.) RAM (Random Access Memory). Speaking from personal experience, I used to lag ALOT when I had 512mb of RAM. What is RAM? It is the amount of space dedicated to running programs, INCLUDING your operating system. 512 is the MINIMUM required RAM to run Pirates. When I upgraded to 4GB of RAM, each GB costing less than 20$, the amount of "lag" decreased drastically.
2.) Graphics card. For Vista/XP users, they can check their card models and stats by opening the Start menu, clicking Run, and typing dxdiag. I have a bias for Nvidea graphics cards as they are more gaming oriented. The amount of memory that the card allows for graphics is crucial. The higher, the better the display and FPS (frames per second). In other words, if there are 10 still pictures in a roll of film, it will look choppier than if there were 50 still pictures. The power of your graphics is denoted in Hz. Obviously, the higher, the better.
3.) Processor. Most computers these days are equipped with 4.00GHz processors. Paralleling the graphics card, the higher the GHz, the higher the power of the processor and therefore, the better your game will run. My laptop runs on 1.5GHz and can barely run the game without breaking down even though I have 3GB of RAM, but my desktop can handle the game close to perfection because of a 3.00GHz processor.

Although there are many other things that play into what causes lag, taking care of these 3 can reduce lag and you will notice the difference.


IF--- if you are referring to the lag you experience in PVP, when you see other players "flash" accross your screen, that means they either live very far from you, they've been on too long (you can ask them to restart their game), or their internet connection is too slow and it's NOT your fault.

-------------------------------------------


Oh yeah, before I forget... your own internet connection speed means nothing if your computer and it's components cannot handle the speed. Most people don't have issues with internet speed, excluding those on dial-up. If you play Pirates on dial-up, don't blame Disney for the lag!! >=0

That is all.

[Eliza Creststeel]

Communications lag can be helped a ton if you make sure NOTHING else internet-related is running. It's amazing how many programs like Yahoo Messenger start themselves at boot-up and you never notice them.

Kill any and all instant messengers, update checkers, etc. Common sense stuff can escape folks.

What hurts my own game is that I'm confined to a wireless connection. It's an 'N', supposedly super fast (300mbs) but its NEVER consistent and usually inconvenient (like during a BB). Hard line is always better.

As for video, a decent dedicated graphics card (as opposed to motherboard) isn't a bank breaker anymore - consider stepping up.

[League]

Quite articluate arguments there ladies, but Skirata said it best. It might not sound like an eloquent solution to the equation, but trust me, it covers the most holes.

Anywhoo, some things are ultimately caused by the servers, and sometimes the only thing to do is switch or re-enter. The islands reduced lag I'm sure by severing the forts from the island (as you can now technically warp back to the island from the island though you can't warp back to the island if you're on the island, savvy?), so no, expansion won't necessarily increase lag.

[Jack Stormshot]

Everyone repeats what has been stated.
So pretty much a common agreement is, connection, and graphics card.

[The Count]

Meh its mainly graphic overload or ur cp just plain slow i mean u never know