[Ten]

Alright, I was messing around with a little program called Demofreak, what it does is allows you to inspect demos a little closer, you can also see what rates people are using. I usually check my demos after a match when I suspect someone is using illegal rates, but I checked a few demos from TVI and TV IV last night.

About half of the players on the server were using illegal rates, and I bet all of them didn't know it. Sure, rates aren't illegal outside of leagues, but they're illegal there ONLY to prevent unfair advantages. The minimum rates in leagues are:

cl_updaterate 20
cl_cmdrate 30
rate 7500

I was seeing numbers like 10-18 updaterate, 1500 - 7500 rates everywhere. These settings would be suitable for someone with a 28K modem, but considering you don't see people with 800 plus ping on DoD servers I doubt their rates were doing them or anyone else a service.

Anyway, the rates I posted above are the default rates that were established in 1998 and haven't been touched since, In 1998, connections were much slower and 56K was the norm. These rates ARE meant to suit someone with a 56K connection, when these default rates or lower are used with a modern broadband connection basically two things happen:

1) You have a MUCH lower percentage of hitting someone (having the shot register) when you make a direct shot.

2) You have a MUCH lower percentage of being hit (having the shot register) when a shot is landed on you.

When rates are too whacky all accross a server, basically what's happening is that it becomes a very random experience - in some situations it doesn't really matter who shot first and more accurately, rather it depends on who a shots registered on first.

Take a read through this thread for more information about rates since it's very much half a mystery to many including myself - until I started reading about it. I've seen these ridiculous mathematical formulas where you're supposed to divide by Pi multiplied by your upload speed to the power of your shoe size divided by your kb/s, but that's all bullsh*t, basically. DoD uses about 7 kb/s upload and about 4 kb/s download. That's about 3% of your total connection speed, so really, a ridiculous formula is not necessary.

http://www.gotfrag.com/dod/threads/114454/

Basically, just take a read through that thread and see what works best for you. A lot of top players recommend using the LAN rates ( updaterate 101, cmdrate 101, rate 25000) as long as you don't notice any lag. If you do notice lag, simply lower your updaterate (the green graph) until it's feeling smoother and less laggy. cmdrate 101 is basically applicable to all broadband connections. Anyway, with these max rates, basically you're sending out and receiving the most information possible in the largest quantity possible. The HL netcode is very old and archaic, getting what you can out of its limitations will give you the best shot registration on others and yourself. Also, "interp" is less of a factor (interp is when you shoot the air behind someone and it registers as a kill).

And by the way, cl_rate is a redundant command now, the entry - rate - has replaced it, so if you're trying to input cl_rate as well as rate, one of the two is going to overwrite your rate. So just use rate, yus.

Anyway, to conclude - 101 is the max for updaterate and cmdrate, 20000 is the max for rate. Bring down netgraph by plugging this into console - net_graph 1 . cl_cmdrate # , cl_updaterate # and rate # are the console commands to tweak your rates. If you do plan on changing them around, be sure to learn as much as you can, and make sure your settings are working well in a full server.

[rANCOR hUNTER]

rANCOR hUNTER is confuzzled But he'll try to learn. Thanx
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[Easy Target]

What are you using Ten?
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[Speaker's Xeno]

i r smarter now me go shot head in hole of barrel with kar101 mean i 98 errrrrrrrrrrrrrate
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[Lt. Black]

...I'm severely frightened after that post.
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[5th GHG E.G. Mine]

Mmmmm. Words.

I just need to get ahold of my copy of Half Life, wherever it went, to install on my own computer. I miss beating people over the head with a rifle butt.
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[Bull]

[Simpleman]

It is amazing watching everyone hop around the server when I am running 101,101,20000 It does seem that my hit boxes are better Thanx for the info ten.
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<eVa>Simpleman-V$=<RIP>

[ROOFCUTTER]

I did 100 100 20000 last night , will try adjusting it tonight.

I dont know if it helped me but it was fun trying

someone on the other forum said they set it at 25000 ?? max is 20000?
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Only in America......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

[EvilGenius]

[Paddyjack]

I like the fact that people think they are so good and other people n00b pub players, when in fact they are using every ounce of advantages they can get. It is like saying, "you n00b, I can drive faster than you" when someone has a Ferrari and the other a Ford Escort.
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PJ --- ancient IDIOT with a rusty CROWBAR....
but still SWINGING!




Rock2..... JUST SAY NO!!!!!

[EvilGenius]

[Kjeldorian Royal Guard 42]

I don't find it fun to beat someone when I know I have the advantage from the start. It's boring. I don't find it fun to destroy my 5 year old at checkers. I let her win sometimes because I know I have the advantage. Newcomers to HL who are the majority in most pubs are much like my 5 year old at checkers.

Running a dozen different scripts/helpers/addons etc doesn't make you any better than a generic/standard player in terms of skill. It just means you can edit code to do some things faster or more efficiently resulting in an advantage over your opponent however slight it may be. Everyone can do it.

Everyone can work on cars too but not everyone does. It's not common knowledge stuff. In your owner's manual, there is nothing about enhancing your engine to perform like a race car etc. You have to go somewhere and take some time to learn that. The same with HL. You do not see all these code edits/addons in the owner's manual or even instructions on how to even start. It's not common knowledge.

I've always been against all that stuff in pub servers. It's cowardly to bring a shotgun to a knife fight IMO. But, what can you do.
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[Paddyjack]

That's not my point. Some players consider themselves l337 because they play in that league or that one, and when they pub, it is with a enlarged ego. The thing is, these guys often use top rate gears, and like you said, tweaked configurations that give them quite an advantage. Hey, I know about that, I've seen it in TFC, I've played in top leagues with the Crowbar Swingin Idiots for 3 years, and I was often witness of such behaviors.
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PJ --- ancient IDIOT with a rusty CROWBAR....
but still SWINGING!




Rock2..... JUST SAY NO!!!!!

[Killer KoolAid Man]

hey ten...was mine okay? i dont understand any of this