Matchmaking... FD hear me out, it is a disaster!

[CptXabaras]

I do love this game, really.

Lately i've been playing in a wing with a fellow Cmdr and i must say that the game got even better, but... Matchmaking is a nightmare!

Winged up on hres, often we couldn't even see the same targets! Up to the point that i could se my wingmate shooting over empty space! same happens in CZ.

Going on a surface settlement to scan datapoints? not even by chance for God sake! continuous matchmaking errors, not even able to see each other. Trying to drop on a planet? Bam! Matchmaking error and back to menu. Upon connection, we have to wait for the server to decide if and when we will be able to chat via comm. A disaster!

As anybody else i'm eager to see new content but, please fix the basis first! What the hell!!!

And we are both playing on Mobius.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

 

[Ydiss]

Rarely, yes. My most recent session with a friend resulted in us happily meeting up on a planet surface (he deployed his wing beacon) and then spending an hour happily following each other around doing stuff, with no issues.

I vaguely recall us having the odd issue where we couldn't connect properly but usually relogging sorted it. And this was ages ago, back when Wings was first released.

 

[Wylie28]

The problem isn't them its one of your routers as instance data is peer to peer. Port forwarding would fix all those issues.

 

[Cosmos]

The server solution is pretty 3rd world and is obviously done on the cheap.. It goes without saying that its way better than I thought it would be because at one point I did fear for it being viable and those networking fellas are obviously doing some magic with what they have.

That all said, server issues and connectivity are such a problem on an on going basis that its detracting from the game and I would also suggest it limits what is possible. It likely all comes down to money at the end of the day..

Frontier have obviously decided the present situ is acceptable even though its not really satisfactory.

And yeah.. Sunday. and server problems.. well we've never seen this before have we? Zzzzz

 

[CptXabaras]

The problem isn't them its one of your routers as instance data is peer to peer. Port forwarding would fix all those issues.

I get that, but yesterday it was working much better, today was a total mess. Before yesterday a little worst than yesterday but better than today. It is kind of Random and actually never working 100%

 

[Jazzy]

Friend and I never once yet met up. Tried open, and many private groups. Funny thing we both see random Cmdr's and still we wing up and all we both ever see is our wing beacon's and never ourselves ending up in same instance(Yes all ports are open etc - it's not 100% fixed with setting your ports etc, Garbage-a-zon servers and the whole way it's designed is well..............)

The P2P system is a joke (I work in IT, Programming for the past 36 years - My kids could of done a better job at the network code) but we are stuck with it now, but I don't see it being any better than it currently is. Amazon servers clunk along, and coupled with matchmaking server DC's and so on, this will always be an issue with Elite, As Cosmos above said server's on the cheap, which lets the games MP down...

Regardless I get to see 90% of my friends online so its not a train wreck, but sure is rather lackluster.

But any back to Elite, warts and all tis a fun game indeed, well worth my 30+ year wait

 

[atomic7431]

I do love this game, really.

Lately i've been playing in a wing with a fellow Cmdr and i must say that the game got even better, but... Matchmaking is a nightmare!

Winged up on hres, often we couldn't even see the same targets! Up to the point that i could se my wingmate shooting over empty space! same happens in CZ.

Going on a surface settlement to scan datapoints? not even by chance for God sake! continuous matchmaking errors, not even able to see each other. Trying to drop on a planet? Bam! Matchmaking error and back to menu. Upon connection, we have to wait for the server to decide if and when we will be able to chat via comm. A disaster!

As anybody else i'm eager to see new content but, please fix the basis first! What the hell!!!

And we are both playing on Mobius.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I get that, but yesterday it was working much better, today was a total mess. Before yesterday a little worst than yesterday but better than today. It is kind of Random and actually never working 100%

o7

This issue of one cmdr seeing something another cant has been around since the alpha days and has never been fixed.
I remember me and a friend in a belt and i was parked inside an asteroid that i couldnt see, but my mate could see the roid with my ship hanging out of it.

The problems are always blamed on the users end and router settings etc, this is the only game i play that has these problems. How are peeps going to defend them selves if they cant see the aggressor attacking them for instance.

I have video footage of the invisible ships my friend was shooting in the res site, which i couldnt see.

That all said playing the game with a fellow cmdr for me really does change the whole experience for the better and im enjoying the game of late.

So please FD look at the networking and instancing again and fix whats needed please.

 

[Comrade Error]

Why does it also seem to be getting worse and worse? Back on Xbox in the Game Preview Program (GPP) we couldn't wing up unless we were in the same system but that was hardly ever a problem because everytime we went to said system we could almost always see eachother, and if not atleast there was like a little tag in the bottom of the screen telling us what server we were on and we kept restarting the game until we got on the same server (which there were only 2-3 of) and it also usually worked but now? Forget about it.

 

[IronAnode]

Only game that doesn't work consistently. Obviously user error.

Nice logic matey!

TLDR the servers are not working correctly and even if they are then there is something obviously wrong for it not work with most normal / casual gamers internet. We don't even have basic things like a ping or connection strength bar so we consistently have to guess whether things will work or not.

Meh.

 

[SatansMittens]

The problem isn't them its one of your routers as instance data is peer to peer. Port forwarding would fix all those issues.

I did this and it helped to a degree. I see more commanders now. But winging up with someone still causes major issues a lot of the time.

 

[Bobbydylan]

The networking of Elite is pretty poor. The game makes all of the sacrifices of making Elite an MP game, (no persistence, no overarching story-line, no way to become famous in the game lore), but doesn't flesh out the multiplayer side of the game (no Guilds, forming a wing is a pain, no shared payment or resources).

The Jack of all trades is the master of none.

 

[Jack Schitt]

Only game that doesn't work consistently. Obviously user error.

Nice logic matey!

TLDR the servers are not working correctly and even if they are then there is something obviously wrong for it not work with most normal / casual gamers internet. We don't even have basic things like a ping or connection strength bar so we consistently have to guess whether things will work or not.

Meh.

Your 'TL;DR' bit is 4.3 times the size of your 'R' bit. :S

 

[Luponator]

The problem isn't them its one of your routers as instance data is peer to peer. Port forwarding would fix all those issues.

Can you please stop posting this fanboi nonsense. It has been proven time and again that the issues are not on the player side. Period. God I'd so minus rep you of the forum would allow.
Sorry this just winds me up!

 

[Toumal]

NAT Traversal is a large part of the problem here.

Another problem is the fact that with every additional peer, everyone in the same instance suffers. And one peer with a bad connection can make everyone's experience terrible. That's why Frontier implemented an "island health" value that determines whether or not you are even allowed to join a particular instance. And that's the other reason why you can't meet up with your friends consistently.

This will be a huge problem by the time multicrew is released. I'm sure FD is aware of this and that they're frantically working on some sort of solution. Ultimately though, they will not be able to circumvent physics and logic. They'll have to either go hybrid P2P/ClientServer or live with the fact that your crewmates drop in and out of your cockpit when you come out of a hyperspace jump.

 

[Luponator]

NAT Traversal is a large part of the problem here.

Another problem is the fact that with every additional peer, everyone in the same instance suffers. And one peer with a bad connection can make everyone's experience terrible. That's why Frontier implemented an "island health" value that determines whether or not you are even allowed to join a particular instance. And that's the other reason why you can't meet up with your friends consistently.

There's probably a one digit percentage of systems connected to the internet without NAT playing ED so I'd say that NAT issues, the UPNP requirement or manual port forwarding are all indication of a poor, cumbersome and really not tested out network design. P2P is pretty poor, no question, but this particular implementation is horrible. Which is disappointing as the network guys at FD seem to know a thing or two judging by their videos.

This will be a huge problem by the time multicrew is released. I'm sure FD is aware of this and that they're frantically working on some sort of solution. Ultimately though, they will not be able to circumvent physics and logic. They'll have to either go hybrid P2P/ClientServer or live with the fact that your crewmates drop in and out of your cockpit when you come out of a hyperspace jump.

Why would FD fix this? We're a year into release with PAID EXPANSIONS available and no significant improvements are made. Heck they can't seem to get their server infrastructure stable at peak, lest alone recode and reinvest into improved multiplayer experiences. Poor design haunts poor designers.

 

[Toumal]

P2P is a perfectly legitimate way of doing things, but everything has strengths and weaknesses. The big problem I have with FD in this regard is that they seem to think that their problems are unique in the industry and no prior experience could help there. I've seen this kind of mindset at other places before and apart from NASA and maybe CERN, they have usually been wrong about that

Also keep in mind that regression is a terrible thing so they are understandably hesitant to make big changes. The risk of breaking stuff that was working before is considerable.

The thing is, they could ignore the problems until now. But now that Multicrew looms, it's not just about "oh I can't see you anymore" - this will be a make or break moment in the history of ED networking. When your crewmates just vanish from your cockpit players will understandably rage at Frontier. And they won't be able to claim that no other game with a procedural galaxy managed to have all crewmates stay together reliably either.

 

[Jex =TE=]

The problems are always blamed on the users end and router settings etc, this is the only game i play that has these problems. How are peeps going to defend them selves if they cant see the aggressor attacking them for instance.

Whilst a lot of issues are with end users, as you rightly stated, how come every other game works fine then? Also remember, FD have stated "They don't make MP games" as if that's some excuse for the mistakes they've made.

 

[atomic7431]

Whilst a lot of issues are with end users, as you rightly stated, how come every other game works fine then? Also remember, FD have stated "They don't make MP games" as if that's some excuse for the mistakes they've made.

did i miss something? what are you talking about, i said fd networking must be an issue due to other games working fine? i said they blame user configs without seeing its their code that doesnt seem to be working as intended?

 

[Sashenka]

The networking of Elite is pretty poor. The game makes all of the sacrifices of making Elite an MP game, (no persistence, no overarching story-line, no way to become famous in the game lore), but doesn't flesh out the multiplayer side of the game (no Guilds, forming a wing is a pain, no shared payment or resources).

The Jack of all trades is the master of none.

And this is the real tragedy, what we could have had, and what we got, boxes in space and seconds long transitions with your ship completely stopped. This is really sad.

Oh well.

 

[CptXabaras]

Heck! Today i was playing solo and had huge delays on mission board loading, delays on OC drop (ship completely stopped waiting to drop out from OC) and adjudication server errors. Yeah, P2P...