How does a server really work because I have an idea on how to stop lag but dont know if it will work or not.
server is a big computer out in somecity somewhere. it runs a dedicated server, and thats all it does. people connect to the server. i dont no the mechanics of the connection, but the reason lag occours is because the server has to handle all of the connections of all the players, and keep track of all the non-client stuff in the game, and when theres 2 many players the cpu starts to get overloaded. thats my knowledge of it
By using very low poly models with no skins or texture on the server then convert them into high poly models on your computer so the server doesnt need to do as much work and a high med low poly set this way people with fast computers can enjoy high ploy models and people with slow computers can use the low poly without overloading their computer. Because Im not a program I wasnt sure if it would work or not.
In that case it will be very difficult for you to come up with meaningful suggestions if you don't know the inner workings of Empires server or even what dedicated server is. I suggest leaving the optimizations to those who developped it in the first place.
All the servers do is tell the clients where another client is facing at any particular point, and passes that information onto all other clients. Lag is caused by: 1. Your location to the server. The further you are away, the longer distance the information has to travel from the clients, to the server, and to you; hence lag. 2. Your data line speed. 56k will not be able to handle as much information from the server as a 2MB line would, therefore you get lag if too much information is given to a client because of the bottleneck it creates. 3. Too many clients. Too many clients creates more work for the server to calculate and so more information has to be passed to all clients. This creates a lack of information, hence lag. Your computer only interprets this data, creates a blueprint of the data and tells your graphics card to render it. The models have nothing to do with it I'm afraid. If you want a lag free server, then hook yourself up directly via a crosswire cable to the server and play.
just to clarify, when i was talking about what the server has to do, i meant the calculating the location of the players 'n stuff.
The server acts as a check for example you walk foward, you send packets to the server saying "Im making this way" The server in return says "Ok your walking that way" then sends packets to every other player sayin "Ok he is walking that way" Then if you shoot you send a packet to the server saying "Im shooting this way" The server then checks "Ok there is a guy there *rolls dice* Ok you hit him for +2 Ice Damage" the server then sends the data to all players including you "Look he is shooting that guy" Then all the physics (Like veichles falling and rolling and bumping into eachother, players jumpin, grenades flying, shells flying in a parabola) All this has to be calculated by the server while still sending the information of each object to every player that is connected... So some things that are utterly use less can be moved "Client Side" meaning only on your computer so things like (That flashing thingy, that turret spinning like a maniac, that shiny new model) So the server doesn't have to worry about that leaving more processing power for things stated above...
