client side bar swap ?

Navaac223 · January 12

It seems bar swapping is server sided so, if you have 500 ping, you will have to wait half a second to bar swap. This is a real problem in pvp, where battles often get laggy and all your heals are on your back bar. I'm not sure I understand everything about it but I think it could be good to make it client sided : no delay when bar swapping so you can cast a heal instead of waiting for half a second. It would probably also slightly reduce stress on the server. The only problem I can see with doing that would be that some players could bypass the slight cooldown there is when bar swapping, allowing them to do stuff like being permanently on their back bar and quickly swapping to the front bar to attack and then go back to the back bar, but even then it should be possible to detect things like that. What do you think ? Is there a reason to keep bar swapping server sided that I'm not seeing ? Is bar swapping already client sided ?

fred4 · January 13

Well, it would change the game. Bar swapping is currently one of the ways of animation cancelling. I'm pretty sure dodge rolling and blocking are independent. You can bar swap simultaneously while doing those things. I'm not sure you can bash during a bar swap, though, nor am I sure exactly how bar swaps affect light attacks. I generally go light attack -> skill -> bar swap, as that seems the most reliable. I have heard that skill -> light attack -> bar swap is possible, though I suspect that may involve relaxed timing, e.g. you need to bar swap fractionally later to get the light attack in.

Anyhow, point is, whatever the exact rules are, the server can enforce them consistently, if the server is doing the work. You can currently compress a skill, a light attack, and a bash into a single GCD. If you let the client handle stuff like this, I wouldn't be surprised if some PvPer discoveres new burst combos involving a skill and light attacks from both bars, and enchants from both bars, all proccing within less than 0.7s, e.g. within a tighter time window than currently possible. At least that would be the risk.

I can't conclusively see that this will be a problem, but generally client-side authority is really bad in an MMO. Have you noticed, for example, that you cannot (activate) sprint during a server disconnect, e.g. during lag. I mention this, because it's a much easier example to wrap your head around. If sprinting was client-side, the server could no longer reliably lock out your skills while sprinting. It might also need to take the client's word on your coordinates, more than it does now. I suspect some of that, a small doese of it, already happens, otherwise you wouldn't get smooth movement. You might get more rubber banding otherwise. I just don't know where the balance is for a reliable game. My instinct is, you want to be tight with this stuff. Combat mechs are processed server side for a reason, e.g. to curb exploits.

I find the game playable with ~200ms ping, if it's consistent and it's Internet ping, even in PvP (just about). Playing on PC NA from EU, this is what you get on a good day. With 500 ping, though, I don't think competitive PvP is viable one way or the other.

MincMincMinc · January 13

If you have 500 ping consistently there is a problem. I know people in Aus, vietnam, and the UK playing on PCNA with 200-250ping.

Thumbless_Bot · January 13

You may already know this. But hopefully helps someone. Do not use wireless to connect to your router. Use a solid network cable if at all possible. This helped me immensely with latency.