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Thread: Network data changes

  1. #1
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    Network data changes

    Well things have been down long enough to start annoying me so I started looking into the recent changes in the data stream processing code.

    After a couple of hours I was able to find the relavant locationas and follow the disassembly enough to see where they added the opcode encryption and work through the bit twisting in the first combined packet pass. I am up to determining how and where the lookup table beyond that point gets filled, which seems like it should be the last step in reacquiring a valid opcode.

    If I was able to get this far in a couple of hours after not looking into the code for half a year, then I have to imagine that a fix is around the corner. Otherwise I will keep poking at it as time permits.

    And in case it is not obvious, anyone who says this was not an attack on SEQ, just a fix for inefficient netcode is so wrong it isn't funny.

  2. #2
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    I of the opinion that the powers that be are just waiting for Verant's patch schedule to settle down before putting out a working fix.

    It struck me funny when after all these years Verant decided to beat their netcode with an Efficency stick...
    "What you've just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things i've ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherant response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you NO points, and may god have mercy on your soul."

  3. #3
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    If true, it is rather sad that SoE would think SEQ sufficiently aggravating that they would totally destroy the operationality of their software to break it. The current system is almost entirely broken. Just as a normal user, I hope that this week's patches fix the HORRIBLE state they currently have the system in. LD's.. crashes on zoning, and MASSIVE lag (with my CPU utilization pegged at 100%) are all current symptoms that I've NEVER had in the past.

    R

  4. #4
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    There are definite theoretical improvements in the design, ie combining small packets together and compression that make sense (these were in place before Jan. 28)

    However running each opcode through a bit scrambler then feeding it through a lookup table just to get back to the old switch statement is not one of them.

    Oh well just makes it more fun to solve. I wonder that VI just doesn't get it yet. The more challenging the change, the more hackers they get to come out of the woodwork and pay attention to it. I suppose they might have one developer whose job it is to work on encryption full time, so for him it's a paycheck

  5. #5
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    Worse lag you say? LD's while zoning? Have you read any other boards?

    There are numerous fixes to your crashing while zoning. I'm suprised you haven't been able to find these.

    The lag issue? Yeah... thats probably something in your network as I've been getting much better ping since the patcha nd definately a lot less packet loss. The only time I go LD is when I need to get a new lease for my IP(a very stupid router...)

    I really do think it was a good patch... even if it did break my good ol' SEQ.
    Usually I post my character here...but uh...yeah...

  6. #6
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    I have two machines that I run EQ on. One works <fairly> well, but when im in a raid with more than 30 people, the amount of CPU time it takes to (i assume) process the packets is totally saturating my CPU (I have a 1GHz P III).

    On my 2nd PC, I'm getting sporadic crashes to desktop when I zone perhaps 60% of the time. Again.. sporadic..

    Bottom line tho? I'm SICK AND TIRED of having to go to web sites, and to look up reasons why a product I'm paying for, and which has been working, keeps breaking of its own accord. SICK SICK SICK.

    R

    (Oh.. and BTW... i'm not using any bizzare UIs)

  7. #7
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    SOE / Lamers

    Can anyone confirm that the dickhead making these changes is one of the old dev's of ShowEQ? I do believe VI hired em awhile back and since then he has been trying to break the product he has a part in design of? Please correct me if I am wrong.

  8. #8
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    True, but from what I recall he was mostly responsible for the UI changes..?
    "What you've just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things i've ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherant response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you NO points, and may god have mercy on your soul."

  9. #9
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    I would also like to say that while i am NOT experiencing the CTD, i do get weird ghosting more so than before. i think since they are combining packets, mobs will do odd things.

    like, when i mez a running mob it will keep running and then poof back about 10 steps. or, i'll pull something and it isn't showing to be following me but its smacking on me. stupid things like that. i say combine some packets, but please don't fuck with movement update packets. people depend on knowing where a mob is to do ANYTHING and when that movement becomes unpredictable and unstable, it makes things suck.

  10. #10
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    I've experienced the same things Fry.
    "What you've just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things i've ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherant response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you NO points, and may god have mercy on your soul."

  11. #11
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    Originally posted by fryfrog
    I would also like to say that while i am NOT experiencing the CTD, i do get weird ghosting more so than before. i think since they are combining packets, mobs will do odd things.

    like, when i mez a running mob it will keep running and then poof back about 10 steps. or, i'll pull something and it isn't showing to be following me but its smacking on me. stupid things like that. i say combine some packets, but please don't fuck with movement update packets. people depend on knowing where a mob is to do ANYTHING and when that movement becomes unpredictable and unstable, it makes things suck.
    Is this movement behaviour or "ghosting" described by any other terms that the search feature can narrow down or become selective too? I see the same behaviour when fear kiting in Skyfire. A mob appears to be walking away and out of range so I chase it to get in range, cast snare and get whacked. I have noticed this in the Grey as well but was thinking it was a warping cabability of the mobs.

    Any other search lingo terms offered to describe this behavior? Warping seems to match the behavior better than ghosting as ghosting suggests residual images- and I was thinking this is a designed in behaviour for EQ.

    Sorry this is NOT an SEQ question / issue but more along EQ behaviour but the comment did stimulate an "oh yeah! Me too" recognition.

  12. #12
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    Yes, what you are describing is mostly normal lag behavior. if a mob is some distance away from you it magnifies that effect. What I've been experiencing since the patch is more pronounced and is occurring more frequently.
    "What you've just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things i've ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherant response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you NO points, and may god have mercy on your soul."

  13. #13
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    I've been getting this alot more since the latest patches as well. Maybe just a coincidence though, who knows

  14. #14
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    there is a difference between ghosting and warping:

    ghosting - when you alter some aspect of the creatures run speed, the server has to update this and report it back to you. in the old system, i assume that this happened fairly quickly but now that packets are combined it seems to happen less quickly. an example of this would be right when you land snare on a mob, it continues running quickly for a very short time (probably less than a second) then ghosts back to where it SHOULD be. as another example, recently my enchanter and my druid gf have been charm duo'ing the stalkers in pon. standing right next to eachother, the druid snare pulls and i can watch the mob running twards us on her screen but it stays at its spawn point on mine. this USED to happen, but only for a brief few seconds. now, i have seen the druid miss pull like 3 or 4 mobs and watched them ALL run into the camp and still not be able to see them on MY screen. it makes it really hard to start mezing things when they don't even show up for a few seconds.

    warping - when you get to far away from a creature that is stuck on something (like a house) it may appear to be jogging in place to YOU but it really IS coming after you and eventually just "appears" in front of you. this happens a lot in velks i know, tag a mob and run up a bunch of the stair things... eventually it just pops on top of you :)

  15. #15
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    Wink

    It struck me funny when after all these years Verant decided to beat their netcode with an Efficency stick...
    Are you saying that SOE Nerfed their net code?

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