Engine: Fixing lag with "Chunk Download Rate"

Devlog
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The Chunk Download Rate option limits the number of chunks the game will attempt to download from the server. If the client attempts to download more chunks than your connection bandwidth can support then the game may start to lag. This will often happen when you’re in areas that contain many portals.

The Chunk Cache Size (in MB) option limits the size of the chunks cached locally. The more chunks the client can cache the less chunks it will need to re-download from the server when entering worlds, or opening portals to worlds, you’ve already visited.

To make sure you have a smooth experience:

  1. Set the Chunk Cache Size as high as possible.

  2. Set the Chunk Download Rate to not saturate your connection.

–tl;dr–

The debugging information includes, something like:

Chunk data received: 20.00/s 3.00Mb/s Peak 7.00Mb/s Rate Limit 30

If the number received (20.00/s) is consistently lower than the Rate Limit (30/s) then it’s likely you should reduce the Chunk Download Rate.

If you’re experiencing lag then we want to know about it. But we need to see a screen shot of the debugging information to help diagnose what is happening.

Please post screen shots including the debug information below when you experience lag in the game.

There are more details about this issue here:

15 Likes
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I experience lag most of the time. If my internet connection is doing anything else(downloading an update, watching netflix) the lag is so bad that the game becomes unplayable. I have a 5 mbps internet connection.

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Recommended is 8mb/s so you have less than the recommended (cant quite remember the minimum)

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If you have a 5 mbps connection then please set “Chunk Download Rate” to Medium. (You currently have this set to High.) Please let me know what effect this has.

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lagging last night

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And today to.

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When you say lagging, do you mean that you were experiencing a bad frame rate? Both these images show you running at 14 / 15 fps. Or were you getting network latency or lag or rubber banding?

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Rubber banding

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But you were not getting the slow network message on your screen?

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It’s the effect when you mooved your mouse to look right and it keeps rubber banding back to the left or visa versa.

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Did you see the same issue far from portals? The text on the bottom right is the list and look like you had 3 connected which may well be too many. At the moment clusters of portals do drag down the frame rate too much (“portal lag” as some of the users dubbed it).

1 Like
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I just have one portal connected to my place on elopor. On the other side (berlyn) there are 3 portals. But it has always been this way.

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@michaelb, is there a difference in performance between same planet portals and off planet portals? I’m also wondering about server to server portals vs same server portals, and portal size differences.

Some of your techie jargon would be appreciated.

1 Like
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Things will change as we optimise them so I wouldn’t avoid doing what you want. At the moment portals in the same world will be a bit cheaper as they share the connection. If they are sufficiently close to each other then they become a lot cheaper, as you only get sent update for entities in overlapping areas once (eg a creature) and the things to update ( eg the creature animation) only need to be done once. So each unique world area cost but cost do vary, eg some built up areas are markedly more expensive currently.

2 Likes
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Had it bad today!!

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I

15

I’m having really bad rubberbanding the last couple of days.
Yesterday I even got stuck in the ground and died.

The banding/lag mostly happens at primetime (EU).
Maybe the servers can’t handle the growing amount of online players?

I’m on a 300Mbit connection with Chunks at max.

16

When you say you have your Chunks at max … which setting do you mean?

If you’re experiencing rubber banding, you should try lowering option 2 to see if that helps

17

The server were restarted so that should help. There is a bug Therka showed up.

3 Likes
18

Having a 300Mbit connection I did set both to the maximum.
Never had any lagging with those settings until a couple of days ago.
More players are reporting lag so i thought maybe it’s something with the server.

I wil try lowering the Download Rate.

19

Server restart fixed the lag.
All is good :slight_smile:

1 Like
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How do you enter this debug mode? I type . while in normal play mode and nothing happens. My keyboard is German layout in case that makes a difference …?