DJ_Shecky

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  1. So with the 8th anniversary of CoH and The Cape going on right now, this month will be a Top 8 instead of a top 5. The theme is...

    Top 8 Songs that you like playing City Of Heroes to

    remember, I will be picking lists from this thread and the thread at The Cape Radio's forums for on air play throughout the month.
  2. ITs been interesting reading peoples reasons, from changes made in i13 to the loud minority of jerks.

    Here is my take on it.

    I tried PVP back when the zones were filled. I constantly got ganked within 30 seconds of walking into the zone/out of the hospital. Not fun. So I stopped.

    I decided to try it again a couple years ago, post i13. Ran a monthly PVP night in coordination with my show on The Cape. Started out fantastic. Picked a different show every night. New people who had no PVP'd before got into it. Lots of fun were had. People were not jerks. Builds for PvE worked to an extent, even those who were PVP'd out were not totally invincible. For someone like me who is not a build expert, nor wants to be, it was 1000 times better.

    I stopped again because people lost interest in doing it. I'd get only 2 people out to my shows, and it became less fun with fewer people.

    Now the truth as I see it is

    A) people stopped because of the changes in I13 and were not willing to adjust because they couldn't do things the old way. News flash, the PVE game has changed drastically also, and you have had to adjust in that. Same Difference.

    B) the Jerkish Minority pissed enough people off that PvP has a nasty stigma to it, and thereby people refuse to even give it a chance now. This I can see and understand. Unfortunately with those who would PVP before who are left here to just complain about PVP all it does now it reinforce that thought, even though the people complaining were not part of the jerks. Perception is reality.
  3. Quote:
    This is another example of you totally failing to understand how networks work.
    Just because one node in the network gets swamped with network requests does not mean there is a problem with the game software at either NCSoft's or your end.
    If you were to catch a train from Station A to Station B but someone chops a tree down and that blocks the line at bridge C does not mean the software issuing you with a ticket at Station A has anything to do with you being late for work.
    If you are consistently seeing a problem then try reporting that to the correct people - in this case that would be the network teams responsible for the equipment at both ends of the link showing the problem.
    Certainly the only links I see any packet loss on is Level 3s transatlantic cable and some again with Level 3 within Dallas. Neither of which has anything to do with NCSoft. Also given that there is no reference to any nodes for Alter.net on my connectiion it would definitely indicate that they are external to NCSoft's network.
    While the problem probably is not with NCSoft itself, there could have been an issue with their ISP at the time. This problem could have been a port on a switch in one of their data centers, or a port on a specific router that his path was going through.

    I do know that in the past there have been instances where NCSoft knew there was an issue on their ISPs end after enough of us complained and gave them the information to go back to their ISP with. It took a number of months for NCSoft to convince their ISP to fix the issue and only with the amount of information that we as players were able to give them.

    That being said running a pingplotter, or even trying to get a reverse resolution from the address that NCSoft gave T_Immoralus returns no DNS information at all. Even the normal sites I use to find out ISP and location information did not give me an ISP for that IP, only a geographic location of Atlanta, GA.

    Now can we conclude that there isn't a network issue somewhere, no, but we cannot confirm it. I haven't seen any packet loss on the NCSoft end, but I also watch my own path go through ATT only. It is possible that there is traffic shaping going on (since it is not illegal to do so thanks to no net neutrality rules), yes. Is it possible that either NCSoft's ISP is slowing down t_Immortalus' ISP? Yes. Is it possible the reverse is also true? Yes. Is it possible that there was work being done on those nodes at the time of that particular pingplot check? Yes, and probably the is the most likely answer.
  4. Thanks for the replies on this. I'm not sure what did change graphics wise since I21.5 but I've now got a few things to at least look at. It is just frustrating that I didn't see a mention of graphics upgrades this year and the performance since I21.5 has really suffered.
  5. I have been slowly trying to pinpoint some oddness since I21.5 with CoH and my PC. Although other peopel I know have had lag and freezing issues, I figured since I am a network engineer by trade I could focus on throughput on my own machine first.

    Last night I started running Process Explorer while I was in game, and had it open on my second monitor. Now, we all have known for years that CoH will use over 1.5 GB of memory (more when the memory holes get real bad) and is a memory hog. What surprised me was standing in an unpopulated area of Atlas Park, my CPU was averaging 85-90% usage by CoH. That seems to be a bit high for standing around not doing anything but idling (I was doing my weekly show on the cape. DJ software is on a different machine completely).

    Now I know that I have an older machine which is only a Dual Core AMD 4200+ but that still seems awfully high. I was curious if anyone else had noticed this.

    I'll update this thread with more info as I continue my digging, especially since I hadn't looked at DLL and Handles open through Process Explorer yet.
  6. DJ_Shecky

    April Top 5

    So for April I want to know what your Top 5 novelty songs are. Think of stuff you might here on Dr. Demento.

    For mine, I chose:

    Stan Freberg - Elderly Man River
    Kip Addota - Wet Dream
    Lemon Demon - Ultimate Showdown
    The Great Luke Ski - MC Freberg
    Robert Lund - I got <something> from Darth Vader
  7. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn View Post
    This gets suggested every once in a while. The main problems with this is that 1) How do you guarantee that you'll figure out how to fix bugs in a timely manner, and 2) Do you maintain your player population if they don't get anything new for 6 months to a year.

    Also, which bugs do you want fixed? What code do you want optimized? Why should the Devs not fix bugs while also creating new content?
    Considering I know of a bunch of people who have been long time players who are sick of the bugs, getting overly frustrated with Lag, and possibly new minimum hardware requirements that we are never informed of directly, you are not going to maintain player population anyway. you now get a spike when new content comes out and then it drops off to a certain level. The game for a great many is more about community at this point, friends they have made etc...

    the code itself needs to be optimized. The performance degrading on my machine has increased expoentionally over the last few issues, to the point where I not only have to turn off Ultramode, but still see lag, rubberbanding, and game freezing even in modes which had always run properly on my machine, and I am not the only one that has been experiencing this.

    The game has a memory leak, which needs to be addressed.

    There are a bunch of things, and I'm not even talking about the problem with the in-game e-mail system where you have to open message to jsut be able to read the whole thing, where you can't scroll on the individual e-mails in the preveiw anymore.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lothic View Post
    As a software engineer with many years of professional experience I always have to smirk a little every time I see this kind of thing suggested in any context.

    I understand the relatively naive desire behind the suggestion and in a perfect world it would be nice if it could work like that. Unfortunately in reality there will never be time when the Devs of a MMO will ever sit back and say "let's do nothing but bug hunt". The reason for that is very simple: there is no such thing as "bug-free" when it comes to applications of this size. You could have 100 programmers working on this code for 100 years and you still wouldn't eliminate every significant bug in the system.

    Most people seem to think that software companies should only release software that is "done" or "bug-free". This is a collective pipe-dream. In reality software is always released when its "close" enough. It's always a tradeoff between schedules and finding enough of the bigger bugs to make it work most of the time for most of the users. There is no such thing as software perfection. If any Devs waited to release things only when they were "bug-free" then they would never get around to releasing anything.

    So no, there will -never- be a time where the Devs of this game will put new development on hold to focus 100% on bugs. There are so many reasons why that will never happen that it literally amazes me that this idea keeps coming up over and over again.
    I don't expect this to be Bug-free, nor did I say bug free in my initial post, but let them have a 4 month period to just go on a bug hunt and fix what they can instead of trying to fix while putting out new content.

    As a Network engineer, When designing or upgrading networks, I do things one step at a time. Every programmer I know (including myself back in the days of my coding) knows that the more you layer, the more bugs there are, and the more you add on before looking for bugs, the worse it is finding them.

    I watch the Beta boards, and while there are people out there who do bug hunt, there are more that don't and use the beta as a way of getting a sneak peak at new content. Also I have seen issues brought up in beta in the past that raised a lot of concern but were never addressed, and then created problems at launch or shortly thereafter.

    I don't expect miracles, but having a 3-4 month cycle with no new content, just to go through, optimize and fix what can be so the game runs smoother and is more able to accept new content easier is something that while a pipe dream, would be beneficial to the game as a whole.

    You are right, they won't. but it NEVER HURTS TO ASK! This is a suggestion board and to tell someone something like this is stupid to ask, well you just are of no help to the game or to anyone in an instance like that.
  8. DJ_Shecky

    CoH IMs?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by T_Immortalus View Post
    I would like that.

    I just don't want the reverse where somebody in game can and does start begging you to play, spamming your email inbox or whatever. And, I certainly do not want my personal information going anywhere but NCSoft/Paragon Studios.

    Cool, then I am sorry if I missunderstood what you were saying. sometimes getting old you misread things.
  9. To push back an issue to do a full code bug hunt. Wipe out bugs and optimize the current code before going on to the next issue and powerset development.
  10. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hyperstrike View Post
    An entire team might still be "drivers" and stuff and a really bad confluence.

    When an entire 16-24 man league *crashes*, it strains credulity that it could "just" be 16-24 people, all with a bad driver/system confluence that just HAPPENED to all conk simultaneously.

    Blowing up EVERYONE in Talos Island when summoning Adamastor.

    Yeahno.

    The game has been extra-special flaky since i22 with a couple things creeping in even after that last big patch.

    HOPEFULLY the next patch or two will stabilize some of this bad behavior.
    I doubt it. As much as I like the Devs and appreciate all they do and how hard they work, they seem to be on a mandate to worry only about putting out new content.

    when one keeps putting out new content on top of new content, without fixing issues, what happens is it becomes more difficult to find where the root cause of problems are. Right now, I've noticed performance problems since I21.5. and while I expect some issues since I have an older machine that still runs very well, the issues are beyond what I would consider acceptable. at I21 I had no problem running the game at a very high graphics level with no problems. Now I've dropped almost all of ultra mode and down below what I used to use on normal mode just to try and mitigate rubberbanding and freezing. Has it worked? Not really.

    Why, do you all ask, don't I post my DX Diag, Hijack this etc, in a post here? Because, I am a network engineer and consultant for a living. I have a bunch of software on my machine that I use for work, and that has been there for years which will I will be told by the gurus in this community to remove from my machine, and I know this because I did post that stuff a number of years ago.

    Truth be told we need at least 1 issues that is nothing but bug fixes. I've been asking for this for a long time, and it should be done 1 at least year at minimum. Will it, no because that doesn't bring in numbers. But it would keep people around longer and make the game more enjoyable.
  11. DJ_Shecky

    CoH IMs?

    first off, there are already plenty of ways to integrate CoH into social media. I've seen enough X character hit X level or got X badge crap.

    I on the other hand have been wanting a lite chat client for out of game. Mostly so I can chat in global channels on my phone or any time I am out of game, say working from home, out waiting for a plane at an airport, etc... I think such a thing fosters community.

    Of course, there will always be people who think its bad, well then don't use it. Sorry, but I am not getting every person in a massive global channel on my IM list. That is just asking for stalking problems or worse.

    Yes they need to focus on what they do well, which isn't take care of the game and bugs that have been around for years *cough*in game e-mail system doesn't scroll*cough* just as an example, and I know there are other bugs that people want fixed. Heck, they can't even write a new zone *cough*First Ward*Cough* without making things extremely difficult for teams on some missions *cough*Diabolique memory mission*cough*. That said, they try to do their best.

    Overall what keeps people in a MMO according to studies, is the community. Look at the M&Gs. Heck if you think they shouldn't do anything out of game then ask them to stop doing their summit.

    That being said, there are other things they could do yeah, but this is really just setting up something with an api call that could get some good use.
  12. ((Welcome back Sorah! and man has your art gotten awesome! Looks like the last few years have really refined a good style!))
  13. Captian Asphalt (Stone/Stone Tank) finally hit 50 after 5 years of playing him off and on.
  14. And we have Hotel information for those that want to come from out of town. I want to that @wyldnytes (DJ Amethyst) for getting these room blocks!

    I have secured rooms with the Holiday Inn Express, and the La Quinta again this year for CapeCon. Please see below for reservation information.


    Holiday Inn Express – Chicago, IL

    This is the direct link for this group, please forward & share the direct link to the reservation web site.

    When entering room reservation information please only enter arrival date & departure date of your stay then it will prompt room type available

    If you or your attendees wish to extend your stay outside of these dates, you will need to book a separate reservation on the web site or contact us directly at Holiday Inn O’Hare 773-693-5800. Please advise your guests to make their reservations as soon as possible. The discounted rate of $110 + tax will be valid as long as we have the rooms available, up to and including 06/18/12.


    La Quinta – Bannockburn, IL

    Thank you for choosing the La Quinta - Bannockburn/Deerfield for your group’s upcoming lodging needs. We are committed to providing your group with a great experience while staying with us.

    Your group will enjoy these great amenities and services:

     FREE Bright Side Breakfast®
     FREE high-speed internet access
     FREE local calls
     In-room hair dryer, coffee maker, iron and full-size ironing board

    Confirmation Code: 7001GRADDE

    Room Type: 2 Beds/Sleeps 4
    Arrival Date: 7/18/2012
    Departure Date: 7/23/2012

    7/18 & 7/19: 1 - 2 Person Rate: $112.50 3 - 4 Person Rate: $121.50
    7/20 & 7/21: 1 - 2 Person Rate: $84.55 3 - 4 Person Rate: $94.05
    7/22: 1 - 2 Person Rate: $103.50 3 - 4 Person Rate: $112.50

    Reservation Details:
     Each guest will be responsible for making their own reservations. Please direct them to call 1-866-527-1498 no later than 6/27/2012. Please ask your travelers to refer to your group’s confirmation code.

     After 6/27/2012, we will release any remaining rooms in your group block and return those unreserved rooms back to hotel inventory for sale to the general public.

    Payment Details:
     Each individual guest will be responsible for all charges incurred, including room rate, taxes, and any incidental charges incurred.
  15. Wow, if someone is so desperate to be #1 that they buy the spot basically, then just don't count them as #1. If your group is good enough then people will join it regardless. To get into a prestige/inf war is jsut silly and could make the game/your group not as much fun.
  16. There is an IRC server where people can chat while out of game

    Web client for it is: http://irc.crimson.net/client/

    Or if you have an IRC client (And Droid does if you download it) just use irc.crimson.net for the server

    The Channel to join is #Virtue

    Yeah it can be quiet in there at times, but can also be quite talkative.

    Rules for it are posted here: http://irc.crimson.net

    Come join the madness!
  17. DJ_Shecky

    March Top 5

    To keep in forum rules, I am not posting the theme for March's Top 5 songs here, but you can find the info at http://www.thecaperadio.com/forum/vi...p?f=32&t=10162

    It is a theme that fits St. Patty's day. (Mmmmmm.... Beer).

    So what are your top 5 songs about this subject? *hic*
  18. So that means that we are doing



    Live DJ's, TF's and other teams running, and madness prevails. What DJs are going to be coherent, and which are going to be slap happy from lack of sleep? Tune in to find out!
  19. I'll be at Gencon again, and as long as I don't have a game at the time, I will be at the M&G.
  20. Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon View Post
    If we go with bootlegs and live video performances too:

    Rammstein - Pet Sematary
    David Bowie & David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb
    The Blues Brothers - Soul Man
    They Might Be Giants - Why Does The Sun Shine?
    Luciano Pavarotti & Brian May - Too Much Love Will Kill You
    All depends on what stuff I have, and what stuff I can get, but I won't count anything out until I try to get it.
  21. Hmmm.. Some really good Lists here. I'm gonna have a tough choice between here and The Cape forums for this weeks show.

    I do try to put the set about midway through the show itself.
  22. Thanks to an idea presented by Straenge, I am doing a Top 5 segement every week. There is a catch though. One week it is my pick, and then the rest of the month I want other peoples top 5 for the same topic. What I am doing is starting a thread over on The Cape forums but I will check the monthly thread here also. Just post your Top 5 songs.

    This Month's theme is Live Tracks
  23. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Brillig View Post
    I sent the file to Kaspersky and they confirmed it was a false positive, they say they'll fix it in the next DB update.

    Excellent. good to know. that was going to be my next step. I was already used to it ******** about the main CoH program being a keylogger.
  24. Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarkGob View Post
    AVG and Ad-Aware say it's fine. Since the forum isn't currently flooded with questions/angry posts about this, I think it's reasonably safe to assume that it's just you.

    I thought it might be a false positive, but Kapersky doesn't give me many of those and I did a google search on it which showed someone on the lineage II forums who had the same thing hit them today.

    I'm keeping an eye on it.