Beholders and Lag

[WestiesMA]

Has anyone else experienced significant lag when fighting beholders, specifically when being negative leveled? If so, how do I prevent this? If it is not preventable, can we please FIX THIS? Please?

I understand that lag is a big issue and needs to be addressed - I am asking that maybe we start with something specific and then work on from there.

Oh and yes, I have a recent updated gaming rig, a wired internet connection to a 50 Mbps Down/ 5 Mbps Up cable modem connection, and upgraded drivers.

[SiliconScout]

Sorry but my guess is that you are pooched there. It's most likely the standard (and nasty) UMD lag bug.

[WestiesMA]

Sorry but my guess is that you are pooched there. It's most likely the standard (and nasty) UMD lag bug.

Not sure what you mean about a standard UMD lag bug? I have been playing since beta, and I don't recall seeing any notes about lag in the UMD description.

[Charononus]

It's been around quite a while, anything that changes your umd score can cause the client to lag as it recalculates your umd and checks to see if you can use every piece of gear. Neg leveling, fear, and most debuffs can cause it. If your lag when fighting beholders happens after you are neged it's umd lag and I'd recommend a plis to prevent the negs and stop the lag. Also if you know a beholder is coming up in the quest don't cast gh on yourself as it's removal may cause lag as well.

[WestiesMA]

It's been around quite a while, anything that changes your umd score can cause the client to lag as it recalculates your umd and checks to see if you can use every piece of gear. Neg leveling, fear, and most debuffs can cause it. If your lag when fighting beholders happens after you are neged it's umd lag and I'd recommend a plis to prevent the negs and stop the lag. Also if you know a beholder is coming up in the quest don't cast gh on yourself as it's removal may cause lag as well.

Thanks for the explanation, but instead of me doing all those things maybe Turbine should just FIX IT?

[Charononus]

It's been around for years now, I think I'd have a heart attack if it got fixed.

[Missing_Minds]

Thanks for the explanation, but instead of me doing all those things maybe Turbine should just FIX IT?

Fixing it requires apparently a pretty hefty back end change, of which they said they are working on. I think they want to get the change out with 17 if possible but we'll see.

[Syrrah]

The UMD-lag was introduced when U14 went live.

Turbine has acknowledged the problem and changed for example the Glitter of Fame ability of the Fatesinger ED because of it (originally the +1 bonus to charisma was removed when health dropped below 10%, which was of course a death sentence due to the UMD-lag this drop caused).

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to avoid it. Everything that in- or decreases UMD in any way triggers the lag. Multiple causes of such changes fired quickly after another can literally freeze your client for 5 seconds or more.

Why, even 2 days ago I head a near death experience in heroic elite Fathom the Depths: 2 enemies cast Crushing Despair, Prayer (debuff) and Fear. In the 9 (!) seconds that my screen was frozen, 3 fishies managed to take away over 200hp of my Arti. My mistake, I hadn't restarted for 2 hours.

However, there are 2 easy fixes to mitigate the lag:

1. Don't invest in UMD. The lag appears to be far worse for toons with high UMD and negligible for those without UMD.

2. Restart your client often. The lag is slightly worse when logged in for an extended period of time. I generally Alt+F4 and restart every 3 quests on a toon with >20 UMD.

[Nospheratus]

I think they want to get the change out with 17 if possible but we'll see.

Is this just a random thought, or was there a comment from a dev regarding the issue in U17?

[Missing_Minds]

Is this just a random thought, or was there a comment from a dev regarding the issue in U17?

I don't recall seeing any yet in relation to 17, but I could very well be wrong. Last I remember was back in... 15? Maybe 16, that Eladrin stated that he had a dev working on it.

[myliftkk]

Easier fix, don't get negative leveled.

More seriously, if you're capped and have the Shadowdancer ED completed, simply switch to it, take the Sealed Soul feat, and go rock out the beholder quests like a champ.

I see lag on my lesser powerful rigs even on toons with 0 UMD, almost always when the number of immediately visual graphic effects starts hits a certain level.

[oweieie]

The UMD-lag was introduced when U14 went live.

No. The previous posters were correct, this pre-dates U14.

Having less UMD required items (wands, scrolls etc.) apparently helps reduce the problem somewhat.

[Hendrik]

Has anyone else experienced significant lag when fighting beholders, specifically when being negative leveled? If so, how do I prevent this? If it is not preventable, can we please FIX THIS? Please?

I understand that lag is a big issue and needs to be addressed - I am asking that maybe we start with something specific and then work on from there.

Oh and yes, I have a recent updated gaming rig, a wired internet connection to a 50 Mbps Down/ 5 Mbps Up cable modem connection, and upgraded drivers.

Are you playing a UMD character at the time?

If so, then the lag would be from all those UMD checks being re-calc's upon neg level. From experience, this is the only time I see lag from beholders and neg level.

[bringjoy]

Hmmm, so is this UMD lag bug the reason that casting GH on myself takes so long? I've always wondered why it is that particular spell has a hitch to it when cast.

I use a G110 keyboard and I program my string of caster buffs into a G key, and I always have to allow extra time for the GH to hitch or risk losing the next buff in the string.

[Missing_Minds]

Are you playing a UMD character at the time?

If so, then the lag would be from all those UMD checks being re-calc's upon neg level. From experience, this is the only time I see lag from beholders and neg level.

Just as well, when you suck a large amounts of negative levels at once, you'll still hitch as the game recalculates what you are now "stat'ed" as it were. I'm pretty certain the game resends the data per negative level, not "your new stats are this."

[voodoogroves]

Easier fix, don't get negative leveled.

If that were the only cause ...

Swapping to your voice of the master
Other gear swaps
Buffs expiring (hero/GH, bard songs, prayer, etc.)
Going into a PM form that boosts CHA
Disjunction balls
Anti-magic rays
Any spells with a debuff (prayer, crushing despair, fear / even shaken, the stinky mess in Siegebreaker)


It wasn't introduced in U14, but it did get changed somehow.

I suspect it has less to do with having UMD, more to do with the amount of things in your inventory that require a UMD check and execute that logic.

[voodoogroves]

Hmmm, so is this UMD lag bug the reason that casting GH on myself takes so long? I've always wondered why it is that particular spell has a hitch to it when cast.

I use a G110 keyboard and I program my string of caster buffs into a G key, and I always have to allow extra time for the GH to hitch or risk losing the next buff in the string.

Yes.

Note how your character performs when hitting the +2 shrines on your boat. Int, fine. Str, fine. Cha, pause / delay.

I was doing some ED farming yesterday and didn't want to re-log, but every time I zoned into the quest, the GH and Lich form were painful. Thankfully, the Miller's didn't mind.

[oweieie]

If so, then the lag would be from all those UMD checks being re-calc's upon neg level.

Just to be clear, my computer can calculate the path of a thousand points of light bouncing off a hundred upturned faces and through the two hundred tracks of tears and show me the suffering of the DDO players at 120 frames per second. It's not the comparing of two numbers that is the umd recalc that is causing the lag, it's the horrible code.

[Hendrik]

Just to be clear, my computer can calculate the path of a thousand points of light bouncing off a hundred upturned faces and through the two hundred tracks of tears and show me the suffering of the DDO players at 120 frames per second. It's not the comparing of two numbers that is the umd recalc that is causing the lag, it's the horrible code.

Is that your professional opinoin from your armchair?

[DarkForte]

Just to be clear, my computer can calculate the path of a thousand points of light bouncing off a hundred upturned faces and through the two hundred tracks of tears and show me the suffering of the DDO players at 120 frames per second. It's not the comparing of two numbers that is the umd recalc that is causing the lag, it's the horrible code.

It's the horrible code that's used to recalculate umd. We're all right in a way.