The Whole Lag Issue - Some Random Thoughts
TL:DR at the end
Disclaimer: This is not particularly in reply to you Nub but just a few thoughts or perhaps misconceptions I have on this matter. More than happy for folks to clean up any misconceptions as they see fit. Also acknowledge some folks are having a very difficult time with lag. This is not meant as a denial of these experiences.
Trouble with the whole lag issue is only an active few (perhaps less than 200 globally it seems afters years reading and contributing to the discussion) have the tenacity to lobby, I mean really lobby, for change. Some of these die hards adopt a vitriolic stance and so weaken their case. Few give credence to the views of the petulant so to speak. Those remaining are unlikely be enough to effect change given the huge player population that simply buys the game, has a bit of a dabble and move to the next game. More than happy for a 3arc person to jump on and correct this view. But my sense its its a realistic view and I'm neither condoning nor criticising.
Me, I understand that console based FPSs as a genre have NO magic bullet solution to deal with continuously variable player connection quality over the Internet. This network environment is just too random. If I want a great FPS experience I play LAN its a controlled closed environment.
I have lagged in all CoDs (even the hallowed CoD 4), all Halos, all Borderlands, all GoW etc and on all systems (yep own em all) played over the Internet. Guarenteed, I will have a great game today on BO2 stick in Halo 4 and lag like a biotch and vis versa. "Interwebz is random" what can I say.
In short its niave to expect LAN quality FPS play over the Internet. The fact I get the odd game of BO2, or any FPS for that matter, that approaches LAN play quality is a credit to the DEVS. It quite amazes me.
Thus, the best can do is make sure my end is good and provide as much constructive feedback to the DEVs via Support and Twitter (forums are NOT an effective channel) as possible. I do this in the hope they will write code that tries to match me with like quality connections and progressively block crappy hosts (you know, the ones that look good in the pre game lobby but turn to crap mid game cos they jitter n drop due to any one of a thousand unpredictable events).
As stated, BO2 (and all FPS) lag for me every game, but most games are good enough and I manage residual lag with play tactics mostly based around controlling my gun fights. This has worked for me since I started playing console based FPS.
If lag is worse than my normal game, I play defensively, turm aim assist on and use it to help me aim at his hit box. I want hit markers and a kill after all . This took a full year to get right across MW2 and BO and has served me well since (To Nub: yes mate old gallp can perceive less then 600ms he ain't that old yet 
)
My view, if any game is unplayable I turn it off and return it and get a refund if possible. However, it is noteworthy it recall, Jan is ALWAYS a crappy laggy month for Nov release FPS. This is due to the influx of crappy connection Xmas noobs who get host. Fortunately, most FPS have host block features these days and it only takes a about month for the code to winnow the wheat from the chaffe and its back to normal by Feb. BO2 and Halo 4 are both lagging at the moment due to this effect. So Jan is my non FPS month that's why I'm playing Skyrim and getting it of my pile off shame.
In any event if any FPS s laggy to the point of unplayability I put it on the shelf, for good. I came very close with MW3....but that's a whole different story.
TL:DR - want no lag play LAN.
cheers
gallp
96 posts since 
