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Halo MCC dedicated servers: Where art thou??

Leyasu

Banned
So where exactly are they? One of the reasons that I stuck with the xbone was the mouthwatering prospect of playing halo on dedicated servers. But more than one month after the release of the halo mcc ( a game where dedicated servers have been touted since the reveal), and over 250 games (well that it was my service record says), I have seen the pop-up message twice! Yes I know that there are other problems with the matchmaking. But for me at least, I feel that this huge problem is not getting discussed enough. Instead of playing on dedicated servers, almost every fucking game is p2p hosted in the US… I don’t have any problems playing against my American cousins, Just that I would never knowingly join a game hosted there! It is frustrating having halo stick me in games hosted out of region every fucking time. I can understand that they wanted to give us that “authentic halo experience”, but this is too much.


One of our resident 343 (Stinkles) workers did say just after release in November, and just after people began questioning the “host migration” message. That they do have dedicated servers (with a p2p fallback), and that connecting to them depended on certain factors (I can’t link the post because I am on my tablet). For me the two most important factors mentioned were “proximity to datacenter” and the “ping”. I was unable to post at the time, so I couldn’t ask what datacenters they were using? And what was the ping threshold needed to connect to said datacenters? But seeing as the person was able to tell us that, I think that it is safe to assume that this person would still be able to answer the above questions no?


So with the above in mind, let us now look at another game that DOES run on Azure, Titanfall. The reason I would like to talk about this game is because we know when booting up the game what datacenter we will play on and the ping. Not only that, Titanfall does not, and has never needed a p2p fallback. Titanfall for me is now the benchmark for which other on-line shooters are now measured. Choosing the datacenter AND having dedicated servers for custom games is just too good….. Now compare that to the Halo MCC which also has the Azure network at it’s disposal.


So I would like to know how many of you are seeing the “connecting to dedicated server “ message, and how often. I would also like the people who played titanfall to list what datacenter they play/played on, and what is/was their ping.. Why? So perhaps we can/might get an idea of what datacenters they are using…. If any!!


Something like this

Titanfall datacenter: Western Europe

Titanfall ping: 47ms

Halo: twice played on dedicated servers out of 250 matches.


Ok 47ms ping is not perfect. But it is enough to give me five bars, no lag, no kill trading, no getting killed around corners and probably the best on-line experience to date…. Not once have I felt cheated. Halo on the other hand is a complete mess. Full battle rifle clips doing nothing, melees not working, unkillable players, dying after two or three bursts etc etc… You all know the problems with this catastrophe. Perhaps it would also help alleviate some of the horrid netcode problems if we were playing on servers that we are pinging as low as possible..?


I hope that I am not alone in wanting to get some clear information as to what is happening, and some clarification on the points above that I noted. Other problems are sort of acknowledged, but this issue is completely absent from any bulletins wrote by 343. I now think that it is time to start talking about it. Also, if they plan on implementing something that is going to allow us to play on the servers in our regions? One of the games when the gods smiled on me and I did connect to a dedicated server, it was most definitely NOT in my region… Which was disappointing!


I am beginning to think that dedicated servers are going to be quietly forgotten for this abortion. And that one of the patches is going to remove the “connecting to dedicated server” AND the “migrating host” pop-ups, to try and mask what hosting solution is being used.


I am also starting to think that no fucks will be given, and that they are just going to throw halo 5 out the door running p2p as well. We will see during the beta I suppose… It is also worth noting that Titanfalls beta ran 100% on dedicated servers without problem! Should we take bets on this?? lol
 
Add this to the long list of questions 343 hasn't answered.

-when is matchmaking going to work?
-when will ranks be implemented?
-when will X playlist come back (halo 1, 4, skirmish, doubles, etc)
-when will campaign saves work?
-what the hell are we getting for having to wait over a month for a working game?
-whens the next patch? what is it focusing on?

usually the answer is "when matchmaking is fixed" or "soon". but those are kinda awful answers.

theres more for sure. they seem to really be working hard but the communication with the fanbase is almost non existent right now.

343 needs to take lessons from blizzard on how to handle these kind of issues.
 
I thought the game was using dedicated servers and the P2P stuff was just a fallback while the servers are down? Isn't that what Frankie said?
 

zlatko

Banned
Just forget it. At this point your copy of MCC is nothing but a Halo 5 beta voucher.

Pray those 3 weeks can redeem them with a solid beta, and if so, then we can be less hesitant of the MP side of things for Halo 5. Otherwise....bail out.gif
 
Dedicated servers are one of those things that will be quietly forgotten about. I have had too many games with lag issues for them to be persistent.

I personally won't be getting Halo 5 based on the utter disgrace 343 have brought upon themselves.

If they somehow manage to redeem MCC before January maybe but I bet they will all clock off for a nice long holiday period and forget about the disaster of a game they released.
 

OneUh8

Member
Someone told me MS had the best online experience. Somehow their #1 franchise still doesn't fully work today. The media was nailing Driveclub for issues, yet I do not see much fuss from media about MCC. Is it just me?
 
Someone told me MS had the best online experience. Somehow their #1 franchise still doesn't fully work today. The media was nailing Driveclub for issues, yet I do not see much fuss from media about MCC. Is it just me?

yes, its just you. people are pissed. review outlets lowered review scores. articles like "Halo MCC still not working" all over.
 

zlatko

Banned
Dedicated servers are one of those things that will be quietly forgotten about. I have had too many games with lag issues for them to be persistent.

I personally won't be getting Halo 5 based on the utter disgrace 343 have brought upon themselves.

If they somehow manage to redeem MCC before January maybe but I bet they will all clock off for a nice long holiday period and forget about the disaster of a game they released.

They can't. Halo 5 beta launches December 29th. They are basically in crunch mode over there if I had to guess.

I'm not a developer, but it just seems ridiculous that they went gold with a product like this. They HAD to have known. If they didn't...they need to fire every QA person if none of this came up in QA.
 

mcrommert

Banned
My feeling is that they have that as a secondary issue when matchmaking doesn't work

So it will be dealt with after matchmaking is working
 
They can't. Halo 5 beta launches December 29th. They are basically in crunch mode over there if I had to guess.

I'm not a developer, but it just seems ridiculous that they went gold with a product like this. They HAD to have known. If they didn't...they need to fire every QA person if none of this came up in QA.

I bet it all came up. I bet the massive marketing push also was finalized 6 months ago. Management at 343 needs to be taken to task, or MS for allowing the game to be released like this.

343 could of told MS everything is peachy and good to go for November, or they could of told them its a dumpster fire and ms said too bad push it out.
 

Mdot

Member
I've never even seen a "connected to dedicated server" message and can count the number of lag-free games I've experienced as a result of P2P. It's really friggin annoying at this point.
 
Did I misunderstand? I thought the server message only came if it was connecting to p2p server. That is to say, I thought the was no dedicated server message because that was the default?
 

OneUh8

Member
yes, its just you. people are pissed. review outlets lowered review scores. articles like "Halo MCC still not working" all over.

Ok cool. I saw some outlets do that for sure. But it has a 86 metacritic score. Does that not reflect changed made by outlets?
 
Ok cool. I saw some outlets do that for sure. But it has a 86 metacritic score. Does that not reflect changed made by outlets?

I'm honestly not sure if meteoritic updates reviews.

Id say that responsibility was on the review outlets, who published reviews without waiting to see if it actually works. I think pre-launch there were only like 3 playlists up.
 

Brazil

Living in the shadow of Amaz
Ok cool. I saw some outlets do that for sure. But it has a 86 metacritic score. Does that not reflect changed made by outlets?

Review score changes are not considered by Metacritic.

Which is one of the reasons why pre-release reviews for online-focused games are pathetic.
 

DJ Gunner

Member
I have never been so disappointed in a gaming product. It is an absolute disgrace what has happened with MCC. For all the debates leading up to the release- what version of CE, would glitches be in or out, etc.- I never imagined that matchmaking itself would be so fundamentally broken. Even teams? Fast search times? Basic functionality like moving your party from playlist to playlist, or backing out of a playlist together if you decide on something else? Completely, astonishingly, absent. Custom games are, with a truckload of patience, serviceable. "Serviceable" is a term I would have never used to describe Halo's matchmaking in the past.

I am one of the folks that bought an Xbox One just for this. "Regret" doesn't even begin to cover it. Ten years and two generations later, the game and system lacks most of the functionality of the original. That is nothing short of disgusting.
 

Noobcraft

Member
I have definitely played some p2p games in Halo MCC but I've never had a host migration in game (only ever in the pregame lobby). I think the majority of my games have been on Dedis but I can't really say that definitively. Is there a way to tell? I noticed some games I'm in have connection bars (Red, yellow, green, etc.) While others don't.
 

Leyasu

Banned
I have definitely played some p2p games in Halo MCC but I've never had a host migration in game (only ever in the pregame lobby). I think the majority of my games have been on Dedis but I can't really say that definitively. Is there a way to tell? I noticed some games I'm in have connection bars (Red, yellow, green, etc.) While others don't.

The game tells you if you are connecting to a dedicated server. If not, p2p!

Are people not even a little worried about halo 5 being p2p?? I am.
 
I have never been so disappointed in a gaming product. It is an absolute disgrace what has happened with MCC. For all the debates leading up to the release- what version of CE, would glitches be in or out, etc.- I never imagined that matchmaking itself would be so fundamentally broken. Even teams? Fast search times? Basic functionality like moving your party from playlist to playlist, or backing out of a playlist together if you decide on something else? Completely, astonishingly, absent. Custom games are, with a truckload of patience, serviceable. "Serviceable" is a term I would have never used to describe Halo's matchmaking in the past.

I am one of the folks that bought an Xbox One just for this. "Regret" doesn't even begin to cover it. Ten years and two generations later, the game and system lacks most of the functionality of the original. That is nothing short of disgusting.

Pretty much this. We need to keep talking about this, Assassin's Creed and Sonic Boom which all came out in the same week and were all buggy broken products. If next November the same thing happens again we'll only have ourselves to blame for supporting companies that knowingly release broken games.
 

Hatchtag

Banned
I have never been so disappointed in a gaming product. It is an absolute disgrace what has happened with MCC. For all the debates leading up to the release- what version of CE, would glitches be in or out, etc.- I never imagined that matchmaking itself would be so fundamentally broken. Even teams? Fast search times? Basic functionality like moving your party from playlist to playlist, or backing out of a playlist together if you decide on something else? Completely, astonishingly, absent. Custom games are, with a truckload of patience, serviceable. "Serviceable" is a term I would have never used to describe Halo's matchmaking in the past.

I am one of the folks that bought an Xbox One just for this. "Regret" doesn't even begin to cover it. Ten years and two generations later, the game and system lacks most of the functionality of the original. That is nothing short of disgusting.

This is essentially how I feel. I've bought disappointing games before. Hell, I've bought a console for a disappointing one before. But this is a whole different level.
 
The game tells you if you are connecting to a dedicated server. If not, p2p!

Are people not even a little worried about halo 5 being p2p?? I am.
What the fuck is the point of Azure if their biggest franchise is P2P bullshit? This is the reason why I still haven't bought this game.
 

OneUh8

Member
The game tells you if you are connecting to a dedicated server. If not, p2p!

Are people not even a little worried about halo 5 being p2p?? I am.

I hope not lol. Although I am looking forward to the beta coming up. Going to be interesting how it turns out.
 

Noobcraft

Member
The game tells you if you are connecting to a dedicated server. If not, p2p!

Are people not even a little worried about halo 5 being p2p?? I am.
Like anything else in the MCC Multiplayer is that actually reliable though? I assume it happens in the pregame lobby. (I've seen it before, Connecting to Server right?)
 

HyperOne

Banned
It's a little sad to see the state of MCC. I have very found memories of my time with Halo 2 and 3. It was one of the few things about the Xbox I knew I was going to miss when I jumped ship to Playstation.

Was really hoping it would do well and redeem Halo from the trash it has been since Reach (and more than likely will continue with 5). Guess not.
 

Yoda

Member
Sadly everyone will still rush to pre order Halo 5 and day 1 purchase it. 343 has your money, they don't care.

They already have your money, this is like those promises that Titanfall was getting a "patch" to up the resolution. The consumer has already given them their money for an unfinished product, so they have no reason to think you will smarten up and not give it to them again.
 

Majanew

Banned
They can't. Halo 5 beta launches December 29th. They are basically in crunch mode over there if I had to guess.

I'm not a developer, but it just seems ridiculous that they went gold with a product like this. They HAD to have known. If they didn't...they need to fire every QA person if none of this came up in QA.

343 knew about the problems, but a delay would have kept the game from releasing 10 years after Halo 2. Which is what it was celebrating. 343 fucked up, just like they fucked up Halo 4's MP. And if 343 or MS gave a fuck, they would have delayed the game.
 

Leyasu

Banned
What the fuck is the point of Azure if their biggest franchise is P2P bullshit? This is the reason why I still haven't bought this game.

Thing is, Azure works, and it works really fucking well.

Check out the forza games. But for an fps, check out titanfall! That game plays like a dream on azure... Halo MCC is just a bad joke in comparison.

@ noobcraft if you see the message, then your good. If not then its p2p.
 

nictron

Member
tumblr_maxacnSG1o1rhqz3ho1_500.jpg
 
Thing is, Azure works, and it works really fucking well.

Check out the forza games. But for an fps, check out titanfall! That game plays like a dream on azure... Halo MCC is just a bad joke in comparison.

@ noobcraft if you see the message, then your good. If not then its p2p.
I know it works, but when they don't use it on their flagship series, what's its utility? It's just a baffling, idiotic decision.

Edit: I guess it's true that 343 sucks, but you'd think MS would take more care with their best franchise. They are poisoning the cash cow.
 

Leyasu

Banned
343 knew about the problems, but a delay would have kept the game from releasing 10 years after Halo 2. Which is what it was celebrating. 343 fucked up, just like they fucked up Halo 4's MP. And if 343 or MS gave a fuck, they would have delayed the game.

After this, nothing would surprise me. That's why I am expecting the worst with the beta. They had no problem throwing this out p2p. I expecting the same no fucks given attitude for the beta.

Edit @ night angel. Skill of the dev?? Lol
 

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
Sadly everyone will still rush to pre order Halo 5 and day 1 purchase it. 343 has your money, they don't care.

This is a bit backwards, being that 343 is actively still trying to fix all the issues.

None of it should have happened to begin with, but saying they don't care is a bit wrong.
 
I have never been so disappointed in a gaming product. It is an absolute disgrace what has happened with MCC. For all the debates leading up to the release- what version of CE, would glitches be in or out, etc.- I never imagined that matchmaking itself would be so fundamentally broken. Even teams? Fast search times? Basic functionality like moving your party from playlist to playlist, or backing out of a playlist together if you decide on something else? Completely, astonishingly, absent. Custom games are, with a truckload of patience, serviceable. "Serviceable" is a term I would have never used to describe Halo's matchmaking in the past.

I am one of the folks that bought an Xbox One just for this. "Regret" doesn't even begin to cover it. Ten years and two generations later, the game and system lacks most of the functionality of the original. That is nothing short of disgusting.

.

<3
 
I had more MCC games where a host was obviously present or a merge happened mid-match then I had a server based game, I swear.

The game should alert you about what connection you are in, of course this would mean people will back out of a match if they are not on dedi's or at an advantage but the way it's handled right now is so luck dependant that I hate it, I feel like i'm stuck with no control when trying to play online.

Not asking for a method like titanfall but alert the user about connections, please!

Hmmm so what happens if you are in lobby with one aussie two brits two Germans and three Americans?? Don't sound promising for the non NA players IMO.

I have been in MCC matches where one or two out of the 10 or so players had red connections, everyone else was fine.

It's a shame.
 

Computer

Member
Just about every game of H2A I play has a massive amount of lag, Teammates facing the wall, and rubber banding around the map. I live in mid America with a 100mb connection so I know its not me. Everything about this game is a pain in the ass.
 

klodeckel

Banned
Hmmm so what happens if you are in lobby with one aussie two brits two Germans and three Americans?? Don't sound promising for the non NA players IMO.

Hu? The consequence would be the same like in Titanfall. I mean, if you are connected to EU-W datacenter and you still want to play with an US friend - he will obviously don't have a great ping. But this is just logical.
 

Leyasu

Banned
I had more MCC games where a host was obviously present or a merge happened mid-match then I had a server based game, I swear.

The game should alert you about what connection you are in, of course this would mean people will back out of a match if they are not on dedi's or at an advantage but the way it's handled right now is so luck dependant that I hate it, I feel like i'm stuck with no control when trying to play online.

Not asking for a method like titanfall but alert the user about connections, please!



I have been in MCC matches where one or two out of the 10 or so players had red connections, everyone else was fine.

It's a shame.

The titanfall method should be there for custom and social, and open region for ranked matchmaking! Halo should be setting the standard... At the moment it is a joke.

And as to halo 5 and what Josh Holmes tweeted. What is the point of dedicated servers if the game is going to dump you in them 4000 miles away?? It will be no different or just a slight improvement as to what is happening now.
 

Toa TAK

Banned
I certainly don't want TMCC to be left in an "acceptable" state either. =( That's not a word I would've associated with Halo before all this.
 

Leyasu

Banned
Hu? The consequence would be the same like in Titanfall. I mean, if you are connected to EU-W datacenter and you still want to play with an US friend - he will obviously don't have a great ping. But this is just logical.

No, in Titanfall YOU choose the datacenter. 99.9% of the games are against people in your region. With almost non existent lag/latency problems.
 
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