Why still so many sub/private arenas?

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:21 pm

I thought that the main reason for creating sub-arenas was because with the old versions of Xlink, having everyone in the same room made for much laggier games.

With the new versions of Kai, I thought this was not an issue anymore, so it seems like sub-arenas should be used only for their original purpose -- creating a room just for you and your friends or regulars.

The problem is that now you navigate to an arena, then load the game and go to system link, and there may only be one or even no games there. Then you have to re-boot, go back into XBMC, pick another arena, then re-load the game, etc...ideally, you'd just go into the main arena for the game and start the game and see dozens of available games.

This isn't as much of a problem for those running the Kai UI on a PC right next to their Xbox, but for those of us using XBMC it's a real hassle to keep trying different arenas.

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:39 pm

I think this may be because there have also been a lot more people than there normally is. The last couple of days the average amount of users when I've been on has been around 800.

Team XLink Moderator Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 1536

pastycakes wrote:

This isn't as much of a problem for those running the Kai UI on a PC right next to their Xbox, but for those of us using XBMC it's a real hassle to keep trying different arenas.

yep as i tried to explain this in another thread, that KAI-XBMC is pointless for me as i still need to go back and forth in my PC rather then to restart XBMC and the game Crying or Very sad

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:42 pm

You can still play in the main arena.

I don't see the problem.

Team XLink Moderator Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 1536

DIE-HARD wrote:

You can still play in the main arena.
I don't see the problem.

how many ppl host in the main arena?

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:54 pm

DIE-HARD wrote:

You can still play in the main arena.

I don't see the problem.

The problem is that everybody and his brother is still creating sub-arenas to play in, not because they only want to play with their group of friends, but just for the hell of it or because they think they'll get better performance that way.

If the majority of people played in the main arena for a game, then when we loaded a game and went to sys link, we'd see a dozen available games or so, rather than seeing only one or at most two games as it is now due to everyone playing in sub arenas for no good reason. We wouldn't have to either run to our PC to change arenas if there were no good games open, or reboot our Xboxes and reload XBMC to change arenas if we're not using the PC UI.

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:02 pm

In this particular scenario I would definately appreciate a couple of PMs about how XBMC KAI can offer improved usability - thanks. I'd definately like to get back to the state of being "only a single click away from Kai screen".

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:10 pm

well IMO i think people think they can moderate a room better when they create one. Another thing is people who use XBC probably think they need a room.

Me personally, if all the good hosts were in one room that would be great. I know things like co-op are needed. Maybe just make private rooms with passwords only - those are the people who just want to play with select people and know who they are. If you are just creating a game to host and want anyone to join u dont have passwords on them anyway.

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:57 pm

I don't think there is a problem with the current implementations in XBMC or Kai, just with how we use it. People got used to creating arenas to minimzie lag under previous versions of Xlink, and have not dropped the habit now that Kai's netcode has been improved.

One thing -- I thought I remembered in earlier XBMCs, or maybe it was even still XBMP at the time, that you could select an arena and then click "Play" and the game would load if you had it on the hard drive, without having to go to file manager or back to the dashboard. Am I remembering wrong, or has this feature been dropped in the new versions?

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:59 pm

to be honest it was never implemented, but it features high up on my todo list.

Team XLink Moderator Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 1536

runtime wrote:

In this particular scenario I would definately appreciate a couple of PMs about how XBMC KAI can offer improved usability - thanks. I'd definately like to get back to the state of being "only a single click away from Kai screen".

for KAI to get rid of the "private rooms" or when creating private room, it must be password only (KAI should automatically ask this). This may lag but will be more usability from XBMC.

or to have like some button set (START+WHITE) to browse different room while in the game's SYSTEM LINK screen. not sure if its possible other then BIOS control. Confused

but just a thought

Team XLink Administrator Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 4061

pastycakes wrote:

I don't think there is a problem with the current implementations in XBMC or Kai, just with how we use it. People got used to creating arenas to minimzie lag under previous versions of Xlink, and have not dropped the habit now that Kai's netcode has been improved.

One thing -- I thought I remembered in earlier XBMCs, or maybe it was even still XBMP at the time, that you could select an arena and then click "Play" and the game would load if you had it on the hard drive, without having to go to file manager or back to the dashboard. Am I remembering wrong, or has this feature been dropped in the new versions?

yeah wasnt that bo-link or something like that? you could edit the .xml to tell it where your gamers were.

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:41 pm

redwolf wrote:

for KAI to get rid of the "private rooms" or when creating private room, it must be password only (KAI should automatically ask this). This may lag but will be more usability from XBMC.

Yes -- since the purpose of the sub arenas is to play with a select group rather than just anybody who joins, having them all be password-only would be a good idea.

Quote:

or to have like some button set (START+WHITE) to browse different room while in the game's SYSTEM LINK screen. not sure if its possible other then BIOS control. Confused

but just a thought

This would be the ultimate. If they can cram an ftp server into an Xbox BIOS, this should be at least theoretically possible.

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:22 am

i have one more idea. since we just want one big room, can the people hosting be at the top of the list so i can see there ping to me. this way i dont have to sort through all the players to find host and what there ping is to me.

Kai Beginner Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 5 Location: Canada

Quote:

or to have like some button set (START+WHITE) to browse different room while in the game's SYSTEM LINK screen. not sure if its possible other then BIOS control. but just a thought

This would be the ultimate. If they can cram an ftp server into an Xbox BIOS, this should be at least theoretically possible.

If the client could be made thin enough, I suppose this could work. As far as I know, EvoX are the only guys who have ever succeeded in making something memory resident (IGR and trainers from the dash)... perhaps someone should talk to them.

IGR is a matter of just grabbing an interrupt, but trainers are more complex - perhaps complex enough. It may just be possible.

Kai Lover Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 606 Location: Canada

Penetration wrote:

Quote:

or to have like some button set (START+WHITE) to browse different room while in the game's SYSTEM LINK screen. not sure if its possible other then BIOS control. but just a thought

This would be the ultimate. If they can cram an ftp server into an Xbox BIOS, this should be at least theoretically possible.

If the client could be made thin enough, I suppose this could work. As far as I know, EvoX are the only guys who have ever succeeded in making something memory resident (IGR and trainers from the dash)... perhaps someone should talk to them.

IGR is a matter of just grabbing an interrupt, but trainers are more complex - perhaps complex enough. It may just be possible.

what hapened to the Evo-x Team?

Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:40 am

EASY! Just don't use XBMC. Just use your PC like me. No problems with having to restart and I can even chat with people. Ahhh...being not slack is so wonderfull. Very Happy

Kai Lover Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 606 Location: Canada

ToySoldier wrote:

EASY! Just don't use XBMC. Just use your PC like me. No problems with having to restart and I can even chat with people. Ahhh...being not slack is so wonderfull. Very Happy

some ppl need to use xbmc cuz of the way the home is setup and some ppl just like using xbmc like me Very Happy

Team XLink Moderator Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 1536

ToySoldier wrote:

EASY! Just don't use XBMC. Just use your PC like me. No problems with having to restart and I can even chat with people. Ahhh...being not slack is so wonderfull. Very Happy

slack?!?! why don't you read the all posts above first! this is not because we don't want to use or can't use PC or XBMC....is only for making the XBMC more usability for KAI!! Wink

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:08 am

Or don't use Windows/Wine/VMWare Cool