Why does DayZ SA require so much data?

[Sedstr 18]

I've put in over 100 hours into DayZ and I'm very very supprised at the amount of data being transfered from DayZ servers.

Since starting to play DayZ, my daily usage has gone from <1G per day to between 2 and 4GB per day.

 

Considering that I've been playing Eve Online and BF2 and managing to stay under 1GB per day, and now I've started playing DayZ SA and I'm up to 4GB per day...

 

WTF is going on with DayZ! Why does it need to transfer so much data?

 

With Eve Online, there can be 1000's of people in system, 100's of people shooting 1000's of weapons at the same time.

BF2 has 32 players all on a small map with projectiles and aircraft and that doesnt require GBs of data to be transfered.

 

But when I play on a low population (<10 players) DayZ server, my usage blows out by GB!

 

There is seriously something wrong here, there is really no justification requiring so much data to be transfered.

 

Are there any technical reasons for all this data? Are our systems being used to provide feedback? Is this what to expect in the long term?

Getting a bit pissed off with it actually, I only have a 50GB quota per month, its only the 17th and I'm already up to 37GB, the vast majority being DayZ's data.

 

[Gugolas 228]

I hate it, but Alpha is the answer. They are still working on this, and its beeing looked at, but expect it to be like that for a while.

I can't really tell you what will happen in the future, but clearly if you have that type of contract with your ISP, DayZ is going to be a problem for you atm.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Gugolas

[pacific_coast 632]

something about the server constantly needing to refresh everyones items and placement and conditions

 

i think

 

plus the usual laggy desync and packet loss

[saxoross (DayZ) 5]

something about the server constantly needing to refresh everyones items and placement and conditions

 

i think

 

plus the usual laggy desync and packet loss

 

Yep. They are working on a guaranteed messaging system that will stop the spamming and reduce net usage.

[Sedstr 18]

Thanks for the answers, appreciated. I hope they sort this out, sooner rather than later.

[DemonGroover 8836]

Your neighbour could be downloading porn using your wifi?

[gerbilschooler 229]

Your neighbour could be downloading porn using your wifi?

I am that neighbor... this porn is good.

[pillock 850]

You know a forum is good when the moderators derail threads with stuff like that.

[=fox= damocles 54]

It could also be that allot of the game stuff is dealt with server side to reduce the load on lower end systems trying to run the game. Good job I'm on an "Unlimited" package with my ISP lol

[enforcer1975 1111]

something about the server constantly needing to refresh everyones items and placement and conditions

 

i think

 

plus the usual laggy desync and packet loss

 

^This

 

Yep. They are working on a guaranteed messaging system that will stop the spamming and reduce net usage.

 

^ And that

 

 

...and also...a huge difference between ArmA as a whole and MMOs. The engine was never made with tons of players in mind although they claim it to be. It originated from VBS and was designed for small scale training applications for civilian and military organizations. Only proper scripting can reduce the workload for client and server, i wonder why the devs didn't do it yet. A buddy thought about it when he made a large mission because he knew the limitations.

 

 

Having players participate in instances tends to spread out populations of players, instead of concentrating them, which may reduce or level the workload for both the server and client by limiting the number of potential interactions between players and objects. Because the player characters in the instance do not need to be updated on all the information going on outside the instance, and vice versa for the characters outside the instance, there is an overall decrease in demands on the network, with the net result being less lag for the players. This also reduces the demands on each player's computer, as the number of objects to be processed can be more easily limited by the game's developer. The developer can better reason about the worst case performance requirements in an instance because they do not have to consider scenarios such as hundreds of players descending on any location at any time.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Enforcer

[Sedstr 18]

When do they expect to fix this?

This is damn crazy, 4 players on the server, I spawn at the NEAF, run east to the ship wreck, do a quick search and its 100MB of UDP traffic thrown down my line for UDP 2302.

Does ArmA2 produce the same amount of usage? Would the mod be better on my bandwidth usage.

[Weedz 1105]

I am that neighbor... this porn is good.

WTF dude I'm trying to use his internet stop hogging it.

 

 

 

You know a forum is good when the moderators derail threads with stuff like that.

I guess you've never been on another forum? We have the best mods in the history of the internet.

 

 

BF2 has 32 players all on a small map with projectiles and aircraft and that doesnt require GBs of data to be transfered.

You know that BF2 map that takes 4 hours to walk across and has amazing 2014 graphics ... yeah me either.

 

 

Does ArmA2 produce the same amount of usage? Would the mod be better on my bandwidth usage.

Not even close / yes

Everything isn't running server side on the mod

Edited March 28, 2014 by Weedz

[Sedstr 18]

WTF dude I'm trying to use his internet stop hogging it.

 

 

 

I guess you've never been on another forum? We have the best mods in the history of the internet.

 

 

You know that BF2 map that takes 4 hours to walk across and has amazing 2014 graphics ... yeah me either.

 

 

Not even close / yes

Everything isn't running server side on the mod

 

I guess you haven't played project reality mod for BF2, the graphics are just as good as DayZ SA.

 

If everything is running server side, then logically, the traffic to the client should be less download, and more upload. But this isn't the case.

I think it would use less bandwidth to play over a citrix client, its like its streaming the the game as video rather than compressed data.

I just don't get it.

Are all the actions of all the players regardless of the location being pushed to all clients?

Are all the materials for all the objects being downloaded again and again each time they are happened across?

Why does it take MBs of information to relay an items damage state?

 

Its just crazy, I'm getting the impression the DayZ team are a bunch of amateurs who can afford all the cool toys but just don't know how to get the best out of them - ooooh, ragdoll physics, lets get that, we can add bouncing boobs and wavy hair!

 

I'm thinking perhaps they should just start again, considering the amount of money they have raked in, they can afford to do it properly.

Edited March 28, 2014 by Sedstr

[Publik 404]

Its just crazy, I'm getting the impression the DayZ team are a bunch of amateurs who can afford all the cool toys but just don't know how to get the best out of them - ooooh, ragdoll physics, lets get that, we can add bouncing boobs and wavy hair!

Ding ding ding! We have a winner.

 

I wonder if they could, like, load everything and then just send changes? Or just send changes for people/things within 2km?