Local vs official/best dedicated server

[Abrakadabra]

Im not sure if evybody shares those experiences.

But no matter who it is, whenver a game is hosted locally, I have this very slight but still absolutely perceivable and thus by default überannoying lag. eatch time. Had it on multiple rigs, different internet connections. Different routers from various companies.

Is it just me? Or do other ppl have this lag too.

That is why I never join local games or leave them whenver I enter that lobby game and realize its local. Its not really a lag. Yeah....it is I guess, in a way. Its that the weapons impact feedback, the way I know it feels and looks like when I shoot zombies. There is the tiniest delay. It must be very tiny but I do feel it and it simply doesnt feel nearly as smooth. I hate that. I cant play like that.

But there is indeed not the smallest number of ppl who always start local games. Does that mean that you guys never have this lag or do they feel a difference but do not perceive that difference as annoying or detrimental?

Or is there a way to fix that. not that it really matters theres plenty of non local games so its not a problem. But I hate just wastig even the few seconds to join those games.

[Skarth]

Almost everyone hosting a local server is on a below spec computer or a poor internet connection, the moment a lot of stuff starts to happen, the game lags for everyone, except the host. The host on a local server actually benefits from lag as it effects them the least.

[God's Drunkest Soldier]

Originally posted by Skarth:

Almost everyone hosting a local server is on a below spec computer or a poor internet connection, the moment a lot of stuff starts to happen, the game lags for everyone, except the host. The host on a local server actually benefits from lag as it effects them the least.

[$pirit]

Ive gotten multiple steam accounts admin banned from multiple servers for the reason someone with 230 ping shouldn't be this good so they must be hacking. Unless your ping is 300+ you shouldn't be complaining. Just be glad you have plenty of games so you don't have to find games overseas.

[Blaquicat]

I think the worse is the listen server itself..
Any 5mbps internet with any computer with 2gb ram is capable of handling this game server (srcds version) with no issues..
People open listen servers on wifi connection while downloading things and listening to music, impossible not lag.

[Dr Chaos MK]

In my experiences , a seperate server seems to work better . I tried local at first . Some people had good ping , while others had bad / high ping . When I switched over to a server , I witnessed improvements . More people had lower ping . I rarely saw high ping . & the people who did have high ping were people FAR from the server itself .

[Maur0]

I always use local server for the admin system mod, since it allows me to protect myself from anti-griefings. Clearly I would need a good pc and better internet connection so that people are not affected much by lag.

Unfortunately my computer is getting old and that has good requirements for l4d2. So I'll have to buy or update it back and also I have 100 mods :/

Finally, I would never create an official dedicated server, because I use the kick command, just in case, I can not use mods scripts such as "improved bots" and they can votekick me. That's why I needed to be admin as much as possible to protect myself and others as well.

[Abrakadabra]

I doubt it has anything to do with weak hardware on the hosting side.

As I said, no matter who it was....I have lag in 100 % of the cases when its local. Literally 100 %. My ping is good often times when I checked in local games. Doesnt matter though. my ping could be 20 and there is this weird tiny lag. Theres lag by default when its local.

I just wondered, cause I see so many ppl hosting locally or playing locally even though thats the worst way to play this game. I leave lobbies or games immediately when its local.

[Juniper]

Originally posted by iluvpumpum:

I doubt it has anything to do with weak hardware on the hosting side.

Yep, you can pull it off with a 4th generation Intel Pentium just fine. Especially if it is local when one's fps is the server's fps (so you are already handicapping yourself). Because who cares about server-side processing of incoming user input and updating of object states every x amount of ticks!

Granted, majority of local hosters do not even bother to tweak their network rates in accordance to available CPU power and bandwidth.

[Abrakadabra]

Originally posted by Phantowm:

Originally posted by iluvpumpum:

I doubt it has anything to do with weak hardware on the hosting side.

Yep, you can pull it off with a 4th generation Intel Pentium just fine. Especially if it is local when one's fps is the server's fps (so you are already handicapping yourself). Because who cares about server-side processing of incoming user input and updating of object states every x amount of ticks!

Granted, majority of local hosters do not even bother to tweak their network rates in accordance to available CPU power and bandwidth.

If there really are ppl that know how to host local in a way that enables a match to run as smoothly as on dedicated servers...then I have yet to meet them. If there are any then prolyl not more than like 1 or 2 ppl in the whole world.

Throughout the years local directly translated to lag in 100 % of the cases.

[Juniper]

Originally posted by iluvpumpum:

If there really are ppl that know how to host local in a way that enables a match to run as smoothly as on dedicated servers...then I have yet to meet them.

You are asking whether apples can ever be oranges, which will never be the case.

It is possible to host locally without severe problems. A more appropriate question will be is it worth the possible headache of not realising what you are actually doing in such a scenario.

One person takes the role as a server and still being a client at the same time. This means one instance of the game engine running has to keep track of all what's going on inside a match whilst keeping the experience as smooth as possible for the hoster (and the rest). And if the server receives hiccups it can be detrimental to one's fps. Kind of like trying to look left and right at the same time.

But if you have more than enough juice in your CPU as well as other capable hardware, by all means.


Do you want to host locally, which is more hassle-free, but putting way more load than usual on one single process?

Or do you want to host on a remote location (dedicated), taking a bit more time to set up, but creating (at least) two instances of game simulation being completely independent of one another?

Choices, choices.


Supposedly the only significant benefit (to me) to hosting locally is you (the one hosting) having slightly lower ping.

[Abrakadabra]

Originally posted by Phantowm:

Originally posted by iluvpumpum:

If there really are ppl that know how to host local in a way that enables a match to run as smoothly as on dedicated servers...then I have yet to meet them.

You are asking whether apples can ever be oranges, which will never be the case.

It is possible to host locally without severe problems. A more appropriate question will be is it worth the possible headache of not realising what you are actually doing in such a scenario.

One person takes the role as a server and still being a client at the same time. This means one instance of the game engine running has to keep track of all what's going on inside a match whilst keeping the experience as smooth as possible for the hoster (and the rest). And if the server receives hiccups it can be detrimental to one's fps. Kind of like trying to look left and right at the same time.

But if you have more than enough juice in your CPU as well as other capable hardware, by all means.


Do you want to host locally, which is more hassle-free, but putting way more load than usual on one single process?

Or do you want to host on a remote location (dedicated), taking a bit more time to set up, but creating (at least) two instances of game simulation being completely independent of one another?

Choices, choices.


Supposedly the only significant benefit (to me) to hosting locally is you (the one hosting) having slightly lower ping.

Then that's prolyl the reason ppl do it so often.

Cause they - the hosters - get better ping.

Now it makes sense.

Cause I thought if anybody would feel this kind of lag theyd never play like that again. I just wondered why so many ppl play the game in the worst way possible. Lag, even the slightest lag, kills a game. Just kills it.


Its way too annoying. Id rather not play a game at all than play it laggy. I just hate it laggy. Lag is the antichrist.

[Nodoka]

I prefer offical servers due to them not being crowded with annoying and useless mods.
Local servers are however fun if you want to mess around with admin system either solo or with friends. Building walls of saferoom doors oh mama!

[Juniper]

Originally posted by Nodoka:

Building walls of saferoom doors oh mama!

I built a staircase to heaven near the No Mercy gas station once. I am still having flashbacks of Survivor screams when they kept falling from 400 meters above.

[Nodoka]

Originally posted by Phantowm:

Originally posted by Nodoka:

Building walls of saferoom doors oh mama!

I built a staircase to heaven near the No Mercy gas station once. I am still having flashbacks of Survivor screams when they kept falling from 400 meters above.

;D

[Blaquicat]

Originally posted by Phantowm:

But if you have more than enough juice in your CPU as well as other capable hardware, by all means.

Do you want to host locally, which is more hassle-free, but putting way more load than usual on one single process?

You can have an i9 with 64gb ram and still have problems with local servers, the limitations are from the engine design itself..

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1151702642
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1151702553

Those pics are taken from the same server (dedicated) but shows how limited the engine actually is, the only difference is the tickrate, the vanilla value definitively limits how much the server can process.
Sadly, i think is not possible to tweek tickrate on listen servers..

In my opinion its not possible to have a smooth server while its listened to the game.
sorry my poor english.