How to Lessen Lag in Most Online Games

Just some small tweak that can help reduce latency in online games. This can work on XP or later, but this guide shows Windows 10 since it's the OS I'm using.

Requirements

• A working computer running Windows 10
  
• Leatrix Latency Fix[www.leatrix.com] ~credits to the maker.

Disclaimer

Please do not hold me responsible for any kind of issues that may arise from doing this tweak. This is totally based on my experience playing the game and trying to make it playable. This tweak will only reduce the latency on your end (your computer) and not the server's crappiness. If this tweak doesn't work, I recommend undoing this tweak (I'm a pro-stock settings kind of guy). I will be adding a section on how to revert to your old settings as well.

How to Apply the Tweak

1. Install Microsoft's Message Queuing Service.

• Open Cortana or your Search Box and search for "Windows Features", then select Turn Windows Features on or off.
  
  
  
• On the window that shows up, put a check on Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) Server and click OK.
  
  
  
• Windows should start installing the MSMQ Server on your computer. Wait for it to finish and click OK again.

2. Use Leatrix Latency Fix

• Download the latency fix on the tool maker's website[www.leatrix.com].
  
  
• Extract the zip file to any location on your computer.
  
  
• Run Leatrix Latency_Fix_3.03.exe as administrator. Make sure you allow changes to be made to your computer. Click Install
  
  
  
• Once installed, you should see Status: Installed
  

3. Restart your computer and see if it made any difference to your game.

How to Remove the Tweak

Just do all things in reverse. No need for images here.

1. Remove Leatrix Latency Fix by running Leatrix_Latency_Fix_3.03.exe as administrator, and click "Remove". It should show Status: Not Installed after clicking Remove.

2. Open Cortana or your search box and search "Windows Features" again, and click Turn Windows Features on or off.

3. Uncheck Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) Server, click OK. Windows should start uninstalling the service. After it does, click OK.

4. Restart your computer.

Credits

First, credits to the maker of Leatrix Latency Fix. This guy is present since WoW time and made registry editing a piece of cake with his nifty tool.

Second, credits to Google for providing a search result when I type "Why is my game so laggy"

Third, credits to the countless users who provided this tweak in various forums in the search results provided by Google. I only made it simpler in this guide.

Have a great day~

[klepp0906]

well kids - the only bad news is.. nagling doesnt even work without msmq installed. So any perceived gain from disabling nagling is placebo unless you have msmq installed. Yea.

[benTong8]

Just an update on this, it seems with the opening of Telsiai on SEA, the lag issues were mostly resolved. I for one have removed the tweak already. Use this if you just need to.

[BeyondXeon]

@NoobOfTheDay I know, people are like this will help them for free lol, that won't happen to most of them lol

[DAOWAce]

I know earlier versions of Leatrix had said to enable MSMQ, but the current versions abolished that information since it wasn't needed; and I agree. As an IT person, I can't understand why it would be used at all for a regular game. If it does indeed work for you, great.

If you're playing games keep nagling disabled permanently; there's no reason to toggle back and forth; it's objectively worse if you're a gamer. And as for ToS's lag, yeah, it's their awful servers. I ping the server directly for 17ms, but even I suffer insane lag half the time. Nothing we can do about it but wait until they improve their servers.

Oh, and as it turns out when I went to test things, I discovered I forgot to disable nagling again after I had upgraded my NIC drivers. The lag in ToS fell quite a bit and it's a more enjoyable experience, but it's still lagging on and off. Can't believe that slipped my mind. Even the Leatrix tool said it was installed, but it really wasn't on my active NIC. No MSMQ, fwiw.

[benTong8]

@DAOWAce
I have been disabling the nagle algorithm alone (what Leatrix does) for a long time now, and I ended up undoing my changes. Then I stumbled upon this post [forums.irowiki.org] in iRO and learned about enabling MSMQ. When I enabled it MSMQ together with disabling nagle algorithm, my latency issues with RO were better, skills and potions were snappier.

Before I start a new online game, I revert to the original settings, unless I really need to use the tweak. Judging from the horrendous lag I got when ToS became F2P, I felt the need to use it again. Tried with Leatrix alone first, nothing. Tried with MSMQ + Leatrix, that's where the latency felt better (still sux but tolerable). That's why I posted this guide here.

[DAOWAce]

I fail to believe even Windows 10 would've changed the functionality of TCP acknowledgements, but I've not even touched W10 with a 10 foot pole, so I wouldn't actually know. You sure you tested it correctly?

Regardless, I've never seen the need to enable MSMQ for any reason unless you are actually using the features MSMQ provides (which pretty much no normal consumer does). MSMQ is only used by specialized software, which is why it's not installed by default on Windows. Any setting for it won't affect regular connections.

Might do a re-test now that I've changed my OS after many years (Vista -> 7), but I don't expect any changes.

[benTong8]

@XYouKaiX1
I'm not sure that it sends out a lower packet size. What I know is instead of sending it in batches, it sends them individually.

@DAOWAce
Hi mate, on my end, I had to install MSMQ to make it work. No reduction to latency (I was running at 340-500. Now I'm running at 140-220, then the frequent spikes) if I didn't do both. But feel free to try. Some people said it worked without it as well even on our RO forums. Not sure why.

[DAOWAce]

You really don't need MSMQ; just disabling nagle's algorithm is enough to fix poorly coded TCP based games.

Other than that, the only thing is to buy a better NIC, better router and/or modem, or better ISP service.

That, or move closer to the server of the game you're playing.. which nobody would ever do unless they make their living off it.

[XYoukaiX1]

@NoobOfTheDay
The system sends an ACK when a packet is fully send. The Programm changes the package size and makes it smaller so that your computer replies more often that the package is recieved completely which highers the traffic in your net that is why some people actually set flags in their system saying that only a limmited ammount of ACK can be send in a spezific time to prevent attacks from outside which try to overload your network with sending a lot of requests or whatever in a very short time ... I could be wrong but I learned that when I learned beeing a Computer engeneer ... (still i might be mistaken as stuff like this isn't that important for me so I don't need that info)

[benTong8]

The tweak is simple and reversible. If you didn't feel any kind of improvement in your latency with the game, just simply remove it. If you feel that it made some of your applications slower in terms of latency, just simply remove it. I simply thought the tweaks that I am using in RO might work in this game, and it did make the lag tolerable instead of being horrendous.