Xbox Live Beta Testers

nialler

Alright Lads,

Just got me beta pack yesterday (luckily cos I broke me headset for my other account and the sellotape was wreckin me ear).

Anyway the forum that they tell you to go to doesn't work or exist yet, the helpline that I was gonna phone to ask them why the forum isn't up and running doesn't work, nice job M$, yer beta program is a bit like your software, it doesn't work!!

So if yiz want I left a dedicated server running in Return to Castle Wolfenstein for today if yiz wanna check it out, it'll be under nialler (my current live gamertag) or meatypits (me beta gamertag).

So when yiz are up and running add me to your friends list.


Nialler/meatypits

Clover

thanks nialler , i just got mine but i have too go out for a few hours . ( bloody typical ). i have rtcw hopefully i'll be on from six onwords.

uzami

....so what did you get in the beta pack.....any free games???

nialler

Alright Ark,

As usual you just get the demo's of whacked and motoGP (not even motoGP2). So what I'm doin is sticking with the live enabled games I have, that's why I left the server running today, just to see how it's performing with the upload speed, ran it on saturday and didn't have many problems, started getting a bit laggy in beach assault.

So send me an invite when yiz are on, or if the server is still running, join in.


Nialler

Clover

got back at 8:30, set up live in no time and had a few games of rtcw , and ghost recon.

rtcw is great , i was having good fun on gr until all the spawn killing started:mad:

a question though, i just got a confermation e-mail saying my xbox live account was set up and would last for one year ,

did anyone else on the beta get that e-mail + will my cc get deducted a years money?

nialler

Clover,

Nah it wont, as far as the agreement document we signed if you look at an earlier post that I put in there was some legalese in a notes section, the account will be cancelled as soon as the beta-period is up, then you'll get a test-drive period which people will pay for their live packs, those accounts will last for the full year.

RTCW is f*ckin excellent btw, was on it till 1.30am again last night, throw me onto yer friends list, me gamertag is nialler I'll give ya a few games in RTCW.


Nialler

Dangger

So does the gamer tag we got for the trials become invalid after the beta period? Sorry I have not hunted around the official forum yet.

Just ordered MotoGP2 and Ghost Recon after being so impressed with the service so far. A classic impulse buy!

My XBox made me do it, it kept me up all night, deprived me of my sense and instructed me do it.

Good call with ringing MS about the forum, I was just about to call them this morning when I realised it was up and runnning.

nialler

Dannger

Yeah it expires after the beta-period.

Btw, Ghost Recon is a good game but if ya want instant gratification, get Return to Castle Wolfenstein, far different game but bleedin deadly!!!


Nialler

Dangger

I'll have to check out RtCW, but after recent prolonged head melting sessions playing multiplayer Halo over XBC, I decided to go for a more tactical stealthy number. But then again RtCW is probably all that and more!

Are the majority of you guys on 128k upload using DSL? I'm not sure how hosting will perfrom with it though that's why I ask. Maybe its time to go wireless with 512/512.

nialler

dangger who's offering wireless with 512/512. the 128k allows you to host MAX 6 but generally 4 or 5.


Nialler

Dangger

Irish Broadband's residential service is 512/512 and they are looking at doing a gamer version up to a 1 meg after 6pm. When I'm not on my XBox my other hat is as IrelandOffline chairman.

nialler

Excellent dangger,

I'll check out their website. One thing that I've read in the UK forums is finding a game on GR is now becoming hard as everybody has gone over to RTCW but you're right in what your saying, GR is a superior soldier sim, patience and stealth are rewarded, specially when ya shoot the bassie in the ear from a few hundred metres away while yer disguised as a tree.

But for sheer madness, running around like a lunatic with a bazooka, while people are calling airstrikes round ya (all in a small courtyard) pumped up by 5.1 surround sound, you can't beat it!!!


Nialler

monument

Dangger, have IOL asked Microsoft what they’re doing to do to push Live in Ireland (which should push broadband)?

Dangger

I've got the 5.1 sound going on, can't wait. On your reccomendation I've chaged the order of MotoGP2 to RtCW, so see you there! I was speaking with some games ni teh UK last night who said the same thing about GR, pity. How long has it been around? I guess its inevitable and will feed the development cycle, but I hope some games get to "live" a little longer on the XBox live cycle.

IOFFL have not officially met with Microsoft yet, perhaps its time now. Back at a First Tuesday event I questioned one of panelists who was from Microsoft about the likihood of XBox Live launching in Ireland.

Here you can find the discussion and a link to the comments from Microsoft.

Apparently they admitted that the third party companies they usually use in Ireland to test their gaming products were finding it difficult to get connected to broadband, so much of the testing at early stages was carried out over a LAN. Thankfully we've seen *some* movement on the broadband front since then, with uptake of ADSL increasing 5 fold since the 50% price reduction in May.

I had the opportunity to ask Phil Nolan (Director of Eircom) of the potential for broadband uptake on the back on 3rd generation consoles such as the X-Box and the PS2, but it does not register with him or Eircom. It's not on their radar at all.

nialler

It's unfortunate that the games are tested on a lan, you really need to test in on what's available on the market, because Xbox live was always going to be a broadband service I think the game developers and probably M$ themselves were guilty of not refining their data streams, people were and still are playing network games over dialup with not a lot of lag, so howcome we've got lag on a clean dsl line.

I really think eircom should offer a synchronous dsl (ie 512/512) for the gamers out there, even if there was a slight premium for it, I definitely would pay an extra fiver or so a month for it.

Speaking to the guys on the UK Xbox live forum, they're having awful problems with NTL and Cable access and the BT DSL is only 128k up in most cases also, so we're all in the same boat.


nialler

Dangger

At least in the UK they have ISP's geared towards gamers, such as Blue Yonder (I think) and NTL. None of the major ISP's in Ireland appear to rate gamers as a potential market which is a big oversight.

Broadband marketing in Ireland is all about businesses and their use. Then again we have not seen broadband marketed properly in Ireland for fear of canabilisation of metered dial up 56k and ISDN access. Hopefully the introduction of flat rate on June 27th should alter this.

With a reduction in DSL prices the gaming community are going to be a major force in the introduction of broadband into the home. With a gamer in a household other members of the family will realise potential and use it themselves on a PC or console. IBB have spoken of the potential they see for the use of their service and the gaming community. Gaming should be viewed as a real catalyst for broadband take up. But the cost of DSL has to come down. Even Greece which was the only country below us in the EU rankings up until now is making it available for free (apart from line rental) up until September. As we all know, once you have it there is no going back to 56k! This means Ireland is soon to achieve last place!

Wireless operators are are only hope. They can move faster into unserviced areas but don't have the capital to spread nationwide quickly though.

monument

Originally posted by Dangger
IOFFL have not officially met with Microsoft yet, perhaps its time now. Back at a First Tuesday event I questioned one of panelists who was from Microsoft about the likihood of XBox Live launching in Ireland.

The reason I asked the first question is because I will be at an Xbox Live press event this Monday, there I should be interviewing Michel Cassius (Senior Director Xbox Platform and Marketing) and will be asking him a few questions about problems with broadband in Ireland.

It might also be worth IOFFLs time to talk to Sony in Ireland, I can give you the PR persons contact details if you need them.

Do you mind if I quote you on some of the following?…

“I had the opportunity to ask Phil Nolan (Director of Eircom) of the potential for broadband uptake on the back on 3rd generation consoles such as the X-Box and the PS2, but it does not register with him or Eircom. It's not on their radar at all.”

“None of the major ISP's in Ireland appear to rate gamers as a potential market which is a big oversight.”

“With a reduction in DSL prices the gaming community are going to be a major force in the introduction of broadband into the home. With a gamer in a household other members of the family will realise potential and use it themselves on a PC or console. IBB have spoken of the potential they see for the use of their service and the gaming community. Gaming should be viewed as a real catalyst for broadband take up. But the cost of DSL has to come down. Even Greece which was the only country below us in the EU rankings up until now is making it available for free (apart from line rental) up until September. As we all know, once you have it there is no going back to 56k! This means Ireland is soon to achieve last place!”

Dangger

Monument could you give me a call on 087-2643299. No problem with the quotes, but it may be worth while having a quick chat over the phone also. I'd also appreciate the contact details!

Thanks.

David.

Stormfox1020

Hey you fellas have mentioned that with 128K u can only host a Max of 6 thats fine im not really into hosting myself. So are there servers that hold up to 16 people that dont lag, and have u played on any, im gettin Live in September cant wait. I wont bother gettin GR cuz Island Thunder is out in August or september ill get that then.

uzami

Originally posted by Stormfox1020
are there servers that hold up to 16 people that dont lag

...sometimes you're lucky...sometimes you're not.

It's not so much 'servers' per se. It's a peer to peer network.

Hosts can run dedicated servers, eg. turn their xbox on and let it run a game whilst they are away.

But there are no centralised servers that you are pinging. Lag occurs because of the host's upload speed not being sufficient for the number of players/or ping is too high from your xbox.

Games like RTCW have a red/amber/green indicator to indicate the speed that you can connect to a host game at.

By Sept, I expect there will be a few more Irish Live Gamers and there should be enough local players willing to host.

Stormfox1020

Yup i know i play games online for PC, but PCs are much more accessable then Xboxes eg. Can be Controled from anywhere using certain programs etc. Uzami for games like Wolf and UC do u find yourself playing on Big servers or Small servers? If u have 1MB upload do u know how many people u can Host??

uzami

You're limited by the game, and I suppose the service.

16 max on RTCW and UC. It is not dependent on upload speed, ie no 64 player mayhem.

nialler

Ark,

I'm nearly positive it's limited by the upload speed, somebody with 128 can host 4, 512 (8), 1mb gets the full 16.

Let me know if I"m wrong about that.


Nialler

Stormfox1020

So basically if i wanted to play on a 16 man server im gona have to find sum1 with a 1mb Upload, Pretty much like PC

nialler

That's it storm, and to be honest games like Wolfenstein the host can set the min connection speed so if you're on a low speed connection the server will not allow you to join as you can affect everybody's gameplay, it happed to me last night, joined and immediately caused lag, they were nice enuf about asking me to leave, sometimes yer just kicked without a reason.


nialler

Stormfox1020

Really you caused lag?? Even on DSL thats gay. Well ill just have to find a decent Server with no lag with 16 peeps but its gay the way it lags when everyone got DSL

uzami

If u have 1MB upload do u know how many people u can Host??

I took this as a question about a theoretical question on hosting. eg if I had 1mb could we have 32 or 64 players.

Sorry, on 128k you can expect to host 4 to 6 people, and incremental numbers as U/L speed increases, as nialler said

Again, it will be a while before we can be expecting to host 16 player games on eircom's residential offering.

Though RTCW is notorious for being a bit laggy. It may be possible for a decent port / Xbox only game to have better netcode where this isn't an issue.

For example, MotoGP 2 is better optimised for LIVE (from menu systems/login to very little lag).

I think it may be another example of poor ports to the XBOX, I can only hope the situation will be improved over time as developers get more experience in working on LIVE enabled games.

Stormfox1020

Im not really big about hosting i jus wana play on 16 people servers, ill jus have to find a good server. with Eircom, how does the Xbox connect do, i herd with 128K upload u can barely play Halo 2 player.

uzami

Rubbish...xboxconnect tells you exactly what your ping is to the host...... I have had 8 player games of Halo with no lag using eircom RADSL......

....you can find 16 player games if RTCW fairly easly.....you just can't tell EXACTLY what your ping is to the game..........


.......but as I've said before................RTCW is a poorly optimised game....if you're lucky it is a 16 player delight...if not a lag hell.

Stormfox1020

Kool, have you tried playing a 16 player game on halo? For xbox connect does sum1 host? or is there no host? Can u play Co-op Online to? That would be awesome but the thing is theres no way in communicating with the other person in Co-op so it kinda suck. But in a death match it would be awesome. Have you tried Brute Force Over Xbox connect? that looks like a good game sorta like a Conflict Desert Storm meets halo sorta thing.

Storm

uzami

Kool, have you tried playing a 16 player game on halo?

No, after the initial flurry haven't gone back to it (the halo players are all very, very good, you may think you're good but you've no chance).

For xbox connect does sum1 host?

Yes

Can u play Co-op Online to?

No

Have you tried Brute Force Over Xbox connect?

No...game looks kinda sucky tbh

Stormfox1020

Yup i know wut to expect from halo players . I got the same shock when i first played Medal of Honor allied assualt on line. Oh my days as a noob. U gett better at it tho and i did and ended up one of the best in the league. But then i moved to Ireland and havent played a game online for a year now ive lost my nack. I have played a 16 person game before, but its was 4 xboxes all hooked up by LAN and 4 TVs split screen it was cramped but fun. Will be better Online cuz 1 TV per person yay! The vechiles must be fun online and sniping the odd mofo