Andy's problem

[Nicolai Nicholson]

I assume the reason why Andy wasn't able to join the server on Wednesday still is a mystery?!

1.As Andy was the last to join there were too many skins to (down)load, and he timed out before he had the chance to load all skins. The fact that Jim was able to join doesn't kill this theory as it could be explained by difference in computer power or internet connection.

2. The only skins that is new to the pack sinse Andy last raced without problems is Reik's. However, I find it hard to believe that it would cause any problem. (Interestingly enough it is that those two skins (Reik and Andy) are the only once bearing a championship crest...)

3 Some local problem on Andy's PC.

If we find no other solution I think it would be a good idea to downsize several skins: Some skins are almost 40 MB (Sean and Tim), many are around 22MB while some are as small as 1 MB (Vale). Altogheter the total size of the skins is 215 MB.

To try help boost your motivation Andy, have a look at this: http://blip.tv/remiskinkerytter/season-1-division-1-review-1849943
That was 3 years ago, you won the season, but didn't manage to get any points at Spa that time either

 

[Jim Hawley]

Andy told me he'd been trying for aboout 1/2 an hour to get into the server, so from 7:30 ish when it would have been a lot less than full (maybe 15-20)

It's a mystery to me, I've never seen it before, could be as Nico say's some local or (even global) net issue, something broken between Andy and the server forcing his data to take a different (much longer) route, this can happen?

Andy, maybe tonight or tomorrow try to join a public server that is almost full (nearly 25) see what happens

Anyone else got any idea's?


Jim

 

[Tim McIver]

I'm pretty sure I had exactly the same problem in one race last season. It would try and enter and just never make it. That time again it was a very full server. Although others that had been in already could get back in, I didn't seem to be able to get in the first time. I wonder if anyone else that hadn't already been in and registered on the server would have had Andy's problem. I suspect it would have. Though if Jim's right that Andy was trying to get into the server before everyone else was there that's different I suppose. I did notice however that the server was very full well before the scheduled start time.

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

Is there any info about the error message he received when failing to join the server?

 

[Valter Ostman]

Can this have anything to do with steam functionality you think?

 

[Christian Ramlow]

format c: ?

 

[Jim Hawley]

maybe it was just a "one off" some sort of internet backbone issue, or even something much more localised, as it could have been for Tim a while back?

Jim

 

[Peter Marshall]

I am convinced it was the track. It was the same track [Spa 2004] that we used in Season 5 Rd 1 where Tim had the same issue as Andy. Easy enough with hindsight to suggest [with testing] Spa 2008 as a replacement.

 

[Andy Paries]

Thx guys for trying to help me.
Next race i will join the server as soon as it is up, will be no problem if there are only few people on it, i think.
Maybe i can change the plr. file, extending the time out time or something.
There is one line that says 150.000 before timing out, maybe i can change that (im guessing that it means 150 seconds)
When i tryed to join the first time, there were about 18 people on the server.
And thx Nico for reminding me of that video

Andy,

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

I am convinced it was the track. It was the same track [Spa 2004] that we used in Season 5 Rd 1 where Tim had the same issue as Andy. Easy enough with hindsight to suggest [with testing] Spa 2008 as a replacement.

It could be that Spa is a track that takes longer than average to load, and in combination with all the skins, it took too muh time.

There is one line that says 150.000 before timing out, maybe i can change that (im guessing that it means 150 seconds)

As soon as you started to join the server I could see you as "joining". You had that status for a long time before it eventually disapeared. When you say 150 sec (2 1/2min) that doesn't seem like a bad estimate, although it is hard to tell (how long you tried to join before it went wrong).

It would be helpful to know in detail what happend while you tried to join. When it works, it first downloads the track while you see the track layout graphics, then you appear in the garage while it is slowly loading all your contenders/skins. What did you see Andy? Did it appear to work until the moment it "gave up"? And was there any message displayed?

 

[Andy Paries]

Hey Nico, everything worked fine, loaded almost everyone, until right at the end (only 1 or 2 players to go) i got an "lost conection" message.
I think the game just timed out, because it took too long to load.
I have an old pc, it still work fine, but maybe its a bit slower loading the skins and therefore timing out.
I think it will work fine at monza, at least thats what i hope.

 

[Reik Major]

If the problem appears again and you want to know if the size of the skins cause the problem just cut the "PrestoGP Season 6" folder out of the custom skins folder and try again. The folder is ~380 mb. If it work's you can see us at least in this strange black but you could identify the drivers by enabling the names above the cars.

It's just a quick idea if you or someone else, who joins late have this problem again and run out of ideas. At least we'd know more then...

 

[Dave Russell]

Good idea Reik with cutting the custom skins folder out of the equation. If it does prove to be the case, I wonder how difficult it would be to reduce the resolution of all the skins to the same as the original skins, then it shouldn't make any difference.. that is providing the custom skins are a higher resolution in the first place.

 

[Dave Russell]

Having thought about that, I suppose it may still pose a problem even if the resolution of the custom skins were dropped to the same level as the originals - as the game would still have to load the extra skin in the first place if someone is using the original :frown: Oh well, should've engaged brain first before saying anything! Just thinking out loud hehe