Stick Online Forums

General => General => Topic started by: Mr Pwnage on July 13, 2009, 10:11:44 PM

Title: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Mr Pwnage on July 13, 2009, 10:11:44 PM
So...I've been wanting an understanding of how this works for sometime...just never bothered to ask...TILL NOW!

So, a boss monster spawns, and you get a bunch of hits on it, and when it dies you always get gold, and the chance at an item. Right, we got that. Now time for a hypothetical: So, let's say a DS spawned at the wall...you get a bunch of hits on it, but some noob drags it very far left of the wall while you are healing on the wall. The noob commits suicide once the DS is very far away from the wall somehow, and than the DS gets wrecked by a mass swarm of lvl 100s maxed out on str with slashers, and dies. One of these maxed-out players runs to the wall to tell you the news so you can go get your drop, you run to the location where the DS died, and nothing is there....dun, dun, duuuuuuuun.

Why did this happen? Because aparently when a monster is a certain distance out of your view, you lose all your hits on it. I really didn't care about this before, but now with the sand golumn you definately need distance from it to heal, too much will cause you to lose your drops though.


So, my question is exactly how far away does a monster have to be from you to lose your hits/drops on/from it?
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Dragx_Rage on July 13, 2009, 10:19:31 PM
Great question, I would love an answer for it! Sorry I can't help you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Osh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: ARTgames on July 13, 2009, 10:45:12 PM
Talked to meiun about this on msn. he says about 2 screen lengths is the max you should go away form a monster.

also i guess im the noob in your post. <_< Come on keeping the sg between the wall and hat stand is much better than keeping it at wall.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Dragx_Rage on July 13, 2009, 10:51:00 PM
Thanks for the answer ART!  :D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Osh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: CherryPie on July 14, 2009, 04:30:00 AM
i was asking the same and Meiun said that it'd be like 2,5 screen lengths.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Josh on July 14, 2009, 05:31:02 AM
meh i though he said 3 screens but i guees thats me....
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: mikkelet on July 14, 2009, 06:49:30 AM
IMO, Meiun should modify the SG, so that you only can lose your hits if you die =)

Because I have tried some times, where seriously lag occured. Everything disappeared for a moment and when it returned, I had lost all my hits. ( I know because it happened to me just before the SG died, and I didn't get anything at all @_@)
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Dragx_Rage on July 14, 2009, 10:38:39 AM
Quote from: mikkelet on July 14, 2009, 06:49:30 AM
IMO, Meiun should modify the SG, so that you only can lose your hits if you die =)

Because I have tried some times, where seriously lag occured. Everything disappeared for a moment and when it returned, I had lost all my hits. ( I know because it happened to me just before the SG died, and I didn't get anything at all @_@)

I would like this too, as it can be very frustating spending 40 or so minutes killing a SG and getting no reward even if you haven't died.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Osh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Lingus on July 14, 2009, 03:03:17 PM
The reason is because in the programing of the game, if any object is farther away than around 2-3 screen lengths, you no longer receive data from it. Essentially, all of your hits on the monster and any objects (such as items) are destroyed/deleted on your end (obviously, the damage the monster has taken still stays). The same thing would happen if you killed the monster and it never went far enough away, you got a drop, and then you ran 2-3 screen lengths away. When you come back, the item and any gold would be gone (at least I'm relatively certain of that).
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: jonsploder on July 15, 2009, 02:00:29 AM
It's true that they are deactivated. But they should be reactivated easily. Drops are just destroyed over distances. Which I disagree with, it would barely cause any lag at all, even if you intentionally tried to make some coin lag.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: CherryPie on July 15, 2009, 02:34:12 AM
May I through in another question? I was collecting drops from the bandits to see how many I could manage to have laying on the ground at the same time.
While doing this, the drop at the flag was gone after I was sitting at the bird nest and came back. So it was only about 1-1,5 screen lengths away and still was deleted.
This changes the whole thing a bit, doesn't it?
So you may not loose your hits if its 2 screen lengths away, but your drops just won't drop.. Probably you would still get the experience, tho.
Regarding our computers get better and better in the meanwhile, SO3 should have a way wider screen range for that case or just delete the drops on ground every 5 mins after they have been dropped.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: jonsploder on July 15, 2009, 05:39:06 AM
I doubt this. Not calling you a liar, but that's never happened to me, and just going up high on the temple doesn't destroy my drops. Or did I misread you?
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Coolist on July 15, 2009, 09:04:06 AM
The reason this is done is probably for FPS lag AND packet lag.  The fact that some people have a faster computer doesn't mean that the packet is gonna send faster.  Anyway to get on topic I only play on some peoples old accounts but my word for you is:  Suck it up.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: ARTgames on July 15, 2009, 12:27:09 PM
Quote from: Coolist on July 15, 2009, 09:04:06 AM
The reason this is done is probably for FPS lag AND packet lag.  The fact that some people have a faster computer doesn't mean that the packet is gonna send faster.  Anyway to get on topic I only play on some peoples old accounts but my word for you is:  Suck it up.

I'm sure you mean bandwidth and not packet lag. keeping track of all those monster takes more bandwidth but does not affect when the message gets to you. that bandwidth is still really small but from meiuns servers that adds up. of course when you hit the max of you bandwith some packets cant go and you'll get lag. if thats whats your talking about.

Your right about the fps. makes sense. the more stuff you haft to keep track of the more you computer has to do.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: jonsploder on July 15, 2009, 10:07:33 PM
Quote from: Coolist on July 15, 2009, 09:04:06 AM
The reason this is done is probably for FPS lag AND packet lag.  The fact that some people have a faster computer doesn't mean that the packet is gonna send faster.  Anyway to get on topic I only play on some peoples old accounts but my word for you is:  Suck it up.

As I said before, drops cause hardly any fps lag and if you do try to make some coin lag, it's your problem and can easily be overcome. And I think he means packetlag as in fps going down so the packets are sent offtime. Which again, hardly matters. i've tested having over 500 gold on the ground, and it doesn't reduce my fps at all. Only increases natural lag a slight bit.
That, and the objects can be deactivated when not in view, not destroyed. So it really wouldn't matter much.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: ARTgames on July 16, 2009, 12:05:03 AM
Quote from: jonsploder on July 15, 2009, 10:07:33 PM
Quote from: Coolist on July 15, 2009, 09:04:06 AM
The reason this is done is probably for FPS lag AND packet lag.  The fact that some people have a faster computer doesn't mean that the packet is gonna send faster.  Anyway to get on topic I only play on some peoples old accounts but my word for you is:  Suck it up.

As I said before, drops cause hardly any fps lag and if you do try to make some coin lag, it's your problem and can easily be overcome. And I think he means packetlag as in fps going down so the packets are sent offtime. Which again, hardly matters. i've tested having over 500 gold on the ground, and it doesn't reduce my fps at all. Only increases natural lag a slight bit.
That, and the objects can be deactivated when not in view, not destroyed. So it really wouldn't matter much.

yeah true but i think he(Mr Pwnage) wants to know the amount(distance you can go away from drop) and not the reasons why not to expand the area. yeah i know i helped get this a bit off track. sorry.

I'm sure meiun will explain more under my post.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Meiun on July 16, 2009, 12:10:20 AM
Yes it is true that everything in game that is more than a few screens away essentialy dosn't exist for you ingame (drops included), and yes it would be very easy for me to make it so drops DIDN'T go away when you got far away. This was done on purpose (maybe not the all time most agreeable decision, but a decision none the less).
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Mr Pwnage on July 16, 2009, 06:32:38 PM
Thanks for all your input guys. I think I got my answer, about 2 screen lengths. Also, I already knew about item/gold drops dissappearing if you walk about 2 and 1/2 screen lengths away, and I personally think it's fine. I actually like it that way. I just wasn't sure about losing "hits" on a monster, like how far off screen you have to be in order for the game to stop accknowledging you did damage to the monster. I got my answer, and that is what I am looking for.

If you all want to hear my personal opinion on the matter, even though it wasn't the reason I made this topic, here it is: I think the current system is fine, regarding how far you have to be for items/gold to be deleted off the ground. I think it a good, and reasonable distance. What I don't like though, is losing hits on monsters. I think you should never lose your hits on a monster, but, if the monster dies and it is the distance away that items/gold should be deleted, than they are. In other words, be near the monster when it dies. The reason why I don't think people should lose hits on a monster offscreen is because people have to sit and stay still to regenerate HP, there is no other way. So if an SG comes, you should be able to heal safely, than return for some damage, than repeat, etc. Everyone has somewhat of a mental gage though, when a monster should be about dead. When this gage goes off, you should make an effort to be in the monstrosities area of death.

The current system is fine as it is though, as long as people are aware of it.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Lingus on July 16, 2009, 07:41:59 PM
I don't think you can have it both ways... If your hits are still counted when you move away from the monster, that means you are still receiving the data. The whole reason why it is done the way it is is so that it reduces lag. If you receive data from all monsters in the game world it would lag like hell... Anything not within a certain distance from you is "destroyed" and you don't receive any of the data until it comes back in range. I don't think you can choose to have one particular piece of data not destroyed. I may be wrong though. It might be a question of how difficult or complicated the process would be.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: ARTgames on July 16, 2009, 07:50:37 PM
Lingus you could still have it that way but the server keep track who hit the monster and when it dies it could check if the player still in the zone. if no sent nothing and if so drop.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Meiun on July 20, 2009, 05:36:44 AM
Even though the general design seems to point towards this method, it would still definitely be possible to make it so you never lost drops even with the method I used for data transmission and engine efficiency. One of the biggest reasons I ended up going through and keeping the whole exp/drops thing the way it is was because it makes it so that you have to stay "engaged" with the monster to maintain all your progress on him (think of the "run away" option in all those classic RPG). There is already such a small punishment for death in the game, that being required to stay engaged with the ones you do fight hardly seemed like a bad decision to me. Anyways, you guys can continue discussing it if you want, but I think I've made my points here. This all seems to have been discussed pretty thoroughly.
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: ARTgames on July 20, 2009, 09:51:28 AM
i wish there were non pvp potions i could spend gold on so i could keep fighting the monster for longer. I think the problem people are having is that they are just healing and people start leading the monster away. those monsters have such short attention spans. :P
Title: Re: Question - Losing drops offscreen...
Post by: Mr Pwnage on July 20, 2009, 11:26:06 AM
Quote from: Meiun on July 20, 2009, 05:36:44 AM
Even though the general design seems to point towards this method, it would still definitely be possible to make it so you never lost drops even with the method I used for data transmission and engine efficiency. One of the biggest reasons I ended up going through and keeping the whole exp/drops thing the way it is was because it makes it so that you have to stay "engaged" with the monster to maintain all your progress on him (think of the "run away" option in all those classic RPG). There is already such a small punishment for death in the game, that being required to stay engaged with the ones you do fight hardly seemed like a bad decision to me. Anyways, you guys can continue discussing it if you want, but I think I've made my points here. This all seems to have been discussed pretty thoroughly.
I have already recieved answers to my question the topic has been originally created for. And this explanation here seems completely rational and informative about the whole "Losing drops offscreen" system's logic...So as the topic creator I am locking this, because I see no point in further discussing this.