Does Halo intentionally cripple High-end computers?

[Guest]

Does Halo intentionally cripple High-end computers?

I want to know why it is so easy for people to kill me
while playing Halo Multiplayer, and why I am unable to
kill them?
My ping is at 35 when playing, and players with over 100
ping can kill me with ease.
And when I try to kill them (even with a tank) they are
unaffected.

I have a network monitor and also noticed that halo is
doing very strange things while I'm online
(wmiprsv.exe?).

I have tried various configurations (nosound, low video
resolution, different internet settings, disabling
firewalls, etc.)
No matter what combination I tried, the problem persists.
However, there is slight improvement when I increase the
settings and run everything on full. Which makes no
sense, because this should decrease my performance?

It seems to me that somehow the game is intentionally
crippling my system/limiting how my system performs.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?


Here is my current system:
Windows XP Professional w/sp2 (student version from law
school)
nVidia 6800GT made by PNY
3.2GHz pentium 4 w/512k cashe (Hyperthreading Enabled)
(2x256) 512 MB DDR SDRAM PC3500 (Dual Channel mode)
1 Western Digital Raptor ~40GB HD @ 10,000 rpm
MOBO is an Elite Group-ECS 865PE
I have cable internet through Comcast with
4000kbps/downstream and 384kbps/upstream


ADDITIONAL INFO:
All my drivers work and are up-to-date
DXDIAG show everything is fine
Device Manager is all good, and nothing hiden
No hidden programs running in the background (except the
one Halo calls-wmiprsv.exe?)

Here is my latest Timedemo Score:

For further information, please visit the timedemo FAQ at:
http://halo.bungie.net/site/halo/features/hpcperformancefaq
..html
Date / Time: 8/30/2004 12:54:33 PM (412656ms)
3200MHz, 512MB, 256M nVidia Unknown (DeviceID=0x0045)
Driver=6.14.10.6176 Shader=2.0
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo\halo.exe -timedemo -
nosound (Version=1.0.4.607)
Frames=4700
Total Time=48.28s
Average frame rate=97.35fps
Below 5fps= 2% (time) 0% (frames) (1.120s spent in 5
frames)
Below 10fps= 3% (time) 0% (frames)
Below 15fps= 4% (time) 0% (frames)
Below 20fps= 4% (time) 0% (frames)
Below 25fps= 4% (time) 0% (frames)
Below 30fps= 4% (time) 0% (frames)
Below 40fps= 4% (time) 0% (frames)
Below 50fps= 5% (time) 0% (frames)
Below 60fps= 11% (time) 4% (frames)
###Sound Options###
Sound Disabled
###Video Options###
Resolution= 1024 x 768
Refresh rate= 75 Hz
Framerate throttle= No Vsync
Specular= Yes
Shadows= Yes
Decals= Yes
Particles= Off
Texture Quality= High

 

[Chris H.]

Have you run through the support information here:
http://www.bungie.net/Games/HaloPC/page.aspx?section=FAQInfo&subsection=Support&page=1
Sounds like you should not be having these issues, except what comes to mind
is what else are you running while you're playing? Are you using Messenger?
Do you have your anti-virus shut down totally, and I'm not just talking
about "exiting" from the Systray icon, but completely shut down. Are you
using any type of third-party software firewall in addition to the Windows
Firewall in SP2?
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[Guest]

This machine was built solely for running Halo, and Halo
alone. No third party-anything is installed. Nothing is
running in the back ground, except for the windows stuff
that can't be shut down(PF usage is at 86MB or less).

I've enabled the firewall, disabled the firewall, and
tried many different exception configurations-none of
which made anytype of longterm improvement.

I know that my lag is being caused by the game server
sending me too much data.

Look at what microsoft says:
"f you are on a 56Kbps modem and you report being on
T1 / LAN, the server may send you more information than
you can handle and you will start experiencing stuttering
and lag."

My network monitor confirms that this is what is
happening, when I get really bad lag the gameserver starts
pinging me with a phony IP address (44.219.17.0)<--i know
it's the gameserver because it's using the same UDP port,
even when I change it to a different port number. (I also
contacted the listed owner of that IP address-Univerity of
Calif.@SanDiego, they claim the IP address is being
spoofed because their is no machine at that IP address).

So for some reason the gameserver thinks my above-average
cable internet connection is a T1 line, even if I set it
to a lower amount, the server seems to figure it out and
sends me what it wants to instead.

Also, I have two additional machienes connected to my
router, each with it's own copy of Halo (Bought a copy the
first day it came out on sale at Besy Buy, bought a second
copy at CompUSA to get the free halo keyboard, and the
third copy came with my Creative SB aud2 gammer sound
card).

Now the funny thing is when I hook more than 1 computer to
the game server (i.e. I decrease my bandwidth) the server
doesn't ping me as much and the lag decreases???

I shouldn't have to do this just to avoid lag.

Why does it do this?

How can I stop it?