Burnout 3

[Inertia_]

Yeah, it's performing well this morning. It's also dead this morning, as well.

Tonight we'll see.

[macosx]

The offline is digital crack! Fantastic stuff. The online is a step backwards in the whole LIVE experience. All these screens, 'connecting to EA' etc. I don't give a stuff, just make it work properly.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Thanks man! That's worked a treat

[Inertia_]

Sure enough, it's 2.30 in the afternoon and the problems have started. Let's hope it stays stable...

[hankwangford]

You are being stupid regards the Live issues. 1: I didn't see these issues last night but I accept that they must have existed, and 2: Even when you log into a Live game that isn't EA a large number of the servers are not managed by microsoft but are managed by the third parties who make the games. The EA part is simply the login and authentication.

Neil.

No. The person who creates the game session HOSTS THE GAME. There's like, no dedicated servers (except for those who set their Xboxes up with a given option in game ala Splintercell). EA, on the other hand, have set up dedicated servers for this nonsense (which must be why Microsoft and EA had to cut a special deal). Live is supposed to be completely seamless and integrated, not bogged down with all this "signing into EA" bull****.

The only servers in other Live games are whatever's used for registering a game and showing it to others, login and stats.

The evidence for this is quite clear as these online issues wouldn't exist if there wasn't any strain on the servers - which there would NOT be if you had single Xboxes hosting games with at least a 128kbps upstream. Crimson Skies, for example, arguably needs to calculate and send more (XYZ co-ordinates + weapons + damage + position of weapon boxes + speed) and that works perfectly up to 12 players and reasonably well above that.

EDIT: Just read your further replies and I never said Microsoft were managing them. EA are quite clearly in control here.

[Paleface]

Few things worth pointing out - the "News" screen suggests that there might be patches/alterations added later, to my mind; also, in the manual, EA reserve the right to end online facilities having given 30 days notice on eagames.com . Basically, when no-one plays it any more (or when not enough people play it any more) they pull the plug on the servers. Gits.

[Spatial]

Just got my copy today ( yeah, I know but its fashionable to be a bit late to the party ).

I love this game. Just like Neil and Ish I can't stop letting out evil whoops of joy when I total my car and everyone elses.

Funniest moment so far had to be when I ploughed into an intersection and once the carnage had settled down, a single solitary wheel just rolled across the screen from left to right.I almost pissed myself laughing.

The sound effects, the crash damage, the ability to steer your car once you've crashed .... its all brilliant !

[NeilMcRae]

No. The person who creates the game session HOSTS THE GAME. There's like, no dedicated servers (except for those who set their Xboxes up with a given option in game ala Splintercell). EA, on the other hand, have set up dedicated servers for this nonsense (which must be why Microsoft and EA had to cut a special deal). Live is supposed to be completely seamless and integrated, not bogged down with all this "signing into EA" bull****.

The only servers in other Live games are whatever's used for registering a game and showing it to others, login and stats.

The evidence for this is quite clear as these online issues wouldn't exist if there wasn't any strain on the servers - which there would NOT be if you had single Xboxes hosting games with at least a 128kbps upstream. Crimson Skies, for example, arguably needs to calculate and send more (XYZ co-ordinates + weapons + damage + position of weapon boxes + speed) and that works perfectly up to 12 players and reasonably well above that.

EDIT: Just read your further replies and I never said Microsoft were managing them. EA are quite clearly in control here.

Sorry Hank but you are wrong here - THere are no dedicated servers, just match making rooms.

Neil.

[John Beaulieu]

so why does it say 'signing in to EA servers' after every race ... this is the point that people start holding their breath, wishing that they don't get kicked or time out

[g-funk]

I think it just signs in to the ea servers to record your stats.

Although I haven't noticed a part where it checks your connection speed to determine how many players you can host so maybe it is dedicated servers. Most other games do this, but saying that with it being only 6 players there would probably be no need.

Who knows

[NeilMcRae]

Its purely stats and to rejoin the match making room. If you have played any other online EA game they all work like this.

[NeilMcRae]

I saw issues connecting with the Xbox version just a few minutes ago, so I tried the PS-2 version online and works without a glitch and its busier thank the xbox version interms of number of players!

[wod]

no and i just bought an xbox with it to play with you guys on it. i knew i should have got ps2 version

[hankwangford]

Sorry Hank but you are wrong here - THere are no dedicated servers, just match making rooms.

Neil.

Well, it's still a good theory and I'm still right about everything else :P

Regardless, it doesn't explain all the problems... (not to say that you aren't right, of course - it just baffles me)

It CAN'T be the actual game netcode, as when I have gotten in a room or been invited by one of my friends we've had an absolute blast with only two drops (and they were in the lobby and not the game). It doesn't add up for me to be anything *BUT* EA's own servers, considering. You make a good point about previous EA games, but this being the first EA Xbox Live title most of us have played it may not count here.

I don't want to start an argument (blame alcohol for my rather **** filled post yesterday) but I want to get to the bottom of it and firebomb the evil people responsible!

[macosx]

Ok Neil here's what's crap any solutions?:

1. It dumps you out of the game sometimes at the end of a race. No chance to chat/brag with your mates.

2. You can't join a game in another server, even if you can see your friend in your friends list. Absolute rubbish.

3. It's like Xbox 3.0 never happened. Text messaging. You have to read to delete messages etc.

4. You can't join a non full game if the game is in progress. You have to sit in the friends list. Gotham did it right in being able to watch the game.

EA sort it out, not a good advert for Microsoft LIVE or for their participation in it.