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Ok, i've priced up some broadband and now i want you to tell me, online games
Do they jitter?
How long
Do they jitter?
How long
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Ok, i've priced up some broadband and now i want you to tell me, online games
Do they jitter?
How long
Do they jitter?
How long
Dammit!
Sorry
Do they jitter?
How long does it take to set up an online game?
Any flaws you've found?
Sorry
Do they jitter?
How long does it take to set up an online game?
Any flaws you've found?
Define 'jitter'?
After you get to the main options screen on SOCOM, from selecting Online to playing takes about 1 minute if you've got all your controller configurations and other preferences already configured and saved to your memory card. So from taking the game disc out of the box and turning on your PS2 to actually playing online? Around 90 seconds.
Define 'flaws'? As with all online games on any format you'll get disconnected from time to time (usually thanks to your ISP), you'll get the odd bit of lag (there's one map on SOCOM that's rather small and with 16 people all firing their weapons you'll get slowdown), but interestingly both Midnight Club 2 and Twisted Metal: Black Online run very smoothly, I've never noticed lag on either of these games.
The main niggle with the whole thing is getting your PS2 online in the first place.
If you've got the cash, invest in an ethernet modem as opposed to an ADSL/USB modem (the kind that BT Broadband supply), and use a router so that you can have your PC and PS2 online at the same time (Linksys BEFSR41 4-port ethernet router comes highly recommended, it seems preconfigured to work with all online games including voice comms, and works well with XBox Live systems as well). In total, with cables this costs around £77 extra on top of the official Network Adaptor to get your PS2 online, but it's well worth it.
I had the option of direct connecting, but because I use the PC and PS2 equally I didn't fancy unplugging one from the cable modem to use the other, plus the laptop downstairs is on the same network now so direct connecting would be troublesome to other household members.
As for Internet Connection Sharing? Cheaper option than using a router, (around £20 for a 2nd Network Interface Card and cables) but way more fiddly to set up and get working, especially with headset games where some systems need you to go as far as editing your registry settings to get the voice comms forwarded. Way too fiddly for me.
Overall, if you want to compare console online to PC online, I prefer console. It means I can lounge on the bed and play games on a Sony 24" Widescreen TV instead of being crouched over a keyboard staring at a small LCD display 2ft away from me, with my hand gradually being turned claw-shaped as it welds itself to my mouse. It means I don't have to keep a spare £300 back every year for a new graphics card for the latest games. It means that if it's got PS2 written on it I don't have to worry whether or not my system can run it.
The only drawback to going online with a PS2 now is the lack of online games, but SOCOM makes up for that in that it's the kind of game you can play online all day and not get tired of. This time next year you'll be spoilt for choice. We're lucky to get it considering Sony could have held off until more than just 20% of the UK population got covered by cable broadband (most of the rest are covered by BT broadband which uses USB modems).
After you get to the main options screen on SOCOM, from selecting Online to playing takes about 1 minute if you've got all your controller configurations and other preferences already configured and saved to your memory card. So from taking the game disc out of the box and turning on your PS2 to actually playing online? Around 90 seconds.
Define 'flaws'? As with all online games on any format you'll get disconnected from time to time (usually thanks to your ISP), you'll get the odd bit of lag (there's one map on SOCOM that's rather small and with 16 people all firing their weapons you'll get slowdown), but interestingly both Midnight Club 2 and Twisted Metal: Black Online run very smoothly, I've never noticed lag on either of these games.
The main niggle with the whole thing is getting your PS2 online in the first place.
If you've got the cash, invest in an ethernet modem as opposed to an ADSL/USB modem (the kind that BT Broadband supply), and use a router so that you can have your PC and PS2 online at the same time (Linksys BEFSR41 4-port ethernet router comes highly recommended, it seems preconfigured to work with all online games including voice comms, and works well with XBox Live systems as well). In total, with cables this costs around £77 extra on top of the official Network Adaptor to get your PS2 online, but it's well worth it.
I had the option of direct connecting, but because I use the PC and PS2 equally I didn't fancy unplugging one from the cable modem to use the other, plus the laptop downstairs is on the same network now so direct connecting would be troublesome to other household members.
As for Internet Connection Sharing? Cheaper option than using a router, (around £20 for a 2nd Network Interface Card and cables) but way more fiddly to set up and get working, especially with headset games where some systems need you to go as far as editing your registry settings to get the voice comms forwarded. Way too fiddly for me.
Overall, if you want to compare console online to PC online, I prefer console. It means I can lounge on the bed and play games on a Sony 24" Widescreen TV instead of being crouched over a keyboard staring at a small LCD display 2ft away from me, with my hand gradually being turned claw-shaped as it welds itself to my mouse. It means I don't have to keep a spare £300 back every year for a new graphics card for the latest games. It means that if it's got PS2 written on it I don't have to worry whether or not my system can run it.
The only drawback to going online with a PS2 now is the lack of online games, but SOCOM makes up for that in that it's the kind of game you can play online all day and not get tired of. This time next year you'll be spoilt for choice. We're lucky to get it considering Sony could have held off until more than just 20% of the UK population got covered by cable broadband (most of the rest are covered by BT broadband which uses USB modems).
FM, I know you're in the know-how when it comes to online stuff, so I'll ask you, if you don't mind.
This ethernet cable thing, that comes with your official network adaptor, how long is it?
If it were possible, could I use the length of this ethernet cable (by getting an extension?) and have it go FROM my room to the Broadband box-thing downstairs, so that the Broadband box-thing can connect both to the PS2 and PC?
What I'm not clear on is if we can plug the ethernet cable INTO this Broadband box-thing (hub/hud) or do we connect the ethernet cable to the broadband box-thing CABLE?
That's what I'm confused about.
Please, please could you clear this up for me?
Cheers.
P.S, this is NTL I'm talking about.
This ethernet cable thing, that comes with your official network adaptor, how long is it?
If it were possible, could I use the length of this ethernet cable (by getting an extension?) and have it go FROM my room to the Broadband box-thing downstairs, so that the Broadband box-thing can connect both to the PS2 and PC?
What I'm not clear on is if we can plug the ethernet cable INTO this Broadband box-thing (hub/hud) or do we connect the ethernet cable to the broadband box-thing CABLE?
That's what I'm confused about.
Please, please could you clear this up for me?
Cheers.
P.S, this is NTL I'm talking about.
Shocktrooper wrote:
> FM, I know you're in the know-how when it comes to online stuff, so
> I'll ask you, if you don't mind.
>
> This ethernet cable thing, that comes with your official network
> adaptor, how long is it?
>
> If it were possible, could I use the length of this ethernet cable (by
> getting an extension?) and have it go FROM my room to the Broadband
> box-thing downstairs, so that the Broadband box-thing can connect both
> to the PS2 and PC?
>
> What I'm not clear on is if we can plug the ethernet cable INTO this
> Broadband box-thing (hub/hud) or do we connect the ethernet cable to
> the broadband box-thing CABLE?
> That's what I'm confused about.
>
> Please, please could you clear this up for me?
>
> Cheers.
>
> P.S, this is NTL I'm talking about.
Length of cable supplied by Sony with the Network Adaptor is 2m.
If you need more, you just order the same stuff online from www.ebuyer.com or www.dabs.com. It's called lots of different things, like CAT5 patch cable, CAT5e straight through cable, CAT5/e UTP straight through patch cable.
However, EVERYTHING depends on what service you've got from NTL, and what type of modem you have that NTL supplied you with when they installed your broadband service. Your best bet, I think, is to make a cup of coffee and have a read of Sony's Network Gaming Guides:
http://uk.playstation.com/networkgaming/guides.jhtml
and maybe NTL's PS2 webpage which has a helpline number on it:
http://www.ntlworld.com/ps2/
> FM, I know you're in the know-how when it comes to online stuff, so
> I'll ask you, if you don't mind.
>
> This ethernet cable thing, that comes with your official network
> adaptor, how long is it?
>
> If it were possible, could I use the length of this ethernet cable (by
> getting an extension?) and have it go FROM my room to the Broadband
> box-thing downstairs, so that the Broadband box-thing can connect both
> to the PS2 and PC?
>
> What I'm not clear on is if we can plug the ethernet cable INTO this
> Broadband box-thing (hub/hud) or do we connect the ethernet cable to
> the broadband box-thing CABLE?
> That's what I'm confused about.
>
> Please, please could you clear this up for me?
>
> Cheers.
>
> P.S, this is NTL I'm talking about.
Length of cable supplied by Sony with the Network Adaptor is 2m.
If you need more, you just order the same stuff online from www.ebuyer.com or www.dabs.com. It's called lots of different things, like CAT5 patch cable, CAT5e straight through cable, CAT5/e UTP straight through patch cable.
However, EVERYTHING depends on what service you've got from NTL, and what type of modem you have that NTL supplied you with when they installed your broadband service. Your best bet, I think, is to make a cup of coffee and have a read of Sony's Network Gaming Guides:
http://uk.playstation.com/networkgaming/guides.jhtml
and maybe NTL's PS2 webpage which has a helpline number on it:
http://www.ntlworld.com/ps2/
FM da broadband MAN!
Cheers FM.
But I'm afraid I didn't clear something up in the original post that I should have - I don't yet have Broadband, which is why I asked about the broadband box-thing...you see, I don't know what anything looks like.
I'm planning on installing the 600K service.
But I'll take your advice and look on NTL's site.
You're a god.
But I'm afraid I didn't clear something up in the original post that I should have - I don't yet have Broadband, which is why I asked about the broadband box-thing...you see, I don't know what anything looks like.
I'm planning on installing the 600K service.
But I'll take your advice and look on NTL's site.
You're a god.
As with all of the Xbox stuff, SOCOM and MC4 don't overly interest me, but I've a feeling I could be hooked when GT4 arrives.
Heh, I gather that was you, FM, replying to the post I made on the playstation forums?
:)
Hell, if you lived near me, I would PAY you to come round and do it all for me. :-D
:)
Hell, if you lived near me, I would PAY you to come round and do it all for me. :-D
"fusion008" as a forum name? Shocktrooper already taken was it?
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