Online Continues To Be A Frustrating Experience

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jcmc968
I have posted several threads in the past about how tiresome and generally frustrating I find online so guess what, another one!

My first thread about this was picking issue with a lot of badly designed elements of the online experience but to be fair to PD they are making inroads to improve the functionality of the thing, yes there is a long way to go but you have confidence they know what needs doing and will get there in the end. So I am happy to wait for that side, though I am continually irritated with the regular disconnections from the server. It's just a lot less robust than Prologue was online.

So my issue now is more with the people who play the game which is not really something PD can do too much about. I'm not talking about the people who will barge you off the track or the likes, you live with that I suppose and try and find more like minded people. What I am talking about is hosts who abuse their powers and kick out people for really no reason at all. Some examples.

1) Nationality. There seems to be a xenophobic element among the various European nationalities and I find some are clumping together. Now that's fine of course, the issue comes when you enter a room that is neutrally named which happens to be full of players of a certain nationality. You set up your car, you go to track and you are suddenly kicked out with no message or reason given. This has happened several times now for me in rooms that were almost all Spanish player populated - again the room did not say Private or Only Spanish or something that might have given you a clue to stay away. I am sure there are loads of Spanish players out there who like to mix with other nations and it might just be chance I have experienced this always with this particular nationality but it is very annoying indeed.

2) Rubbish hosts. I think it is important that a host communicates stuff with the room like time to race start etc. Tonight I had an example of an idiot host who really had no clue. I'll name him, his id is CJSpencer77 and he was hosting a PP room. I joined and did a race finishing a distant 7th from 8. Him and a few others in the room were rabbiting away to each other using mics which I mute, it's annoying and distracting to me. So he changes the PP and the course, I pick a Xsara Rally Car which fits the PP, Go To Track and am kicked out.

Now I'm really irritated by this as there was no reason for this. I send a pretty direct e-mail to this guy asking why it happens, he replies in an equally direct way telling me it was my fault for ignoring the rules, no RM or rally cars. The thing is this idiot must have mumbled this via his mic which I had of course muted. I had no idea he wanted other non officially specified stuff too. He was too lazy to type it in the room to let people know, had he done this I would have happily changed the car in those circumstances but instead because of his poor hosting I get kicked.

So an hour and a half online tonight and I managed about 2 races. I had this episode above, two disconnections and an array of those other old favourites - not compatible with the host or try again in a while. Does anyone ever try again and get in?


I am imagining that a lot of people are at a similar stage of the game to me, I have finished B-Spec, have done about as much of A-Spec as I plan to do, have done all the other odds and ends and am now just collecting and tuning up a large garage in order to shift most of my playing from offline to online. But for a variety of reasons the online experience is just not close enough yet to satisfying to warrant this large investment in time and garage. Anyone else in the same boat here?
 
I think the host is given too much power. We need official PD rooms with pre made rules and regulations, along with pre made track playlist. I hate it when the host doesn't like that you beat him and then he votes you out.
 
Just noticed another thread with people complaining about online races but anyway.

You wonder why you don't have a Mute All option rather than having to go to each person individually and Mute their mic. You think you have done this, go to track and someone else starts talking who had just happened to be silent before.

Any why does the Vote To Kick Host option not work?
 
i have to say that rarely do i get connection problems or get kicked from rooms but i have seen the predijuice of 1 nationality to another. Often im in a room that is generally just british people and a spanish or german person will join and before they have even choosen a car the decision has been made to kick them..............personally i dont think its fair, at least give them a chance to play........im always off the opinion of the more the merrier.

I actually select "all" instead of "europe/australia" in the lobby select and often end up in rooms predominatly north americans and find that the rooms a very civil, structured and most importantly they race often................yes they like to talk a lot on their mics but it makes me laugh and i just have some good banter with them!!!!

I guess it just a case off pot luck sometimes, the last few night iv ended up in cracking lobbies, usually at least 12 strong and stayed there the full night but i have spent some nights searching for ages for a suitable lobby.

P.s iv been in a lobby with the guy mentioned in ur post, i found him to be pretty good but yeah him and his mates do like to talk cars.........maybe he had had a bad day when he kicked you lol
 
I haven't had this experience, mainly because I don't really play online that much, unless I want to try out a new car or a new tune for a car.
 
i feel your pain
Its the reason i only look for american rooms
everytime i go into room with brits i always get attacked and kicked:dunce:
 
Mostly, i experience slow internet connection and it affects all the loading times on my game whatever i do.
 
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jcmc
Next time I'll attempt to summarise my entire post into a grunt to save you having to read oh, two or three hundred words in a single sitting.
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It would show that you are more intelligent if you could summarise it, i too think you babbled on about 200 words to many to get your point out there.
I use private lounges most times but some times we go to a public room to get people in who aren’t on each others friend’s lists. On the odd occasion we have to make room to get others in but always let the person know that and give them the opportunity to leave first. Have had people leave as asked and they return later when room had room and have had some good racing with them.
Sure the host can abuse his privilege to kick but I wouldn’t want to stay in a room with a power monger anyway. I must say that I have had more good rooms than bad in this game so far. I was one of GT’s biggest critics early but now I couldn’t praise them enough, the things they are doing to keep this games long jeopardy are fantastic.
See what I mean in opening statement, this was only 195 words but bordering on too long for most forum browsers.
 
In the start, I used to suffer this all the time. But then I join a server named "GTPlanet" and all my problems are solved. ^_^
 
I am greatly against stats in general when it comes to online games, BUT I do think that a host ranking system is a very important must have. A five star hosting rank could be listed right underneath the room quality setting ranking.
 
I have to say that number two is not the host's fault. There are plenty of rooms that don't allow purpose-built race cars, and if you enter a PP500 lobby with no such cars in it, you should be asking the host if you can use your rally car. Many of us just don't have the patience to go and tell each and every person using their illegal machine that they can't use it only to have 10% of them actually change to an acceptable car.
 
Nightingale
I have to say that number two is not the host's fault. There are plenty of rooms that don't allow purpose-built race cars, and if you enter a PP500 lobby with no such cars in it, you should be asking the host if you can use your rally car. Many of us just don't have the patience to go and tell each and every person using their illegal machine that they can't use it only to have 10% of them actually change to an acceptable car.
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The rooms that do not allow purpose built race cars are the ones which set BHP limits and a weight threshold which is high enough that it means low weight RM or rally cars cannot qualify.

This was a PP race, following on from another PP race where everyone used race cars. The desire to limit RM or rally cars for this particular race was something created solely in the mind of the host who was too lazy to do anything more than mutter it via his mic to a room where you had foreign people who might not have understood it or people like me who mute mics.

If he or you are too lazy or too dopey to communicate what you want with a race in a manner everyone is guaranteed to see then you are not really up to the not very hard job of hosting.
 
AUS_Topgear
It would show that you are more intelligent if you could summarise it, i too think you babbled on about 200 words to many to get your point out there.

See what I mean in opening statement, this was only 195 words but bordering on too long for most forum browsers.
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Sorry but this logic doesn't work in the slightest. I used just as many words as I needed to try and make a clear and lucid point that outlined the circumstances behind my frustration. There were no words in it that were especially testing.

If someone is put off reading a slightly longer post that is there choice, if they think that original post was so long that it was daunting to read then they heaven help them if they ever have to read anything more taxing than a pamphlet. And if they take the time to make a post pointing out that it was too long for them to consider reading, well the time that post took they could have read the thing anyway then maybe they are a bit simple.
 
xNEVER-ONEx
I think the host is given too much power. We need official PD rooms with pre made rules and regulations, along with pre made track playlist. I hate it when the host doesn't like that you beat him and then he votes you out.
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👍 Problem solved.
 
I'm a good host, I've been recommended :sly:

What I dislike is that most of the lounges holding NASCAR racing are American, I find NASCAR to be a lot of competitive fun on GT5, and I really hate it when the host throws me out for living in the UK. One then sent me a load of messages that would get my banned if I were to tell you what he said.

Something needs to be done.
 
JamboGT
You could just host your own races?
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True, but sometimes when you have an hour or so online you don't want to have to set up a room and have to spend a decent chunk of the limited time you have waiting for it to populate.

Not sure if everyone is like me, when I scan the rooms I look at ones with at least half a dozen people in first and only then look to see if they are racing to criteria you are seeking. There are loads of 1/12, 1/16 rooms out there and I must admit I don't really pay them attention myself.
 
My advice would be to find a like minded racing crew that fits your style. I found one that works for me and I only race with them. I have read enough horror stories that I'm not sure I'll ever try a pick up online race.

My 2 cents.
 
jcmc
1) Nationality. There seems to be a xenophobic element among the various European nationalities and I find some are clumping together. Now that's fine of course, the issue comes when you enter a room that is neutrally named which happens to be full of players of a certain nationality. You set up your car, you go to track and you are suddenly kicked out with no message or reason given. This has happened several times now for me in rooms that were almost all Spanish player populated - again the room did not say Private or Only Spanish or something that might have given you a clue to stay away. I am sure there are loads of Spanish players out there who like to mix with other nations and it might just be chance I have experienced this always with this particular nationality but it is very annoying indeed.
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I'm spanish and i can confirm this. I use to enjoy spanish hosts where there is just spanish players. Here there's a lot of people who don't want to play with strangers. I often hear despective words agains strangers who come in the host... (I say this because maybe you can't speak spanish and don't know what are they talking about)
I can't explain why, because i can understand this. (And I don't like this attitude)
I have seen often kicking a "non-spanish" player without having a chance to play.

This kind of people makes me feel embarrassment of my own country.

I just can say that we are not all the same.
 
Yeah, some people are incredibly stupid.

The only problem I'm facing with online is stupid people. Just like what you said about rubbish hosts.

I always intend to make my own room... because I don't want to be in a room managed by an idiot and waste my time. When I'm hosting, I want people to enjoy races, and I communicate with them well and change things when they ask to. Some people just don't care...
 
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This is the problem with muting mics, is that the hosts do try to communicate the rules verbally sometimes. And as for setting weight and HP restrictions, its impossible to catch ALL race cars without excluding many street cars that you don't want to exclude. Not only that with the adjustable ballast and hp now people can STILL make race cars fit. Some of my best and most fun street car online races were PP based, its a GREAT way to match up everyone's tuned car. Why should people who want to run street cars only not be allowed to use that feature?

As a player its your responsibility to figure out the room. If you come in to a room maybe wait and see what everyone is running, or ask (through a typed message in the chat window if you don't have a mic) are race cars allowed? As a room host I am trying to drive my practice laps and race too, so I ask over the microphone for you to change your car. If you don't listen after a few trys (I may even type a message if I have time but i don't always) then you will probably be kicked. I, like you, am here to race and don't have time to babysit everyone.
 
I agree with your gripes about the online in general. I was ecstatic last week when the ability to use custom tracks was added to online. So I eagerly hopped online for a couple days just to end up having to wait an eternity to get in a room/search for one etc.

Its frustrating because I want to play custom tracks and hardly any rooms have them. Ok, so I say to myself, thats fine, lets look for a PP enabled race. In most rooms, the host doesn't even put up restrictions. How ****ing dumb is this? And this is when I select (Race for Fun or Real).

If a new player wanted to play online, they would be aghast at the way its set up. Matchmaking alone can improve it but trust PD to **** it up too.

Oh and I agree with you about the nationality clumping and mic orders. I usually mute all non english speakers in rooms anyway.
 
I have booted people from far away before. Mainly as it affects the connection. It's easiest to host a game with local people. But I only did it if I saw a drop in connection quality. But I agree the host gets too much power. A vote should be the least it takes to boot someone.
 
Tommy_861
As a player its your responsibility to figure out the room. If you come in to a room maybe wait and see what everyone is running, or ask (through a typed message in the chat window if you don't have a mic) are race cars allowed? As a room host I am trying to drive my practice laps and race too, so I ask over the microphone for you to change your car. If you don't listen after a few trys (I may even type a message if I have time but i don't always) then you will probably be kicked. I, like you, am here to race and don't have time to babysit everyone.
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See you are just reiterating what the other guy did that caused my issue in the first place. If someone enters a room it is figured out by the settings they access from the various options - the track, the laps, the PP, BHP, weight, the grid order, the aids available etc. Why should the player have to ask what to run when the car they pick can Go To Track because it meets the regulations that have been set by the host after all.

Now of course there are times when you might want to create a specific type of race that the many options don't allow but it is no use if it is just in the mind of the host, it is surely up to him to communicate this to the room in a way it is guaranteed people at least can see and action accordingly. This is not babysitting, it's common sense and basic communication.

So if you are too lazy to be bothered to type it, instead relying on people a) listening and b) understanding your voice chat (itself presumptuous) then of course your rules are going to go astray. Even then, surely that would prompt you to type in the room NO RM OR RALLY when you see people have not got it and you have not really done much to help them get it in the first place.

Kicking them is a lazy solution to a problem you have caused by your lazyness. It's just bad hosting.
 

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