NM hunting frustration

Mewnie · 02-18-2004, 04:34 AM

Here's hoping when Dynamis/Limbo is released, we'll see less high levels farming newbie area NMs...give them something worthwhile to do, seriously

kowboy · 02-18-2004, 04:44 AM

I've only beaten JP to small area spawn NMs such as Huu Mjuu the Torrent. I snatched him up 4 times consecutively and never gave the other campers a chance.

The best way to hunt NM in my experience is to go in force. Bring your friends or LS members and have them flood the place. It is a good form of intimdation and I often see others leave when we make our presence known.

Deedlit · 02-18-2004, 05:04 AM

I'm still waiting to hear how Issaac got his "ping time." - which seems more like a packet sent/rec'v number.

Loial · 02-18-2004, 05:48 AM

I'll jump the gun on the ping-time and venture to say that Issaac is doing one of these:

C:\>ping 123.45.67.890 and coming back w/ 120ms. I wouldn't be surprised. I'll take a guess he is in CA. I ping japanese servers from NY and get roughly 400ms. However, when I ping a server located near to my location (like google), I get about 25ms.

Consider that the FFXI server has to PROCESS your commands. The servers are receiving millions of commands a second. Its not instantaneous. There is probably a ton of "error checking" done on every single command anyway.

So take this case:
JP player w/ "20ms ping"
NA player w/ "400ms ping"
Let's make up a process time for all commands... say 500ms which is the same for both NA and JP.

NA and JP both camping an NM. Some timer expires and the server says "Leaping Lizzy is spawning..." JP receives this info in 20ms, NA in 400ms" JP is a bit "slower" than the NA and hits his provoke macro slightly after the NA player (who is using a crazy macro spamming program). The NA player STILL needs to send his command 380ms before the JP did to claim it. But what you may not realize.. is that the JP had a good 0.7+ second jump on the NA player. So, naturally, a JP spamming provoke wins "hands down" over the NA player.

In the case of Issaac, shrink the numbers down... spamming JP vs. Issaac, JP wins anyway.

I also didn't bother to take into account that during "high traffic" times over the channel from the US to Japan, ping can jump to 1 second or more.

icel0rd · 02-18-2004, 07:17 AM

Hopefully it is really only taking 1 packet to define a mob spawn. If it takes more than 1 packet, you need to add the delay for each packet to the running total.

I would almost bet that it is a single frame that defines it, but I couldn't say unless I fired up my sniffer, and since this isn't something I could do anything about regardless of however it works, it isn't worth the time to break out a sniffer.

Ice

Loial · 02-18-2004, 07:21 AM

Yeah, I was making some real ideal assumptions. The head-start JP get gets longer and longer if it takes multiple packets to define a new spawn.

I didn't even bother to talk about if you are already "due to receive" packets from the server and then the monster spawn packet is sent... if it is queued behind all the other packets (like positions of PCs, their gear etc) then the delay grows substantially.

sharlngan · 02-18-2004, 12:14 PM

yes NM camping is a bit hard and time consuming
also it doesnt even guarantee the drop

if you dont have the patience to wait it out and hope for the drop then dont bother

i dont really mind about waiting or hoping for the drop the only nm so far that has really pissed me off is JEJ ^^ killed that sucker 15 times no drop ^^

anywho theres no real way to make a quick buck in this game

either u craft, fish, mine/harvest, gilfarm, or nm hunt all of em require time and attention

im a level 44 thf/nin so its rather easy to get the nm's since i can js sub a rnger but the only thing that i cant do is insta aggro :x

just recently i got 2 emperror hairpins so yeah

all depends on ur luck guys

TaipanX · 02-18-2004, 02:14 PM

I gave up hunting nm. I may try it again but waiting 1-3 hours is not a lot of fun. I was trying to find a way to voke by name but I dont think it can be done so I'm stuck with the nearest npc command. I usually watch the radar and spam voke when it pops up on that but even so there is a delay on the actual initiation of voke. I may hit the buttons but it still takes a while to actually do it. So not only do I have to be lucky in where the nm spawns, when the nm spawns, and getting the drop, I also have to be lucky and hope the other 4-8 players suck at macros. Most people with common sense hunting an nm dont tho. I dunno maybe I was doing something wrong :sweat:

02-18-2004, 05:04 AM	#18
Deedlit Member Bronze Ribbon of Service Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 739 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 Posts	I'm still waiting to hear how Issaac got his "ping time." - which seems more like a packet sent/rec'v number. __________________ Legacy of Cid Forums

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02-18-2004, 04:34 AM	#16
Mewnie Banned for life. Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 94 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 Posts	Here's hoping when Dynamis/Limbo is released, we'll see less high levels farming newbie area NMs...give them something worthwhile to do, seriously

02-18-2004, 04:44 AM	#17
kowboy Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 160 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 Posts	I've only beaten JP to small area spawn NMs such as Huu Mjuu the Torrent. I snatched him up 4 times consecutively and never gave the other campers a chance. The best way to hunt NM in my experience is to go in force. Bring your friends or LS members and have them flood the place. It is a good form of intimdation and I often see others leave when we make our presence known.

02-18-2004, 05:48 AM	#19
Loial Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 464 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2x in 2 Posts	I'll jump the gun on the ping-time and venture to say that Issaac is doing one of these: C:\>ping 123.45.67.890 and coming back w/ 120ms. I wouldn't be surprised. I'll take a guess he is in CA. I ping japanese servers from NY and get roughly 400ms. However, when I ping a server located near to my location (like google), I get about 25ms. Consider that the FFXI server has to PROCESS your commands. The servers are receiving millions of commands a second. Its not instantaneous. There is probably a ton of "error checking" done on every single command anyway. So take this case: JP player w/ "20ms ping" NA player w/ "400ms ping" Let's make up a process time for all commands... say 500ms which is the same for both NA and JP. NA and JP both camping an NM. Some timer expires and the server says "Leaping Lizzy is spawning..." JP receives this info in 20ms, NA in 400ms" JP is a bit "slower" than the NA and hits his provoke macro slightly after the NA player (who is using a crazy macro spamming program). The NA player STILL needs to send his command 380ms before the JP did to claim it. But what you may not realize.. is that the JP had a good 0.7+ second jump on the NA player. So, naturally, a JP spamming provoke wins "hands down" over the NA player. In the case of Issaac, shrink the numbers down... spamming JP vs. Issaac, JP wins anyway. I also didn't bother to take into account that during "high traffic" times over the channel from the US to Japan, ping can jump to 1 second or more.

02-18-2004, 07:17 AM	#20
icel0rd Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 28 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 Posts	Hopefully it is really only taking 1 packet to define a mob spawn. If it takes more than 1 packet, you need to add the delay for each packet to the running total. I would almost bet that it is a single frame that defines it, but I couldn't say unless I fired up my sniffer, and since this isn't something I could do anything about regardless of however it works, it isn't worth the time to break out a sniffer. Ice

02-18-2004, 07:21 AM	#21
Loial Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 464 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2x in 2 Posts	Yeah, I was making some real ideal assumptions. The head-start JP get gets longer and longer if it takes multiple packets to define a new spawn. I didn't even bother to talk about if you are already "due to receive" packets from the server and then the monster spawn packet is sent... if it is queued behind all the other packets (like positions of PCs, their gear etc) then the delay grows substantially.

02-18-2004, 12:14 PM	#22
sharlngan Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 199 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 Posts	yes NM camping is a bit hard and time consuming also it doesnt even guarantee the drop if you dont have the patience to wait it out and hope for the drop then dont bother i dont really mind about waiting or hoping for the drop the only nm so far that has really pissed me off is JEJ ^^ killed that sucker 15 times no drop ^^ anywho theres no real way to make a quick buck in this game either u craft, fish, mine/harvest, gilfarm, or nm hunt all of em require time and attention im a level 44 thf/nin so its rather easy to get the nm's since i can js sub a rnger but the only thing that i cant do is insta aggro :x just recently i got 2 emperror hairpins so yeah all depends on ur luck guys

02-18-2004, 02:14 PM	#23
TaipanX Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 12 Style: Light Theme V7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 Posts	I gave up hunting nm. I may try it again but waiting 1-3 hours is not a lot of fun. I was trying to find a way to voke by name but I dont think it can be done so I'm stuck with the nearest npc command. I usually watch the radar and spam voke when it pops up on that but even so there is a delay on the actual initiation of voke. I may hit the buttons but it still takes a while to actually do it. So not only do I have to be lucky in where the nm spawns, when the nm spawns, and getting the drop, I also have to be lucky and hope the other 4-8 players suck at macros. Most people with common sense hunting an nm dont tho. I dunno maybe I was doing something wrong :sweat: