Should I use a VPN to improve connection

[i_cezar]

Hello,
I have a question: I've been looking into starting using a vpn to play on unfreeze servers. Do you guys recommend any?
Lately, meaning for the last 2 years approximatively(been playing for ~3 years) I've been experiencing an issue with my connection. When I first started playing, the game was really good in regards to how it was feeling, mostly hit detection. So I enjoyed the game more then. My ping was about 75 at the time. Then at some point, after about a year it didn't feel the same anymore, even if the ping got lower to about 40-50. I knew something changed, but I don't see on this forum nothing related to server change at that specific time. I must mention my internet provider is the same for the last 6 years. So lately it got a little worse: shots go trough people's body with 0 dmg. It's a bit frustrating.
Thanks

[adminless]

I highly doubt what you're describing has anything to do with your connection but rather with a miss-configured broken (here) custom installation. first I'd suggest to make sure that you aren't using any other value than 0 for your cl_timenudge (i.e. do \cl_timenudge 0). if that doesn't make it then I'd just try resetting the whole game (i.e. deleting the q3config.cfg file provided that's the cfg file on your installment). at last as I think that I suggested you other times I'd strongly advise you to try with some of the provided packages here that are tested and proven to work, either ioq3v6-unfreeze-client-v20.5a.zip for classic 32 bits installations or fpsclasico-client-community-edition.zip for a newer 64 bits community based installation. they are independent so it's highly recommended to have them both installed anyways just in case. all it takes is just to copy your pak0.pk3 file inside the baseq3 folder of those and double click some of the executables.

[PacMan]

I highly doubt what you're describing has anything to do with your connection but rather with a miss-configured broken (here) custom installation.

As always I like how you get to the point , no messing about

[i_cezar]

Ok I did what you said, thanks for the answer! Game does feel better now(for example, rail shoots exactly where i point it to when i flick it, before it shot a bit behind; also the general feel). Weird thing is when I started using these packages or each time when I switch to a new config file(i tried some configs of players of the community) the game runs very smoothly, like in LAN almost! I say "Wow, this is the config i was looking for!" but each time after a couple of maps played it goes to normal, which is still an improvement and something considerably better with the new packages. I just wondered if you know or heard of a similar behavior logic implementation in game net code or what is it that causes this. It's like the game does some adjustments to itself after a time(and the player is like drawn into the future on my side, so i have to direct the shot a bit back especially when player jumps/moves faster). I don't know, this might look weird but i'm not imagining it, happens every time i reinstall the game or switch to a new config file. Anyway i will stick to the packages you provided, the improvements are there. I played with time nudge in the past, but i'm ok for now i left it default.

[adminless]

no, I can tell you that there's nothing in the code that intentionally says "after a few games then fuck up the game". other than that, probably first try with stock setting before getting in fancy cfgs (i.e. try the packages as-is first) and this may sound dumb but may be try playing with the computer case open as to improve refrigeration and disable power saving options on your operative system and run fans/cpu/gpu on a high performance profile. additionally you can also try if you experience the same behavior on the lowend version of the ioq3v6 package which generally could be more stable under some circumstances. hope that helps.

[i_cezar]

Thanks for helping. Its a good PC, the system is not stressing too much with quake 3. I cleaned it anyway. The rediculous thing is that its not lag behavior where you have to lead the shots in front of the players. Its the other way around, i have to shoot where the player was(when they move/jump). I disabled FreeSync on my monitor because its working with my GPU and apparently limited the GPU to produce the same fps as my monitor refresh rate which is 60hz. So i read this could lead to input delay but its still better to have the graphics card produce more frames even if not all of them go through. Didnt have the impact i was hoping for. I also tried positive values for /cl_timenudge which should have the opposite effect of negative values(i.e. to estimate on client side where the other players should be in a lag environment and draw them 'in future'). But it didnt work either. Even tried other modes like OSP and one called znudge, but with no results. The unfreeze client will still be my choice for now.

[fernandinho1337]

hi blaze,

you should make a autoexec.cfg that executes atuomatically. you can also do /bind <key> "exec autoexec" to run it manually after each mapo and see if it changes something when the feeling gets weird. autoexec.fg should be in your baseq3 or unfreeze folder of the installation. you should also do cg_lagometer 1 and cg_drawping 1 and look at how it evolves over the course of the game. the ping should be stable and the lagometer should show two lines (green and blue) and they should be stable. if you see something red in the lagometer you have packetloss. you can improve connection by having files resent to prevent suffering from the loss (cl_packetdup if I remember correctly). if you do not use timenudge anymore (which you should not anyways since the server is already unlagged) you can try messing around with cg_smoothclients. since you do not use timenudge anymore you can set it to 1 otherwise it would mess with the positioning of your enemies (and rails go through). you could also set it to 0 if your connection iss fine as you would not notice a difference.

VPN: if the routing of your provider to fpsclasico is messed up it could make sense to use a VPN. you would connect to a location that you are routed to properly and go from that location on a good routing to the server. if there was a problem with routing from your provider site that would help the situation. if your connection is stable (pingwise) and you have got no packetloss then it is unlikely that it would help but it still could. if you want to use good VPNs you will have to pay good money for it. free providers are limited in bandwidth or fail to offer good connectivity.

other tweaks to improve connection:
1. I think adminless offers different routings and as well as connections via IPv4 and IPv6. you could try the different options and see how they differ. I know one German provider who has issues with IPv6 which is why u r basically forced to go via IPv4. maybe there is a comparable problem at your side, too
2. either install HLSW add the servers and use the traceroute functionality to identify routing/ connection problems or use windows cmd-box and do e.g. /tracert -4 fpsclasico.de for tracing the routing via IPv4 or e.g. /tracert -6 fpsclasico.de for tracing the routing via IPv6 and look what gives better results. i would always double check that ingame since bigger packages are sent then when doing tracerouting via cmd-box.

best regards,