[dr.dirt]

While playing Unreal Tournament I get disconnected many times, also while playing I get the red block on the right which I gather means I'm not connected properly. I'm on a iMac dvse 500mhz with optimum settings. Is this a problem with my local internet service provider or a problem with the game server I'm connected to? I also notice my frame rate varies between 21-37 fps.
Thanks.

[blizzard]

The easy answer is to try to connect to a different game server. If the same thing happens, it's not the server, and you can blame something else. Don't blame your ISP right away, though, because there are still many things that can possibly be going wrong on your computer and can be solved by you. But try a different server first, though. As for the differing FPS counts, depending on the number on people on the screen at once, or rockets flying around, or gibs flying around, or many other possibilities, frames will go up or down. This is natural and not to be worried about. If the low number bothers you, try turning some of the graphics options off (lower detail, resolution, etc).

Blizzard.

[dr.dirt]

Blizzard,
I play on 10-15 servers per night-jumping around from game to game, but they are pretty much the same. Some nights are better than others. I signed up with another ISP today that hosts my web-site and they said I can try them with no obligation. They feel it is just the poor phone lines in our area. (remote dez). I have set-up the game with medium setting and 16 bit with 640x480 resolution.The server has a wireless set-up for $60/month+$600 in equipment that runs @256k, but I don't think I'm that serious yet.
Thanks for responding!
Dr. Dirt
p.s. If you read this, do you know whether if you set the resolution in the game to 640x480, do you have to set-up the monitor to 640x480 also?

[blizzard]

Answer to second question - no, the monitor changes resolution automatically to 640 X 480 if you're running in RAVE, which, of course, you are. Just sit back and enjoy the ride...

As for the multiplayer...I feel your pain. I too am in a very remote location, and have only tried multiplayer UT once. I started off running down a corridor, and saw another quy at the end of the corridor, so I shot my plasma gun at him...and nothing happened. So I stopped to try to figure out what went wrong...and my shots ran into me from behind and killed me. Ouch. It's called lag, and WILL make your life miserable. Unfortunately, as a modem user, this will be your reality, especially living in an area with poor phone lines (like me too). It could quite well be causing the problems connecting and staying connected to the servers, because the two computers just can't communicate fast enough to work. Chances are, the other computer times out waiting for info from your computer (it waits and waits and waits for data from your modem and then just gives up after a while and thinks you disconnected). Different servers will be faster or slower depending on their connections, of course - if they're fast and you're slow then it might be acceptable, but if they're slow and you're slow then you're screwed. The best was to figure out who's fastest is to look at the PING heading in the in-game server browser, and pick the one with the lowest ping. Good luck!

Blizzard.

[dr.dirt]

Thanks again Blizzard!
Dirt