Lag
From the RuneScape Wiki, the wiki for all things RuneScape
Lag is the delay of data transmission between two digital devices.
Lag is considered a glitch by many but is not exactly the same. Lag may be caused by a glitch or person but typically, it is to do with the server space and a player's own computer. The amount of lag depends on several factors, such as server load, internet connection, and computer specifications. Lag always exists, from undetectable to complete connection loss. Lag is not fixable by Jagex. Lag is a very common cause of death. Players experiencing lag often become impatient and attempt to deal with the situation.
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[edit] Lag and RuneScape
There are several types of lag in RuneScape:
[edit] Computer lag
Computer lag is the most common type of lag. This is caused by insufficient CPU, RAM, or graphics card. You know you have this type of lag when the game redraws at a very slow rate, causing the animation to be bumpy. Computer lag is more common when a lot of people are standing in the area, forcing the computer to spend more time redrawing.
To fix this, you can try putting the game to low detail with minimum graphics settings, or upgrade your computer. Antivirus software often causes lag.
[edit] Internet lag
Internet lag is another very common type of lag. It is caused by your internet connection, or your Internet Service Provider. Information is sent from RuneScape to your computer in packages, if these packages become "lost" or corrupted on the way, it may take the RuneScape server a while to realise this, and attempt to correct the error. This form of lag is neither your fault nor Jagex's fault and is typically unavoidable.
If an exception is thrown when attempting client-server communication, the "Connection lost, attempting to reconnect..." message appears in the top left corner. Then the client attempts to reconnect to the server, which may fail. This may happen if the connection suddenly ends, such as by unplugging the Ethernet cable.
Otherwise, no network error is detected and the client continues to attempt communication with the server until time-out. Everything on the screen will freeze, while it is still possible to manipulate already-existing data such as rotating the camera, scrolling through the chat box, or right-clicking items or objects. If connection is not achieved by a certain time limit (five to twenty seconds), the game will automatically log out.
In extreme cases, if the amount of data allowed between client and server is very limited, data from the server to client is sent first. This includes movement of NPCs and other players, damage, etc. In this case, the player experiencing lag will be unable to move, talk, eat, or provide any input to the server. If the player is in combat at this time, he will not be able to retaliate, even if Auto-retaliate is on. The time-out is irrelevant in this instance, and the player will automatically log out in five minutes (more if in combat). It is not uncommon to watch your character slowly getting killed while unable to retaliate, eat food, run, teleport, or log out.
There is a way to test for lag. Simply type "Lag" into the chatbox. It will appear when you stop lagging (if at all). If it appears immediately, you may be trying to walk past an obstacle that cannot be walked through or around automatically. This is often mistaken for lag.
[edit] Server lag
Lag at the server is a rare but nevertheless a form of lag. This happens when the server itself cannot handle the simultaneous requests of all its clients and processes. This is the only lag that is caused by Jagex. It cannot be easily reproduced, and attempting to create this type of lag is reportable under Bug abuse.
If a player tries to access their Friends List whilst suffering server lag, they may briefly see the following message before the list is displayed:
Connecting to friendserver Please wait...
If a player tries to add a friend while the friendserver is loading, it will say:
Unable to add name - system busy.
[edit] What to do when lagging
If you are experiencing lag, you should...
- Log out of RuneScape and play other games for a while, then you run RuneScape again. This is mainly because your computer was either just booted up or that your computer hasn't finished its processes and other refreshments yet.
- Close any memory and/or CPU intensive programs you have running (including web browsers showing animations like Flash).
- Pause any downloads you have in progress.
- Be patient and wait.
- Try to log out and be patient.
- When logged out, reload the page or wait.
- Try switching to a less populated world.
- Choose low detail to reduce the memory used by the game.
- Restart your computer. Often if a computer is left on for an extended period of time (e.g. over night), it will be significantly slower.
- If publishing a video on any video editing software (Ex. Windows Movie Maker), you must publish after playing.
[edit] References
- RuneScape Forums > Tech Support > Suffering From Lag? Mod Emilee - Quick find code: 25-26-329-51898680 - accessed 19 Jan 08
