A few questions about the beta (focus on dial-up)

[JoshuaM]

I have a few questions. First and foremost, can this game be run on dial-up? I know the requirements say at least a 256 kbps Internet connection, but I can only get dial-up where I live. That being said, how does this game run on dial-up?

Secondly, if I can run the game on dial-up, I would like to know how large the file size for the game is so I can figure out if I can download it or I need to get a friend to or maybe get some sort of download manager so I can pause my downloads, disconnect from the Internet, reconnect later and continue where I left off (if any exist).

Thirdly, assuming the file size is too large for me to obtain in some way and assuming I can run the game on dial-up, could I get the demo disc from Computer Gaming Monthly and patch that to run the full open beta? What file size would the patch be?

Thank you very much for your time, help, and consideration and I look forward to playing Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst with you, if possible.

[KnowYourEnemy]

Well, let us put it this way: minimum requirements usually don't run well, so I'm guessing that since the 256kbps rate is faster than the ISDN broadband service, then you're boned :cry:. Even though 56k worked well for consoles, the extra bandwidth is probably required for the DOWNLOAD of the game, and to reduce server traffic by eleviating all 56kers.

Also, I would try to ask around for a disk of the installer... but the constant patches that I am sensing will be a pain for you to download, and perhaps making the venture not even worthy of doing.

[Gaara]

Sorry this is a late post, but most MMO's do run just fine even on 56k, my friend has a 56k connection and plays guild wars and it runs just fine for him

[Narolad]

I know a few people who play Blue Burst on 56k. The only problem is, as stated before, the patches.

The download is roughly 600mb? After patches, etc.

[Gaara]

yes i know, i had my friend burn me a copy of the installer for PSO:BB but lets hope that patches are not too huge cuz sadly i run 56k too...they say in the next month we will be able to get high speed....lets only hope so

[Nighthound]

its funny when 56kers are leaders of the party, the dragon freezes mid air during take off and gives us free hits. same with all the bosses XD

[Shimarisu]

its funny when 56kers are leaders of the party, the dragon freezes mid air during take off and gives us free hits. same with all the bosses XD

So THAT'S why.

At least it works. And there will probably be what, one patch a month? Get your friend to send you the original download, and be prepared to leave the comp. on all night for the patches.

It's not so bad. I used to download 70 meg files on dialup a few years ago, took all night but you can sleep while it does it. I don't think the patches are THAT big, are they?

I'm on 100K a second now. Huge difference, but sometimes we're stuck for hours without it working for US, either due to the patch server being down.

[Narolad]

The Japanese version had times where there was nothing to download. But more often, there is usually a patch once a week. YOu're only looking at around 30 minutes max per patch though.

[Gaara]

Alright either way its going to take me longer than most people, because I know the WoW patches were huge!! this shouldnt be anywhere close to that though

[JoshuaM]

I just got a one-way cable connection about a week ago. I have a cheaper plan, so I download at 1000 kbps and upload over dial-up at <20 kbps. In first-person shooters, I get a ping of about 200. I need to know how much MMORPGs usually upload, though, so I can know if my 2 KB/s upload transfer rate will suffice. Also, the minimum connection requirement of 256 kbps only applies to download speed, right?, and not upload speed, for which there is no requirement, right?

Thanks again, everybody!

Now I just need to build my new computer so I can actually run the game...And I missed the free beta! :cry:

[Fahlyndra]

I have 115k dialup (modded my 56k modem), & I downloaded the game through FilePlanet - they have their own download manager that allows you to pause & restart the download at the last place in case you disconnect.

So far, the patches have been really small. I've only seen what, two or three? Both seemed be >1 MB to me. Definitly didn't need to leave my PC running all night. And, I only have 2-3 kbps transfer rate, so erm...

And oddly, the game runs great, except when I'm running from the Hunter's guild to the Bank, & vice versa - little bit of slowdown there. @__@;;

I think you'll be just fine playing the game.

[Gaara]

Yeah, if i find anything else out that can help ill help, and if i may ask, how did you mod your modem for 115k?

[Gaara]

And its cool to that your modem is 115k but its too bad the phone lines only support up to 56k and you dont even connect at that speed either

[JoshuaM]

And its cool to that your modem is 115k but its too bad the phone lines only support up to 56k and you dont even connect at that speed either

That's right. It is physically impossible to "speed-up" a dial-up modem to anything above 56 kbps. In the United States, the FCC regulates that speeds cannot be higher than 53.3 kbps on a dial-up modem anyway, so that's the max anyone will ever get. However, that is nigh impossible, and most people on dial-up get in-the-40's kbps.

[Fahlyndra]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/fahsky/hoshitdialup.png

You were saying? Before I modded it, I only got 14k w/ one company, then 28k w/ a few others. Living in the boonies of Hawaii sucks.

And the OMG on the pic is there, because I originally made this & sent it to my friends on MSN. lol

[Megaqwerty]

but its too bad the phone lines only support up to 56k and you dont even connect at that speed either

Ever heard of DSL?

A few years ago there was a company that sold 112k modems which were essentially two 56k modems working together.


and if i may ask, how did you mod your modem for 115k?

I would like to know this as well.

[Narolad]

Haha. Love the picture.

I work for an ISP that supports dial-up (among other internet services) and when the customer simply refuses to accept the fact that either:
A. They've got static on the phone lines which cause slower connect speeds
B. Their computer is a POS
C. They're connecting great at 50kb/s

Thats usually the point where we go into their modem settings and tell the modem to just display the 'modem speed' number through an initilization command. (Commonly known as an AT command)
What the poster said in regards to FCC regulations is correct. Not even the v92 protocol modems go above 53.3.

What you're seeing, s the modem playing games with you. Tell me what kind of modem you have, and I'll tell you the correct init (And where to go to pt it in) to tell you what your REAL speed is.


Megaqwerty: DSL works on a seperate frequency rather than the standard voice channel that Dial-up uses. What you're talking about is ISDN lines which are usually more expensive than DSL. He meant the regulations imposed on the modem and the pop server. (The phone number your modem dials) Some are set up for ISDN, but like you stated yourself, require 2 modems.


And if you want, I can give you an init string which tells your modem what speed its pretending to be at. lol

[Fahlyndra]

Hmmm, I see. Well, I'll tell you what the Earthlink techsupport told me (in simplier terms).

Control Panel> Phone & Modem Options> Modems tab> click your modem> Properties> Advanced> In 'extra modem settings' type in AT&FX exactly> Modem tab> set maximum port speed to 115200.

And that's what I did. Much better than 14k, better than 28k. My friend who lives about a block from me had the same problem, I told her to try this, same thing happened. She had 56k though, & she said she noticed it was faster, if only by a bit (she mostly just squealed about the pretty higher number lol).

Also, as far as I know, this only works on a Windows OS.

[edit] Oops - forgot to mention. I have a Lucit Win Modem. Yar.

[Narolad]

Its not even faster at all. If you go in there to phone and modem options > modem tab > set the speed to 57600, or anything else, it'll just display that number. Having it set at 113 can cause unstable connection (Not noticeable unless you're actually having connectoin problams) But will NEVER get you above 53.3 (Though now you'll never know at what speed you're connecting at until you remove AT&FX) Its a nice illusion and fallacy for the customer. But unless the ustomer insists on faster or "I'll cancel" then I never stick that command in there. Lying to customers sn't good customer service.

And this works on Macintosh and Linux also.

You can test your connection speed here: bandwidthplace.com

[JoshuaM]

That doesn't sound like a very legit way to run a business, lying to your customers ~_~;;

In any case, you can also check your speed to various continental US servers here:

http://www.dslreports.com/stest

[Gaara]

living in the boonies of missouri isnt that great either, and yeah ive heard of DSL, i know the difference lol, I have a Agere Systems PCI soft Modem, V.92, and i connect at a whole 44 kb/s, WOW o_O

[Fahlyndra]

Yar - I can't get anything but dialup out here in the jungle. No cable or DSL, & I'm sorry, but $600 to install satilite, then $100+ a month is too much. ;.;

[JoshuaM]

You shouldn't get satellite anyway if you plan on playing games. The lowest the latencies will ever be on it are 500 ms, but its usually about 1000 ms or sometimes even 2000 ms. That's much slower than dial-up, and it makes games unplayable.

[Fahlyndra]

Aiii, stop confusing me. XD

Anyhow, I'm pretty much screwed w/ dialup for the rest of my life (if I live here for it anyhow). Verizon says there's no plans for DSL for most of this island (because we're all a bunch of poor idiots I guess). Cable is hardly present on this island at all - you either get satellite or crappy TV. @_@;;

Seriously people, never move here if you like what's happened to technology in the last few decades. :P

[Mst Sword]

well people back on topic, im a 56k player and it runs fine, occasional bit of lag but really pretty good, of course you have to run minimum details with low texture resolution otherwise the game stutters so much. And the patches are big at all so far, i downloaded the game using the wireless broadband i can ick up on my laptop ( :wink: thanks for that whoever you are), but i only got it the day that final was released. Anyway i downloaded the patch on 56k, wasnt too bad, a little wait but <30mins.

Lest we not forget dreamcast PSO ran on a 33k modem :oops:

[chris19893]

You shouldn't get satellite anyway if you plan on playing games. The lowest the latencies will ever be on it are 500 ms, but its usually about 1000 ms or sometimes even 2000 ms. That's much slower than dial-up, and it makes games unplayable.

Yarghhh true, It's has to go from you're reciver to the satellite to the satellite in space to the ISP and back, so on so on, takes for evar !

[Gaara]

of course you have to run minimum details with low texture resolution otherwise the game stutters so much.


That would be you having a crappy video card and you put the settings to high and that is what was lagging you out, maybe you should upgrade, i run everything at normal settings and the game runs just fine for me