Epic addresses Gears 2 matchmaking woes

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 18th 2008 at 11:40AM }

Epic's Rod Fergusson has acknowledged that "longer-than-ideal wait times" are being experienced by those in Gears of War 2's multiplayer matchmaking. He explains the issue is complicated and that there "isn't any one problem" causing the extended waits. The company is currently working with Microsoft to resolve the issue and hopes to have an update soon.

In the meantime, Fergusson has some helpful suggestions for those plagued with issues:

If you're stuck in a matchmaking loop where it keeps restarting, try a different list. It's a "possible population issue."
Issues seem to be "heightened" for parties of one and four. He recommends having a friend if you're flying solo.
Having a group of five pretty much alleviates all issues.

Or, if you're feeling obstinate that the system should work as intended, you can always pass the time with some reading material. We've been catching up on our 19th-century English literature. Vanity Fair is quite good.

[Via X3F]

Tags: epic, gears-of-war-2, rod-fergusson

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

OMGOMG @ Nov 18th 2008 11:44AM

That's the thing Epic. What if we don't have friends online at the time? Sounds like they're making excuses instead of working on solutions.

OMGOMG @ Nov 18th 2008 11:45AM

And yes, I did read the post. It just looks like I didn't. Comment editing would make me look so much smarter!

^chi^ @ Nov 18th 2008 12:37PM

Epic is presenting what is called "a work around".

See, when you eventually migrate from mommy's basement and get a job, you'll realize that things don't always work they way they're supposed. Actually, things usually don't work the way they're supposed to, especially when technology is involved.

Those of us in the IT industry who troubleshoot problems often find solutions in the form of a "work around". A "work around" is when you get something to work that isn't working by performing steps that may be unorthodox or inconvenient in the short term, but accomplish the end result.

This allows you to get done what you need to get done while we go back to the drawing board and figure out a long term solution.

I promise you that Epic is working hard to resolve the situation, but for the time being, please STFU, use the work around, and enjoy the game. When a permanent fix becomes available, they'll let you know.

SithLarry @ Nov 18th 2008 12:43PM

@chi It's sad when people defend mistakes as if they work for that same company or something. I'm guessing you've never heard of an opinion differentiating from your own before?

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 12:53PM

SithLarry:

Although I don't necessarily agree with how he presented his opinion, Chi has a real point about workarounds...usually the solution(s) don't present themselves as quickly, so until said solution is discovered, we have workarounds. I am in-line with this sort of thinking because I also work in the Information Technologies industry. And, just like in the Games industry, everyone wants everything right now and assumes that because you went to school for/got certified in some particular field that you know EVERYTHING about the hardware/software sides of technology, and that's just never the case. So I guess what I'm getting at is Chi has a point, and that if he's been in the IT industry longer than five years he's probably heard enough "sounds like you're making me do all the work" to last him a lifetime...I know I have. Give game developers a break, OMGOMG.

^chi^ @ Nov 18th 2008 1:02PM

@ Sith

Do you really think this is about someone's opinion? Please spare me the strawman fallacy.

OMGOMG said Epic was making excuses rather than fixing the issue. Epic said "we're working on it, but for the time being do this for a work around". What else does he want? It's not like CliffyB can magically fix netcode by waving his cock around.

If you want to engage in an intelligent discussion about why games (hell, software in general) is usually released riddled with bugs and isn't beta tested properly, by all means. If you're going to whine and bitch about something that is already being taken cared of, I invite you to STFU.

Now please find another discussion to derail with the deployment of Godwin's law.

^chi^ @ Nov 18th 2008 1:09PM

@General Death

Well stated, and completely accurate.

In my defense: While I do have to suffer through clients whining from time to time, I don't feel I have to do it for random strangers on the Internet.

While I could ignore OMGOMG's comments, it just feels better to channel the black hole of anger in my stomach and caustically vent it at some (in my opinion) idiot every once in a while.

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 1:11PM

Chi:

I can factually concur with you that waving one's cock around does not fix netcode...nor does it alleviate issues with Exchange Server 2003, Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Home Premium, Blackberry mail storage/retention, iPhone .Tiff file issues, Desktop fax errors, or internal DNS errors.

Why is everyone staring?! I just heard that, I didn't try it myself! Really!

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 1:13PM

Chi:

After re-reading the comments to which you responded (and hearing someone here whine about printers), I say fuck 'em...let 'em have the black hole of anger and eat it too.

OMGOMG @ Nov 18th 2008 1:25PM

The thing is, Epic had 2 years to make a great online experience after they dropped the ball on Gears 1, when they didn't allow friends to play in ranked matches, at least without desperately searching for your friends game and hope it doesn't fill up. They even had more than a year to look copy Halo 3 and CoD 4 and their system. But they didn't.

This isn't the only problem with the party system. Someone said it earlier, but the fact that after a round, that you can't talk to your opponents, and the fact that host still basically decides whether you win or lose.

How this wasn't tested before release, I don't know. Just a sign of the "release first, patch later" generation of games.

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 1:57PM

OMGOMG:

Software is no longer a take-it-or-leave-it final product...through the magic of the internet all software has become an ever-evolving process instead of a finished project. I know where you're coming from in terms of wishing that the released product was a final and flawless execution of code, but the reality of this is that so many factors go into development that 2 years is actually a rather short span of time, especially in terms of online play.

And just to clarify, host advantage will ALWAYS EXIST so long as games are hosted P2P like most Xbox Live titles...developers can only tighten up netcode so much before they have to compensate for latency (fool the end user into thinking there is virtually no lag). The best solution would be to implement dedicated servers, but it's cheaper for Epic and MS to just use the standard P2P in the long run.

OMGOMG @ Nov 18th 2008 2:05PM

I'm not expecting perfection. Far from it. It just seems like Infinity Ward had two years to make their party system, and although it did have its flaws as well after launch, I think the CoD4 online experience is unparalleled in gaming.

If these were little bugs, I'd understand. But not being able to find a match easily when you go in by yourself seems like a pretty big problem, in my opinion.

I don't know. I appreciate you guys giving me more info. Not trying to hate on IT people or call them lazy. It's just Gears 2 kicks ass, and it could be even better. That probably pisses of Epic 1000x more than it does the public.

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 2:15PM

OMGOMG:

I hear you man...I've tried to keep things as friendly as possible on here because of the fact that most gamers aren't IT geeks (truth IS stranger than fiction!) and that I was once in your shoes, questioning why something wasn't tweaked with SO MUCH lead time before release. Here's a scary fact for you: My department implemented a new Inventory/Accounting program in December of '06, and modifications are STILL being made to this day...all this for a company comprised of about 50 people serving a few thousand customers...just imagine if you had to serve the interests of 2 million+ Xbox Live users...skurry.

VampireHunter Z @ Nov 18th 2008 2:35PM

As someone who has been in the IT industry for years I'm offended that Chi's first post was voted down. Not one of you mother connuckers know what's involved in software developement. Take that and put it in a network environment and results are even more unpredictable. They are working on getting it right. Software takes time. In the mean time if possible, you should use the work-a-round and STFU.

Pedobear @ Nov 19th 2008 5:14AM

So if you are playing online in a party of just yourself, their solution is to not play by yourself? How is that a workaround? In the end, you never ended up being able to play by yourself so you hardly met your end result.

Anam @ Nov 18th 2008 11:46AM

What is this? Sci-fi villain picture day?

AwesomeTown @ Nov 18th 2008 11:57AM

I don't know, but it gave me an idea. I think we need a Malcolm McDowell day.

Anam @ Nov 18th 2008 12:30PM

Yes. Indeed we do.

Dirty @ Nov 18th 2008 12:56PM

Wonder if I can stream tank girl from netflix.

Metal Geario 360 @ Nov 18th 2008 11:48AM

Fix it.

Ghen @ Nov 18th 2008 1:08PM

+1

I'll be playing Left 4 Dead until they fix it.

SlimPickinz96 @ Nov 19th 2008 8:27AM

Well due to funds dwindling from all games/content holding me up at gunpoint, ill have to wait until Friday($$$) to pick up Left 4 Dead.

*Peculiar favorite moment*
Although it might get repetitive, upon death, there is nothing like watching the view of a teammates succumbing to a horde, till theyre out of ammo/health. Cant wait.

xFenixKnightx @ Nov 18th 2008 11:50AM

No word on the sudden influx of dickheads playing Gears 2? Man, I can't get into a room without hearing something racist or retarded anymore. NXE with party private chat can't get here soon enough!!!

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 18th 2008 11:56AM

Cmon fenix please don't tell me you honestly didn't see that coming. It's in every online 360 game. Hell, I couldn't even play Uno online without running into those people.

And yes party chat is brilliant, tried it last night with 5 people.

AwesomeTown @ Nov 18th 2008 12:01PM

I'm not touching Gears2 multiplayer until some friends to pick it up. Can't stand that crap.

xFenixKnightx @ Nov 18th 2008 12:10PM

Guess it was just frustrating because it happened on every single match I was in last night. I was like WTF?!! Yeah it happens but never to that extent. So I just invited one of my buddies to a private chat.

ryan @ Nov 18th 2008 12:10PM

It's in nearly every online service regardless of platform. People are just idiots.

KingOfGods @ Nov 18th 2008 12:48PM

If you guys don't want to listen to other assholes on Live, change your privacy setting on the dashboard. Change the Voice communication to friends only and you can only hear people on your friends list. Easy fix.

Dirty @ Nov 18th 2008 12:49PM

I really wish they would release that common decency patch for our society already.

TWiNKiE @ Nov 18th 2008 12:51PM

I agree, FenixKnight. I'm from Puerto Rico, and whenever I play with my friends, I speak Spanish to them. However, whenever I play against Americans (and in an unfortunate set of circumstances, only Americans), I'm always being accused of being a burrito-crazy Mexican, and it is INCREDIBLY irritating.

So with that, I shall ask for a favor.

If you guys meet anyone online speaking Spanish, can you guys just ask what they are? Honestly, i'd prefer someone asking me if i'm Mexican a MILLION times more than someone yelling burritos at my face.

Dirty @ Nov 18th 2008 12:55PM

Is it wrong that I find TWiNKiE's story hilarious?

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 12:58PM

Indeed, Dirty...indeed.

Whatever happened to the soon-to-be-released Decency 2.0 patch? I've been waiting on that one for friggin' years now.

Fenix, not that it would matter in a few days, but there is an option if you go to edit your preferences that allows friends only...I only found out about it 3 months ago from a friend, but the last 3 months on CoD4 have been SWEET.

xFenixKnightx @ Nov 18th 2008 1:20PM

Yeah its fucking racistville online, and everyone is a comedian! Doing a Black, Spanish, British, or redneck accent...

Thanks KoGs, I had no clue about that. Ima try and fill my friends list with some normal/decent players out there and then do that.

Feel free to add me anyone. GT & PSNID: xFenixKnightx

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 1:26PM

Oh, and sorry for not partying up the other night...I had 3 friends over taking their first shot at Horde mode, so we couldn't take it onto Live. I'm sure we'll be chainsawing ho's sometime soon.

Hakkerjak @ Nov 18th 2008 11:58AM

Anyone remember this?

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/05/clifford-b-betas-are-like-one-night-stands/

Burritoclock @ Nov 18th 2008 11:59AM

Anyone else notice Malcolm McDowell in Fallout 3 saying the exact same line he did in Wing Commander IV. Pretty funny, I wonder if he realized it.

AwesomeTown @ Nov 18th 2008 12:03PM

No, but that's awesome. It's been so long since I played WCIV, I would have never made the connection.

Burritoclock @ Nov 18th 2008 12:13PM

I haven't played it since waaaay back when, but for some reason every time I see him I think of THAT character. So when the enclave floating robot thing came by and he says "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance" I thought HOLY SHIT, and had no one to share it with that would not think I was completely insane.

AwesomeTown @ Nov 18th 2008 12:42PM

I'm sure that was planned and McDowell know. It's too awesome to be a coincidence. I can still picture that ending in WCIV though.

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 18th 2008 1:00PM

Burrito:

Your attention to random detail frightens me...reminds me of myself.

Robert @ Nov 18th 2008 5:13PM

and people say you can not learn from games, I learned that phrase from Thomas Jefferson in Wing Commander

http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/2283

One more reason to get Fallout 3, to hear him say it again and go back to my young years :-)

Burritoclock @ Nov 18th 2008 6:12PM

He delivers it EXACTLY as before too!

DBoyFlex @ Nov 18th 2008 11:59AM

I would like it to be fixed. I don't think they are delaying a fix, but rather giving a few possible work arounds in the mean time. Honestly, I doubt epic will screw us with this. Like anything, it takes time to pinpoint the problem and fix it. The posted workarounds are temporary until they do fix it. I too, though am hoping they fix it sooner rather than later.

CynicalStrike @ Nov 18th 2008 12:21PM

Me and a friend were in stitches the other night as we'd been waiting so long to find a game of Wingman that our screens had dimmed... like the xbox was losing the will to live. Let's hope it gets fixed soon.

Ghen @ Nov 18th 2008 1:33PM

By the time your controller is done syncing again after turning off the game resets and goes back to looking for party X)

ToRo @ Nov 18th 2008 12:22PM

The waiting times are really bad sometimes. I usually play gears when I get home from work, around midnight. On a weekday, none of my friends are on at that time. So I either end up waiting or I get into a game where the other team is obviously together in a party, while my team is full of idiots who don't talk.

And if I get really bad luck, someone one from my team will leave the match making it uneven.