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Working Around Asobo MFS Multiplayer Stutters

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At the moment Asobo has changed multiplayer in a way that makes our normal operations unworkable. For some pilots, the stutters are so bad that flying in the group is impossible. In our experiments after the last flight, we (Norm & Jeff & I) tested the hunch that the problem lies in a pilot's not having the liveries used by other pilots in the multiplayer session. Norm was so afflicted by Jeff and my non-default paints. Once Jeff and I switched to the default paints, Norm was AOK.

Having everyone fly in default aircraft and default paints seems a poor solution. So our thought was that we revert to our previous practice of informing each other about our aircraft-paint choices. Everyone who wishes to fly an aircraft that is not default-default should post his title and aircraft/paint location so that others can download and install the paint. (Not all pilots have every paint. And even when they do, they may not have it installed.) This workaround may or may not work.

So before the next flight, might all pilots declare their aircraft-paint combination in the usual Google Sheet set up by Roman. I have created two extra tabs labeled "Sunday" and "Wednesday" for Sunday and Wednesday flights.

Let us agree that if a pilot is unable to declare the aircraft-paint combination an hour before the flight, he will enter the multiplayer in one of the liveries that came with his chosen aircraft when it was released. [Added to accord with insights by Ron and Josh. If the livery came with the aircraft, then anyone owning the aircraft model will automatically have the livery installed!]

If this works, then everyone can fly MFS Multiplayer. Otherwise, we'll have to revert to offline flight.

I suspect that a better solution will be to use JoinFS for everyone (FSX, P3D, and MFS). The MFS pilots will turn off multiplayer and rely on JoinFS even if that means giving up aircraft labels. The current barrier is finding a quick way to get JoinFS to recognize and use the non-default MFS aircraft and paints. We're working on this.

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--Mike MacKuen
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I'll go as far as to say it's add-on aircraft paints that cause the trouble. It's almost as if they are being denied information the that the default (Asobo) aircraft are privy to. I for one am sticking with 'comes with the package' paints. That way if you have the aircraft you'll have the paint. If you don't have the aircraft...

Oddly enough the trouble doesn't appear to effect add on paints for Asobo planes. Witness 208s and TBMs. It would be interesting to try that theory with Pimpistrel or somesuch.


Eva Vlaardingerbroek, an inspiratiom.

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Using the spreadsheet for all our flights again would be a good start to understand the problem and keep enjoying our group flights. I'm optimistic!


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Regards

Gunter Schneider

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13 hours ago, MM said:

Everyone who wishes to fly an aircraft that is not default-default should post his title and aircraft/paint location so that others can download and install the paint.

What happens when a pilot doesn't have an addon aircraft that others are flying - do these stutters still happen?  I have just the one addon aircraft and with the current state of the sim I have no intention of investing further until better stability is demonstrated. 

 

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Not installed aircraft are substituted by a default plane in a default paint. So that should not create a problem.

Additionally, with less add-on planes installed you will get less AI planes as since the last update AI planes appear with your add-on aircraft with various paints.

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Regards

Gunter Schneider

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Added the suggestion by Ron and Josh for pilots who do not enter their aircraft-livery combination. Those pilots should agree to use a livery that came with their chosen aircraft on release.

(Thus, if another pilot owns the aircraft in question he will automatically have that livery without having to download and install it.) 

Ron's stronger suggestion that we use only those liveries that came with the aircraft on release makes great sense until we get everyone on board. (I'd like to allow for extra liveries, if announced, because many aircraft come with only one or two liveries on their release.)


--Mike MacKuen
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Who was the bright spark that discovered Got Gravel's method of sorting out where the paints go? Was it Norm? I'd be very interested to have it explained to me like I was a Labrador. There may well be some mileage in it. Will cooperate.


Eva Vlaardingerbroek, an inspiratiom.

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What happens when pilots who are not part of our group, and who are using non-stock paints, venture into our operational sphere?

I know I'm a semi-non-participating member, but I'd suggest JoinFS - which has it's own problems with model scanning, but at least our sim isn't brought to it's knees when using it.

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Actually., it was Mike. I did examine the folder structure of the grravel and carbon, and verified that the additional livery texture folders are up one level (from the cfg files) (and model folder) (One level above the common texture folder) and the path for to those textures/liveries folders matching the path in the json file). 

All other aircraft seem to have their texture folders one level below (or placed at the same level as the cfg files and model folder. 

Now if I correctly understand it, it would seem that there are no problems in model matching with the Grravel and/Carbon liveries with texture/livery folders one level above the norm as it were, but there seems to big issues in MSFS trying to match with missing liveries (other 3rd party aircraft/liveries), if all players do not have the livery installed  - to the point of MSFS totally bogging down in an effort to try to find/match a missing livery.

I would appear or is suspected that there is no default defined aircraft model or  livery set up in MSFS to address the condition of any player in the vicinity missing a livery.

If the livery is missing by a player, it would appear that it cannot be found, and the sim gets stuck in a never ending loop trying to find it to be able to display it: - to the point that the sim becomes a "slide show" and is totally usable. Only when all in the vicinity switch to a common livery that can it be found and displayed by the sim at that time the sim does not hang up and progresses as intended.

Sound right?

 

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I have P149 EOBU installed, but there is an EOBW in tomorrow's flight..

Edit: Found it.. it is a  stock paint!

Edited by Bert Pieke

Bert

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Just to clarify for everyone.

Ron's inquiry, and our online discussion, about the GotGrravel innovation in file structure is prompted by our longstanding concern about our inability to see more than one version of another multiplayer aircraft - notably for many addon aircraft such as the Piaggio and Arrow (and others). This is not likely to solve Asobo's newly-induced bug. Sorry, this side discussion is off the main topic.

This main thread is primarily aimed at our avoiding the "deep stutters" associated with multiplayer after WU4. All that we know, from our own tests and those of others, points at Asobo's inability to handle "other" liveries in multiplayer.

As we know, if you do not have the livery flown by another within-range multiplayer pilot then you will experience intolerable stutters. This occurs when you have the other pilot's aircraft installed but are missing his livery. If you do have that livery, all is good. And if you do not have that aircraft installed, then no problem – Asobo will substitute something else.

Thus our workaround.

1. Simple.

For right now until all pilots are on board with our system: the recommendation is that everyone fly a livery that came with your aircraft on purchase or download.

2. Better.

a. If you are flying an addon livery for your aircraft, then you should provide an explicit description of that livery and an explicit link to the livery (say, for example, at AVSIM or at the flightsim.to site). Do this at least two hours before flight time – better to do so with plenty of time to spare. We can use
Roman's Multiplayer Google Sheet for this declaration – turning to the tab at the bottom of the sheet for the appropriate day's flight (Saturday, Sunday, or Wednesday).

b. If you are going to fly multiplayer, you should look at the relevant sheet. Download and install any liveries that you do not have.

Note that it incumbent on both the addon-livery-flying pilots and all the other pilots to follow through on this. Otherwise, our system will fail. This will take cooperation.

As Steve points out above, there is nothing that we can do about stray multiplayer pilots who wander into close range of our group flight. (If this happens, we might temporarily shift to another Microsoft server. An in-game decision to be coordinated at the time.)

Let's work this one out so that we can continue our fun for the next period of time.

Maybe Asobo will fix their unforced error soon.

Hope we can do this,
Mike


--Mike MacKuen
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I haven't been involved in the discussions or testing around this issue, but from what I have read it would sound as though anyone changing aircraft during the flight could kick off a fair bit of mayhem if they were to select a non-stock paint for it - have I got that right?

If this is the case, then the suggestion could be that anyone who needs to change aircraft should stick to provided paints and steer clear of addon paints. Would that work as a rule of thumb?

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Sticking to "provided" paints sounds right, Nick. Consistent with what we know.
That way, you can be sure that anyone who owns the aircraft is sure to have that paint.


--Mike MacKuen
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If I am on a flight with the group I will be dressed in stock attire for any aircraft that I fly.


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i7-6700k Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD5 32GB DDR4 2666 EVGA FTW ULTRA RTX3080 12GB

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