Ridiculous latency spike issues

[SdoRy.6839]

Since not too long ago now I've started to get absolutely ridiculous lag spikes with a ping of a couple thousand ms. This happens I'd say every 10 seconds and results in an average ping of 300-500ms. I don't have issues with any other game or internet related activity, only Gw2. This makes the game literally unplayable, as I can't even play open world/do collections, since I regularly cannot move or press any skills for several seconds, which often results in my death. Seems to be worse on PoF maps.Again, I cannot stress it enough, this makes the game unplayable. Not only unenjoyable, literally unplayable. Please fix...

[shugawuga.3215]

I get the same problem. I Put a ticket for this issue in that POF maps or Thunderheads Peaks and they tell me its a isp provider... I put a lag server with a lot of player with the same issue.http://imgfz.com/i/LdMaVUu.jpeg

[Ayrilana.1396]

This is an ongoing issue with those in EU. Your best bet if you don’t feel that it is your ISP is to get the /ip of the server(s) that you’re having issues with, run a trace route and/or ping-plotter, and provide the results to Anet.

[Ged Kealmen.7210]

I'm having the same issue in Mexico. It started around the time the festival update came out. In most maps I only get normal ping (100-140) about 20% of the time and the rest of the time it fluctuates from 500 to 1900+, completely unplayable. Latency is all over the place constantly.

HOWEVER, the instant I go into a WvW map both ping and server latency go back to normal and remain steady. If it were an issue with my ISP the communication problems would be constant, regardless of where I was.

[Ayrilana.1396]

@Ged Kealmen.7210 said:I'm having the same issue in Mexico. It started around the time the festival update came out. In most maps I only get normal ping (100-140) about 20% of the time and the rest of the time it fluctuates from 500 to 1900+, completely unplayable. Latency is all over the place constantly.

HOWEVER, the instant I go into a WvW map both ping and server latency go back to normal and remain steady. If it were an issue with my ISP the communication problems would be constant, regardless of where I was.

The same argument used to say it wasn’t your ISP can be used to say that it’s not the servers.

[Ged Kealmen.7210]

The same argument used to say it wasn’t your ISP can be used to say that it’s not the servers.

Only if all maps share the same com system or servers. Plus, I did not say it was "the servers". I assume it's something on Anet's side... what? I have no idea, servers or anything else.

[shugawuga.3215]

@Ayrilana.1396 said:This is an ongoing issue with those in EU. Your best bet if you don’t feel that it is your ISP is to get the /ip of the server(s) that you’re having issues with, run a trace route and/or ping-plotter, and provide the results to Anet.

I send a lot of trace route and they tell me its the provider... with a lot of screenshot with a lot of people writting chat with lag.

[SharKen.4123]

I've very rarely come to this forum to voice my concern but the lag and ping spike are beyond control. Previously lag is usually within a certain condition. Most of the time is during mass zerg event. Now the lag is in every single situation for the past month. Open world small/big PVE event, fractal and WvW. I don't play raid and PVP so I can't comment on that. Now you're having all this mass event (Festival Four Wind, WvW Weekend event and upcoming Boss events). So disheartening that I can't take part in it let alone to press 1-1-1.

[Zenaide.3046]

It's most maps today, and the map chat is full of frustrated peopleThings just hang up for 3 to 10 seconds then back, as soon as there is damage to calculate especially if there is AOE or ambient damage to players.I know they have acknowledged "some" but it would be really helpful if they told us what we can report to help, because they must be losing players daily over this

[shaan.7451]

Also not sure that they briefed their support team correctly, they keep asking for HijackThis reports. Well I do my best to help and supply the reports they want...

[Hesione.9412]

@"shugawuga.3215" said:I get the same problem. I Put a ticket for this issue in that POF maps or Thunderheads Peaks and they tell me its a isp provider... I put a lag server with a lot of player with the same issue.http://imgfz.com/i/LdMaVUu.jpeg

Thunderhead Peak is terrible, even when there is no meta on. I've asked in map chat if other players are experiencing lag, and multiple other players are stating they too are experiencing it. I'm on the NA servers.

[VoxShatterfall.5470]

@shugawuga.3215 said:

I send a lot of trace route and they tell me its the provider... with a lot of screenshot with a lot of people writting chat with lag.

Note that chat lag is not the same as game server lag. the log-in server issues have been happening more recently but otherwise do not impact skill use and other in game events. Also note that the log-in server lag doesn't cause your chat to lag on the way to the server, just on the way back to you. So EVERYONE else can see what you are saying, your text displaying back on your screen and those people's reply are delayed to you.

On another note, its not just one map, its all of them. Its really the server loading and secondary server buffering that is causing the issue. We simply do not know for sure what causes an account to get into the secondary server buffer, where most of the server lag occurs, but there are a few things we know:1) It happens in any map mode including Strikes, Raids, Fractals, WvW, PvP, and PvE open world.2) It is somewhat dependent and established on your connection to the map. One map you may be completely fine, and the next map you go to you get massive server lag.3) When you start lagging, skills start blinking, and other players appear to do the last thing they were supposed to do, then stand still or move in the same direction you last saw them, and when the server lag resolves, everything speeds up at light speed, all your damage packets come in, and everyone repositions.4) To outside observers, aka those who are not server lagging, they see all of your skills actually go off, and they can see you move.

[TeslaRaptor.5197]

TX here, having the same issue

[tomshreds.1745]

This has happened a few times tonight on NA servers doing HoT metas...

[Lion.6590]

last week I was playing pvp with a friend and then both of us started to have heavy lag with that dumb message that takes out the control of your game, we are from 2 different countries so I am sure it is anet servers

[BowStringing.7240]

lag is too horrible unbelivble...... i tought gw2 is Triple A mmo

[Jwake.7013]

@"Freebowjob.4879" said:lag is too horrible unbelivble...... i tought gw2 is Triple A mmo

what does one have to do with the other? could be something on anets end, could be something on the aws end or maybe a bit of both or something else all together that interfering with the servers.

last day or so instead of 90-120ping i've been constantly fluctuating from 100-1k out of Iowa. My end does seem normal.

[Rukia.4802]

Its not unplayable, but is pretty silly. Even in dead maps pof can lag for few seconds at a time LOL. I was just soloing some crap, no commander tags on map.. nothing going on. And yeah.. its always on the players end right, couldn't possibly be the trash amazon servers or whatever DDoS protection servers they're using. I'm sure its the same garbage that WoW has been using in recent years that makes the most basic open world content lag while solo questing. Unbelievable how latency was better back in the day. They just saving money on cheap crap and we pay the price. I used to get half my current ping before amazon. I'm sure covid has increased player activity but this is embarrassing.

[Zok.4956]

@"VoxShatterfall.5470" said:On another note, its not just one map, its all of them. Its really the server loading and secondary server buffering that is causing the issue. We simply do not know for sure what causes an account to get into the secondary server buffer, where most of the server lag occurs, but there are a few things we know:1) It happens in any map mode including Strikes, Raids, Fractals, WvW, PvP, and PvE open world.2) It is somewhat dependent and established on your connection to the map. One map you may be completely fine, and the next map you go to you get massive server lag.

could you please explain, what you mean with "secondary server buffering"? Thanks.

[SdoRy.6839]

I mean all of this doesn't really matter. It's pretty well known that these issues are on Anet's part, whether they officially admit to them or not. I know these issues are not on my end, yet these problems occurred recently (for many many players). I don't care whats the problem, they better fix these issues FAST, or many people will probably lose their motivation to play.

[Gigal.2350]

I get that spikes on every map including fractals and raids...when i play other games my connection is totally stable + i have youtube and whatnot open in the background when as soon as i start gw2 i close down everything else i can to avoid data traffic....i just came back recently and my motivation is alrdy gone down alot again

[Deepcuts.9740]

Remember the 1st day Southsun Cove released? That beautiful frame by frame zerg....The same thing happens now, only this time I am usually alone or with a couple of people around me.60+ FPS and 50-100 ms ping.No matter what Anet says, the problem is with their cut down, bottom of the barrel servers.

[shugawuga.3215]

And today they tell me: We suggest trying to connect to ArenaNet through a VPN like: www.pingzapper.com, www.wtfast.com, www.battleping.com, www.killping.comI put wtfast and the the same issue, lag problem´.

[VoxShatterfall.5470]

@Zok.4956 said:

@"VoxShatterfall.5470" said:On another note, its not just one map, its all of them. Its really the server loading and secondary server buffering that is causing the issue. We simply do not know for sure what causes an account to get into the secondary server buffer, where most of the server lag occurs, but there are a few things we know:1) It happens in any map mode including Strikes, Raids, Fractals, WvW, PvP, and PvE open world.2) It is somewhat dependent and established on your connection to the map. One map you may be completely fine, and the next map you go to you get massive server lag.

could you please explain, what you mean with "secondary server buffering"? Thanks.

Sorry for not being clear, secondary server buffering is what happens when the primary game server doesn't have the resources to send out data to clients, so another server is assigned to send the data out.

[Zok.4956]

@VoxShatterfall.5470 said:

@Zok.4956 said:

@VoxShatterfall.5470 said:On another note, its not just one map, its all of them. Its really the server loading and secondary server buffering that is causing the issue. We simply do not know for sure what causes an account to get into the secondary server buffer, where most of the server lag occurs, but there are a few things we know:1) It happens in any map mode including Strikes, Raids, Fractals, WvW, PvP, and PvE open world.2) It is somewhat dependent and established on your connection to the map. One map you may be completely fine, and the next map you go to you get massive server lag.

could you please explain, what you mean with "secondary server buffering"? Thanks.

Sorry for not being clear, secondary server buffering is what happens when the primary game server doesn't have the resources to send out data to clients, so another server is assigned to send the data out.

thanks. could you please explain how you can see, if a GW2 map-server (a "map instance") (not login-server etc) goes into "secondary server buffering"?

Is how "secondary server buffering" works in GW2 somehow described by Anet?

thanks.