Q177952: Age of Empires: Turtle, or Yellow or Red Dot Next to Player Name

Article: Q177952
Product(s): Microsoft Home Games
Version(s): WINDOWS:1.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbusage aoe kbSysSettings
Last Modified: 15-MAY-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Age of Empires, version 1.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When you are playing a multiplayer game, you may see a turtle, or a yellow or
red dot, next to a player's name in the Scores window.

CAUSE
=====

If the frame rate (the number of frames per second of video images on the
screen) drops below 15 frames per second, a turtle appears beside the name of
the player with the slowest computer. If the network latency (the time it takes
for a packet of data to travel between two computers) is from 300 milliseconds
to 1 second, a yellow dot appears beside the name of the player with the slowest
Internet connection. If the network latency is greater than 1 second, a red dot
appears beside the name of the player with the slowest Internet connection.

RESOLUTION
==========

The following information may help you improve the performance of a multiplayer
game.

- The fewer players in the game, the faster the game runs. For example, game
  performance is slower in an 8-player game than in a 2-player game.

- The player with the fastest computer should be the host, even if there are no
  computer players participating in the game (the host computer is responsible
  for running the computer players). The host computer is required to do extra
  work during the game.

- When you play a multiplayer game over the Internet using a Dial-Up Networking
  connection, we do not recommend adding computer players to the game if more
  than three human players are already playing. If you have a low bandwidth
  (the amount of information that can be passed at any given moment), computer
  players can have an adverse effect on game performance.

- Multiplayer games run only as fast as the slowest computer in the game. To
  see which players are experiencing network latency or frame rate problems,
  click the S button in the lower-right corner of the game screen to display
  the player scores as well as the following information:

  If a turtle appears beside the name of a player, that player has the slowest
  system. The player can try to improve performance by following the tips
  provided in this article, or the player can drop out of the game.

  If a red or yellow dot appears beside the name of a player, indicating network
  latency problems, the player can reestablish their Internet connection and
  restart the game to attempt to improve performance.

- When you run other network programs when you play Age of Empires, you
  increase network latency, which can reduce game performance. For additional
  information about how to reduce network latency and improve multiplayer game
  performance, please click the article number below to view the article in the
  Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q232392 Gaming Zone: High Latency in Game Lobbies or When Playing Games

- If you play a multiplayer game with eight players, game performance is best
  when each player's computer meets the Age of Empires minimum system
  requirements of a Pentium 90 processor and 24 megabytes (MB) of RAM. The game
  host should have the most powerful computer and the most RAM.

MORE INFORMATION
================


For information about troubleshooting head-to-head play, see the following
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q175348 Age Of Empires: Troubleshooting Head-to-Head Play

Additional query words: 1.00 rise of rome expansion pack age aoe ages empire ageofempires t-shoot trouble shoot multiplay multi multiple igz

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbusage aoe kbSysSettings 
Technology        : kbHomeProdSearch kbAOE kbGamesSearch kbZNotKeyword kbAOESearch
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.