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One of the main purposes of this webpage is to stop Epic Games and Microsoft from stepping all over people.

Here's where the story begins:

On many occasions, I've been playing Gears of War 2 (GOW2) with Microsoft Live.  During this on-line game play, I have been penalized many, many times with a "0" (zero)  ranking-up score.  At first I noticed this, I wasn't aware of why this was happening.  There doesn't seem to be any clear definitions of these types of occurrences on either the Microsoft Live website or Epic Games Gears of War 2 (GOW2) website.  Without notice, warning or reason, they just "0" you out.  Spending hours searching for answers and coming up with nothing, I gave up looking on Epic's or Microsoft's sites and joined a discussion group on GOW2 to try and get some answers. 

Later, I was able to see another group (Gears of War Addict - Just Ask the I.T. Guy) whereby the IT professional seemed extremely helpful in a possible reason for this extremely frustrating insanity.  He believed the frequent "0" scores was due to something called "lagswitching" whereby this new "detector" (inaccurate as it is)  was included in a new GOW2 update released March 23, 2009.  Prior to today's reply to my post I had no clue nor had I even heard the word before.   Certainly, I wasn't remotely close to being guilty of this, apparent, form of cheating.  Click on the link above and see what the IT Guy's explanation of lagswitching.  Though I understand what he described, I still don't know how one would even accomplish this. 

Nevertheless, I began this speed test log. To, at a later date, bring my frustration to the attention of Epic Games, Microsoft and perhaps a good lawyer wanting to take on the evil empires.  I first noticed this "0" ranking up points after finishing a game of Annex.  Annex plays longer than most other games.  So perhaps after 20 minutes or so the game concludes and no score.  At this point, whether I played good or I played bad, it made no difference because I'm just arbitrarily excluding from the ranking process.  Based on IT Guy's possible reasoning, I believe, since this seems to occur more in the Annex mode of play, that the longer the connection time required, the more likely the Internet connection fluctuates.   The fluctuation triggers some sort of "bad guy" response at Epic or Microsoft.  Such craziness.  Anyone who plays this game knows that "lag" is one of the biggest problems in on-line playing.  You might fire your weapon and 2-3 seconds later the bullets actually leave the gun.  You might jump around on the screen like some crazy person.  All in all, these, seemingly cute antics, cause you to be the worst player out of 10 players and people say mean and nasty things because they think you're useless as a team member when the real culprits are Mr. Lag, Epic Games and/or Microsoft.  When you're older, your reflexes are not as fast as they used to be so it's quite difficult to play at the level of my 15 year old but for those who know me, I don't cheat, don't quit and will give my life to revive that of a teammate.  Still, to make me wait another 2 or 3 seconds for my bullets to leave the weapon is senior insanity.  My friend Mike can get his senior coffee, a bagel and an ice water in the time it takes the bullets to hit something. 

It's no wonder our teens (heck 6 and 7 year olds are playing this game) are in a nervous state of mind, cramming down junk food and putting on pounds like a black bear storing up for winter.  The frustration is enough for all of us to chew our fingernails off, throw the controller at the TV or worse, holler at a parent.  Thanks so much  Epic Games and Microsoft. 

I've already had my issues with Microsoft in trying to get my Son his "Gold Lancer".  This special weapon was supposed to be included in his extra cost, "Limited Edition" Gears of War 2.  It was "limited" all right.  To this day, after truly, many, many hours of telephone calls to Microsoft Support, some 10 to 15 different reference numbers, numerous Support Supervisors who promised to help, we still don't have a Golden Lancer.  When I heard Microsoft was laying off 5,000 people, I knew it had to be the idiots in their "Support Department".  Can you imagine paying people to be so ignorant and uncaring?  A stupid golden gun in a game and after, probably, 20 + hours of my time messing with these people, we still don't have what we paid the extra money for.  Not to mention that Microsoft has probably invested a good 20+ support personnel man hours into this golden lancer as well and still can't provide one.  (By the way, I still have most of those Microsoft reference numbers should anyone disbelieve the Golden Lancer issue, even though Microsoft deletes them after 6 months.)  Shame, shame, shame on you guys at Microsoft.  Updated October 27, 2009 see below

I'm a divorced parent and have my 15 year old Son with me every other weekend plus most school breaks and a good amount of time during the Summer.  At Dad's house, we each have an xbox360, two wide screen, flat panel TV's positioned over each other, 2 GOW2 games (one limited edition and one regular), two different gamertags and two Microsoft Live Subscriptions.  When my Son is at his Mom's house, he doesn't have Internet so our Microsoft Live subscription for him only gets used every other weekend each month.  I say all this so that whoever reads this understands that our gaming time is special to us just like our time together.  Only, our gaming time is not always cool.  Screaming at a TV because the lag is horrible or the matching sucks or "0" ranking points is your reward for diligent playing is, at the least, way too disappointing.  I'm a Viet Nam Veteran plus, I spent a year (2004-2005) in Iraq as a civilian contractor driving fuel tanker convoy trucks with roadside bombs going off and people shooting at me and, believe it or not, had less frustration at times than this GOW2.   Thanks a lot Epic Games and Microsoft.  Shame, shame on you guys.

Updated October 28th, 2009. see below

Now back to the "0" ranking up scores, it's not only frustrating but it should be totally unnecessary to have to go through these stupid hassles.  I've never cheated in playing GOW nor do I even know how.  My reaction and response times aren't even close to that of my son.  So I have to play much more often to even try and keep up with or remain close in our scoring and ranking.  Please understand that this is not just whining.  It's being disappointed after playing for 15, 20, 25 minutes or more just to earn a "0" ranking up score.  Shame on you guys at Epic Games and Microsoft.

You guys need to fix your lagswitch detector or whatever else it is that you seemingly are able to justify for my frequent "0" scores. 

DIRECT LINK TO ONLINE SPEED TESTING WITH MY SPRINT PCS BROADBAND CARD

(Sierra Wireless AirCard 595U - USB connected to CradlePoint CTR350 Router)

The above testing was mostly Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009.   If indeed, fluctuating Internet speeds is Epic's justification for "0" scoring, then I believe the above chart is pretty clear that not only have they put too little of thought and testing into their theories but they, once again, are hurting all of us in our attempts to "rank up". It seems like an excellent indicator that due to the Sprint PCS's fluctuation in speed that Epic Games or Microsoft's new "lagswitching detector" is creating false assumptions and making for unhappygamers. 

My Internet connection tested at 12:30pm had switched from Kansas City to Chicago.  In the course of 3 minutes (see above), the download speed significantly changed from 2.86 Mb/s to as low as 1.03 Mb/s.  Had I been playing Annex or any other game during that 3 minute period, I probably would have been "0" pointed again.  PLUS, who knows, maybe if you get "0's" too many times, you go directly to jail, do not pass go or collect $200 or even worse, a terminated gamertag or a loss of achievements. Check out the difference in 4 minutes between 15:07 and 15:11.  How about 19:29 (7:29pm)? 

Does this make the Sprint PCS service bad?  Perhaps.  We do know that it's not as fast or stable as cable but nonetheless, it is high speed broadband and, more importantly, it previously worked pretty well (before the TU3 update with the lagswitching detector).  Does this mean I, myself, and everyone with fluctuating bandwidth should have to go out and sign a new two year contract for Internet or pay a healthy penalty to break their existing contract because of some game programmers ideas that don't incorporate the real world of players. 

So as we continue with common sense vs. genius, think about this.  These guys can program into the game or servers that someone MIGHT be lagswitching (once they find out want it is) and give them a penalty for it.  But they can't seem to figure out that a server in Mexico doesn't match up well with a server in France or Pennsylvania.   They can't seem to figure out that 3 players with 40+ experience points and 2 with 30+ experience points don't match up very well with 5 players with a 1, another 1, a 6, a 11 and yup a bot.  Where is the common sense?  Why even start that match??  Replacing quitters with bots is great - good job in that department. 

Instead of spending all the time developing a "lagswitch detector" that obviously doesn't work, why didn't you develop a LAG detector and not start the matches when someone is firing 2 and 3 seconds after shooting or jumping about in 200 yard jumps?  I wonder if anyone from Epic or Microsoft ever reads their own group discussions.  Maybe they should go to their homes and have to play under the same conditions we do.  Shame on you Epic Games and Microsoft.

ALSO, since we are on brilliant thinking here, how does someone obtain a 100 ranking score when the ranking was only in existence for less than 10 days??  On a GOW2 forum, loads of people smarter than me are claiming that it may take over 6.8 million points to reach 100.   Stop giving me "0" points, get my son his golden lancer and kick the cheaters off, or in the least, stop them from hosting matches. 

I understand that good old Sprint doesn't look especially good here but please remember, I never had "0" ranking points until the new Update 3.

SPRINT'S DOWNLOAD SPEEDS FOR 1ST 8 TESTS TODAY

SPRINT'S UPLOAD SPEEDS FOR 1ST 8 TESTS TODAY