TiDi
During large fleet engagements, lag usually occurs. The reason is that so many players are sending actions to the server of a system, that the server can't handle all those actions in a timely manner. What CCP did to combat this is to implement Time Dilation (TiDi - pronounced 'tye-die') with the Crucible Update (Nov 29 2011). TiDi would slow almost all actions.
How does it work?
The server continuously regulates the game speed to the fastest rate it can handle without response lag or packet loss. Time dilation activates when the load on a node becomes too large for it to handle in real time. In response, the server automatically slows the game within the affected node (which may include dozens of systems, some of which can be on the other side of Eve, unless it's a reinforced node that only holds a single system on it) to a speed which the node can handle without lag or packet loss.
When TiDi activates, a circular icon appears in the top left of the screen next to the system name. Mousing over it will display the current TiDi rate. A TiDi rate of 20% means that the game is running at 20% normal speed, and affected actions will take five times as long. TiDi has a hardcoded floor of 10% beyond which the server will not slow any further.
There are 3 Stages of Tidi:
- Green for Slightly Reduced Speed
- Yellow for Half Speed
- Red for Low Speed
What will be affected by it?
In short, Eve will begin to run in slow-motion but with fast ship response, module activation, grid loading, etc. Modules no longer become stuck in infinite loops where you are unable to deactivate them. The server will respond to all player commands and perform them in the correct order given.
Time Dilation affects the speed of:
- All module cycle durations
- Shield and capacitor recharge
- Ship sublight movement
- Aligning for warp
- Warp speed
- Duration of dictor bubbles
- Cyno field duration
- GCC and other aggression countdowns
Time Dilation does NOT affect the speed of:
- Structure reinforcement timers
- Skill training
- Drug duration
- POS/TCU/SBU etc anchoring or onlining timers
10% and more TiDi….
As time dilation is capped at 10%, the server has no further mechanism to compensate for heavy player load, and instead queues actions within the client, the proxy servers in front of the nodes, and on the nodes themselves, eventually resulting on a phenomena known as soul crushing lag, exactly as happened in the past before the implementation of TiDi.
Patience is critical in soul crushing lag, as a command intended to activate a module may instead deactivate it if repeated before the activation fully completes. You should act slowly, deliberately, and definitively in 10% TiDi to make sure your commands have the best possible chance of being accurately executed. Hold the mouse button down a fraction of a second longer when clicking modules to be sure the click registers. Keep track of the state mentally, or on paper if need be.
If you are interested to know more about what will help to survive TiDi, please check out our “How to survive big fleet fights”
