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Since Gears of War 2 launched, it has earned massive complaints over problems with the multiplayer lobby, specifically with the length of time it takes to get a match started. While the launch weekend was generally okay, it has been pretty bad since then, and matchmaking can take a very long time indeed.
Epic has addressed this issue and apologized, calling the situation "unacceptable." Senior producer Rod Fergusson has stated that no one problem can be singled out as the cause, implicating "a number of factors" for the multiplayer frustrations.
Fergusson has promised that a permanent fix is underway, hopefully to be launched soon. In the meantime, the Epic man has provided some helpful hints to try and ease your online pain. Such tips include trying different playlists, starting matchmaking in parties of two, three or five, and hanging on to a party once you've played with it.
The full list of suggestions is included after the jump, so hit that if you want to make your Gears 2 playtime more bearable until the patch comes. I wonder ... will the patch be released before Castle Crashers'? The answer, as we all know, is yes.
"If you're experiencing long delays (longer than 2 minutes) or you're seeing your matchmaking search restarting over and over again, please try a different playlist as that indicates a possible population issue with the currently selected one.
The problem seems to be heightened for parties of 1 and parties of 4 so please try to invite at least one friend into your party before matchmaking. And of course the fastest way to play is to have a full 5 person party before looking for a match since you won't have to find any teammates beforehand. Fortunately our new "What's Up" feature makes finding Friends who're playing Gears 2 online easier.
Also, after a match, if you'd like to continue to play with the 9 people you just played with, simply press Y to look at the previous match stats and press X to invite them all to your party so you can continue to play in a Private match if they accept. Private matches, while not arbitrated, gives you the flexibility to set exactly which map and mode you want to play along with customizing other aspects of the game.
And as always, please ensure that your router is set correctly so that your NAT is considered "Open" by Xbox LIVE as "Moderate" and "Strict" NATs make Xbox LIVE matchmaking more difficult. There are many guides available online to walk you through the process of correctly configuring your router for Xbox LIVE so I won't go into the specific details here."
The matchmaking is TERRIBLE. Me and 4 other guys are sitting there for 6 fucking minutes, get into a match that is laggy as hell, and then the host leaves causing the whole match to get disconnected because Epic doesn't know what Host Migration is.
Me and a chap Aurun101 had to wait about twenty minutes before we just quit on one occasion. Good if you want to get to know some of the randoms on your friends list.
I don't even know why they felt like the needed to add matchmaking. Personally, I've been against it ever since Halo 2 debuted. It doesn't give you any freedom to choose what exact map/mode/length of ranked game to play; why not just use a server list like in many PC games?
Personally, I think they should have stuck with the multiplayer setup in Gears 1... at least then I could have a 19 round warzone ranked match on Canals going with 7 friends (Count 'em, 7! Instead of 4 now...) within a minute or two. Now I sit here waiting upwards of 5 minutes just to get in a game on a random map with typically 3-5 rounds only.
I think this is to be expected for most popular games. Little Big Planet was laggy for around six days after launch, and then it got fixed - and that was on PS3's free service so Microsoft should have this nipped in the butt in half the time. Resistance didn't have any lag issues, but there is a problem with splitscreen coop which I hope they are working on, but since I don't play splitscrean, I ddnt notice it until I read the blog.
Either way, I think this is just part of launch now. What counts is how fast they fix it.
Just so everyone's clear, the Castle Crashers patch IS finished. It's just waiting for Microsoft to certify and release it. And Microsoft doesn't give a fuck anymore, it seems.
if they don't release this soon, i might trade in gears 2 for fallout 3. horde just doesn't do it for me, and the multiplayer is flawed. and the matchmaking just does not make it worth it.
one great tip i can give is DON'T do the players choice... just choose the game type you want, and you'll get a game like in a minute TOPS. I was in players choice for like 10 minutes and read the "choose another playlist" tip from epic, and it works
@dvddesign
Well, most of my games were played offline, so I didn't feel it that badly. I've simply lost interest in it. It's a good game, but there are just too many other games that I'd rather give my attention to.
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The matchmaking is TERRIBLE. Me and 4 other guys are sitting there for 6 fucking minutes, get into a match that is laggy as hell, and then the host leaves causing the whole match to get disconnected because Epic doesn't know what Host Migration is.
Me and a chap Aurun101 had to wait about twenty minutes before we just quit on one occasion. Good if you want to get to know some of the randoms on your friends list.
I don't even know why they felt like the needed to add matchmaking. Personally, I've been against it ever since Halo 2 debuted. It doesn't give you any freedom to choose what exact map/mode/length of ranked game to play; why not just use a server list like in many PC games?
Personally, I think they should have stuck with the multiplayer setup in Gears 1... at least then I could have a 19 round warzone ranked match on Canals going with 7 friends (Count 'em, 7! Instead of 4 now...) within a minute or two. Now I sit here waiting upwards of 5 minutes just to get in a game on a random map with typically 3-5 rounds only.
I've always liked matchmaking. I like that I get exposed to all the gametypes and maps that the game has, so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.
Also I like the variety and quickness of it. It's easier than exiting a match and trying to find someone hosting something different.
Really? I haven't had any waiting issues or lag. =O
I think this is to be expected for most popular games. Little Big Planet was laggy for around six days after launch, and then it got fixed - and that was on PS3's free service so Microsoft should have this nipped in the butt in half the time. Resistance didn't have any lag issues, but there is a problem with splitscreen coop which I hope they are working on, but since I don't play splitscrean, I ddnt notice it until I read the blog.
Either way, I think this is just part of launch now. What counts is how fast they fix it.
Damn does this mean I have to actually make friends to play GOW2?
Just so everyone's clear, the Castle Crashers patch IS finished. It's just waiting for Microsoft to certify and release it. And Microsoft doesn't give a fuck anymore, it seems.
if they don't release this soon, i might trade in gears 2 for fallout 3. horde just doesn't do it for me, and the multiplayer is flawed. and the matchmaking just does not make it worth it.
@sharpless
Doesn't matter. It's still not patched, and I still can't play it properly and I still feel like I wasted $15 buying a broken co-op title.
one great tip i can give is DON'T do the players choice... just choose the game type you want, and you'll get a game like in a minute TOPS. I was in players choice for like 10 minutes and read the "choose another playlist" tip from epic, and it works
Matchmaking has been a little rocky since the day after Gears 2 was released but I am happy Epic really wants to fix the problem.
Still hasn't really tarnished my experience with the game anyway, I play Horde whenever I go online with friends so we never get problems with that.
@ Kyousuke Nanbu
Oh, right on. I don't actually own the game, I was just going by what folks were saying. Either way, it can't be THAT long for such a popular title.
@dvddesign
Well, most of my games were played offline, so I didn't feel it that badly. I've simply lost interest in it. It's a good game, but there are just too many other games that I'd rather give my attention to.
if it wasn't for 'horde' i doubt i'd still be playing. it's better than the campaign
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