Okay, it's starting to make sense.. The server still has to say "Here's your updated ammo total..." That's an integer - 4 bytes. That does not sound like prohibitive bandwidth to me. Does the server really construct another packet just for the extra 4 bytes? Maybe if the server could aggregate these verifications, the updates could happen less often and not hit the network as hard during bursts of weapons fire.

Thanks for being so patient, Spellcast. It's still a bit fuzzy, but I can at least imagine the bits that I don't see right now.

Can we get a dev in here to help these poor people?

Well I'm starting to realize that however it is, it's that way for a good reason, so I must be missing a key part that requires explicit verification of the ammo after each shot.

It just doesn't seem right to me that ammo weapons would require significantly more bandwidth, since there's so little extra info that needs to be exchanged.

I dont get why energy weps. should be easier to on the bandwidth.
Don't the server have to check if there's enough energy to shoot the energy wep.?
I can't see why they don't just make another energybar,called bullets, that don't recharge, and fills up when you buy bullets in stations.

because energy information would have to be passed back and forth with a projectile weapon in addition to everything else, because your energy is in a contant state of flux. (are you recharging your battery, turboing, scanning something with the scanner?)
Energy data is allready constantly exchanged, so firing an energy weapon just gets lumped in with that. The information for "ammo" is still an extra piece of data.

I still disagree, but rather than beat the horse any more, I'll let the devs tell me why I'm crazy. =)