Arcade racing game network strategy.

oliii · 2005-11-29T18:30:59

First of, I have experience with online FPS games, our method was very similar to counterstrike/quake clones. I'm mainly concerned about control protocols, and wether a server-client architecture is actually of any use in car racing games. With FPS, the client runs the controls through it's own physics simulation, and sends results, as well as controller data back to the server, who verifies the legality of the move. If the move is invalid, the server sends a corrected position back to the client, and the client position is adjusted. All this runs through interpolators, but even then, the local player would teleport and jitter when hitting anything that isn't static or path-planned. You can see this effect in counterstrike, when you run into another player who is also moving. You'll get a small jitter. This is due to discrepancies of the other player's position on your machine, and on the server machine, due to latency. You run physics on your machine, but on the server, when verification and correction comes, the object is actually slightly away, and a correction message is sent. I wonder how this 'problem' might affect a car racing game, since you'll be mostly colliding with other cars, who also move pretty fast and unpredictably. So, I can see problems with FPS-style controls. I wonder if you guys had any magical ideas, or useful experiences designing online racing games. ta.

Networking and Multiplayer Programming

Started by oliii November 23, 2005 11:47 AM

10 comments, last by oliii 19 years, 2 months ago

Xipe

140

November 29, 2005 03:09 PM

Just wanted to note that games like GTR and F1 Challenge run like a dream when hosted P2P on DSL, no lag or jitter even at the start.

I have however no idea how they solved the inherent problems with lag - maybe they didn't and you need <45ms ping for good results (we're 9-12 people racing, and range from 14-60ms to the server usually) - if you have a 500ms ping you simply shouldn't race online, and the game maker shouldn't try to solve problems like that. IMO.

EDIT: Found this Gamasutra article in an older post on this forum:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19970919/aronson_01.htm

[Edited by - Xipe on November 29, 2005 3:09:21 PM]

--There is only one basic human right and that is the right to do as you damn well please, and with that right comes the only human duty; the duty to take the consequences.-- P.J. O'Rourke

oliii

Author

2,202

November 29, 2005 06:30 PM

there are standards you have to consider when making a game for consoles (and PCs).

I can't remember the TRCs exactly, but it's roughly, 100ms latency, 5-10% drop, 8k download, 2k upload bandwidth, and game never drops a client, no matter how bad, something like that. It's not too bad. I've run the game I was working previsouly on for hours with 60% packet loss, and latencies of up to 500ms. That was quite a test. We also run regular tests with servers in the UK, and players in California, and vice versa, and the game was very much playable (pings up to 200-300ms).

All in all, if your game can take this, it can take anything!

Everything is better with Metal.

Arcade racing game network strategy.

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Arcade racing game network strategy.

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