[MUD-Dev] The Lag monster...

[lynx at lynx.purrsia.com]

On Sat, 6 Nov 2004, Harlan Beverly wrote:

> The question is, how do I solve it?

> There are three ideas on our table: One way is to squeeze a little
> out of the client side host processing.  We can do that, but it's
> a marginal improvement at best.

> Another way is to reduce network traffic: we can do that with
> compression and possible active filtering of unnecessary messages
> (both inbound and outbound).

> A final way is to improve server performance.  We can do that.

You should be looking at how the Tribes 2/Torque engine handled it.
They made their network library open source not too long ago.
Spelunk around here:

  http://opentnl.sourceforge.net/doxydocs/fundamentals.html#fundamentals

Notably missing from your list of solutions, but present in the TNL
list of features is client-side prediction and
interpolation/extrapolation of object state/positions.

Note that lag isn't a function of bandwidth or server performance so
much as it is round-trip time from user to server.  When you have
users connected up by modem, each leg over the modem adds 100 msecs
or so at least; sites distant on the internet may have ping times as
much as 100-300 msecs.

Twitch-style gaming which requires low network latency will require
you to have multiple servers spaced geographically around the
Internet, and to get players on the servers that are closest to
them.  This is what we did at Mplayer, back in the days.  Prevents
you from having a continuous, seamless world, but helps keep users
'in the game'.

-- Conrad
_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev