Understanding Lag

To make faster games you really need to understand lag in order to defeat it. While browsing I found this great article to explain all of it.

To understand why lag occurs, you need to understand the sequence of events that occur […] Mick West

Update: Read about prediction.

Update: Read about stateless card dealing.

1. This same technique applies to algorithm design. The more state that you need to keep track of, the more likely the state is to get out of sync and be wrong. And the harder problems can be to diagnose.

2. Try dealing cards this way. While you may be laughed and mocked, you at least won’t lose count.

See also:

• Spacetime sync’ing
• Animated Lag
• Time Dilation by Carl
• Source Multiplayer Networking
• Hirearchical Pathfinding in Detour with C++ source by Mikko 
• What every programmer needs to know about game networking by Glenn
• How to make a multiplayer game by Paul
• Network Programming in Age of Empires by Mark
• Latency Mitigation Strategies by Carmack