Source Netcode Explained

[CSN NewsBot]

Over at the Valve ERC, there is a new and very detailed look at the way Source handles multiplayer networking. The article explains the technique behind the lag compensation in Source and the differences between what the server sees, what you see, and how the two views form into one.

Lets assume a player has a network latency of 100 milliseconds and starts to move forward. The information that the +FORWARD key is pressed is stored in a user command and send to the server. There the user command is processed by the movement code and the player's character is moved forward in the game world. This world state change is transmitted to all clients with the next snapshot update.

That brief explanation of the problems associated with high latency is just one of many issues discussed. Keep in mind that the article contains a lot of technical explanations and isn't for the faint of networking knowledge.

[HACKER HELL STORM]

oh this should be good..

[Antinous-ODY]

we call it lag, why do they have to make it sound so complicated...

[wolf8218]

they call it the solution for 56Kers

[Zips]

Antinous-ODY wrote..

we call it lag, why do they have to make it sound so complicated...

Probably to cover all bases when detailing this out. I'm pretty sure, that along with the rest of the community, they're tired of hearing about horrible lag compensation or bad hitbox lag.



This way, they explained how the netcode works in technical terms so that there's no way people can justifiably cry about poor lag compensation.

[GeOTek]

YES what ive been saying for years someone actually explained. Thank god.

[[CyW]-=BigBear=-]

GeOTek wrote..

YES what ive been saying for years someone actually explained. Thank god.

I think it has been explained before by others, but now it's done in a very detailed manner by Valve themselfs..



Not that it will stop all the hitbox and/or netcode whiners though unfortunatly, it never has.. No matter what or who explains anything, some will always believe/think there's something wrong with the game which they can blame their death(s) and/or not doing so well on..

[n1k23]

I always get people with headshots when it clearly wasnt a headshot in source.

[Bigun]

^^ LOL

[[SXE]Sgt. Pepper]

we dont need an explaination, we need it fixed, its ridiculously bad for a game in this day and age

[[CZ] Qw4z0]

there's nothing in that article thats not basic programming common sense. the ratios they use could be altered, but that would require more of them.

[jojojohanson]

[SXE]Sgt. Pepper wrote..

we dont need an explaination, we need it fixed, its ridiculously bad for a game in this day and age

What he said.

[Bokuho]

This still doesn't explain how the hitboxes can be so disgustingly out of place even on a 0-ping LAN game with bots.



In case anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about, watch (and be disgusted by) this:

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=css_hit_b0x_bb



The last two frags make me want to kill whoever was in charge of making sure the hitboxes work correctly. Hitboxes like that don't belong in a final release game, hell, that's rubbish even for a demo game.

[HACKER HELL STORM]

stop spreading that garbage around everybody and his mother has seen it and its BS!!

[Zips]

Bokuho wrote..

This still doesn't explain how the hitboxes can be so disgustingly out of place even on a 0-ping LAN game with bots.



In case anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about, watch (and be disgusted by) this:

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=css_hit_b0x_bb



The last two frags make me want to kill whoever was in charge of making sure the hitboxes work correctly. Hitboxes like that don't belong in a final release game, hell, that's rubbish even for a demo game.

Of all people, I figured you would have had more sense than to post that grossly outdated link on this site. Especially when it's already been explained in the link above and considering that video was shot well before the update to the lag compensation. I won't even bother mentioning how it was explained in the Steam forums by one of the Valve members about how the differences between demo footage and real-time gameplay have been off. Whoops, I guess I just did mention it.