Zadrot & OneMan
Zadrot
Hey OneMan, I’ve been tinkering with latency optimization in MMOs and came across a neat trick: predictive interpolation combined with jitter buffers. It can cut the perceived lag by a few milliseconds, but only if you tweak the prediction window correctly. What’s your take on using predictive algorithms to smooth player movement?
OneMan
Nice find. Predictive interpolation works if you keep the buffer tight and test it under real traffic. If you set the window wrong, you’ll get ghost moves that look like cheating. Cut a few milliseconds off the perceived lag, but don’t let that tweak derail the core system. Keep it simple and efficient.
Zadrot
Yeah, the sweet spot is right on the edge of packet variance. Too wide and the avatar looks like it’s teleporting, too narrow and you just get a jerky, laggy feel. I’m running a 10% loss test now—let’s see how many ghosts we can kill before the system collapses. If it still feels off, we’ll hit the core stats and pull the buffer tighter. Simple math, no fluff.
OneMan
Fine. Keep the buffer tight enough that variance doesn’t break the illusion. If you start dropping more than a few packets, the interpolation will need to jump ahead and the ghosting will hit hard. Pull the window in until the jitter is absorbed, but don’t over‑tune – you’ll just add CPU cycles that could be used elsewhere. Test it, measure, repeat. Done.