Does a client with high ping affect other clients on the server?

[Strelok]

I see this assertion a lot in MP games. Basically, they think that if a person has so much of a ping (I.E, 200ms) that it affects other clients connected to the server in negative way or affects the host. Is there any validity to this claim?

[Ishan]

I see this assertion a lot in MP games. Basically, they think that if a person has so much of a ping (I.E, 200ms) that it affects other clients connected to the server in negative way or affects the host. Is there any validity to this claim?

A high ping does NOT effect other players ping time, a total myth that has come around for several reasons.

IF the game you're playing uses ping compensation (timestamped packets) then players who have high pings might use fractionally more CPU time on the server, but this will ONLY effect other players if the server is setup badly, for example if the server has barely any spare cpu cycles left. That is a server setup problem however.

Depending on what game engine a higher ping might mean your position in the map changes more erratically, making you harder to hit, some engines compensate for this by artificially smoothing movement.

Most admins kick high pingers because the effects of ping compensation seem unfair - although they're really not. It seems like sometimes you're shot around corners or through large objects, but this is not what is happening, the ping compensation is fair to the lagger because it allows him to aim at the person it just updates late in the server, the gunfights are still fair, despite what some people think. Its just a lack of understanding of how it works.

But no matter the circumstance, one player lagging does NOT make other players lag, if anyone experiences something that feels like this, its probably a badly setup server, and thats a server problem and numerous other things that cause extra load (such as lots of people in the same area, or other clients connecting) will cause the same problem.

Hope this helps.

[Strelok]

Yes. This helps exponentially (+rep). I always thought the claim was B.S - but this helps a lot in terms of comprehension. As for the actual effects on firefights in FPS, I would agree that it evens out. Whilst you might be shooting false-hitbox data, the person who is lagging will also be having trouble trying to hit other players as they are not seeing the texture model of other players at the proper time.

[Phier]

One player lagging does mean you have one player lagging who should be kicked

[iPwntUrMum]

One player lagging does mean you have one player lagging who should be kicked

Admins like you make gaming for non-dsl or cable gamers sad.

[Simetrical]

In principle, it depends on exactly how the game is set up. I wouldn't be surprised if it varies between games. I remember once I was playing something (Starcraft?), the game was really laggy, and then a player dropped out and it sped up enormously. Ishan describes one way the software could be set up, but doesn't demonstrate that that's how games actually all do work in practice. I expect that in real life, it's more complicated.

What I'd suggest is just trying it out. Get a computer with a really slow connection (you can slow it down artificially if you like), then get together some friends, try joining and quitting their game, and have them report if there's a big FPS difference. I'd expect not, but you never know for sure unless you actually wrote the code.

[Dewy]

In principle, it depends on exactly how the game is set up. I wouldn't be surprised if it varies between games. I remember once I was playing something (Starcraft?), the game was really laggy, and then a player dropped out and it sped up enormously. Ishan describes one way the software could be set up, but doesn't demonstrate that that's how games actually all do work in practice. I expect that in real life, it's more complicated.

What I'd suggest is just trying it out. Get a computer with a really slow connection (you can slow it down artificially if you like), then get together some friends, try joining and quitting their game, and have them report if there's a big FPS difference. I'd expect not, but you never know for sure unless you actually wrote the code.

Isn't starcraft peer 2 peer though? I find most rts games slow down with laggers.

[Phier]

Isn't starcraft peer 2 peer though? I find most rts games slow down with laggers.

No idea about SC2, but being how an RTS works, and it not being as much a twitch thing I could see it running at the speed of the slowest computer/connection, otherwise its unfair.

[Strelok]

I'm pretty sure RTS games do that. When I'm in an SC2 match with someone who has drastically high ping or even low FPS the game will automatically be slowed down in some manner on my part (it even gives me a prompt that it's doing it).

[Simetrical]

Isn't starcraft peer 2 peer though? I find most rts games slow down with laggers.

I said Starcraft, not Starcraft 2. Anyway, as I said, I suspect it will vary. It's hard to argue based on theory here unless you're actually a game programmer. Try it and see.

[Dewy]

No idea about SC2, but being how an RTS works, and it not being as much a twitch thing I could see it running at the speed of the slowest computer/connection, otherwise its unfair.

Never thought of that, probably right. I kinda guessed p2p while playing DOW

I said Starcraft, not Starcraft 2. Anyway, as I said, I suspect it will vary. It's hard to argue based on theory here unless you're actually a game programmer. Try it and see.

I said starcraft as well--avoiding saying too so your not confused, like before when you saw Starcraft 2 out of peer 2 peer. Well you would want a network programmer as I doubt anyone on these forums encompass all the game programming disciplines. What do you mean try it and see? Said in that context, it sounds like you want to punch me

[Simetrical]

I said starcraft as well--avoiding saying too so your not confused, like before when you saw Starcraft 2 out of peer 2 peer.

Heh, you're right, I misread that.

Well you would want a network programmer as I doubt anyone on these forums encompass all the game programming disciplines.

You'd want a game programmer of some type who had worked on this sort of problem, I mean.

What do you mean try it and see? Said in that context, it sounds like you want to punch me

I mean try connecting a slow computer to a game and see if it slows down the game for other people. Easy to test.

[craziii]

for sc2 ping matters. the game is coded so everyone slows down and compensates for the one with the slower connection. it sometimes even pause the game till the slowest player catches up. it is their way to ensure fair play it seems.

for counter strike source, if you lag you lag, you will just be a stationary target for the players who aren't lagging.

every game handles this differently. like sime says, only way to find out is to try it out with the game in question.

[Dewy]

I mean try connecting a slow computer to a game and see if it slows down the game for other people. Easy to test.

Yeah that's going to be the only way to test if it does.