In many multiplayer games, players are far apart, making minor sync errors less noticeable. In SpeedRunners , however, players are constantly clustered on the same screen. If one player triggers a bomb, and another player appears to be on top of it on one screen but past it on another due to latency, the game must decide what "actually" happened. Networking Techniques in SpeedRunners
To handle these high-speed interactions, the game employs several industry-standard networking concepts: SpeedRunners over the network
: This is a sophisticated method where the game simulates ahead without waiting for other players' inputs. If an opponent's actual input arrives and differs from the game's "guess," the game rolls back the simulation to the moment of the error, corrects it, and re-simulates forward to the present in a single frame. In many multiplayer games, players are far apart,
: Typically, a "host" (one of the players or a server) is chosen to be the final authority on game state, such as the position of objects or the final score. This prevents cheating and ensures there is a single "truth" for the match. Managing Your Connection This prevents cheating and ensures there is a
High-Stakes Sync: The Networking of SpeedRunners For a competitive 4-player platformer like SpeedRunners , where matches are won or lost by milliseconds, the "network" isn't just a connection—it's a fundamental part of the game’s physics. Maintaining a smooth, fair experience for all players across varying internet speeds requires complex "netcode" strategies to combat latency and desynchronization. The Core Challenge: Proximity and Latency