Re: Real-time or Turn-based? (latency problems)

["Todd Gemmell"]

>>Hmmm not much to say really. the transport layer is irrelavent with ONE
>>glaring exception...Latency! If you have faith in the broad band people
this
>>will go away soon. I half believe them and think latency will go away not
so
>>soon.  A multiplayer near real time enviorment with lag time as great as
2-3
>>seconds needs to be incorporated into the design.  My current soloution
>>deals with autonomous agents talking to the story engine but I don't think
>>we are ready to jump down that well today

>


>I had totally forgot about latency in the whole real time ideal... Doesn't
>latency really only make a difference in split second decisions like Quake
>- fast action packed games? Would there be a lot of times in a IF world
>where you would have 2 second kills, or 2 second decisions?
>



Forgive my editing but I fear if these replies get too long they will loose
new comers...

In my vision, No. 2 seconds will not effect the story one way or the other.
The problem is that in a near real time environment you must maintain the
illusion of life. It would be unacceptable for characters to stop mid stride
ect ect. The real problem (I should have stated this earlier) is the
cumulative effect on poor connections (only 2 seconds is lost but every
other 2seconds is lost) or even at worse loss of connection.

Another problem I failed to mention is in a multiplayer environment you have
several people online at the same time. What happens when someone leaves the
environment before the story has finished?? Boy did Dan hit me over the head
with that question when I was demanding multiplayer.....


-T