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blkarmphoenix's avatar
blkarmphoenix
6 years ago

What is netcode?

And why is Apex bad at it?

I'm genuinely curious, because I wanted to learn more after seeing bunches of complaints on here. Google basically says that netcode is an all encompassing laymans term for a bunch of things to do with online gaming, but I'm curious if anyone can point to any specific examples that show Apex is using lower quality options than other games? 

The reason I ask, is that I honestly have never really had any issues. I haven't been around nearly as long as some, but have about 250 hours into Apex, and I could probably count the number of times I've been forcibly disconnected or lagged out during that time on one hand. I play on a 4g connection facilitated by my smartphone, and don't ever have any lag or ping issues in any games despite expecting them due to the type of connection I use. 

I just started PC gaming a few months ago, and use an i7 7700k with a gtx 1080, so granted my setup isn't crap, but isn't top tier either. 

TL/DR

Those that have complaints about "netcode" can you point exactly to what that issue is, and how it is mitigated in other games? What would cause some to experience constant issues, but have those issues be unseen by others?

discussion

9 Replies

  • aisthebestletter's avatar
    aisthebestletter
    Seasoned Ace
    6 years ago
    @blkarmphoenix It has to do with hit registry, they way bullets are sent and received as packets. Have you had times where you could see shots hitting the enemy and you die and they have not taken any damage? That is netcode.
  • Nurrffed's avatar
    Nurrffed
    6 years ago

    There is your client machine, and there are other client machines, and there is the server.

    Coordinating all of what is going on among all the client machines and the server is with netcode

    Basically, there is an instantaneous "state" of the game on your machine, and on the server, and on all client machines.

    Ideally this state would be the same on all involved machines.  But it's not.  Because there is network lag, and there is inferior netcode that can't keep up synchronizing the state with how fast things are happening.


    So you see crazy looking stuff.

  • blkarmphoenix's avatar
    blkarmphoenix
    6 years ago

    All these answers are great, but kind of swerve around the overarching query. 

    I understand the concepts of hit reg, lag compensation, server tick rate, etc. 

    I guess what I'm really getting at, is that I haven't PERSONALLY seen any issues in Apex with this. I can't honestly say I've ever noticed my shots missing their mark when I was sure they've hit, not really ever been killed around a corner when I should have been covered, etc. This leads me to wonder if there is information available that shows that Apex is legitimately behind on these things vs other games, or if the issues with netcode are...... user perception? I think that's the nice way to phrase it.

  • aisthebestletter's avatar
    aisthebestletter
    Seasoned Ace
    6 years ago
    @blkarmphoenix It is probably more user perception but it would be based on experience. I have played games for years and can definitely tell when something is not right. It is not every game and every battle though.
  • MandatoryIDtag's avatar
    MandatoryIDtag
    6 years ago

    @blkarmphoenix  It certainly does happen, but it's been better of late.

    Earlier in the games history it was plagued with an issue where you'd shoot an enemy, you'd see blood spatter but not actually deal any damage.

    I think stuff like being shot after you've run behind cover, so it seems as if the bullets tracked you around a corner is included.

  • DoYaSeeMe's avatar
    DoYaSeeMe
    6 years ago
    @blkarmphoenix I'd say it's pretty clear that it's user perception. Only devs have access to the netcode.

    I have encountered issues like hits not registering, stuttering, getting shot around corners, receiving multiple shots at once, etc.. But I also have dev experience and probably understand the issues better, focusing on identifying the actual cause and circumstances instead of finding someone to blame.

    Comparison with other games is rarely done right. Some of them have hitscan, 12-player matches, smaller maps, slower movement, a much bigger team behind, which probably had much more time to launch. Apex tries to push some boundaries, that's why the game is loved so much but also so buggy.

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