Turbo Mode - Turbo Mode = Lag Mode??

[Dan Hibiki]

Selvin, I'm not sure if you have this background, but to understand why Turbo mode hyper-lags compared to Normal mode, you need to have some knowledge of networking. An example should be used.

How it seems that this system works:

Normal Mode: The two computers connect for the battle. The one hosting this fight would be the one that sorts all the information out during the battle (I suppose). The two players enter. Once the battle begins the two computers send packets (bits of information) across the cable/phone lines between the computers. In these packets is the 'what I'm doing' information that tells the host what each person is doing, and where they are. The host uses this information and sends the update of what the host player is doing. Packets are not always reliable, though. Oftentimes high error rates (equals high pings) in the packets (meaning that the data is no good) makes it so that the person who is not lagging just appears to be where he was before, much like in other online games. Once the host actually receives good information from the packets, the lagger magically materializes where he had moved to during the lag. Normal mode's speed results in not as many instances of lag.

Turbo mode: Hyper-lag to the max. The increased speed of the game makes the computers need to send the update packets more often (perhaps TMyApp set the game up to update at certain intervals determined by loops, which are sped up by the turbo mode). With more packets being sent back and forth the error rates rise exponentially, equalling the undeniable hyper-lag.

The reason for this explanation is that, if this is truly what is causing it, if a more reliable method of communicating the update information is found, then lags will be reduced dramatically. They will still be there, probably in the same numbers, but they could be corrected much faster, resulting in no magical teleportation. This is harder than it sounds, though.