I’m seeing more and more folks using lag switching during OPR. In other games I have played, it is often the source of many exploits from duping issues to PVP exploits.
And, there is no reason why game engines, in their client prediction logic, should not be able to prevent players from benefitting from a lag switch.
What is a lag switch?
A lag switch is software or physical hardware that allows a person to temporary interrupt their network connection. It can be the equivalent of disconnecting your network cable then plugging it back in.
How players benefit from this?
When a player temporary interrupts their network connection the game engine tries to compensate for the latency. The opponent players on your screen, if they are still, will remain standing still and if they are moving will be moving in a consistent predictable direction. When that switch is turned on, it allows the user to consistently hit a player with shots either from a distance or from close up. It also allows players to avoid getting hit because game engines tend to compensate in favor of the laggier player in order to try to insure ‘fair’ play.
What are the indicators of lag switching?
An enemy player keeps teleporting around when you try to hit them. You take damage from enemy melee strikes when they are not in range to strike you. You take damage from ranged weapons after you have dodged them and/or have sheltered behind a wall
How would a game developer combat this?
The fact that one can use lag switching to gain an advantage in a game has been around for a long time. It is something that anti-cheat engines normally cannot detect. And, is very surprising that game developers have not implemented their own lag switch detecting logic in the engines and client side prediction logic.
There are currently two solutions that I can think of:
The first place to start would be the client prediction logic. If the game detects a brief disconnection in the network, then the player whom is ‘lag switching’ should not be able to do damage or certain behaviors. This would have to be fine tuned. But, as the game currently exists, it lags in favor towards the exploiters.
The second solution is more involved and requires machine intelligence. Machine intelligence can be used to detect and predict repeat ‘lag switching’ and/or other exploits. A database can be established that records a users actions throughout the day. This would include such information as location, what they were doing and latency at any moment. If latency is induced only at moments a user fires a musket, then that is an indicator of a lag switch. If that latency happens when every user fires a musket, then that is an indicator of a bug. This also could be used to detect performance improvements the game needs into to provide better game play.
Anyways, that’s my two bits on the issue.