Can we connect two game servers together?
Can we connect two game servers together?
Can we connect two game servers—one in North America and one in Northern Europe—to ensure minimal latency for cooperative play?
I know some interactions might still lag, but since we're doing co-op PvE in Ark, there should be a solution to make this work?
I believe you're assuming the link between client and server would be quicker, which would improve local responsiveness. However, the data about other players' actions still needs to travel, be handled, and then shown to you—requiring local processing and rendering. Introducing another server in between would only slow things down by adding two servers to manage the information flow.
Client -> Server -> Client
Client -> Server -> Server -> Client
Which option takes longer? Even if the two servers are connected as quickly as possible, there will still be processing time needed to keep them synchronized. (This isn’t a feature built into most game server software.) Multiple servers are usually used in MMOs within a cluster, allowing the load to be adjusted dynamically as players join or leave. On a smaller scale, it wouldn’t function well. (And you’d be dependent on each server’s internet access.)
The typical delay for data between any two points in a network is about 10ns per additional device. With 23 pings equating to 23ms, the rest comes from processing and signal travel. Adding another server means going through the Internet, router, network interface, chipset, CPU, back to the interface, then through the router again and out to the Internet—repeating for your second server. No matter the method, this adds a consistent minimum delay to your ping.
not feasible, some games include cross server features, but that’s merely another server in the middle with access to both, nothing you can control as a user. You can simply connect to one server and play there. However, you’d experience similar latency (though likely worse than the usual USA-to-Europe delay) because another server is involved. Both servers need to communicate, even with an intermediary. I’ve considered Starlink—it currently offers around 50ms latency and will probably improve further.
For regular use, renting a server shared between you and another would be the best option. It's uncertain if Iceland offers rentable servers, but it might be your most viable choice. Alternatively, you could explore options in New York or Washington, D.C., which are connected to major undersea cables.
Yeah we headed to London. Someone needs to set up Atlantic servers 😅
The server(s) would have to manage other players and the environment in distinct ways, but it likely requires significant development effort and is not something that can be easily accomplished.
I placed an order for Starlink, but delivery is taking too long. The estimated time of arrival is 2023, and I'm unsure if it will improve before the satellite communication system is operational. Currently, the service only sends data to a ground station in the user's country, isn't it?
Iceland introduces a bit of distance, yet a significant portion of the internet passes through it. Similar situations exist with New York and DC—they serve as key connection points. Some of the strongest links I've experienced come from Texas, even though it's not close to there. It offers fewer hops and is also a major western hub. Perhaps not as much as I anticipated based on the latest internet map data. It seems most US-to-Europe traffic still goes through New York to London.