Online video games lag or rubberband due to network instability, server delays, and hardware limitations.
Online video games lag or rubberband due to network instability, server delays, and hardware limitations.
The server must maintain consistency across all clients. Imagine a scenario where you're connected via satellite with extremely high latency (2000ms). If you move to a hidden spot, but due to the delay, the server doesn't detect your departure, and another player with a much better connection (around 50ms) sees you in the corner and attacks you—you'll likely lose and won't know how. However, if the server quickly brings you back to where it remembers your previous position, you'll understand what happened. This example illustrates why things can feel so frustrating. You should also look at the link Stuff shared.
To align everyone's position and verify your location is valid. An illustration: You instruct the player to advance by pressing "w" for one second. Since your speed is 1 meter per second, your position should shift forward by 1 meter. If both server and client confirm the change, nothing occurs. However, discrepancies trigger a delay—maybe the server is lagging and misses the clock update, recording only half the time. Your location then appears as 0.5 meters ahead, so you're teleported back. Alternatively, your client might be slower, registering only 0.5 seconds instead of 1. This leads to a 0.5-meter jump. Or the game may have glitched, causing physics to break and sudden speeds. Possibly hackers altered files, letting you fly freely. Let me know if this helps!
It varies. If the game input and movement systems operate independently and something halts the movement temporarily—like pressing 'w' but not advancing—then visually it looks like you're using the 'w' key while your character stays still. But the server successfully registered your input, so it will inform your client of your position, allowing you to teleport forward. A weak internet connection means your input isn't transmitted properly. Using a 1-second movement example: the first half-second arrives correctly, but after a sudden loss, the remaining half is dropped (packet lost). Thus, both client and server function normally, yet packet loss causes the movement to appear delayed or incomplete.