Delve into the essential concepts and different types of multiplayer game development to enhance your understanding of online and local game design. This quiz covers networking models, synchronization, peer-to-peer vs. client-server architecture, and common multiplayer challenges for aspiring developers.
Which networking model typically centralizes authority over game logic to one main server, minimizing the risk of player cheating?
Explanation: The client-server model centralizes game logic and authority on a dedicated server, helping to prevent cheating since clients cannot easily manipulate the game's outcome. The peer-to-peer model distributes authority among players, making it more vulnerable to cheating. Layered-server is not a standard networking model in game development, and proxy-client does not refer to a recognized major architecture. This makes client-server the correct and most secure choice for minimizing cheating.
If a game allows multiple players to take turns using the same device, such as in a game of digital chess, which type of multiplayer is this an example of?
Explanation: Hotseat multiplayer involves several players sharing the same device and taking turns to play, as seen in digital board games. Real-time online implies players interact simultaneously over a network. Split-screen divides output on a single screen for multiple players to play at the same time, while asynchronous online typically involves players making moves at different times over the internet. Hotseat matches the scenario described.
What term describes the process of ensuring all players in a multiplayer game see consistent and up-to-date game information, such as the position of a moving character?
Explanation: State synchronization ensures that all clients have an accurate and current representation of the game's state, like a character's position. Event delegation generally refers to handling user inputs or events, not the entire game state. Session handling deals with user sessions and logins, not gameplay state. Data relaying is a generic term and does not specifically refer to ensuring consistency among clients. Hence, state synchronization is correct.
In a peer-to-peer multiplayer setup, what is a key potential drawback compared to a client-server model?
Explanation: Peer-to-peer architectures share authority among players, making it harder to enforce consistent rules and making cheating easier to accomplish. Higher server maintenance costs and mandatory server hardware are disadvantages of client-server setups, not peer-to-peer. Peer-to-peer is not limited to turn-based games and is often used for real-time games as well. Thus, increased cheating risk is the correct answer.
Which common technique helps to hide minor network delays so players perceive smooth movement during online multiplayer games?
Explanation: Client-side prediction allows the player's client to anticipate movements and actions, providing a smoother visual experience even when data from the server is delayed. Frame skipping drops rendered frames but doesn't address network input delays. Audio buffering is used for managing audio streams and does not impact game movement. Bitrate throttling adjusts data transmission rates but does not smooth gameplay movement. Thus, client-side prediction is the correct approach.