00:00Ever felt like your shot was perfectly aimed, but it just didn't register?
00:04Or maybe you were already behind cover, but still got hit.
00:07It's not always you.
00:08A lot of the time, the culprit is something called NetCAD.
00:12So, what exactly is NetCAD?
00:14Think of it as the digital postman for your game.
00:17It's the part of the code that handles all the communication between your computer,
00:21which is the client, and the game server.
00:23Every move you make, every shot you fire,
00:25is bundled into a tiny data packet and sent to the server.
00:28The server then processes this information from all players,
00:32figures out what happened, and sends the updated game state back to everyone.
00:36This constant back and forth happens hundreds of times per second.
00:40When this system works well, the game feels smooth and responsive.
00:43When it doesn't, you get those frustrating moments that make you want to throw your mouse across the room.
00:48One of the most critical parts of NetCAD is the tick rate.
00:51So what is it?
00:52Imagine the game server as a flipbook animator.
00:55The tick rate is how many new pages, or frames,
00:58the animator draws per second.
01:00Each page represents a snapshot of the game world at a specific moment.
01:04A higher tick rate means the server is updating the game state more frequently.
01:08For example, a server with a 64 tick rate updates the game 64 times every second.
01:14A 128 tick rate server updates it 128 times a second.
01:19So why does this matter?
01:20Let's look at a side-by-side comparison.
01:23On the left, we have a low tick rate server.
01:25Notice how the player's movement seems a bit choppy and hit registration feels inconsistent.
01:30This is because there are larger gaps in time between server updates,
01:34so what you see on your screen might not perfectly match the server's reality.
01:37Now look at the right side with a high tick rate.
01:40The gameplay is much smoother, and hits register more accurately because the server has a more
01:45up-to-date picture of everyone's position and actions.
01:48For competitive games where split-second reactions are key, a high tick rate is absolutely essential
01:53for a fair and responsive experience.
01:56But even with a high tick rate, there's another challenge, latency, or what we commonly call
02:00lag.
02:01Latency is the time it takes for your data packet to travel from your computer to the server and
02:06back.
02:06No matter how fast your internet is, this delay always exists.
02:10This is where a clever technique called lag compensation comes in.
02:14Lag compensation is like giving you the benefit of the doubt.
02:17Let's say you have a latency of 100 milliseconds.
02:21When you fire your weapon, the server receives your command 100 milliseconds late.
02:25By then, your opponent might have already moved.
02:28Without lag compensation, your shot would miss, even if it was perfectly on target on your
02:33screen.
02:34To fix this, the server effectively rewinds the game world by 100 milliseconds to see what
02:39the game looked like from your perspective at the exact moment you fired.
02:43It checks if your shot would have hit the enemy in that rewound state.
02:46If it would have, the server registers the hit.
02:49This rewind and replay mechanism ensures that what you see is what you get, making the game
02:54feel more responsive despite network delays.
02:57It's a brilliant solution that makes online gaming possible for millions.
03:01Now, you might be thinking, that's all great, but can I do anything to make my connection
03:06Even better?
03:07The answer is yes, but we're heading into advanced territory now.
03:10This involves tweaking the Windows registry.
03:13A word of caution.
03:14The registry is a critical part of your operating system.
03:17Making incorrect changes can cause serious problems, so please, always back up your registry
03:23before you begin.
03:24We have a link in the description on how to do that.
03:27Okay, disclaimer over.
03:29One popular tweak is changing a value called TCAP frequency.
03:32By default, Windows waits for a couple of data packets before sending an acknowledgment,
03:36which can add a tiny bit of delay.
03:39By setting this value to 1, you're telling your computer to send an acknowledgment for
03:43every single packet it receives, which can slightly reduce your latency in some games.
03:48Another key is TCP no delay, which you can enable to disable an algorithm called Nagel's
03:53algorithm.
03:54This algorithm bundles small packets together, which is efficient but can add latency in real
03:59time applications like games.
04:00By disabling it, you ensure your data is sent immediately.
04:03These are small changes, but for competitive players, every millisecond counts.
04:09Remember, these tweaks aren't magic bullets and might not have a noticeable effect for
04:13everyone, but they are tools available for those who want to squeeze out every last drop of
04:18performance.
04:19So there you have it, a deep dive into the invisible world of Net.
04:22From the fundamental client-server model to the importance of tick rate, the magic of
04:26lag compensation, and even some advanced registry tweaks you can try at home.
04:31Understanding these concepts doesn't just make you a more informed gamer.
04:35It helps you appreciate the incredible complexity behind the online games we love.
04:39Hopefully, the next time you're in a firefight, you'll have a better idea of what's happening
04:44behind the scenes.
04:45Thanks for watching.
04:46If you found this video helpful, give it a thumbs up, and don't forget to subscribe for
04:51more deep dives into gaming technology.
04:53See you in the next one.
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