OpenRA network traffic analysis/behavior

[jblack]

Hello! I am writing a small paper on network traffic generated from multiplayer video games. OpenRA is one of the candidate game I am working with. Is there any information on how the client nodes interact with the server node and vicea versa?

From initial log captures it appears to use TCP instead of UDP ala Choc Doom and 0AD

Thank you for your time!

[abcdefg30]

Hi. OpenRA indeed uses TCP. We don't really have any documentation on our networking model, so I fear that information can only be obtained by tracing or looking at the source code, like https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/blob/b ... on.cs#L142 .

[Punsho]

The game works via lockstep, where clients share their inputs and the server is just fills the role of passing orders between clients

[jblack]

abcdefg30 and Punsho thank you for the info! This definitely makes sense with the packet captures I am reviewing. Documentation has the OpenRA at 25 game ticks a second. I am seeing around 10 ticks a second but this could be under provisioned virtual machines I am using so the game is running akin to half speed.

Thank you again!

[abcdefg30]

I am seeing around 10 ticks a second

If you are observing network traffic this might be due to net ticks being only every third tick: https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/blob/d ... on.cs#L221