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Frame delay: Difference between revisions
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'''Frame delay''' is the time difference between an input being given and the result being executed in an online game. In other words, it is the amount of time it takes for an attack to actually begin after the button has been pressed. | '''Frame delay''' is the time difference between an input being given and the result being executed in an online game. In other words, it is the amount of time it takes for an attack to actually begin after the button has been pressed. | ||
==Overview== | |||
The player's system must send what their input currently is every frame (60 per second in the ''Smash'' series), so that the other systems can know what to do. However, communication between systems over the internet is not instantaneous. If at least one system has not received the input yet, the game must wait until it gets the input, causing lag. The game attempts to compensate for lag and make it feel less noticeable by intentionally not acting upon the input for a few frames; this is the frame delay. After the number of frames that the frame delay specifies, the input is acted on. | |||
While it's possible to have no lag in a match, frame delay will always be present, even if by a tiny amount. This makes online matches much more prediction-driven than their offline counterparts. | Frame delay is often confused with [[Wi-Fi lag]], though it is in fact closely connected with it. Frame Delay is intentionally created by the developers to mitigate and hide unintentional aspects of gameplay Wi-Fi lag. While it's possible to have no lag in a match, frame delay will always be present, even if by a tiny amount. This makes online matches much more prediction-driven than their offline counterparts. | ||
==''Brawl'' Wi-Fi lag== | ==''Brawl'' Wi-Fi lag== | ||
''Brawl'' wifi also shows the extent of frame delay. At the side of every person registered using friend codes, after completing at least one match and quitting (not restarting), a large dot will show up, being colored. | ''Brawl'' wifi also shows the extent of frame delay. At the side of every person registered using friend codes, after completing at least one match and quitting (not restarting), a large dot will show up, being colored. This dot refers to the person's connection. The color coding from best (3 frames) to worst (more than 15 frames) is as follows: | ||
*Dark blue | *Dark blue | ||
*Light blue | *Light blue | ||
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==Super Smash Bros. 4== | ==Super Smash Bros. 4== | ||
In Super Smash Bros 4, seven frames of delay between pressing the button and the game actually outputting the respective action are always present[https://youtu.be/9nT2VOLwrqk], regardless of | In Super Smash Bros 4, seven frames of delay between pressing the button and the game actually outputting the respective action are always present[https://youtu.be/9nT2VOLwrqk], regardless of gameplay mode, although slower monitors have more input delay. | ||
==''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''== | ==''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''== | ||
In ''Ultimate'', roughly six frames of delay between pressing the button and the game actually outputting the respective action are always present regardless of | In ''Ultimate'', roughly six frames of delay between pressing the button and the game actually outputting the respective action are always present regardless of gameplay mode, marginally less than ''Smash 4''. The issue of slower monitors having more input delay still exists. | ||
==In competitive play== | |||
Frame delay is a controversial conversation in the ''Smash'' series, particularly with ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate''. Frame delay was not considered a big deal in ''Brawl'' due to being exclusive to online modes that were already problematic and offline tournaments reigning supreme at the time. ''Smash 4'' applying delay to the entire game, including offline modes, was met with considerably more hostility. Some saw this as a lazy way to address players with poor online connections by punishing everyone else until everyone is at an even playing field. Another concern is the delay objectively making reaction times slower, making certain interactions theoretically possible but mathematically impossible to react to. Others saw this implementation as ultimately necessary, as it would make the transition from offline to online less jarring and would make online an overall smoother experience. ''Ultimate'' reducing the delay was met with slightly positive reception, though many still say the delay is too extreme and needs to be lowered further. | |||
[[Category:Unofficial lingo]] | [[Category:Unofficial lingo]] | ||