Article received 09.05.2024 Article accepted 23.05.2024 | Л. М. Журачак, В. Р. Сеньків, Н. Р. Сеньків
This paper presents a novel approach to developing multiplayer games using Unreal Engine 5, focusing on optimizing data transmission, reducing latency, and synchronizing player experiences in shared game worlds. The method incorporates specialized algorithms for compensating transmission delays, addressing network fluctuations and packet loss, and position prediction techniques to mitigate network latency effects. The primary goal is to create a cooperative adventure game as a real-time software system, demonstrating practical solutions to key challenges in data transmission and synchronization over the Internet. By adopting a listen server architecture, the system eliminates the need for dedicated game servers and reduces packet delay through localized hosting. Synchronization of game states is achieved through replication and Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) for efficient data transmission. A computational experiment on local prediction of character movement was conducted to verify the quality of the prediction algorithms. Local simulation for weapons provides players with visual effects, and physical simulation mitigates network latency. The integration with Epic Games online services enables seamless connectivity with other players' game worlds. Extensive testing validates the effectiveness of the predictive movement system, ensuring smooth character movements even under significant network delays (500 ms) and real-world unpredictability (1 s). The proposed approach demonstrates precision and efficiency in addressing challenges in multiplayer game development, facilitated by packet retransmission mechanisms and local simulation strategies. Future work will focus on further refining prediction algorithms to accommodate various movement modes.This paper presents a novel approach to developing multiplayer games using Unreal Engine 5, focusing on optimizing data transmission, reducing latency, and synchronizing player experiences in shared game worlds. The method incorporates specialized algorithms for compensating transmission delays, addressing network fluctuations and packet loss, and position prediction techniques to mitigate network latency effects. The primary goal is to create a cooperative adventure game as a real-time software system, demonstrating practical solutions to key challenges in data transmission and synchronization over the Internet. By adopting a listen server architecture, the system eliminates the need for dedicated game servers and reduces packet delay through localized hosting. Synchronization of game states is achieved through replication and Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) for efficient data transmission. A computational experiment on local prediction of character movement was conducted to verify the quality of the prediction algorithms. Local simulation for weapons provides players with visual effects, and physical simulation mitigates network latency. The integration with Epic Games online services enables seamless connectivity with other players' game worlds. Extensive testing validates the effectiveness of the predictive movement system, ensuring smooth character movements even under significant network delays (500 ms) and real-world unpredictability (1 s). The proposed approach demonstrates precision and efficiency in addressing challenges in multiplayer game development, facilitated by packet retransmission mechanisms and local simulation strategies. Future work will focus on further refining prediction algorithms to accommodate various movement modes.