Computer networks add latency to online games, degrading the quality of experience of players. With the advent of game streaming services, even single-player games are affected by network latency, creating challenges, but also presenting new opportunities for latency compensation techniques for single-player games. This paper studies a genre of latency compensation called world alteration, that adjusts the game world to keep the precision needed to play competently consistent for a player regardless of latency. To evaluate world alteration, we modified an existing single-player game to have controlled amounts of latency and world adjustments to compensate for high latency conditions. We conducted a user study where participants played the game under different amounts of latency, with both automated and manually controlled latency compensation, recording their scores as well as their self-reported quality of experiences. Analysis of the results from 18 users shows both manual and automated world alteration can improve player performance and quality of experience, though extreme amounts of latency still cause degradation of both.

Creator

• Salay, Robert W.

Contributors

• Roberts, Charles Davis
• Claypool, Mark L.
• Harrison, Lane T.

Degree

• MS

Unit

• Interactive Media & Game Development

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• etd-4136

Keyword

• computer networks
• world alteration
• geometric compensation
• latency compensation

Advisor

• Claypool, Mark L.

Defense date

• 2020-08-06

Year

• 2020

Date created

• 2020-08-13

Resource type

• Thesis

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-10-09