Fairness in Online Games

Abstract

DefinitionFairness in online games is concerned with the problem of ensuring that players perceive the game evolution in the same moment, despite different network latencies.Most players dislike being killed in a game, especially if it is not their fault but network latencies have affected their perception of the game evolution, thus giving advantage to their adversaries. Due to the best-effort nature of the Internet, in fact, players can experience erratic game progresses which often prevent them from appropriately responding to the stimuli generated during the game session [1]. This may obviously lead to frustrating gaming experiences to players. While past classic offline multiplayer games offered reliable and safe real-time interactions among players, which connected to the game through the same local PC or game console, the use of the net as a link for players' game interactions clearly complicates one of the primary game assumptions i.e., each player must have the same ...