Re: TCP vs UDP

["Rupert G. Goldie" <rgg@aaii.oz.au>]

> You want to move north. You hold down the "up" arrow.
>    client generates "move north" commands.
> You get to where you want to go.
> You let go the up arrow.  client stops generating "move north" commands.
> 
> If a packet gets lost, it will just take a little longer to get there :-/
> It depends whetner you like overshooting more, or getting to where you
> want more.
> 
> Actually, depending on how the protocol finally happens, it won't make a
> difference if we use UDP.
> 
> Pressing the uparrow could generate a "keep going north" protocol request.
> releasing the uparrow could generate a "Stop going north" request.
> This would exactly mirror the response you might get with tcp, but
> with much less overhead.
> 
> Sound reasonable?
> 

 Absolutely not. As a player I have to be able to hit a movement key three
times and _know_ that I will move three times. If I am doing soem fancy 
maneuvering it is totally unacceptable for one move to be dropped so that I 
end up bashing my head into a wall while the monster chasing me pounds me to 
death. With the real time action of Crossfire that sort of behaviour will 
piss players off no end.

 Also, aren't we going to lose the benefit of having an ASCII protocol if
we use UDP ? No more telnetting for diagnosing problems. 

 People behind firewalls will lose too. I'm must more prepared to poke a 
small hole in my firewall to let one TCP port through than a bunch of UDP
ports.


Rupert