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Game Server Tick Rate Explained

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You may have heard of the term "server tick rate" when discussing games, and in this article, we will explain what that is.

In online games, every player is affected by latency, which refers to the network delay between the client and the server. Latency is influenced by various factors such as distance, network congestion, and packet routing. When a game sends and receives updates at 30Hz (one update every 33.33ms), there is more time between updates compared to when the game sends and receives updates at 60Hz (one update every 16.67ms).

Low update rates don't only affect network delay, they can also cause issues like "super bullets." For example, a low tick rate might cause the server to miss individual shots from a fast-firing weapon. This can result in multiple bullets being grouped into a single update, causing the damage from multiple hits to be combined into one, leading to a "super bullet" that deals more damage than it should.

Tick or Simulation Rate​

The tick rate, or simulation rate, tells you how many times per second the game produces and processes data.

At the beginning of a tick, the server processes the data it has received and then runs its simulations. Afterwards, it sends the results to the clients and then waits for the next tick cycle to begin. The faster the server completes a tick, the sooner the clients will receive updated data, which reduces the perceived delay between the player and the server. This leads to more responsive hit registration.

A higher tick rate, like 128Hz (used by games like Valorant), results in more frequent updates, leading to more up-to-date information being sent between the server and the client. This can reduce the perceived delay and improve hit registration responsiveness.

We hope this article has helped you understand what server tick rate is more clearly!
 
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