How Do Video Games Ensure Animation Timing Across Different Frame Rates?

Animations are typically tracked using the system clock instead of relying on frames. The engine computes how much time has passed since the last frame, which allows animations to be adjusted smoothly. For multiplayer settings, every action is sent to a server that tracks game states. This is crucial because if the server experiences delays or the connection is poor, you might see a delay in your actions because your client is running out of sync with the server, a phenomenon often referred to as 'rubber-banding.'

To achieve consistent animation timing, most modern games use something called 'delta time,' which refers to the time elapsed since the last frame was drawn. For instance, if an animation should last 4 seconds and the elapsed time is 400 milliseconds, the animation updates by 10%. This means that regardless of how fast your computer is running the game, the animations stay on track with the intended durations.

You've touched on two important topics here: synchronizing events among players and ensuring animations are independent of frame rates. To synchronize events, the server is the authoritative source. When a player breaks a structure, the server registers that action, then communicates it to all clients at the same time. For the animation timing, developers usually use a method where animations progress based on time, not frames. So, if you want an object to move 100 units in 1 second, the game calculates how much time has passed since the last frame to determine how far to move it, ensuring consistency across different frame rates.