Editing Multiplayer video game (section)

== Online multiplayer ==
Online multiplayer games connect players over a [[wide area network]] (a common example being the Internet). Unlike local multiplayer, players playing online multiplayer are not restricted to the same local network. This allows players to interact with others from a much greater distance.

Playing multiplayer online offers the benefits of distance, but it also comes with its own unique challenges. Gamers refer to [[Latency (engineering)|latency]] using the term "[[Ping (networking utility)|ping]]", after a utility which measures round-trip network communication delays (by the use of [[Internet Control Message Protocol|ICMP]] packets). A player on a [[digital subscriber line|DSL]] connection with a 50-[[Millisecond|ms]] ping can react faster than a modem user with a 350-ms average latency. Other problems include [[packet loss]] and choke, which can prevent a player from "registering" their actions with a server. In first-person shooters, this problem appears when bullets hit the enemy without damage. The player's connection is not the only factor; some servers are slower than others.

A server that is geographically closer to the player's connection will often provide a lower ping. [[Network packet|Data packets]] travel faster to a location that is closer to them. How far the device is from an internet connection ([[Router (computing)|router]]) can also affect latency.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Dobbin |first=Jolene |date=20 January 2020 |title=Lag! Top 5 Reasons your Ping is so High |url=https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/tech-takes/5-reasons-your-ping-is-so-high |access-date=20 April 2024}}</ref>