Algorithmic Clairvoyance: The Illusion of Instantaneous Multiplayer

When you push the joystick forward in a massive online multiplayer game, your character instantly moves on your screen. But this is a complete psychological lie. In reality, it takes dozens of milliseconds for your command to reach the central server across the globe and be confirmed. If the game waited for that confirmation, every single movement would feel sluggish, delayed, and unplayable. To...