Anyone who plays in online tournaments knows its not always the most exciting thing to do but is a good way to make a quick buck from time to time. But dealing with lag and playing against someone who’s using a different setup can make it less enjoyable.

So why do players give up on online so quick?

Online tournament creators don’t want to exclude anyone because of where they live or their hardware as they want to promote fairness. Though they want to build their brackets, allowing someone who constantly lags into tournaments makes it just as frustrating.

It doesn’t help anyone, especially those who are looking to gain matchup experience from players they can’t play offline. Characters that use teleportation and vanishing moves add to the confusion of lag.

Another factor is the crossplay between console and PC. It’s been mentioned before that the rollback between PC and PlayStation 4 is noticeable in online play. With PC capable of receiving inputs quicker than a home console, the reaction from the opponent is delayed by a few frames. An example of this includes the difference in reactions between the platforms in Street Fighter V.

For those who play in online tournaments, their reasons have shifted as to why they continue to register. Some include gaining tournament experience to overcome nerves, getting a chance to play against a particular gamer, and, depending on where they live, there are no local tournaments and this is as close as they can get to competing without traveling far.

There are ways to improve how online tourneys are run. Having players do a mandatory submission of their ping is a good way to see the connection between the players. Another is to limit the competition to a particular region and/ or setup to ensure as smooth of a connection as possible.

 

Online tournaments are mostly free and offer prizes including $100 and even apparel if it’s sponsored by an organization. They’re trying to build their brand within their respected communities and by using these solutions in addition to finding others it will bring positive attention to their tournaments.

Do you believe that the solutions mentioned above will help make online events better? What are some additional solutions that can be used to help prevent these problems in the future? Comment your answers and suggest them to any online events you plan to enter.

Follow Jeramie Lee on Twitter @JeramieBizzle87.