Server tickrate, in the context of First-Person Shooter (FPS) games, refers to the frequency at which a game server updates the state of the game. It’s measured in ‘ticks per second’. For example, a server with a tickrate of 60 updates the game state 60 times per second.
In simpler terms, imagine the game as a movie. Each tick would be a frame in the movie, and the tickrate would be the number of frames shown each second. The higher the tickrate, the smoother and more accurate the gameplay experience, as player actions and movements are updated more frequently.
However, a higher tickrate also requires more computational power from the server and a faster internet connection from the players to handle the increased data transfer. Therefore, game developers must find a balance between a smooth gameplay experience and the technical limitations of servers and players’ internet connections.
In competitive FPS gaming, a high server tickrate is often preferred as it provides a more accurate representation of player actions, reducing the chances of ‘netcode issues’ such as players appearing to teleport or shots not registering correctly.
