# Reliable User Datagram Protocol as a Solution to Latencies in Network Games
## 3 RUDP Implementation in the Transport Layer to Handle Latency  
When RUDP is ideally implemented, it is possible to distinguish between the information essential and non-essential for playing games even if it has been lost. Also, the essential information can be distinguished into the cases where its order is guaranteed or unguaranteed.  
Actually, since the amount and the frequency of these non-essential packets being lost during communications are low, they can be effective when they are used appropriately. The data which is to be transmitted repeatedly can be renewed/updated even if it is lost and the information which does not largely affect the visual component (e.g., the movement of an unnoticeable character at the edge of the screen, etc.) should be utilized more actively.  
Unlike TCP, it is possible that the delay caused by momentary packet error in the network (latency) can be reduced a little.  
For instance, supposing that the information (low-reliability + no order) of the characters A, B, and C have died in sequence has been transmitted by the server, it will not be so strange in the game that the characters B and C would die first followed by A when the information is used regardless of its credibility and order. In the case where TCP is used, the information of A will be retransmitted first and all the characters will die later. In other words, if the process is implemented with TCP only, the delay will not only occur for B and C but also for all the actions taking place after their death. Actually, UDP can be used widely in games as it has fewer constraints between the personal networks.  
Meanwhile, RUDP is introducing the concept 'Reliable state' in addition to 3 data types. For example, when the state has been changed as \(\mathrm{A}\rightarrow\mathrm{B}\rightarrow\mathrm{C}\), any re-transmission request will not be requested even when only A has been received followed by C, skipping B. Therefore, RUDP is optimized for making the most of its characteristics of maintaining the latest information with reliability while maintaining the main concept of the game.  
The game companies and their researchers are still dealing with one of the major issues in their gaming software, the latency or the lagging. A variety of factors (e.g., hardware capacities, internet connections, etc.) are involved in this issue and its effect is growing larger as the online games are becoming more complex and sophisticated allowing more participants to join them. Although the game companies encourage or recommend the users to upgrade their systems or change internet service providers to solve the problem, they still need to consider the situation where their customers would not be able to afford costly upgrades or move to an expensive internet service. This will definitely affect their sales policy so that they are consistently looking for a more efficient way of stabilizing the gaming speed without actually forcing the customers to make changes. One of the major problems involved with gaming speed has been the communication algorithm, and the communication protocol in particular.