I was considering posting a topic on this, but, it doesn't really justify it. So, I'll just post it here:
The game seems to use some kind of "re-syncing" net-code, where when the latency beings to affect proceedings (reaches some predetermined threshold), it re-syncs the match. This can be observed by weird incongruities -- some examples:
- uppercut (down-2) from one player connects -> game suddenly swaps to the other player landing a KB uppercut
- one player lands a throw -> game swaps (halfway through the throw animation) to other player successfully attacking
- generally "blinky", janky gameplay that is kind of akin to Geras's time warp effect, without the actual special effects
- certain properties not or hardly ever working online -- e.g., the armour of OTG's / FB's
This occurs irrespective of ping / connection, and is probably something that is taking place constantly -- only becoming noticeable when the de-syncing become something more than a "micro re-sync" can handle. In other words, unless one's connection is very good and, most importantly, steady, players may be playing a kind of quasi-A.I. controlled opponent that, if you like, re-syncs the game in the Internet limbo land between players.
This system has been used in racing games, such as Mario Kart -- where players would be outright replaced by the CPU if they dropped out (or were forced to drop out, in cases where two local players playing online dropped too far apart). I've got the feeling MK11 is using some more evolved, refined incarnation of this "CPU control" mechanism, which interlopes in Internet limbo land when the game reaches a certain de-sync threshold.
Another point that confirms this theory to me, is that all matches play more or less the same, regardless of "good" / "bad" ping; and when it does noticeably lag, the game may not even connect to a match (or the match will be an unplayable stutter fest fought in molasses). With other games, there are varying degrees of lag; in MK11, it either plays as expected or doesn't work at all. Moreover, with the game's online not being region locked, it further reconciles the use of this kind of latency-dissembling system --
i.e., [most] people won't notice the lag in such a system, because the speed and response of the game will be more or less the same across the board (especially to the hands / eyes of the casual player demographic that forms the vast majority of MK11 online player pool).
Of course, online is a crap fest of down-1/2's, throws and forward-4 spams... So, it's all a much of a muchness in the end. I just thought I point this out... \(v_v)/
