Why 1999 Quake 3 Netcode Belongs in Every CS Degree

To learn for free on Brilliant, go to https://brilliant.org/Tariq10x/ . You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription.

Hey everyone, I just want to take a moment to thank you for the ongoing support over this past year. Your constructive criticism has genuinely helped me improve the format with each video, whether it's the pacing, jokes, the code walkthroughs, or how I explain complex concepts.
I've been continuously upgrading my setup and experimenting with new ideas, and I'd love to hear what you think about the new format.
Thanks everyone!
Now enjoy the video,
Tariq

In this video Im gonna talk about how Quake 3's netcode changed gaming forever.
In 1999, id Software faced an impossible challenge: create a multiplayer-only arena shooter that runs smoothly on dial-up internet. The solution? Build a networking system so revolutionary that we're still using the same techniques 25+ years later.
This deep dive explores the legendary Quake 3 netcode - from snapshot systems and delta compression to client-side prediction and why they chose UDP over TCP. Every CS student should study this masterclass in fundamental engineering.

What we cover:
-The impossible triangle: bandwidth, latency, and reliability
-Potentially Visible Sets (PVS) for spatial optimization
-Delta compression and the elegant field table system
-Huffman compression tailored for game data
-Client-side prediction and living in your own timeline
-Interpolation/extrapolation for smooth visuals
-Why UDP beats TCP for real-time games
-The circular snapshot buffer approach

Help me get better equipment:
  / tariq10x  

https://x.com/realtariq10x

My Equipment:
Keyboard:
https://amzn.to/4nnCw6V
Drawing Tablet:
https://amzn.to/3FY1BEM
Microphone:
https://amzn.to/4emo9vn

Sources:
https://www.jfedor.org/quake3/
https://www.ra.is/unlagged/network.html
https://fabiensanglard.net/quake3/net...
https://figshare.swinburne.edu.au/art...
https://mrelusive.com/publications/pa...

Quake 3 Arena Github:
https://github.com/id-Software/Quake-...

If you like the content hit subscribe to support the channel.

00:00 Quake 3
01:38 Problems
04:11 Client Server Architecture
09:12 Bandwidth Challenge
09:36 PVS
14:27 Delta Compression
28:33 Huffman Compression
36:52 Latency
39:17 Client-Side Prediction
43:11 Interpolation
46:00 UDP Reliable Messages
52:43 Conclusion

This video was sponsored by Brilliant

Song Credits:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All songs Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------