EDIT: Cast time of EMP is 0.18s for it’s effect to kick in. So we talk only about hack now! cause 0.18s is already the audio delay.
Ok, lets start the Conversation why it is nearly impossible to react to Sombra’s EMP even when clearly hearing it.
Lets start with a short fact check on EMP:
It has a cast time of 0.5s, means 500ms, lasts for 6s and has a range of 15m.
So let’s look at some special numbers you propably didn’t know:
You can react on a average of 200ms to 250ms on visual stimulus, the aditory stimulus has a reaction time of avery 150ms, as i read. I tested myself and i had a average of 230ms. playback.fm/audio-reaction-time
All Tests are done in 60Hz
For that test i later will try different distances, right now we talk about direct emp next to you (behind).
Now comes the interesting part: As tested by some youtuber’s OW has a audio delay of average 180ms! That seems to be normal for games, Dolby Atmos settings seem to change basically nothing on audio delay.
Ok, now we have some numbers, lets do the math. We use a average ping of 23ms for that on sombras side and on the other side, that makes an average delay of 50ms from shooting and receiving. Thats just OW delay, netcode. (The 50 are average measured by some people, i just picked one value, there are many tests floating around with this numbers or close to it.)
Ok, now add this numbers up:
To clarify, i yet need to test if the audio delay of OW is added on top of Network delay, but i assume it does in this results here.
We got our Sombra(We assume she has 1hp) that’s emping behind a Zarya:
50ms till the emp gets to the Zarya, Important, the Game favors the shooter, you will see why this is important later.
Now add to the 50ms the avg audio delay of 180ms and we have 230ms.
Add to this 230ms the 20ms of input lag, and thats 250ms.
Turning around will def take me another 200ms at least, i measured with 900fps and i’m not a fast reaction type player that leaves us to a whole 50ms to really react to emp.
Interestingly i had a other one testing it a little bit with me today and after 130ms the EMP came before i could hear it, so it was impossible to me to react to EMP in time, i artificially increased ping.
I would like to test that in a more complete fashion but need help from some people. If there’s interest:
I’m searching two low ping, around 10-20ms players, 2 high ping, around 100ms players, an EU and a US Player. All of them should be cabaple of recording video at atleast 60hz and if we test visually at atleast 240fps. That gives us a error margin of about 5ms. I hope someone can help me with that and understand the audio delay in OW and its implications on hack and emp. It’s not specific to them, but that are the ones that gain the most out of it.
EDIT: evtl. we wait till the new replay system is up, cause that could give me the opportunity to test it in a game for my own from different perspectives.
