Best Practices

Tips for networked state machines

Follow these guidelines for optimal multiplayer state machine performance.

Minimize Network Traffic

• Only sync nodes that need to affect all clients

• Use Run on Owner for local-only logic (UI, sounds)

• Batch related actions in single nodes

Good Example

Actions Node [RPC to All]
├─ Action: Damage Enemy
├─ Action: Update Health Bar
└─ Action: Play Hit Effect

Bad Example

Actions Node [RPC to All] → Damage Enemy
Actions Node [RPC to All] → Update Health Bar
Actions Node [RPC to All] → Play Hit Effect

The bad example sends 3 RPCs instead of 1.

Handle Late Joins

• State machines automatically sync state to late joiners

• Ensure Start nodes handle mid-game joins gracefully

• Use variables to store persistent state

When a client joins late, they receive the current node state but not the history of transitions.

Avoid Non-Deterministic Logic

Networked state machines should produce consistent results:

Avoid	Use Instead
Random.value	Seeded random with synced seed
Time.time	Network time or synced timestamps
Local-only conditions	Synced variables

Separate Concerns

Keep local and networked logic separated:

Branch Node [Run on All]
├─ True → Local Effects [Run on Owner]
│         └─ Networked State [RPC to All]
└─ False → ...

Use Variables for State

Store important state in synced variables rather than relying on node execution:

• Variables persist across late joins

• Variables can be inspected for debugging

• Variables sync automatically when configured

Test Early and Often

• Test with multiple clients from the start

• Use ParrelSync or multiple builds

• Test late-join scenarios

• Test with simulated latency