Role
Role is a concept in replication. Actors have two properties to define their role on server and client in network games: Role and RemoteRole. Role always tells us (and the engine 
) about the local role while RemoteRole tells about the role on the other side of the network.
- On the server all actors have Role == ROLE_Authority, while their RemoteRole can be either ROLE_None, ROLE_DumbProxy, ROLE_SimulatedProxy or ROLE_AutonomousProxy.
- On the clients the same actors have their Role and RemoteRole swapped, i.e. RemoteRole == ROLE_Authority and Role is any of the other values according to the Actor's RemoteRole on the server.
- Client-side actors (i.e. actors that weren't replicated, but spawned on the client) have
Role == ROLE_Authorityon the network client. These actors only exist on the client they were spawned on. They can't be replicated to any other client or the server.
What do the different net roles mean?
The net roles are defined in the Actor class, as the enum ENetRole (see Actor/Enums for others).
- ROLE_None
- This means that the actor will not be replicated at all. Examples for this kind of actors are the GameInfo, Mutators and GameRules as well as some explosion effects and decals in UT.
- ROLE_DumbProxy
- The actor is replicated, but can't execute any functions on the remote side. It will update when variables are replicated to it but will not attempt to interpolate.
- ROLE_SimulatedProxy
- The actor is replicated and may execute simulated functions and simulated state code on the remote side. Often this kind of actor simulates its behavior based on initially replicated properties without (much) further "help" from the server.
- ROLE_AutonomousProxy
- Autonomous proxies come with some more magic built-in. They are basically simulated proxies, but may execute simulated and non-simulated functions on the client owning this actor. (only on that client!)
In UT only PlayerPawns are autonomous proxies, in UT2003 only PlayerControllers are. Every other client sees them as a regular simulated proxy. Player-controlled actors, such as the guided redeemer missile (GuidedWarshell in UT or RedeemerWarhead in UT2003) are autonomous proxies on the controlling player's client, too. - ROLE_Authority
- All functions can be executed. This role is only allowed on the machine the actor was spawned on. All actors on the server or in standalone games have
Role == ROLE_Authority. Never manually set the RemoteRole on the authorative version of an actor or the Role on a replicated version of the actor to this value.
