---
title: "Packet 3: EntityUpdates"
description: "A separate moving-entity delta stream retained in the retail protocol surface. BattleSpades currently carries entity changes through other active paths."
canonical: "https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/3"
markdown: "https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets/3.md"
last_updated: "2026-07-16"
protocol: "Ace of Spades Battle Builder 168"
packet_id_decimal: "3"
packet_id_hex: "0x03"
direction: "Inactive"
family: "Entities"
implementation_status: "Planned"
evidence: "Provisional"
wire_size: "7 + ΣE bytes"
---

# Packet 3: EntityUpdates

> A separate moving-entity delta stream retained in the retail protocol surface. BattleSpades currently carries entity changes through other active paths.

- **Decimal ID:** 3
- **Hex ID:** 0x03
- **Direction:** Inactive
- **Family:** Entities
- **Status:** Planned
- **Evidence:** Provisional
- **Wire size:** 7 + ΣE bytes

## Exact wire layout

The application packet ID is the first byte. The remaining rows are in decode order. Byte sizes exclude ENet headers, wrapper prefixes, LZF chunk framing, and compression effects.

| # | Field | Encoding | Bytes | Purpose | Condition |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | --- | --- |
| 0 | `packet_id` | u8 | 1 | Always 3 (0x03). | — |
| 1 | `loop_count` | i32 LE | 4 | Simulation-loop stamp used for ordering, prediction, or reconciliation. | — |
| 2 | `entity_count` | u16 LE | 2 | entity count value. | — |
| 3 | `entities[]` | Entity record | 33 + 4I + 2F | Repeated packet-21 Entity records without nested packet IDs. | — |

## Encoding conventions

- `LE` means least-significant byte first.
- `fixed16` is two-byte sign-magnitude at 1/64 precision.
- `orientation16` uses the measured 1/8192 orientation mapping.
- NUL strings consume their encoded byte length plus one `00` terminator.
- Counted arrays repeat immediately in the documented order.

## Related resources

- [HTML packet page](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/3)
- [Complete packet catalog](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets)
- [Packet catalog in Markdown](https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets.md)
- [Protocol 168 guide](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168)