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Summary
In the past, fighting games were plagued by unstable online experiences.
But first, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of what “netcode” even means.
Netcode refers to the networking system in a game that allows multiple players to connect online and play together.
Unfortunately, netcode doesn’t always work as intended.
The benefits of rollback netcode arent just limited to its technical advantages.
Unfortunately, delay-based netcode was far from perfect.
Delay-based netcode attempts to synchronize players by adding a slight delay to all inputs.
For example, moving forward or launching an attack will take a few frames longer than normal to execute.
However, adding this slight delay gives a game more time to process inputs from both players.
Unfortunately, this is when delay-based netcode falls apart.
At best, this pause might only last for a few seconds or less.
Similarly, modern ports of retro classics likeThe King of Fighters 98andCapcom Fighting Collectionincluded rollback netcode at launch.
Capcom
The lackluster online experiences of these older titles did little to entice newcomers or appease veteran fighting game fans.
Why Isnt Rollback Netcode in Every Fighting Game?
But there are a few reasons that some developers still prefer the old standard.
Tim Rattray / How-To Geek
Although rollback is more reliable than delay-based netcode, it’s also harder to implement.
Rollback netcode revolves around a complicated system that isnt guaranteed to work with every game.
For rollback to function, it needs to manage and constantly adjust predictions for both players.
Tim Rattray / How-To Geek
These added steps make rollback netcode more intensive to run and time-consuming to implement than delay-based netcode.
Delay-based netcode, for all its faults, is simple to design.
However, developers now have access to numerous resources that streamline the process of implementing rollback netcode.
Furthermore, GGPO has become even more accessible since it becameopen-sourcein 2019.
Some developers use a hybrid system that combines rollback with a slight input delay.
However, the numerous problems associated with a fully delay-based system make it impractical for any modern fighting game.
Most importantly, the advantages of rollback netcode make playing online more enjoyable than ever before.
