Rollback netcode fan project for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 reveals promising-looking progress
The biggest knock against Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is its poor online play even by delay-based netcode standards, but that may very well end up changing.
A small but talented group of fan developers / modders have been hard at work for a while now to try implementing rollback netcode into UMvC3, and they just shared some promising-looking updates for the project as well as some potential new modes and features.
After first showing some early footage of the project back in August 2022, Twitter user HKHaan released a series of posts detailing the progress that's been made to start 2023.
While the rollback mod is still quite a ways from being fully functional, HKHaan demonstrates the team (along with someone using a very unfortunate NSFW Twitter handle) has managed to make the game run / process multiple frames in the time it normally runs 1.
This is one of the hardest hurdles to clear for attempting to retrofit rollback into a fighting game that wasn't built for it, but it's also one of the most important to make the dream possible at all.
It’s been some time since the last update so.. Here is an update.
— HKHaan (@HkHaan96) January 8, 2023
We can run multiple frames in single frame thanks to @catboy_fucker and we are trying to get save/load states to work. Right now we have everything needed for rollback besides projectile/tag/assist & vfx pic.twitter.com/u2FfThlPxL
The game needs to run multiple game states at the same time so that it can load a previous / different one if 2 players begin to desync while connected, which it seems the fan devs haven't gotten to be an automated process yet.
HKHaan claims, however, they have "everything needed for rollback" besides projectiles, assists, tags and visual effects that are all a big part of Marvel 3.
On top of experimenting with rollback, there's a handful of other features being experimented with that should prove pretty useful and interesting for players.
One of the UMvC3 modding community's major limitations in adding new characters to the iconic crossover fighter is the lack of additional roster slots, which forces these fan-made creations to overlap with the existing cast.
as you can see in the video we got picking multiple same characters working. But the main issue is loading has a caching system. which is why iron man here loads with asura’s moveset.
— HKHaan (@HkHaan96) January 8, 2023
Some promising signs of progress have already been made in that avenue pick 2 characters on the same roster slot although there's still some issues to figure out.
HKHaan also showcased an early look at a 1v1 mode for Marvel 3, which they say could potentially be fleshed out further into more of a ratio character select system like Capcom vs. SNK and Skullgirls.
While all of the work thus far is pretty exciting, there's no guarantee these new mods will ever fully receive a public release.
A 1v1 gamemode is also in the works. It already works. But we are planning on removing the in game main menu with a custom one. In this custom main menu selecting 1v1 will be possible. (maybe we do a skullgirls style pickable character amount?) pic.twitter.com/EuBYdWZiS0
— HKHaan (@HkHaan96) January 8, 2023
For fan rollback projects, they normally arise though application-side implementations like Fightcade, but individual titles are exceedingly rare, especially for fighters that use a 3D engine.
It's very important to remember too that this is being worked on by only a few fans in their spare time with no real obligation to finish projects like this aside from passion for the game.
If any fighter is going to receive rollback from the community and not the original developers at this point, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is looking like the best candidate.
Also I have been flirting with the idea of making a game mode similar to mk mythologies. This is for very far in the future. It’s not even in the works. pic.twitter.com/2GT2XNZJEh
— HKHaan (@HkHaan96) January 8, 2023
Giving Marvel 3 good online would make it a true "forever fighting game" more than it already is for the community, especially with all of the possibilities of the modded characters.
We'll be keeping a very close eye on the UMvC3 rollback project's progression moving forward, and hopefully there's more updates and good news in the near future.
