Emulation

While the integration of the new replay feautre, code, servers, etc. are being setup in Hyper-Reflector work has begun on a new implementation of the rollback netcode (GGPO) that the emulator uses. The GGPO code that we started with is very much up to the task, but we need some new features and updates and so it was decided to start the project from scratch vs. trying to modify the existing code.

Enter HFSO a new library that we will be working on to bring an improved rollback netcode experience to the emulator, and beyond. Major goals for the project include improved rollback, prediction and timing logic, as well as replay recording and live spectation features. There is no specific timeline for this project as it is more of a side-quest at this point in time, but come back and look for updates here!

We are pleased to announce that the most recent version of the emulator / GGPO code has been updated so that P2P clients can also make an additional connection to a ReplayAppliance server which allows for a recording of the game to be created.

Because the emulator netcode is currently set up for P2P connections (instead of through a centralized server) this was the best way for us to be able to record that data. It is also worth mentioning that the replay system in the emulator itself has been overhauled and uses a new, extensible file format.

More work is needed to get these updated integrated into Hyper-Reflector but we are hoping to have that ready to go in the coming months. Once the kinks are worked out, then we will have a good foundation to enable our long-sought goal of adding a live spectate feature!

As part of the effort into getting replay and live spectate features working, we have made some positive updates by creating some interop libraries for GPPO and other features of the emulator. Currently the libraries build on windows + linux, and we are also writing some C# bindings for the upcoming ReplayAppliance (which will also be written in C#). Only the new replay file code is included, but long term the plan is to add support for our GGPO client.

The interop code / libraries are not in a final state at this time, and will probably find themselves a better name in the future as well. The code is part of the Funscrew FBNEO emulator project, and can be found here.

We are pleased to announce that the most recent version of the emulator / GGPO code has been updated so that rollbacks are now working as expected, and everything is stable. This version of the emulator is now being used in Hyper-Reflector, a free to play P2P client for 3rd strike.

Meanwhile, the 'next steps' that were mentioned in the last update have been completely moved to the back-burner as we continue to focus on improving the netcode, and finding a way to provide some kind of spectator support that is compatible with the Hyper-Reflector P2P networking.

Good news! The chat feature is now working in the emulator over direct connections. You can see your messages, and the messages that others send to you. Additionally, we made sure that the 'mute chat' feature works so that you don't have to listen to whatever they want to tell you!

A chat in the emulator over a direct connection.

Next Steps:

During this set of updates, we noticed that there is a lot of old code + old tech that is just kind of laying around, probably from the decades of tech updates + contributions and so on. Things like optional sound and video systems that pre-date DX9 that probably aren't needed anymore. Because we would like to eventaully bring the current renderer up to speed, and use a universal menuing system we would like to reduce and simplify the codebase by removing all of the old code + dependencies that are no longer needed. Not exactly an exciting update, but one that needs to be done and will help out a lot in the long run.

The current focus of this project is to continue to improve and standardize the GGPO implementation. In the near term, consolidating the code, standardizing some of the APIs, and implementing a proper chat feature is the goal. Because this project is a labor of love, timelines are unknown.

Long term, there are a lot of great ideas for QOL improvements to the emulator. Namely coming up with a menuing system that is truly cross platform, and to fully implement the plug-and-play input updates from the drewCoSoftware fork. But why stop there? How about drag and drop custom shaders? DnD Pal mods? Why not take an existing emulator and improve it with more memory, instructions and wacky post-processing effects? If you have any great ideas, drop us a line!

In the meantime, keep an eye on us for more updates as we proceed.