Ultra Street Fighter IV, the 2014 iteration of the game that revitalized the fighting game genre, is seeing efforts to introduce modern rollback netcode, a significant upgrade over its original delay-based system. This technical enhancement is crucial for smoother online play, as rollback netcode immediately accepts inputs and corrects for connection inconsistencies, a stark contrast to delay-based netcode which adds variable input delays to compensate for latency.
Two new mods, 'SF4Enhanced' by Faabi and 'SF4 Ember' by Kabiefox, have emerged recently, both promising rollback netcode and private rooms for Ultra Street Fighter IV. A notable aspect of these projects is their development with the assistance of generative AI, specifically Anthropic's Claude. This approach has drawn criticism from some corners of the community, particularly given the ongoing discussion and concerns surrounding AI's role in game modding and development.
Faabi has since announced the abandonment of SF4Enhanced, citing a lack of time and admitting limited prior experience with C++. They have encouraged players to turn to SF4 Ember instead. Despite the controversy surrounding their AI-assisted creation, both mods appear to have garnered significant player engagement. However, the use of generative AI in their development has become a point of contention for some, with a critical perspective suggesting a preference for the original delay-based netcode over AI-generated code.