Faster Melee 5.0.3 is atrocious.
With slowdowns, unoptimized polling codes, and compatibility issues across the board, it's clear to me that Faster Melee 5.0.3 is taking netplay in the wrong direction. I know this is going to sound like a rant, but please, read on and allow me to explain why I believe there is inherent issues with Faster Melee, and netplay as a whole:
Faster Melee has been a Windows/Linux exclusive.
This has stagnated the entire netplay community. Because of this, there are around five 'official' netplay builds floating around now: 4.0-7840, 5.0-321, FM 4.4, FM 5.0.3, and now FM 5.4. Many of these builds are game-specific, and only work on certain setups with varying degrees of compatibility and support. 5.0-321 is used by Mac users and all the PM players. It really sucks that Mac users don't have access to the benefits of Faster Melee, and are stuck using 5.0-321 unless they use alternative software such as Bootcamp to launch the Windows version of a Faster Melee build. FM 5.4 is being used by almost everyone on the Faster Melee discord server now, due to it's multiple improvements over 5.0.3. FM 4.4 is still being used by streamers like lolrobertftw (229) and SSBMSox due to FM 5.0.3 experiencing slowdowns during streaming, as well as countless players on the site that don't see the need to update their builds yet. Where does that leave FM 5.0.3? Outdated, and somewhere in the midst of things. Some people prefer it, others don't due to issues.
Faster Melee 5.0.3 is out of date.
With the introduction of FM 5.4, FM 5.0.3 has been left in the dust. Polling has been fixed, again, to closer resemble it's console equivalent. Due to this, the Faster Melee discord will be using corrected code that works better while the SmashLadder users will be stuck with a half-baked build comprised of faulty code. This isn't SmashLadder's problem and isn't Truck Jitsu's. This is an issue with how FM builds are released.
Faster Melee Builds are not built by the SmashLadder team, and are not unified with the FM Discord.
This has been a huge cause of confusion between players as they scramble to figure out which builds to use in certain matches or games. I've been asked to use countless beta builds for FM for friendlies, and been refused matches due to different builds. I've been asked to download multiple game specific builds, which I'd rather not do. It's a hassle to download all this extra software to play a few friendlies in PM, even for a Melee vet. Imagine how it feels for a newcomer to netplay that has little clue of what build they should use.
Faster Melee's 'improvements' aren't exclusive.
Many of Faster Melee's improvements such as the each build's new Gecko code set, VRH input polling, libUSB Updates, and support for other games are NOT Faster Melee or Ishiiruka specific additions. Dolphin is, and will always be, a constantly evolving piece of software than can be modified to suit specific needs. Way back when, I remember seeing SmashLadder dolphin builds made for the site, by the site, taking the best bits and pieces from various builds to create something that works for the ladder. This can be done again in a new build with integrations from Faster Melee advancements.
...So, where to from here?
There's lots of directions the site could go. This problem could be addressed by updating to FM 5.4, scaling back to FM 4.4, or it could be completely ignored. Users could go back to using old, but more compatible builds, or they could upgrade to something a better. Instead of doing any of the aforementioned options, I'd like to propose a solution to all the problems mentioned in the paragraphs above.
Let's made a new, definitive, site-wide Dolphin build.
While I understand that making a site-wide update for a new Dolphin build is something unfavoured by the staff on SmashLadder, I urge all of you to consider making a switch to something more suitable for netplay users. It's important to remember that in all computing industries updates happen quickly, and what's 'new' one minute can become vastly outdated the next. This same principle applies to netplay, and measures should be done do embrace it, not to avoid it.
In order to combat all the issues mentioned, I'd like to team up with the staff to create a single Dolphin build that:
- Has updates to the Netplay Community Settings, adding in various new optimizations (eg. Lagless FoD) and features (20XXTE integrations)
- Has native SmashLadder Launcher/Site Integrations
- Has performance increases from legacy builds
- Works across platforms and games
- Runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux Operating Systems
- Has polling improvement codes for both Melee and Project M (Brawl, too)
- Auto update channels though SmashLadder Launcher. This allows players to auto-update their Dolphin builds without going to the site, as well as opt-in to test betas or other features.
Creating a new, site-wide build like this will be an endeavor. This will take time, potentially months, but that's okay. Even if this takes half a year, the end result will fix inherent issues across the netplay spectrum and create a new standard for netplay as a whole.
Closing Thoughts
If you haven't already, look at the 'Melee Online Reveal Trailer' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIrVGp3Uck0). This project never was completed, and is speculated to be a hoax. That being said, you can't help but feel inspired by it. A single program, with Dolphin integrations that would add new and exciting features while improving the qualities of netplay sounds like a dream come true. With Anther's new SmashLadder Launcher, we can create something like this, reunite the netplay community across games and systems, and set a new standard for SmashLadder. All it takes is a little bit of effort.