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Emulation central - recommendations in 1st post

infidel

StarInfidel
Developer
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
494
Strap Yourselves In
Very nice. It shouldn't come as a surprise that clean, pixelated art is easy to work with.

I'd add to that that it seems to work wonders especially if the art was painted, then scanned and cleaned up. Or painted on a computer as a CG painting. Judging by the images I've seen it doesn't work well with something that was drawn pixel by pixel in the low resolution originally. Like this Kyrandia shot is just not good, those one-pixel spruce tree tops are murdered by lack of blurry pixel neighbours:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/legend-of-kyrandia/screenshots/gameShotId,1766/
C27Ntca.png

UMY10yO.png
 

Vorark

Erudite
Joined
Mar 2, 2017
Messages
1,394
Yuzu finally added its fabled resolution scaler:

https://yuzu-emu.org/entry/yuzu-art

Benefits of Project ART

The feature-set of Project ART includes the following:

Native Resolution Scaling:
Upscaling (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x) and Downscaling (0.5x, 0.75x).
FXAA Pre-filtering Pass
Fixed various bugs introduced from the Texture Cache Rewrite (TCR).
Window Adaptation Filters

filters.png
 

Puukko

Arcane
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
3,862
Location
The Khanate
I wonder if Ryujinx will also implement FSR once they've rolled out Vulkan. But above all else, I'm waiting for texture replacement functionality, which is their next stretch goal.
 

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,158
Savestates and/or "suspend saves" when? It wouldn't surprise me if these were somehow already a thing, but the devs hoarded it for themselves for "research purposes". similar stuff happened already.
 

Puukko

Arcane
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
3,862
Location
The Khanate


Interesting, SMT/HT(?) seems to be harmful for some games while necessary for others. Might be worth investigating once I find a game I actually plan to play and not just test, and want extra performance.
 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
These are great days we're living, BROs.

PC-emufags playing current-gen games even before the official premiere. While dirty console peasants patiently wait for their turn.

fdFwpcC.png


:smug:

sp8wXmi.jpg

UST6tGk.jpg

hD9T0Qf.jpg


:dance:
 
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KeighnMcDeath

RPG Codex Boomer
Joined
Nov 23, 2016
Messages
12,867
How on earth did I not remember this thread? Muddling my way through emulation. I was going to ask which of the japanese lines of computers were the powerhouse of their time:
https://www.sega-16.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-28632.html

Seeking the best possible version of Starcraft versions of popular games. It becomes confusing
NEC-pc88
Nec-pc98
F7
FM-town
Sharp x1
Sharp 68000
Msx
Msx2
Etc
 

Viata

Arcane
Joined
Nov 11, 2014
Messages
9,885
Location
Water Play Catarinense
Many of them have a lot of jp-only games(NEC and FM-Town, for example), others have a lot translated(MSX 1 and 2), some have not that many good games (Sharp x1 and 68k). I guess it depends on what you want to play.
 

spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
BROs, there was some testing. :oops:

I've decided to test Fire Emblem - Fates (SA), and its HQ Texture Pack + some mods.

But let's start with vanilla game (Native Internal Res + no texture pack):

wM6nETX.jpg

sJbitMI.jpg

s4NtlX5.jpg

t6ZHrIU.jpg


:notbadnotterrible:

1) First thing that I've tested was Fates Icon Project. It's a romfs mod, which replaces "old" icons with new ones. There are two variants: "Regular" (no background) and "Background" (the old approach).
You can see what's what on the screens below (weapons icons).

a) Regular:

xP9oY50.jpg

biGXfae.jpg


b) Background:

RqObnpE.jpg

Wx8e7Wl.jpg


2) Second thing tested was the Fates Ghosting Shader Fix. This is a cheat code / ips patch, which fixes ghosting effect on non-native resolutions. So at 4x internal, this:

o2GfedE.jpg


Becomes this:

9CPMRNt.jpg


:incline:

3) And this shit is essential when using the HQ Texture Pack. Which looks FUCKING GLORIOUS.

4J5TuWU.jpg

CKPawHy.jpg


As you can see, the author wouldn't be a real modder, without adding some weird shit. In case of this pack, the usual modding-autism manifested itself as Playstation button prompts, and (to add insult to injury) - inverted. :lol: So A is 'cross', B is 'circle', X is 'square' and Y is "triangle". Why? Because that's how the author rolls. :roll:

Fortunately, you can fix this by modifying a single texture:

Code:
tex1_512x256_E6F746B2E422F774_13.png

Just swap positions of required icons (or make A B X Y ones in Photoshop) and replace the texture in the "load/textures" folder. That's what I did to get the effect shown on screens above ('cross' to go back - in the vanilla texture it was 'circle').

tbZGOhP.png


Anyway, the author of the pack can be excused for his autism, 'cuz the pack itself looks DOPE in action:

ZjAHioQ.jpg

4WqaPkT.jpg

5gaxncI.jpg


:bounce:

As you can see, the only problem are pixelated units, but we have to just deal with it I guess (good luck with AI-resizing anything animated - had same problem with Strange Journey)...

Another potential problem: the pack is compatible only with the EU version of the game. Tried on US rom and some textures were missing (and thus LQ).

And that concludes testing for today.

AFAIK there's no pack for Awakening (which supposedly sucks anyway), and pack for Echoes is in a heavy WIP state ATM.

Anyway, I can play this game with original voices (undub) + JAP-only restored content (swimsuits) + 6GB of HQ Textures + 1600x960 internal resolution + some mods + quicksaves. For free.

Beat that with your funny hardware / publishing policy, Nintendo.

:smug:

#gloriouspcmasterrace
 
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Duraframe300

Arcane
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
6,395
As you can see, the author wouldn't be a real modder, without adding some weird shit. In case of this pack, the usual modding-autism manifested itself as Playstation button prompts, and (to add insult to injury) - inverted. :lol: So A is 'cross', B is 'circle', X is 'square' and Y is "triangle". Why? Because that's how the author rolls. :roll:

Fortunately, you can fix this by modifying a single texture:

Code:
tex1_512x256_E6F746B2E422F774_13.png

Just swap positions of required icons (or make A B X Y ones in Photoshop) and replace the texture in the "load/textures" folder. That's what I did to get the effect shown on screens above ('cross' to go back - in the vanilla texture it was 'circle').

I'd disagree.

That's absolutely correct, from a playstation gamepad perspective. So, I can see why he did it, and honestly rethinking the controls to the convention of the target controller/gamepad is the right approach. Otherwise you just have Nintendo/Switch controls on a dualshock gamepad, which feels wrong.

(Assuming here that's what he did)

That said: Obviously these should be optional textures, not main ones.
 
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Duraframe300

Arcane
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
6,395
That's absolutely correct, from a playstation gamepad perspective.
Wouldn't that only be correct compared to a Microsoft/Xbox pad? Compared to Nintendo it's A = Circle, B = Cross, X = Triangle, and Y = Square.
? Yes and no. It applies to both.

I'm talking about actual functionality here though, not the direct translation (As spekkio pointed out its inverted after all). With the biggest crux (as always) which button confirm and which cancel is. And for both Playstation in the west (as of a year ago even worldwide) and XBOX that's opposite of Nintendo. Cross is functionally A and Circle is functionally B.

Edit: So, that's why I can see why the modder did it (though imo he should have left X and Y well enough alone.)
 
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spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
Yeah, just to clarify for normal people people who could be lost... :D

1) 3DS (aka Nintendo's) button layout:

tqrDcgr.jpg


Game uses:

A - Confirm
B - Return / Cancel
X - Show range
Y - Change weapon

2) Playstation button layout:

8XUq9UV.jpg


And since the author seems to be using swapped settings in "controls" of the emu for A/B & X/Y, he went with:

Circle - cancel
Cross - accept

These are indeed default values used by Sony, at least in the West... But what the fuck.

Triangle - change weapon
Square - show range

I don't mind this change, because I have Citra configured as that (which reflects X-bawks layout):

Fb7FPgR.png


But again - what the fuck. Both these things should be optional.

Modders gonna mod I gues...
 
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spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
BROs, just to show my love to all my emuBROs. :cry:

1) Use the default texture from the mod (both A/B & X/Y swapped), you'll get this:

9NBiWUj.jpg


2) Use my personalized texture (A/B not swapped, X/Y swapped):

https://imgur.com/tbZGOhP

Get this:

InRhG5u.jpg


3) Use this, just recently made by slihtlgy drunk (not really) me, texture - nothing swapped:

https://imgur.com/VjCEzss

Get this:

3JdlGn3.jpg


This is the "default" layout, so all DualShock buttons properly correspond to Nintendo buttons.

#hackerman
 
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Duraframe300

Arcane
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
6,395
But what the fuck.

Is what I'm feeling when I look at your screenshots and see the Cross Button as cancel/back.

:rpgcodex:

Why don't you switch to the original switch textures (there should be some HD buttons around I'm assuming) or a personal xbawxs layout, btw?
(Since I assume that's the gamepad you're using?)
 
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spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
^
You mean "original 3DS textures"? These would be pixelated AF on 4x Internal.
OK, I got it after your edit.

I think if somebody could AI-Enhance the original texture (to 2048x1024):

Code:
tex1_512x256_E6F746B2E422F774_13.png

QTtaNJS.png


It would be perfect (original Ninny prompts).

WTF is what I'm feeling when I look at your screenshots and see the Cross Button as cancel/back.
That's how I roll, mang. All these Snes / GBA Fire Emblems has imprinted this "X = cancel, O = accept" thing into my mind. So when I switch to some PS1 / PS2 game I'm like "what the fuck, X = accept, O = cancel now???" for couple minutes.

:lol:

Since I assume that's the gamepad you're using?
Dual Shock 2 + USB adapter since like 2004. I also have Logitech F710 as second controller (uses Xbawks layout).
 
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Morpheus Kitami

Liturgist
Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
2,476
Seeking the best possible version of Starcraft versions of popular games. It becomes confusing
NEC-pc88
Nec-pc98
F7
FM-town
Sharp x1
Sharp 68000
Msx
Msx2
Etc
The thing to know about Japanese computers is that with the exception of the 68000 and the FM Towns, every single one of them started production in 1982 or before. That means that generally speaking, those two are better than the rest. The FM Towns uses CDs, so its the best generally. The Sharp 68000 is better than the rest except the PC-98 in some cases. As to the rest, well, I have incomplete knowledge. A good chunk of games released on multiple Japanese computer systems have an incomplete set of rips, so we can't really compare them properly. Starcraft for instance, well I haven't touched their ports of RPGs yet, but I have looked at some of the ports of Scott Adams adventure games, and while I think we have every game they did, we have an incomplete selection over every system. (also, these titles are expensive, so don't expect more rips anytime soon) I can't confirm this, but at least one game promises to work with both the PC-88 and the PC-98.
That said, you're should probably look at some ports of arcade titles to these systems. You won't have to deal with the language barrier before going towards the titles you really want to check out. And remember, whenever you insert a game disk or something, check restarting the system with that disk in. That seems to be a pretty standard way to run games on these systems, at least, that's what I've noticed with the FM-7, PC-88 and X1. The MSX, PC-6001 and generally tapes work more like traditional computers from that time.
 
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spekkio

Arcane
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
8,278
BRO, it looks like you're not thinking in portals... :obviously:

Plus:

n0uHuBR.jpg


You're correct about GBA, but its simplified button layout was just showing how awesome the hardware was. You needed only two (actually 4) buttons for everything awesome to happen.

:smug:
 

Duraframe300

Arcane
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
6,395
^
You mean "original 3DS textures"? These would be pixelated AF on 4x Internal.
OK, I got it after your edit.

I think if somebody could AI-Enhance the original texture (to 2048x1024):
.

This is a very quick and shitty job, so feel free to ignore it

tex1-512x256-E6-F746-B2-E422-F774-13.png
 
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