/vr/ - Retro Games

>>4887521
>not playing the superior version of SoA on Gamecube
dreamcuck AND eurocuck? jesus christ, you are the most cucked person on /vr/

>>4887545
>playing anything on GCN
looks like you're the only cucked one here, my friend.
>>4887521
Not of use to me, but I admire your work OP. Pretty rad.

>>4887545
Why would anybody willingly subject themselves to the poorly ported music? Sega literally ported the MIDI system from Dreamcast to Gamecube without converting the DSP effects code so it now sounds like a crappy MIDI keyboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUmyddg9T-A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwLm5hq7Qus

>>4887564
wow gamecube sounds like shit

>>4887561
>being a brand fanboy in current year instead of judging games based on their merits
Nope, you're still the most cucked user on /vr/, OP.

Enjoy your shitty failed console, though, if that makes you happy.

>>4887521
Where can I follow you, OP? Your work is amazing.
As someone who only did shitty HP/debug menu option unlock cheat codes in the past, how can I make 60hz cheat codes?

Do you have a codebreaker code that disables cutscenes in Sonic Adventure?

>>4887545
>superior version
Oh that one where they fucked up the audio?

>>4887846
Nah the real hard yards were done by japanese_cake, I just converted his patch into a form useful for retail discs.

The way I made these codes was
1) Did hexadecimal comparison of 1ST_READ.bin patched and unpatched to work out which values at particular memory offsets changed

2) Converted the values from big endian (what the hex reader displays) into little endian (what the Dreamcast uses)

3) Converted the memory address offsets into real memory addresses (Dreamcast loads 1ST_READ.bin into address 0x8C010000 so I incremented the offsets by that address).

4) Codebreaker only uses 6 address values, with the first 2 values being code types that tell the cheat program what you are trying to do. For 60hz patches you need to use code type 0F because they are the only ones that ensure the values are loaded before the program boots (if they are loaded at or after boot time it's too late for 60hz / VGA to kick in). 0F requires the values to be 2 bytes at a time maximum, so I had to split the values into 2 byte chunks (making sure they are in the right little endian order).

And yeah that's how I did it. I'm not really an experienced ROM hacker or anything but I was determined to get this one working because it's literally the only good PAL Dreamcast retal disc that you couldn't force into 60hz before.

>>4889195
*should say 6 address digits with the first 2 digits

Nice find op,mad props.
I remember some other anon also found the debug codes for a japanese rpg game on the Saturn few days ago.
I wish I can do things like this.

>>4887545
What does being European have to do with anything? SoAL was released in Europe.

>>4887585
Only because people are sperging out about literally the only flaw. The game improves on many things, like more discoveries, extra sidequests explaining Ramirez' backstory, wanted battles etc. Also the encounter rate was reduced, iirc.

I can see why people would prefer the original since the music is better in that one but there's nothing wrong with playing the GC version.

>>4889418
Weren't some of the Gamecube version's new features available as DLC for Dreamcast anyway?

It's good that the Gamecube version lowered the encounter rate but what's always been enjoyable about the Dreamcast version is that the console physically makes a noise a few seconds before you trigger a battle so you always have time to make sure you are ready. Pretty sure the Gamecube doesn't do that!

>>4889418
>not playing the game with the music executed as the developers intended

Is there a codebreaker savefile to download instead of typing all that?

>>4889418
Because OP is a PALfag who had to play his games in 50fps, the poor thing. Hence, eurocucked.

>>4889424
GC version incorporated the DLC from the DC version, but added new stuff that wasn't available on the DC version. (rival fights, moonfish hunting, new bounties, etc...) I think the only thing that didn't go to the GC version was the VMU minigame.

>>4887521
Can I enter that code using Dreamcast OS? It's a neat little bootdisk thing that allows playing imports and shit.

>>4890152
Don't know about it but if it takes Action Replay codes that's the same thing and compatible.

>>4889424
>>4890054

Literally only two things came to the GC from DC's DLC: Vyse and Aika's 'special weapons'(Swirlyrang and Tuna Cutlass), and the Giant Looper airship battle. As >4890054 says, the VMU minigame was lost completely, but as cool as it was, not a great loss.

I can understand everyone's issues with the music(I cried the first time I heard Ramirez's Theme, one of the best villain musics of all time, played on GC), but considering all the benefits it's just barely an acceptable sacrifice. After a while, unless you're constantly whining and playing the old music alongside it, you end up not noticing it so much.

>>4887564
Shitty midi keyboard!

>>4890251
https://youtu.be/dzqCrzVIJCY

>>4887545

cuk cuck cuuuuuuuuuuck! cuck cuck!! cuckaldoodoodydoooooo cuckacoooooo!

>>4890163
Sorry, I meant dreamshell. It should be able to apply codebreaker pokes on the fly.

>>4887521
Holy shit, good fucking work if this is true, OP.

I've yet to try it since I'm currently not with my Dreamcast at the minute, but I'm glad this occurred since a friend of mine really wanted to play Skies and I kept telling him to play the Dreamcast version, but since it was a PAL copy he would have to endure 50hz, play the inferior GC version or emulate it via Demul or Dreamshell.

This is honestly perfect timing too, since he was going to being playing it over this summer, but I still didn't know the best way to play it, so this is fucking perfect.

IIRC the codebreaker codes are the ones used to make widescreen Shenmue modes and such, right? Since I ripped that disc last year for Shenmue, and it worked fine. Although it wasn't as long as this.

>>4889526
I'll be testing it on my Dreamcast in a few days and save it, so I'll try and upload one in the future. But overall, it should take much less time to do it yourself.

I feel bad for anybody who has a PAL console

>>4887545
Dreamcast hardware despite being older than Gamecube actually had some advantages. Dreamcast uses a 32-bit z-buffer while Gamecube only uses a 24-bit z-buffer. This means that you get more decal flickering on Gamecube.

Secondly, Dreamcast uses 8-bit destination alpha, while Gamecube only uses 6-bit destination alpha. This means that transparencies on Gamecube have more banding than on Dreamcast.

>>4892125
if emulating, dolphin completely fixes the banding issue since you can force it to run at 24-bit.

Fuck Dreamcast and fuck sixth-gen shitters.

>>4892629
although it's my least favorite of the sega consoles, it is retro according to rules, so suck it up

>>4892634
OR IS IT?

>>4892648
>launched in 1999 or earlier
>dc launched in 1998/1999
are you being deliberately disingenuous or what?

>>4892648
Read the sticky. It's only been there for four fucking years.

>>4892650
Obviously DC is the exception to the "launched before 1999" rule because it opens the floodgates to Sony shitposters who want to discuss the rest of gen6 here.

>>4892657
But he said "according to the rules", not "according to the sticky".

See for yourself:
http://www.4chan.org/rules#vr

>>4892660
Read the sticky. It's only been there for four fucking years.

>>4892661
You have autism. And DC isn't retro.

>>4892658
allowing the other 6th gen consoles would cause more squarefags to gobble up the board, and i ain't havin' that shit

>>4892629
Just be glad the latest game we can talk about on it is Puyo Puyo Fever, instead of Fifa 14 if the PS2 were to become retro.

>>4893393
>Fifa 14
nah, ps2 would invite even more squarefags

>>4893403
Square was trash on PS2, though.

>>4892125

That's nice and all but really the DC has pathetic T&L and really that's all that matters given how serious the discrepancy is compared to some banding on transparencies.

>>4893441
>but really the DC has pathetic T&L
True, well compared to the Gamecube at least. But it would be nice if Legends took real advantage of it. It doesn't.

>>4890798
Well you can force VGA on every game so it's not a problem.

>>4892481
The night sky in Wind Waker was a mess on my YUV cube/Wii. The banding was insane. I'll try dolphin for my next annual playthru.

>>4894548
When GameCube uses destination alpha it also has to lower the color depth down to 18 bit from 24 bit. That’s why the sky bands in WW.

>>4887564
> ported the midi system
both these consoles used midi or custom players based on midi. gamecube is unable to do the DSP effects you mentioned as this stuff done on the dreamcast was performed inside the Yamaha AICA. converting the dsp effects to code? while running a game at whatever fps? get the fuck out of here. not a chance. so yeah, it doesn't sound exactly the same but still sounds great nonetheless.

>>4890798
> be you
> mad about being ameritarded
> so out of touch with video console hardware it's like you're stuck in 1983
> mfw

>>4894710
no amount of shitposting will ever make your consoles 60hz

Had anyone fixed the music on the gamecube version?

>>4892629
No, but I wish someone would get on it. It's been too long and we need a definitive version with the definitive music.

>>4894714
The only big console past 5th that couldn't do 60Hz out of the box was the Saturn and the mod for it is pretty easy.

>>4894875
???
Saturn isn't past 5th gen. And PS1 and N64 didn't do 60hz out of the box either.

>>4887564
I agree the decrease in musical quality is weak, but the extra content and decreased encounter rate make it worth it, regardless. Those fucking bounty hunter boss battles are intense.

>>4895591
The problem is you are listening to the music for 100% of the game while the extra content is only a tiny tiny part of it

>>4894938
Actually they did. PS1 and N64 do 60hz via software.

>>4896730
Yeah but only through unofficial methods.

Bump so more anon's can see before the thread dies.

>>4895591
I agree with >>4896258 as well, but you should also factor in the fact that the Gamecube version is also slightly easier due to the fact less encounters needed more XP for the player so you'd probably level up faster.

Also price, I find the original DC version goes for much less than the GC version.

>>4887521
Just tried the code and after an hour of downloading and burning Codebreaker and putting in the code and getting it wrong twice I can confirm that OP is not a fag and this does indeed work at 60hz with VGA connected.

Incredible work, OP. I saved the code onto a VMU and will try and upload it via Dreamshell in a few days before the thread dies. If not, I'll make a thread about it and also post it on the Skies of Arcadia reddit since this code should be shared for people who want to experience Skies in PAL regions to the best they can.

>>4889526
Here you go, anon.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/wuhrq5q0az0tupo/SoA_PAL_VGA.DCI

I haven't downloaded and tested it myself, but I know it works on my end and was able to be read from VMUExplorer, which was how I was able to extract it.

>>4887564
>The FInal Fantasy GBA games have had their audio improved and ported
>Skeis of Arcadia has not
Why is this?

>>4901487
They wanted to fit everything on one disc, but fucked it up because they also wanted to add more stuff to it and include the DLC, something had to go and they chose the music making it a mono clusterfuck.

>>4901495
The modding community never tried to fix it, though?

>>4901497
No, I guess there wasn't enough demand for it or the community was never skilled. It was always a problem, but no one attempted to do anything about it and just accepted the Gamecube version as being definitive because of the reduced encounter rate and more content, never giving a shit that that audio was terrible.

>>4887521
I don't understand how anyone can complain about FFIX being slow when this game is much, much slower during battles. I guess that's the difference between having a fandom of millions of people and a fandom of a few hundred people unlucky enough to play this as their first RPG ever and therefore have nothing actually good to compare it with. Seriously, it's unbearably slow even at 60Hz.

I've had SoA sitting on my shelf for ages but I haven't played it yet, mainly due to hearing complaints about the encounter rate. Is it actually that bad?

>>4901747
I've been playing through Final Fantasy games and honestly the encounter rate in the ones before 6 are worse than Skies, mostly because the battles are such a fucking pain and can really do alot of damage to you, and running away is a pain as well. Sure, animations are super quick but I'd rather have 5 long battles than 20 short ones. I played the game in 50hz as well, and apart from animations being long I never hated it.

The encounter rate is something along the lines of like 10-30 steps being an encounter, but I think there's a cooldown after a battle so it's not as bad as you think. I don't remember ever getting a battle right after another one unlike in Final Fantasy. I'd say an average dungeon would give you 20 encounters, and the overworld going from place to play would be around 10. Halfway through the game you can cut down the encounters on the overworld as well.

Play it for a few hours and see yourself if you can handle it, if not play the easier GC version.

>>4901801
>the encounter rates in the ones before 6
>mfw playing FF1 for the first time
>getting stoned and poisoned in Marsh Cave
>that encounter rate
>failing to flee from battles

One final bump!

>>4901527
All the audio files on the ISO seem to be in a fairly well understood format.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/dspadpcm-dsp-audio-encoding-made-easy.390305/
A mod might be able to fix it.

>>4906054
Forgot to attach the image.

>>4901801
Take the average XP value of each encounter, and the XP needed to level up enough to beat the boss with the intended tactic. Divide and you get an ideal number of battles. Take the typical amount of steps needed to get all loot in the dungeon and any side things. Divide by the amount of battles and you get the ideal encounter rate for the dungeon which should always be measured in steps, and not random chance.

Getting an encounter rate correct is just a case of simple math. If you end up with too high or too low an encounter rate, adjust the experience rate or boss strength. If a skilled player starts running back and forth in a room to get his level up, you have failed to properly pace the game. If an unskilled player starts running back and forth to get his level up, you have failed to have a proper difficulty scale to improve his skill.

A poor encounter rate or grinding is always a failure on the part of the developer.

>>4906054
>>4906056
It's a possibility that's for sure, but I'm not sure how one would go about doing it since I'm not skilled enough.

A shot in the dark would be to just replace the files in there with the Dreamcast music files and see if it ISO works with it, otherwise I'd have no idea, you'd also have to work around the Mono sound.

>>4906061
Well in Skies case, it's neither. I never grinded in the game and was able to get through it without much difficulty, the only awfully long parts of the game was the end where you had an encounter every 10 steps of so and it was confusing as to where to go but overall it was never a problem for me.

I guess in 2000 an encounter rate like that was unforgivable, but even in FF7 I find the ER to be quite high when I just want to rush through places.

CANNONS

>>4906063