Release DraStic Nintendo DS emulator

[PowerGod]

sorry if i aked again but wasn't exactly easy reading back 23 pages of topic to find that precielse question

http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/topic/12038-emulator-drastic-nintendo-ds/page-21#entry229544

 

[mmKALLL]

So, er, any ideas on why the saving doesn't work..?

Or rather, why it's so erratic. Yesterday none of the games seemed to save data except for Picross DS, today all others that I've tested except Suujin Taisen: Number Battles work. I don't think I've done anything to my Pandora while asleep.

 

[iprice]

Speaking of Picross 3D -

It works absolutely brilliantly with the exception that sides that have numbers are inverted -



[TOP] DS version [bOTTOM] Pandora

There are also no white lines on the grid, so counting blocks is trickier.

I know these are very minor issues for one game, but perhaps this also affects other games in other ways.

I'm using DraStic v1.3p with US version of Picross 3D

 

[ekianjo]

Speaking of Picross 3D -

It works absolutely brilliantly with the exception that sides that have numbers are inverted -

picross3D.jpg

[TOP] DS version [bOTTOM] Pandora

There are also no white lines on the grid, so counting blocks is trickier.

I know these are very minor issues for one game, but perhaps this also affects other games in other ways.

I'm using DraStic v1.3p with US version of Picross 3D

Very good observation, it also seemed strange to me when I played it. It felt that something was wrong but I could not point out what. Now I remember

 

[Neelix]

So, er, any ideas on why the saving doesn't work..?

Or rather, why it's so erratic. Yesterday none of the games seemed to save data except for Picross DS, today all others that I've tested except Suujin Taisen: Number Battles work. I don't think I've done anything to my Pandora while asleep.

The error message in the pndrun.out file you posted indicated that it couldn't load the backup file. (containing the in-game saves)  I don't have enough information to say why with any level of certainty, but  off the top of my head 3 possibilities come to mind....

1. Did you experience a crash yesterday or run your batteries flat?  If DraStic doesn't exit cleanly the save files don't get written to disk. (at least for the current game)
2. Did you rename your ROMs?  The savegame files are saved under the same name as the ROM but with a different extension, so if you renamed any ROMs without also renaming the save files DraStic would not have been able to associate them.
3. Could there be an issue with your SD card?  maybe the backup files got corrupted.

Speaking of Picross 3D -

It works absolutely brilliantly with the exception that sides that have numbers are inverted -

picross3D.jpg

[TOP] DS version [bOTTOM] Pandora

There are also no white lines on the grid, so counting blocks is trickier.

I know these are very minor issues for one game, but perhaps this also affects other games in other ways.

I'm using DraStic v1.3p with US version of Picross 3D

Very good observation, it also seemed strange to me when I played it. It felt that something was wrong but I could not point out what. Now I remember

I wondered at the lack of grid lines.   Having never played it on a real DS I had no idea it was supposed to look any different...

- Neelix

P.S.  Mind you, testing on a real DS to check for differences can be hazardous...    I did that with Hotel Dusk and got drawn in to playing it on my DS Lite. (It's unfortunately not playable yet in DraStic)  I have been at it for hours...   I think I am almost finished it too.

 

[mmKALLL]

Oh, and Ragnarok DS is missing all.. Well, everything. You can't see the ground/terrain at all, the only sprites which are visible are the characters.

However, someone else had no issues - the wiki has it marked as green. (They were using ver 1.2.0.0, though)

 

[Neelix]

Oh, and Ragnarok DS is missing all.. Well, everything. You can't see the ground/terrain at all, the only sprites which are visible are the characters.

Heh...   That's the exact opposite of what happens with Eragon.    All the terrain is visible, but anything you can interact with is missing.

- Neelix

 

[iprice]

I noticed the differences in Picross3D instantly as it's probably my all-time fave DS game. I've gone through every single puzzle (on the DS), achieving three stars at least twice. I play the random puzzle mode regularly.

 

[mmKALLL]

A crash, nope. And it wouldn't happen for multiple games either. I do load another game/restart soon after saving the game when testing, though - but I don't think that that would be an issue (I do wait until the light doesn't flash)? Plus, I noticed it first with a game which I didn't quicktest. My batteries have been constantly over 20% this weekend.

I haven't renamed the ROMs after starting them for the first time.

And my SD is working properly. Windows DID say it was read-only yesterday when I was trying to replace the database, but plugging it out and plugging it back in fixed it. I was able to edit files on the cards with the Pandora without problems, though. I also tested this afterwards, and the games didn't save.

Perhaps, if I had to guess, it might be save state usage; PCSX ReARMed had a problem previously with when you've loaded the game from the save state, you can't save it in the normal way - maybe something similar? However, I already tested that by playing a game which I hadn't played before - save, restart, and there was no data. Dunno. I'm out of ideas - that's why I'm here.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

I have a bit more random crashes with the new release. 1GHz@1000

Still playing PW 3.

 

[Neelix]

A crash, nope. And it wouldn't happen for multiple games either. I do load another game/restart soon after saving the game when testing, though - but I don't think that that would be an issue (I do wait until the light doesn't flash)? Plus, I noticed it first with a game which I didn't quicktest. My batteries have been constantly over 20% this weekend.

I haven't renamed the ROMs after starting them for the first time.

And my SD is working properly. Windows DID say it was read-only yesterday when I was trying to replace the database, but plugging it out and plugging it back in fixed it. I was able to edit files on the cards with the Pandora without problems, though. I also tested this afterwards, and the games didn't save.

Perhaps, if I had to guess, it might be save state usage; PCSX ReARMed had a problem previously with when you've loaded the game from the save state, you can't save it in the normal way - maybe something similar? However, I already tested that by playing a game which I hadn't played before - save, restart, and there was no data. Dunno. I'm out of ideas - that's why I'm here.

 To be honest, unless you can find a way to reliably recreate the situation we may never know.  It occurs to me though, that if Windows had trouble writing to it even temporarily, that maybe the pandora had a similar issue..   it could be an early sign of a failing SD card...   I'd recommend backing up the card frequently.   It probably wouldn't hurt to check it with chkdsk on the windows machine.

In terms of tracking down the problem, in case it reoccurs in the short term,  I'd be checking the pndrun_DraStic.out file after each session..  look out for any errors reading or writing the backup file, and make a copy if something crops up. 

It may also be worth backing up the backup files after each session to another location always keeping at least the last two versions. That way if something does go wrong, 1)  you have something to go back to, and 2) it may help isolate the issue.

- Neelix

 

[Solstar]

sorry if i aked again but wasn't exactly easy reading back 23 pages of topic to find that precielse question

http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php/topic/12038-emulator-drastic-nintendo-ds/page-21#entry229544

it was even on another topic!

 

[mmKALLL]

Interesting, I went through a couple of outputs from running the PND, and noticed that there was no messages saying that the game was saved. When starting the games, the emulator always loaded something from the backup folder, but there were no save files in-game. States worked fine.

However, I tried it out in a very simple manner; opened Sujin Taisen, made a save file, did one puzzle, saved the state and quit the emulator. I checked the output, and this time it had indeed written the save in the backup folder. When I started the emu again, the save was there. Peculiarly, my savestate didn't work fine at first; I had to switch the state slot back and forth once to actually load my older data (which I had played already to some extent and then saved to state in fear of losing progress).

I did a backup on the old state and deleted the save data for the game in the backup folder. It still loaded the data with one puzzle solved from the backup folder - the same data which I had just deleted. I then loaded the state with the one puzzle solved, solved another one and then quit the emu. Started up again and there it was - a save with two puzzles solved.

The states don't seem to be causing anything funny since the emu loaded the game I had saved after loading a savestate fine. I find it odd that in the output before I did this test, there was no indication of saving to the backup folder - only the states had been saved, whereas now both were saved. It's also odd how the game loaded the saved game, even though I deleted it. Except for that, I got consistent results (on Sujin Taisen, at least). Well, except for something..

I did another test on deleting the save data to see whether the game again loads it from apparently nothingness, for the sake of consistency in this message. This time it didn't load the data which didn't exist, as assumed. I loaded the savestate with one puzzle solved and returned to the menu. Despite me just loading a state, in which I had saved data, the menu showed only "New Game" as an option - as expected, since the game didn't save in-between. However, I loaded the state again, proceeded to clear a puzzle (the previously cleared one was there), and still the title only showed New Game. The game does save after clearing each puzzle, I'm positive.

The output file has a line with "Loading backup file /mnt/utmp/DraStic/backup/Sujin Taisen (J).dsv" and a line "Saving backup data file," (unlike the file from when saving didn't work) which leads me to believe that there would be a saved game. There's a dsv file in the backup folder. But, upon restarting the emu, the title still only shows "New Game." Any ideas..? I suppose I'm fine with only using states, but it would be handy to actually have the saves work as they should; also, the day when I state save instead of loading without a recent backup is sure to come at some point...

 

[Zero3K]

I've been noticing a tear/line in the graphics when I've been playing Monster Tale. It occurs when moving and is at the lower part of the 1st screen. Also, there is some lag occurring when starting a game, etc.

 

[ingoreis]

Hi in the Last Version from the Repo have i in RagnarokDS problems.


The Game itself runs fine, but all


3D Textures are gone.


Tested with normal Driver and updated SGX Drivers,on both same Problem.

 

[slaeshjag]

SGX drivers won't make a difference, it's completely software rendered.

 

[Exophase]

Hi in the Last Version from the Repo have i in RagnarokDS problems.

The Game itself runs fine, but all

3D Textures are gone.

Tested with normal Driver and updated SGX Drivers,on both same Problem.

This regression will be fixed in the next version, sorry about that (it's related to BOX_TEST, it wasn't emulated at all before 1.3, now it's just emulated incorrectly, hopefully fixed properly now)

 

[dummi]

I have a problem with 999. There are days I can play it a few hours and at some days it crashes the whole pandora, not only the emulator. There is no response any button press. Pandorabutton, Startbutton, Selectbutton,M(for Drastic menu), nothing works. Only things what works is a reset with pandora+powerswitch.

Am I the only with this problem? Hope it is not the pandora.

 

[mmKALLL]

I had a similar freeze once... It was just when I had started trying out my game list, so I can't recall which game. I don't think it was 999 though.

However, ever since the emu has been just flawless, except for the saving issues. And I've been using it quite a bit too, such a sweet piece of software it is

 

[calc84maniac]

I have a problem with 999. There are days I can play it a few hours and at some days it crashes the whole pandora, not only the emulator. There is no response any button press. Pandorabutton, Startbutton, Selectbutton,M(for Drastic menu), nothing works. Only things what works is a reset with pandora+powerswitch.

Am I the only with this problem? Hope it is not the pandora.

What model and clockspeed are you running at? I've had some similar random hangs when overclocking, even at what I consider "safe" overclocks (1.1GHz on my 1GHz model).