Time for a thread for complete Emulation noobs?


S

ste1bro

Still Fresh
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
18
Hello there!


Got my Pandora this morning, and it's truly a thing of beauty. I only wish I'd recorded my workmates faces when I got it out of the box, they were in awe!


I've since spent a frustratingly enjoyable day getting to grips with it. Finally got Final Fantasy VII to work with PcsxRearmed - delighted! Also, got a load of MAME games to work.


However, I'm at a total loss as to how to actually use a lot of the other emulators. The problem I have with the Pandora isn't the machine itself (it's stunning), but rather the assumption that every person who buys one has even a tiny bit of experience with either Linux or the emulation scene. I have none of the above...


So, I'm currently getting to grips with searching for BIOS's (whatever they are) to get stuff to work, finding out exactly which roms go in what folder (I have a lad of Spectrum and C64 games ready to go, but I haven't a clue which folder to put them in, and besides, when I open Vice or Pandy I'm faced with either confusing menus (in the case of Pandy) or absolutely no on-screen pointers as to what to do next (Vice).


Don't get me wrong, I've been scouring these boards and watching Evildragon's videos (and a load of others) every day in the week or so since I ordered my Pandora, so I thought I was ready, but... there's just not enough support for total newcomers to the scene...


Two of my workmates have already been put off by my tales of trying to get stuff to work, or finding that I've downloaded incompatible files by mistake because there was no info about which type of files work (out of the 12 or so PSX games I downloaded, only the FFVII files turned out to be compatible. Still don't know why! I only know it's something to do with bin and cue files, but I can't seem to find downloads that feature them).


Evildragon's videos, though hugely informative, don't go far enough. Ah-ha! C64 emulation on Vice, and here's some games running! Brilliant! But how do you get the damn games to load in the first place...? And here's SkummVM! Wonderful! If only I could get anything to happen with it...


Sorry to ramble so long, but I've already seen the superb advice that people have had on these pages. Basically, what I'd love is for some kind of really, really basic advice on which roms are compatible with which emulators, etc. Info on which files go where (Evildragon's video was deceptively simple, I had a hell of a time getting a couple of emus to recognise my games, even after following his instructions). I know someones posted a partial list of emulator folder info, but if anyone could fill in the gaps, that'd be brilliant.


Even info on how to get some of these programs started in terms of loading roms, the documentation is no help, and it seems to be assumed that everyone's already in the know on these boards...


Oh well, at least I've got a few games to be going on with until someone helps me out - loving it so far! :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just a quick pointer about VICE: Press the Start button, which will grant you access to the menu. From there, you can load a game (by using the "Autostart image" option - image in this case refers to a virtual "image" of an original tape or disk) and tweak settings (remember to save the configuration if you do so, or it will be lost when you close it).


Also, a more general tip is that you can often (not always, but often) access documentation about the emulator (or other program) you're running, by either checking the Documentation section of the Pandora-menu if you're using the Xfce desktop environment, or by highlighting the app in question and pressing the "Y" game button if you're using Minimenu.


By the by, "BIOS" means "Basic Input Output System", and in emulation terms it's usually used to refer to code contained on-board a system, which is needed for games to run. In cases where the original hardware had such a thing, emulators for it will most often require a copy of it, too (since emulators basically recreate hardware in software form).
 
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Cheers Prometheus, you've been a lot of help already (so that's what BIOS is...)


I've tried the documentation, but found it either too vague or far too technical, I'm afraid.


I've managed to get a menu up in Vice (thanks again! :) ), but can't get anything to load - I think that goes back to my point about not knowing where to put some of the game files. I've obviously put them in the wrong folder (or put 'em in the right one, but put that folder in the wrong place!), I haven't a clue where they should go!


For some reason, the spectrum and C64 folder placings aren't as obvious as some of the others (PSX or MAME for example).
 
Alerino said:
for most emulators, just copy the roms to the appdata folder (created after you run them for the first time)


ScummVM, just Add Game , enter the game folder, click Choose, it will automatically detect which game it is. How hard is it?
Click to expand...

If you've never used emulators before, actually pretty hard! With consoles you put your disc or cart in the machine, and off you go. Finding out about different file types, compatibility, etc etc for the first time is a real eye opener...


Using the menu sounds easy enough, but getting compatible files is the really hard part. I certainly can't get anything to run! This is part of the problem I was talking about - if you're new to emulation, this is actually pretty mind-boggling stuff, which I think a lot of people might forget.


I'm going to try copying roms to the appdata folder one more time - I thought it was that easy before I got my Pandora, and I've followed all the instructions I could find. Right, I'll copy my C64 and speccy roms over again - fingers crossed!


Thanks for the advice, Alerino!

SONY said:
ste1bro said:
Hello there!


Two of my workmates have already been put off by my tales of trying to get stuff to work
Click to expand...
Get rid of them and find some new mates.
Click to expand...

It did cross my mind... :lol:
 
Alerino said:
a very informative thread
Click to expand...

I've already checked that thread out, several times. It's atill too technical, even though it doesn't mean to be. "The link to Running OS off SDcard (in the looking after nand article) should point at wiki description not EDs. Since seems to be a slight change in boot.txt with HF5." (It's stuff like this that has me running to the hills!)


I'd love to see a thread full of info for people who have literally never, ever used an emulation program before, have never heard of BIOS, pnds, or all the various file types.


The Pandora equivalent of teaching someone how to boil an egg!
 
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In the meantime, can I ask what Spectrum emulator you're using, please, ste1bro?
 
You might want to check out FUSE, as well (that's the other available ZX Spectrum emulator). If memory serves, ZXPandy is currently using a database system where it expects certain filenames (though, I could be misremembering this).
 
If I may add something here. Ste1bro, there one nice thing about all this confusion. If you're like me and I'd suspect others, dealing with these emulator issues has a nice side effect. Since just about every emulator on every different system deals with things in a different way, getting through all the initial confusion really does make it easier later on when you encounter other emulators with different ways of doing things. So later on you will figure these things out much quicker and likely on your own. So hang in there, you'll learn from some very helpful people here! Before long you will be posting to tell someone else how to make something work.
 
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Hi


Where ever you put your game files you still may have to find the folder via the directory tree.


OK here is where I have mine.


Intellevision games are in the card ROOT folder named - jzinttv roms


Nintendo 64 roms are in the card ROOT folder named - nintendo 64 roms


PS1 games are in the card ROOT folder named - ps1 games


Snes games are in the card ROOT folder named - snes roms


So that means when I open my SD Card to add or remove files it has these folders


ROOT


pandora


jzinttv


nintendo 64 roms


ps1 games


snes roms


Now onto others.


All my other games files are in pandora/appdata/


Examples


ScummVM


pandora/appdata/scummvm/scummvm games


FUSE


pandora/appdata/fuse/spectrum games


MSX


pandora/appdata/msx/roms


VICE


pandora/appdata/vice64/64 games


I think that gives you the idea.


As I said when you choose the load game option you may well be taken to


the directory tree, from there you will have to find your you through the directories


to your find the game folder. Pain at first but you will get used it, I suppose I find it a bit


easier because I have come to the Pandora via emulating on other handhelds.


Take your time and most important have fun :)
 
Poem58 said:
If I may add something here. Ste1bro, there one nice thing about all this confusion. If you're like me and I'd suspect others, dealing with these emulator issues has a nice side effect. Since just about every emulator on every different system deals with things in a different way, getting through all the initial confusion really does make it easier later on when you encounter other emulators with different ways of doing things. So later on you will figure these things out much quicker and likely on your own. So hang in there, you'll learn from some very helpful people here! Before long you will be posting to tell someone else how to make something work.
Click to expand...

I was going to post a reply last night before I went to bed, but I was too busy... playting C64 games! :D


Thanks very much to everyone for the advice - it worked! You're right, these boards are the friendliest and most helpful I've ever come across. I think everything's starting to click into place (I got Picodrive up and running in about a minute flat!).


Thanks, everyone!
 
Cas said:
Hi


Where ever you put your game files you still may have to find the folder via the directory tree.


OK here is where I have mine.


Intellevision games are in the card ROOT folder named - jzinttv roms


Nintendo 64 roms are in the card ROOT folder named - nintendo 64 roms


PS1 games are in the card ROOT folder named - ps1 games


Snes games are in the card ROOT folder named - snes roms


So that means when I open my SD Card to add or remove files it has these folders


ROOT


pandora


jzinttv


nintendo 64 roms


ps1 games


snes roms


Now onto others.


All my other games files are in pandora/appdata/


Examples


ScummVM


pandora/appdata/scummvm/scummvm games


FUSE


pandora/appdata/fuse/spectrum games


MSX


pandora/appdata/msx/roms


VICE


pandora/appdata/vice64/64 games


I think that gives you the idea.


As I said when you choose the load game option you may well be taken to


the directory tree, from there you will have to find your you through the directories


to your find the game folder. Pain at first but you will get used it, I suppose I find it a bit


easier because I have come to the Pandora via emulating on other handhelds.


Take your time and most important have fun :)
Click to expand...

Brilliant, sir, quite brilliant.


I've printed this out as it's something I'll be referring to quite a bit!


Thanks so much for this, you're a gent.
 
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