PSX Emulator questions and topics

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Pyriel
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Pyriel »

On the PSP, with official firmware, you can play Playstation games that you've purchased from the Sony store. These games aren't rewritten for the PSP, they're just repackaged so that they can be played using an emulator that comes with the PSP software. Put simply, the PSP already has a Playstation emulator on it, as long as you're running firmware above a certain, fairly low, version.

If you're running custom firmware, and almost any custom firmware will do, that emulator should be unlocked so that you can play any Playstation game on it, as long as it's packaged in the way the emulator expects. The only thing preventing you from doing this with official firmware is Sony's security checks. There are tools for making the packages on various PSP hacking sites, and 99 times out of 100, someone has made a package available for download.
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Tonel
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Tonel »

Okay so I need custom firmwear so I just download is and put the ISO in the GAME folder and I can play it as long as it's lower filmwear?

EDIT: doesn't look like I can get CFW on my psp since it's 6.60 damn.
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Rooks
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Rooks »

OK the settings for the Video and Sound plugins are a bit out-of-date for some computers, including mine, so I will give the settings that I am currently using to Run Suikoden II on the ePSXe 1.7.0 emulator.

My system is a bit more powerful than most, especially for running an emulator like ePSXe, so here is a run-down of my hardware:

Processor: Intel Centrino 2 64-bit (2009) @ 2.53 ghz x2
GFX Card: nVidia GTX 260M 1gb (2010)
Sound Card: Realtech 128mb (2008)

So, the settings given in the opening post did not allow Suikoden II to function very well for me. These new settings cause it to run nearly-perfect, with only very minor sound poping at rare intervals as the only bug I have encountered.

First, the Video plugin I use is:

Pete's Open GL 2.9

The settings are:

Resolution and Colors-
Just set the Windowed Mode Res. to whatever you would like, and the Full Screen mode to whatever your monitor resolution is. Mine is 1440x900
Color Depth: 32bit
Internal X resolution: 2 - Very High
Internal Y resolution: 2 - Very High
Stretching Mode: 1 - retain aspect ratio
Render Mode: 2 - Use Framebuffer Object

Textures-
Texture Filtering: 6 - Extended and Smoothed Sprites
VRAM: 0 - Auto Detect
Hi-Res Textures: 1 - 2xSal
Check: Use Pixel Shader for PSX texture window emulation

Framerate-
Make sure that "Use Frame Limit", "Use Frame Skipping" are unchecked. Frame limits are only useful on slower systems, and frame skipping will cause GFX and Sound Bugs. However, if you intend to use a Video capture program like Fraps, check "Use Frame Skipping" as this will allow the Video to process without having to be subject to Fraps' set frame rate. Though this does cause some overall bugginess, so only turn it on right before you intend to capture.

Compatibility-
Off-Screen Drawing: 1 - Standard (this is fine for RPGs, higher settings may be used for action games like MGS)
Framebuffer Effects: 2 - Standard (Again, fine for RPGs)
Framebuffer Upload: 1 - Standard. This uploads everything the PSX would have. Higher settings will keep uploading off-screen information until your GFX card or RAM memory is full.

Full Screen Filters-
These are all optional, but I find having "Screen Filtering" checked rounds out the pixelated sprites very nicely.

Misc-
"Scanlines" Should be unchecked, unless you want things to look like you are playing them through a VCR via a Coaxial Cable.
"MDEC filter" Should be Checked, it makes the movies a bit more pretty. Though if you have problems during the Movies try flipping it off.
"Disable Screensaver" is optional, I check it.
"Special Game Fixes" should be Checked, then click on the elipses button to configure the particular fixes that you will need.

Special Game Fixes- sub menu
0x0004 Ignore Black Brightness: Make sure to check this one. Otherwise the menu screens will blank out the backgrounds. IE, It causes them to be semi-transparent like in the game.
The other options are of little consequence, I leave them off.

Now to configure the Soft Video Plugin

Resolution-
Basically, the Screen Size/Resolution settings should be the same as the main Video Plugin.
Dithering: No Dithering. Once again, this is kinda useless for RPGs, especially 2D ones like Suikoden II.

Framerate-
Everything should be unchecked here, except
"Use Transparent Framerate": This I check as I don't care to see what FPS the emulator is running at.

Options-
Scanline Mode: This is tricky, for me it runs fine Disabled, but for some nVidia GFX cards enabling it is a bug work-around
Use System Memory: Disabled. This just uses the RAM rather than the GFX memory. Enable it if you don't have a GFX card
Wait for VSYNCH: Disabled. This is only useful for older monitors
Stop Screen Saver: A redundancy of the option on the Main Video Plugin. I enable it anyway.
Debug Mode: Disabled
Activate Special Game Fixes: Enabled. Once again go to the sub-menu

Special Game Fixes-
Enable "Ignore Black Brightness Color". Maybe a redundancy here, I enable it anyway. Everything else is fine turned off.

And that does it for the video. What gave me the most trouble was the sound though. Often, the beautiful soundtrack was marred by static and certain sound effects did not end when they should. Like when a Unite attack was performed, the high ringing sound remained on for the rest of the battle. All these things were fixed with my settings.

Sound Plugin:

Eternal SPU 1.50

Audio Device-
DirectSound
Buffer Size: 64 (turn it down for slower and smaller SPU cards)

Audio out method-
SPUasynch
Asynch mode: Wait

Misc-
Show Realtime Config Window: disabled. Unless you want to configure as you go.
Cache VGA decode: Enabled
Fine Tune: 0. This allows you to change the sound synch in 1/1,000th sec intervals
Reverb: Neil's

Special Game Fix-
Update before accessing register: Disabled
SPU IRQ - Wait CPU action: Enabled
SPU IRQ - Force Interruption Flag?: Enabled

And that is that. Some settings again depend on the exact GFX and SPU that you have. But these settings work much better for me. In fact, they allow for a real game experience virtually identical to the PSX. In fact, some of the texture and sprite filtering even allows for a better look on modern LCD/LED screens. I hope this helps people like me who are having problems getting the game to work properly on their computer.
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Rooks
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Rooks »

This Post Covers how to load Suikoden I data to your Suikoden II emulated game.

It is actually very simple, as you can use the Save data contained elsewhere on this site to do it. Ill even give you the link:

http://suikosource.com/games/gs1/saves/

The last one on the list is the one you would want to use.

But, how do you turn that file into one that can be used with ePSXe 1.7.0? The answer is surprisingly simple, after I figured it out I slapped my forehead a couple of times.

Start up the Emu and go to the drop-down menu under Config. Select "Configure MemCards". Two locations will show up. They are the default memory card locations that ePSXe uses. Though, be aware that what you downloaded is not a game save prese, but an entire memory card with only one saved game on it. So, click the "Select" button and browse around until you fine the Suikoden I game save you just downloaded and select that as your new memory card. This will allow you to access the Suikoden I gave save for loading into Suikoden II.
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Tonel
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Tonel »

I wish I could, but my computer isn't capable of running disc-based emus in general so the psp is my only way and it's too new to run the emulator :(
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Rooks
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Rooks »

I have the same problem with my PSP. Though, with the new terms of service that Sony is forcing people accept to access the PSN and play newer games, this might not be a bad thing. Sony has been threatening to Remote-Brick PSPs and even PS3s if they catch people using homebrew programs to play PSX games.

I have no idea if Sony has actually followed through on these threats, and I think it is unlikely that they will, but still. If you want to play the new Suikoden game on your PSP, then you will need to have firmware updates and such that will make the PSP much more difficult to hack.

In a sense, it might be best just to wait until SII is released for the PSN.

I am in the same situation as you. My Playstation and all my games were stolen a few years back, and I had not been able to play SII until recently. I tried to get my PSP to load up the homebrews to take advantage of the internal Emulator, but it was just too new. How old is your computer? What are its specs? Does it have a GFX card? if you don't mind me asking. The system requirements for an Emulator and Suikoden II are not very high at all. Maybe there is a way to tweak the settings and allow you to play.
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Tonel
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Tonel »

Rooks wrote: I am in the same situation as you. My Playstation and all my games were stolen a few years back, and I had not been able to play SII until recently. I tried to get my PSP to load up the homebrews to take advantage of the internal Emulator, but it was just too new. How old is your computer? What are its specs? Does it have a GFX card? if you don't mind me asking. The system requirements for an Emulator and Suikoden II are not very high at all. Maybe there is a way to tweak the settings and allow you to play.
Old (2002), paperweight I need to get a new computer, the only thing I use it for at home is for playing ROMs and it flat out refuses PSX games like FF7, and it's 32 bit. I do wish someone could help me some way with either on PSP or on ePSXe on my computer at home, cuz I am Dying to play suikoden II again without getting ripped off on ebay, amazon etc.

And the graphics card is build in, crappy Emachine :cry: :cry:

EDIT: As a matter of fact I can't get the plug ins to work and I have the IMG rom also a rar file one for suikoII but I can't get it going.
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Rooks
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Rooks »

Oh yeah, sorry. eMachines are just terrible. Basically they are designed to run word processors and buisness applications, with no thought to actually using them for fun. Doesn't surprise me that the Intel Chipset cannot handle the ePSXe GFX processing.
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Tonel
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Tonel »

I can play GBA, SNES, and NES fine but not disc-based systems Emus I hate that most of all.
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ranking44
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by ranking44 »

Laharle wrote:hmm this how it happened


she gave me a list of towns to teleport but,
i cant press up ,left,right or down :( so basically i can only go to Seika
i got this problem too, can anyone help ? :(
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Feldoon
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Feldoon »

Tonel wrote:Okay so I need custom firmwear so I just download is and put the ISO in the GAME folder and I can play it as long as it's lower filmwear?

EDIT: doesn't look like I can get CFW on my psp since it's 6.60 damn.
It can. Trust me.

Although it's now really clear to me that Konami missed a trick by not releasing Suikoden I&II (that Japanese only package) for digital distribution internationally. Especially by not coinciding it with the release of this new Suikoden.
AlOnZo
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by AlOnZo »

T'is a great day when you're sitting playing Suikoden II on your laptop with a coffee in hand. A great day indeed! Thanks for the configurations settings tutorial. Works a treat! Awesome work!
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Piisuke
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Piisuke »

I'm thinking of getting it on my phone so I always have Suikoden I and II at hand.
Ori19
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Ori19 »

Hey guys i've a problem with the ePsxe and its gameshark codes. Could anyone explainme i ndetail what i have to do to make the war gameshark codes work properly?? I commented it in the Gameshark Post but no one answers me. Please help me guys

thx :)
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Rooks
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Re: PSX Emulator questions and topics

Post by Rooks »

ePSXe recommends you use PEC, or Playstation emulation cheater to use PAR and Gameshark codes.

First off, look up the PEC program and download it.

PEC comes with a variety of codes pre-programmed, but none of those are for Suikoden I or II. So, access the "User Database" tab under "File" and add any code you would like. When you are done entering codes, check the box to activate them, and press the button marked "Send Cheats to Plug In."

Now here is the catch, PEC must replace your video Plug-In to work. Once you select the PEC plug-in from the ePSXe menu, click on "configure" and select the real video plug-in you were using before. (For me, this is Pete's Open GL 2.9) Basically, PEC will use the original plug-in and run everything through the cheat codes before it is sent to ePSXe.

Now, I have found that for Suikoden II, it is not perfect. I get many more glitches when running through PEC than running just Pete's Open GL, so, do not use it much.
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