Working Dreamcast games

rejesterd

Thanks to @mitu and @quicksilver. I installed lr-flycast from source, and the performance on both Re-Volt and Toy Commander is fantastic in split-screen multiplayer mode! This is on an rpi4 btw. The retroarch setting @quicksilver mentioned is, on my version, under Quck Menu > Options > Synchronous Rendering. I set that to ON.

Unfortunately, Quake3 Arena has issues (the screen doesn't split vertically and it's very jittery), but many other games that previously didn't load in reicast (like Wacky Races, for example) work great now with lr-flycast. Thanks so much! Hopefully I'll get the issue with Quake worked out. At least it loads now.

quicksilver

@rejesterd said in Working Dreamcast games:

The retroarch setting @quicksilver mentioned is, on my version, under Quck Menu > Options > Synchronous Rendering. I set that to ON.

That is only one of the settings I mentioned. If you back out of the quick menu then go to: Settings>Video>Synchronization>Sync to exact content framerate. Turn that setting on and it will fix the weird tearing/jitter.

Edit: just tested Quake 3 and I see what you mean about the split screen issue.

quicksilver

@mitu said in Working Dreamcast games:

EDIT: on a second look, I think the 'sync to exact framerate' might be called vrr_runloop_enable.

Thank you that did it!

rejesterd

@quicksilver - I found it. For me, it's under Settings > Frame Throttle > Sync to exact content framerate. I turned that on, but Quake 3 Arena still has trouble. I'll open a thread about it if I can't resolve it soon.

quicksilver

@rejesterd Yea I see what you mean about the split screen issue. Are you going to report the issue on the github issue tracker?

On a side note for all dreamcast first person shooters I remap my controls to use my right analog stick as the dreamcast face buttons. Because the dreamcast only had one analog stick it is terrible using the default controls for FPS games.

rejesterd

@quicksilver - Ok, good to know that the issue with Quake split-screen mode isn't specific to my configuration/hardware. I'll report it after I capture some screenshots/video. I noticed the weird controller configuration when I tried Outtrigger. I'll try the same mapping for the right stick. Thanks. Dreamcast performance has been surprisingly good on the rpi4 in general though.. very happy with it so far.

WODAK

@quicksilver said in Working Dreamcast games:

@rejesterd Yea I see what you mean about the split screen issue. Are you going to report the issue on the github issue tracker?

On a side note for all dreamcast first person shooters I remap my controls to use my right analog stick as the dreamcast face buttons. Because the dreamcast only had one analog stick it is terrible using the default controls for FPS games.

I've tried to run several games on a 4 player splitscreen on latest lr-flycast...didn't have any luck either...on the split screen in most of the games the first or the second players runs OK...the third and the fourth are lagging a lot...

There is also an issue reported on lr-flycast.

Also tried with the redream...when I try to play any multiplayer game with split screen the screen just fades to black. You can hear the music in the background but can't see the screen :(

Didn't try on reicast ....

anyone facing the same problems?

p.s. I'm overclocked to 2100 on CPU, 550 on GPU and 750 on V3D....

quicksilver

@WODAK said in Working Dreamcast games:

I've tried to run several games on a 4 player splitscreen on latest lr-flycast...didn't have any luck either...on the split screen in most of the games the first or the second players runs OK...the third and the fourth are lagging a lot...

Not the same issue as quake 3. I posted the solution above to fix the multiplayer choppiness.

WODAK

@quicksilver said in Working Dreamcast games:

Not the same issue as quake 3. I posted the solution above to fix the multiplayer choppiness.

Thank you so much...I did the following:

Added the option vrr_runloop_enable_=true in /opt/retropie/configs/dreamcast/retroarch.cfg
In the retroarch GUI in options menu:
2.1. The internal resolution in flycast is set to 1280x920...
2.2. Threaded rendering -> OFF

The multiplayer games run a lot better and also all 4 screens gives a better response...now gotta try to run it better (lower resolution, some tweaks ,...)

I'll report if I'll have some luck :)

quicksilver

@WODAK try turning threaded rendering and synchronous rendering back on

WODAK

@quicksilver said in Working Dreamcast games:

@WODAK try turning threaded rendering and synchronous rendering back on

The threaded rendering must be set depending on game. For example in Looney Tunes Space Race if the threaded rendering in set ON the game lags a lot on 3d and 4th player...otherwise in Re-Volt it has to be turned ON.
So the setting depends on the game....

quicksilver

@WODAK said in Working Dreamcast games:

For example in Looney Tunes Space Race if the threaded rendering in set ON the game lags a lot on 3d and 4th player.

I can't get that game to work properly at all. I've had strange audio issues where the menu audio lags and during a race it just repeats the same sound over and over. Does it work well for you?

WODAK

@quicksilver said in Working Dreamcast games:

@WODAK said in Working Dreamcast games:

For example in Looney Tunes Space Race if the threaded rendering in set ON the game lags a lot on 3d and 4th player.

I can't get that game to work properly at all. I've had strange audio issues where the menu audio lags and during a race it just repeats the same sound over and over. Does it work well for you?

The Looney Tunes Space Race runs with 57-59 FPS and a bit choppy sound..
As for the Re Volt the game runs at 30-35 FPS (but is really playalbe). No sound hickups.

My versions and settings:

FIRMWARE VERSION:
Feb  4 2020 12:06:47
Copyright (c) 2012 Broadcom
version 53597a93bd1906c9358277b08bff097299216004 (clean) (release) (start)

-------------------------------------------

OS VERSION:
Linux retropie 4.19.97-v7l+ #1294 SMP Thu Jan 30 13:21:14 GMT 2020 armv7l GNU/Linux

-------------------------------------------
OVERCLOCK:
core => frequency(1)=549993152
v3d:=> frequency(46)=799993664
arm => frequency(48)=2100515584

-------------------------------------------

MESA VERSION:
ii  libgles2-mesa-dev:armhf          19.3.2-1~bpo10+1~rpt1               armhf        transitional dummy package

not to forget: force your games to set the governer to "performance" mode over runcommand.

mitu

@WODAK said in Working Dreamcast games:

not to forget: force your games to run at governer mode over runcommand.

You mean using the performance CPU governor ?

rejesterd

I've been unable to get Looney Tunes Space Race to run well in 2-player splitscreen mode. Player 1 always works fine though. That's using flycast at 640X480 60hz. Reicast won't load the game at all.

@quicksilver, I've had the repeating sound issue with Quake 3 and Looney Tunes (but more so with Looney Tunes).

I haven't tried fiddling with the audio resampling, but that has helped in some n64 games, so I was thinking of trying that on flycast.

WODAK

@mitu said in Working Dreamcast games:

You mean using the performance CPU governor ?

Sorry...a typo ...What I meant was to set the CPU scaling governor to "performance".

@rejesterd

've been unable to get Looney Tunes Space Race to run well in 2-player splitscreen mode. Player 1 always works fine though. That's using flycast at 640X480 60hz. Reicast won't load the game at all.

Chech a few posts back...set the same configuration as I have and try it (don't forget that my RP is overclocked...so I'f you dont have a good cooling system don't overclock it)...The game runs really decent in 4 player split screen.

For singleplayer games I've set some games to run over redream and some over flycast...

Some of multiplayer games don't work on Flycast like Toy Commander...running Redream with the same game gets you to the problem that after setting the characters the screen goes black right after starting the game. But you can hear the sounds in the back.

WODAK

One more question...in flycast when I try to save the state of the game...the save process goes on forever (5 min). Is this a normal procedure? or is there something wrong with the emulator?

barbudreadmon

@WODAK said in Working Dreamcast games:

the save process goes on forever (5 min). Is this a normal procedure? or is there something wrong with the emulator?

It's instant on pc, maybe your sd card is awfully slow ? Those savestates have a size of around 60 MiB.

rejesterd

@WODAK said in Working Dreamcast games:

Chech a few posts back...set the same configuration as I have and try it (don't forget that my RP is overclocked...so I'f you dont have a good cooling system don't overclock it)...The game runs really decent in 4 player split screen.

I have a case that came with a cooling fan and a few heat sinks, so hopefully that will be good enough. It's just really odd to me that some games work ok in 2-player mode for me, and some don't. Seems like it's an issue relating to the way the rom was created or how the emulator handles Looney Tunes vs. Re-Volt, for example.. but just speculating, as I don't know how how to profile running games yet.

Some of multiplayer games don't work on Flycast like Toy Commander...running Redream with the same game gets you to the problem that after setting the characters the screen goes black right after starting the game. But you can hear the sounds in the back.

I just wanted to comment here, because I have Toy Commander running in 2-player mode flawlessly using lr-flycast (on rpi4 with no overclocking). I can share my retroarch settings if you want.. or maybe you're only referring to 3p and 4p screens.

rejesterd

@WODAK - In /boot/config.txt, I set..

over_voltage=4
arm_freq=1900

..and I can now run Looney Tunes Space Race in 2p split-screen mode without a problem. This also got me over the hump of serious crackling sounds when playing NHL 99 on N64. Thanks for the suggestion. CPU temp seems ok.