3DO: The Pi4 Emulation Nobody Loves?
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@ReadyPlayaWon Interesting - my RPi4 is overclocked, and I'll try out 1.5x to see if that makes it any better. What do you have set for VDLP pixel format and VDLP bypass clut, and OperaOS SWI HLE? (Or anything else you might think is different to the default).
Actually framerate wise it is fine, it's the audio that is choppy rather than the graphical side of things.
I've never played the original console, think I only ever saw one demo model in a shop.
I have had crashes that I think are linked to Threaded DSP, on Snow Job and Killing Time.
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SWI HLE will help a bit with Killing Time (and any game listed as having matrix multiplication usage https://3dodev.com/documentation/games/game_technical_information).
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Regarding VDLP options. Assuming 16bit mode is supported on the Pi4 then setting it to that will likely improve performance as Opera is mostly a low level emulator and the pixel translation is all done in a simple, brute force way on a single thread. You'll have half the work to render the frame buffer with 16bpp vs 32bpp. The CLUT option similarly bypasses extra work that on most games makes no difference. It's just on the rendering pipeline though and that isn't the bulk of the cpu requirements (that's mostly CPU and DSP emulation). But every little bit should help.
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@trapexit This is all interesting stuff - and that list you attached will be useful so far as trying out other games is concerned, so thanks for that. It's all about marginal gains, most games seem to run fairly well but could be a bit better.
I can't see a 16bit mode as an option within the Emulator, but I might not be looking in the right place!
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When I'm referring to 16 vs 32bpp I'm talking about "VDLP Pixel Format" option.
RGB565 and 0RGB1555 vs XRGB8888
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@trapexit Ahhh right, I've been having a playaround with those already. Seems to be some improvement. What's the difference between the two 16-bit options?
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Also has anyone played Dragon's Lair on 3DO and is it almost unplayably hard for everyone else?
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@AdamBeGood Why not just play the arcade version through Daphne? While I agree it's awesome that these emulators can run so many games well, it's often better to focus each emulator on the things it did uniquely well.
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@neek I mostly agree but sometimes the conversion holds affection too.
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@AdamBeGood As the option name implies the actual pixel data layout. RetroArch/libretro has those three as different output targets. Most cores just choose one and ensure to fill the framebuffer with compatible pixel data but I figured it'd be easy to optimize the situation for each case. The 3DO uses a 16bit framebuffer which doesn't really match the RA output but it does mean less data to move around or whatnot.
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@neek I didn't realise that was possible...or know what Daphne is at this point! To Google!
Edit: A LaserDisc emulator? I didn't know that existed at all. I think I might be happy with the 3DO version - it's not that far away from the original is it? Also, I have the ROM and it works so maybe I shouldn't take on another mission.
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@trapexit Interesting! Thanks for the information on this, and for all your work on the Emulator. It's really appreciated. So good to discover a system I've never played before.
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@AdamBeGood Yes of course if you're happy with the 3DO emulator then by all means, go for it. I've installed many of the emulators that run on RetroPie, and found collections that contain all the ROMs I'd want, at least for now. I don't remember playing Dragon's Lair on my 3DO but if it works well for people then spend the time playing, rather than tinkering. :-)
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For those who don't know... American Laser Games who made a lot of the laserdisc video games of the 80's and early 90's used the 3DO (specifically FZ-1 with a better motor) for a number of later releases in the arcade. Not just did the home 3DO ports. There were a number of 3DO arcade games but most are pretty rare. I added a list on the wikipedia article. Seems someone has expanded on it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_3DO_Interactive_Multiplayer_games#Arcade_Games
The holy grail of 3DO arcade games is Beavis and Butt-head. There are several machines known to exist but no one has allowed dumping of the CD. The board appears to be semi-custom but no one has gotten any good images/video of it though. Die Alien Scum!! and Way of the Warrior were announced but were never released nor location tested as far as anyone knows.
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@AdamBeGood No problem. Wish I had more time to spend on it. Eventually...
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@neek Of course now you've got me thinking that there is a better version of the game out there, and I'll never be "happy" until I get that working. I can pretend I won't bother for a day or two but I am sure I'll try to get Daphne working at some point.
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@AdamBeGood Daphne is easy to add to RetroPie, as it's an included optional emulator. Getting the data files for the games is straightforward enough if you know where to look for ROMs.
Happy gaming!
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@neek Yeah I had a token look yesterday, emulator seemed fine but I haven't found any ROMs just yet. I am sure there will be a quiet period at work today!
It certainly seems harder to find that most ROMs, the 3DO version took seconds to obtain.
Edit: I've got it working! My version seems to jump around rooms quite a lot, it isn't sequential. But it seems to be working..
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@AdamBeGood said in 3DO: The Pi4 Emulation Nobody Loves?:
Edit: I've got it working! My version seems to jump around rooms quite a lot, it isn't sequential. But it seems to be working..
My recollection of the arcade version was that it was smoother in the animation transitions. I feel like Daphne might cut off clips from the beginning or end sometimes, but it could be that my bar was a lot lower in the 80s than it is now, where I expect Spielberg-like quality and editing from everything I look at on a screen.
I've found that
[removed]to be a useful resource when looking to expand what my Pi can do. -
@neek said in 3DO: The Pi4 Emulation Nobody Loves?:
My recollection of the arcade version was that it was smoother in the animation transitions. I feel like Daphne might cut off clips from the beginning or end sometimes, but it could be that my bar was a lot lower in the 80s than it is now, where I expect Spielberg-like quality and editing from everything I look at on a screen.
No, I don't mind the video quality (pretty decent for 1983!), I mean that the game jumps around rooms.
I think I was just used to the 3DO version, where you start at the Drawbridge everytime and then if you die there or in the next room (with the falling rocks); you start at the beginning again. Whereas on Daphne, you move on to another room regardless if you die or not.
I've found that ArcadePunks.com to be a useful resource when looking to expand what my Pi can do.
That is where I ended up going to, it's very good. Slightly interested in finding the v2.1 version which puts the drawbridge scene back in, but I think I will give this version a good play before I go hunting for that.
Edit: I've got the v2.1 'enhanced' version of Dragon's Lair now, it seems much better. Flow makes more sense.
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