Emulating Panzer Dragoon Saga Questions

[Jagosaurus]

I recently read a review of PDS where the writer emulated it. He mentioned some challenges (virtual disc swapping & bad isos IIRC) but finished the game. I was surprised to see this. I don't ever hear/see emulators mentioned in PDS talks. Figured it was unplayable.

Has anyone else successfully emulated this one? How about emulating past disc 1 or to completion?

If so, where you using Yabause & SSF? I hear SSF comes with some bloatware so I'd prefer Yaba.

[Anapan]

Those emulators are not relevant anymore. Far outdated.
I'm using a build of Mednafen aimed at accuracy through CRT modeline compatibility.
https://github.com/emu4crt/files
Thread for that one:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=155264.0
Very good for no GUI - it's painful to get it going but it emulates really well compared to those mentioned.
*not tested extensively, but from my tests it is not anything like the mentioned emulators...
Most people use the branches built around the Retroarch model. Can't deny the ease after getting it set up except I refuse to submit. I will fight this emulation collection model and I can't even say why I hate it. Probably the developer is a jerk. Probably he uses source code wrongly without permission. In any case; I've been enjoyingthe hacked Menafen. It was hard to set it up without a GUI, but it is actually far beyond those old '01 era emulators. While setting up the CRT arcade cabinet I gathered a lot of files I thought relevant to proper emulation of the system. I found out they're useless; PM for a copy if you wanna extract PCM audio out of data lumps
Follow Nonmame for relevant up-to-date details on which systems shouldn't yet be emulated through the MAME/MESS system because the traditional ones do better than the low level approach employed in the more accurate, but unplayable state MAME uses...

[Jagosaurus]

Wouldn't RA just be using a core based on (or a direct plug) of one of those?

I didn't realize MEDNAFEN had a SS version. No one developed a new SS emu from scratch recently. Wouldn't this also be based the existing emus?

Has development been taken further though in either case?

Found the article mentioned in OP where he mentions finishing the game in an emulator (but with some hurdles). Solid write up on the games history if you're interested. No mention of which specific emulator he uses.

https://www.theringer.com/2018/1/29/169 ... asterpiece

[SpaceBooger]

Those emulators are not relevant anymore. Far outdated.
I'm using a build of Mednafen aimed at accuracy through CRT modeline compatibility.
https://github.com/emu4crt/files
Thread for that one:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=155264.0
Very good for no GUI - it's painful to get it going but it emulates really well compared to those mentioned.
*not tested extensively, but from my tests it is not anything like the mentioned emulators...
Most people use the branches built around the Retroarch model. Can't deny the ease after getting it set up except I refuse to submit. I will fight this emulation collection model and I can't even say why I hate it. Probably the developer is a jerk. Probably he uses source code wrongly without permission. In any case; I've been enjoyingthe hacked Menafen. It was hard to set it up without a GUI, but it is actually far beyond those old '01 era emulators. While setting up the CRT arcade cabinet I gathered a lot of files I thought relevant to proper emulation of the system. I found out they're useless; PM for a copy if you wanna extract PCM audio out of data lumps
Follow Nonmame for relevant up-to-date details on which systems shouldn't yet be emulated through the MAME/MESS system because the traditional ones do better than the low level approach employed in the more accurate, but unplayable state MAME uses...

I just set up Mednafen this weekend to play Dragon Force.
I used this video to install, setup and configure it to run. It's a great tutorial.
I am currently using the Goat shader:

goat - Simple approximation of a color TV CRT look.
Intended for fullscreen modes with a vertical resolution of around 1000 to 1500 pixels. Doesn't simulate halation and electron beam energy distribution nuances.

[Jagosaurus]

Haven't watched vid yet but thanks for link. Will check it out.

Is the SS mednafen emu resource heavy, meaning are you guys running it on a beefy PC?

[Sarge]

I'd go with an older version of SSF, myself. Newer versions freeze up on the last boss cutscene, but I believe dropping back to SSF 0.09 Beta R4 should do the trick. I don't know the kind of resources Mednafen uses with its core, honestly.

[Anapan]

I did not make it far in PDS. It does play on Mednafen.
Beetle is the rebrand of Mednafen for Retroarch; Using Mednafen I experienced no graphical glitches and no noticeable drop in framerate on an early i3 (2100) with a MSI build AMD HD 7400 through a bunch of favorites - About 24 demanding 2 Player games - I set a 10 minute limit tho we did play for over 1/2 an hour on some. The only major tweak I made was setting it to load the entire ISO to ram as the system has it available.

[Jagosaurus]

I'd go with an older version of SSF, myself. Newer versions freeze up on the last boss cutscene, but I believe dropping back to SSF 0.09 Beta R4 should do the trick. I don't know the kind of resources Mednafen uses with its core, honestly.

Thanks! The article writter mentioned his game froze towards the end and he had to dig in old forum threads to find a fix. Assuming this was it.

[Sarge]

Yes indeedy, because I had to do the same digging, ha! Never ran into it before because I'd played on real hardware the first few times. I emulated while writing a feature for an unreleased GameSpite Quarterly. Pretty sure Parish has moved on to the well-researched Game Boy / NES / SNES Works video series. That fits his talents pretty well.