It's simple, just say "Yes" or "No" in this thread to evaluate the real interest on this category. Additional comments and thoughts in the SAME POST in which you voted are allowed (example: "Yes, because I think this version deserves it" or "No, because there are enough categories already".
Voting will last 48 hours (until Saturday 5 at 11AM GMT+1).
Conditions for the creation of RE2 GCN Emu category:
- If the category gets created, it will need detailed information about what's the best Dolphin version and configuration to run the game properly in the category description.
- If this category is inactive for more than a month, it will be deleted (since we want to keep emu categories to a minimum).
- No other category will be removed in compensation (EX levels).
Yes. As long as all the other categories stay like they are. And yes we have a PC version but who cares we add more categories, it's not like we are on this site 24/7.
Yes, I'm of the opinion that people should be able to run on whatever they want and have their work shown for it. This would also be the best platform for beginners because it'll be the shortest RTA version by far, I myself am also sick of hearing Kendo/Marvin 10,000 times a stream, so it'll be good for experienced runners/people on a very very low budget like myself.
Yes. Testing the stability and consistency of Dolphin vs GC/Wii is going to take time for those who are willing to participate in that activity. I'd be willing to share settings I use when I'm running the game and see how it fares with others.
Yes. It will make some people happy, drama will reduce and most importantly its the most beginner friendly version (lowest RTA and save states).
However if the board isn't active for quite some time I agree that it should be removed. If that happens I don't wanna see another drama about it.
Yes.
But only because of this "- If this category is inactive for more than a month, it will be deleted (since we want to keep emu categories to a minimum). "
Yes
I'm completely in agreement Zenix. This is how every discussion/decision should be handled, so thank you for this compromise. I'm surprised this thread has remained diplomatic.
Since this discussion originally started, i have been testing the dolphin emulator and can only praise its performance, and am almost at the conclusion that's near as perfect. I have tested RE2, PAL, NTSC, NTSC-J and they all reflect the same stable FPS as console. The only thing that is worth noting, when going through a door, or activating a CGI cut scene (not that the cut scenes matter) the FPS shoots up to 60FPS before returning to normal upon entering the next area. I can only assume this is down to the coding/optimising of the EMU. The limiter causes door loads to lag/stutter, so it's pointless implementing that.
The only test that remains is the side by side test (which just so happens to be the most important). I will only be doing this with NTSC-J seeing as it's the most desirable. Having run GC EMU a number of times myself and visually compared strats and player performance against EGT's of other runners, it appears to be virtually the same as the console. That being said, i want facts, not speculation and anecdotal evidence. xPessimism will run the console version and compare FPS, EGT and RTA very soon.
A couple of things to note: Display input should be standard on emulator - This minimises cheating at face value. You could still cheat i know, but it's minor risk control. I will post some settings that i have been using on the EMU that i would recommend as standard. I have tested most of the setting variances and these are the most stable. If we need to alter them to cater for other players, this is fine.
These settings (including FPS) was tested by making several save states in game that each had unique things/moments that may impact the games performance and comparing the relevant data. Limburger and myself agreed that the first licker hallway was a fairly sensible area to begin with seeing as it has two door loads, a change of music, a CGI cut scene and fast animation changes from the licker. The same things were also tested at Birkin 2, seeing as the background is in motion (which is unique when you think about it). Anyway, my point is that standard emulator settings should be enforced from the outset. I know this sounds silly and obvious to some, but it's easier to set standards/rules now, rather than running into issues later. We don't a runner to play the "stupid card", claiming not to know any better. This usually creates a huge argument.
Finally, I know a lot of people say this emulator runs like crap but i would like to stress that this emulator is somewhat PC intensive to run. My argument - you probably won't be able to run it, the same way you won't be able to run REmaster on PC. It's not an emulator issue, it is a hardware issue. That isn't a reason to dismiss the category.
I know there are a few runners that arent happy about this change and there are a lot preconceptions on certain categories e.g. N64 & Dreamcast is the worst versions. Let’s remind ourselves, this is about time optimisation of each category and having fun (a novel thing i know). Regardless if you think PC is the best or not is subjective. The only thing that PC naturally suggests is that it's more competitive, therefore the time is more LIKELY (note that word) to be optimised. I'm trying to dismantle the prejudice views against certain categories/versions etc. For example, Limburger is a few steps away from potentially proving that DreamCast is actually the most optimal console version to run. This version is hated just because of a short sight from the community. The lesson - Don't always take things at face value. Any run has the potential to be more optimised than PC, just because PC is the fastest, it doesn't make it the best run overall. Please don't dismiss categories and players for that reason alone.
This isn't about attacking other runners, this is about recognising that this is objective and fair. It should be noted going forwards as a community.
If people still don't agree with this, Zenix said it best. When RE2 & eventually RE3 remake happen, we can all play the standard PC, PS4, Xbox One versions. Until then, let’s open the doors to the community and address a market that is easily accessible.
Happy running everyone!
P.s - congratulations on reading all of that.
I'd rather say no, but it is going to be added anyway.
When it does it has to be to the very right of the leaderboards. Because there are no runs for it and is not a very official category because of the debate of the legitimacy of dolphin.
That being said, this is not a chance to get a free WR.
I vote Yes.
(And to respond to Furry, no, this is only about PC-based GameCube emulation. Trance, the category will be right after GCN, as PS1 emu is right after PS consoles. I'm pretty sure GCN emu will be way more active than DC and N64 so it will get filled up with runs really quick)
I have to agree Dolphin has weird performance, but at the same time it is demanding compared to the likes of an emulator such as PCSX2. I've had my fair share of crashing on RE2, RE3, REmake, and Zero. RE2 requires a little tweaking for me to get it to work with no hassles, but it's the one game I can play consistently without crashes.
In regards to testing and comparison, we're going to need more than the game's FPS. The actual frames in-game are what we need to look for in the emulator. I haven't got around to recording a lot of Dolphin gameplay since I have to sit down and figure out load times that everyone can agree would be the best to monitor and examine. Once we start seeing consistent numbers across the board, we'll be making progress to proving the emulator can compete with the GC itself (akin to the PS1 emu).
Limburger posted this in the other thread so I figured I'd post it again for people to use as a reference to this test. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1874ZXENeZz2mA4Ln-vJ-CC16JD-wZRwppxRvqT_LFJg/edit#gid=0
If anyone wants to record their Dolphin gameplay for testing, enable the dump frames feature via Options > Graphics > Advanced and check the dump frames option (here's a picture of it https://gyazo.com/ca978a806189f98b16cf6cdb5f2ddfb6). Depending on how well your system can handle it, your game will be lagging a lot during the recording process according to the format you choose. I believe the actual footage won't have the lag post-process and will run smooth in Virtual Dub, which is where all the frame monitoring will be going on. I've had the same issue with PCSX2's recording function, but the actual video came out fine. I'm using an Xvid codec to render the recordings which is less taxing and I get much less lag compared to the uncompressed format while I play. The only issue I have is during playback VirtualDub will run the entire footage at 60 FPS. Conversely, I'm required to adjust the FPS to 30 during actual gameplay vs doors/FMVs that run at 60.
Also, I'm not sure if recording Dolphin gameplay outside of the emulator would be a good idea. I could be wrong, but I just feel like recording through the emu itself captures the game more accurate. So, this is going to take a lot of people's time to do. A lot of footage collected from various people both emu and console are going to be needed to ensure that the statistics have been thoroughly tested and are accurate, but it has to be done.
Link to Virtual Dub http://www.virtualdub.org/download.html
EDIT x3: I would also suggest enabling show lag counter on Dolphin to see how many frames you drop while playing. Emulation > Show lag counter. This only pertains to anyone who wants to test Dolphin's performance load times. I believe there's a revision of Dolphin that also has a frame counter that the stable versions lack, but I have to look into it and find out which one X). I take the 60FPS comment on FMVs back lol. I think they're 30 FPS after playing them back through VDub x.x
Yes, I would love to run some scenarios with no cut scenes off my PC
Well it is obvious that it is going to win sooooo... let's talk about the Dolphin build people should use, and specific rules about showing FPS/Frame counter, inputs, etc. so we get this done ASAP
Yes: 16 No: 1
Please send me the info about the version we should allow (last one like Furry says, or one in special) and any additional stuff we should put as rules.
Thank you for participating!
I bet that runs will be submiited before we even establish the rules DansGame
Edit: and we also gotta scroll sideways to see Dreamcast now. GG http://www.speedrun.com/re2
