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Stable framerate in Project 64...

Bentastic

New member
I can't seem to figure out which settings to use in order to maintain a stable framerate while using Project 64.

I'm playing Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon, which I realize is a rather obscure title, but as far as I'm aware I don't think the ROM itself can be causing the problem. I downloaded the most recent version of DirectX and read up on a few of the FAQs on how to get games to run properly, but I cannot figure it out. Most of what I read about emulation is like a foreign language to me. Basically I'm asking which setting I should use in order to keep my framerate at 60. There's nothing else wrong with this ROM when I play it other than it slows down when I move around a lot.

I quit out of all other programs while running PJ64 and my computer is pretty quick, so I'd assume it's not my hardware that's preventing this from running properly, although I could be wrong. Any advice?

Thanks,

- Ben
 

Clements

Active member
Moderator
You need to use Rice's Video for this game. PC specs make no real difference with this game.
 
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Bentastic

New member
Rice's Video? Is that a separate downloadable piece of graphics software for Project 64?

- Ben
 
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Bentastic

New member
Thanks for the link, I appreciate it.

However, there aren't any instructions for installation, so I just dropped the two plugins into the Plugins folder of Project 64. I'm getting errors that they can't be loaded. If someone could point me in the direction of some instructions, that'd be awesome.

Thanks,

- Ben
 

Agozer

16-bit Corpse | Moderator
You need to put Bmglib.dll in the emulator folder, not in the Plugin folder.
 
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Bentastic

New member
All right, sweet, it's running...

...but it's still just as bad, if not worse. It looked better graphically with the other video plugin, which wouldn't bother me if this actually made it run smoothly, but it doesn't. Sorry for being such a pain in the ass, but I don't know who else to ask about this kind of stuff. Should I just give up and buy the game on eBay?

The ONLY reason I want this to work is to play this game, because it's one of my favorite games of all time. I don't care if it looks crappy, I just want to be able to play smoothly.

This is what kind of computer I have: Compaq Presario SR1220NX

And that's all I know. No upgraded graphics card or anything and no added ROM.
 

Enzo Dragon

STFU, NAVI
A little research on this guy's computer came up with the standard specs that Compaq ships that model with:

Intel Celeron 2.93 GHz
512 MB RAM
Intel "Extreme Graphic"

=/ Couldn't find any more info on "Extreme Graphic". I hope this helps people help this guy, anyway.

I'd like to remind Bentastic that a stable framerate on PJ64 is nearly impossible, most certainly on a computer like your's. It SHOULD run at a playable level, however. 58 - 60 FPS is normal, in my experience.
 
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Bentastic

New member
I have two copies of the game in my parents' attic. One of them my curious younger brother decided to smash open with a hammer, possibly seeking candy surprises inside? I honestly have no idea, but that was years ago. In fact, I think I was 8 or 9 when it happened. Seeing as I'm almost 20 now, that's quite a while back. The other copy I simply cannot find. Hell, I don't even know if the broken one is still up there, let alone the (possibly) working one. Anyway, the point is, I've purchased the game on more than one occasion.

As for the stable framerate, what I meant was a playable framerate. I don't mind a fluctuation of 2-5 fps, so if it's running anywhere between 55fps and 60fps or something that's awesome. However that's totally not the case on my computer. It's running at everywhere from 12 to 60, averaging at around 27, which is far from playable.

I've played this ROM on my old eMac computer using Mupen64, and I had the same problem. Yet I could play Super Mario 64 without a single glitch. I'm starting to wonder if it really is just the ROM that's busted and not my computer's lack of superior hardware. I ran Mystical Ninja 64 on 1964 and it had the same problem with the framerate. It's driving me crazy! I've been wanting to play this game for almost 6 years, and I finally have it right at my fingertips, but I can't get it to work. :(

- Ben

P.S. Sorry for the ridiculously long posts. I tend to blab relentlessly and before I know it, I've typed a novel.
 
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Enzo Dragon

STFU, NAVI
I have two copies of the game in my parents' attic. One of them my curious younger brother decided to smash open with a hammer, possibly seeking candy surprises inside? I honestly have no idea, but that was years ago. In fact, I think I was 8 or 9 when it happened. Seeing as I'm almost 20 now, that's quite a while back. The other copy I simply cannot find. Hell, I don't even know if the broken one is still up there, let alone the (possibly) working one. Anyway, the point is, I've purchased the game on more than one occasion.

As for the stable framerate, what I meant was a playable framerate. I don't mind a fluctuation of 2-5 fps, so if it's running anywhere between 55fps and 60fps or something that's awesome. However that's totally not the case on my computer. It's running at everywhere from 12 to 60, averaging at around 27, which is far from playable.

I've played this ROM on my old eMac computer using Mupen64, and I had the same problem. Yet I could play Super Mario 64 without a single glitch. I'm starting to wonder if it really is just the ROM that's busted and not my computer's lack of superior hardware. I ran Mystical Ninja 64 on 1964 and it had the same problem with the framerate. It's driving me crazy! I've been wanting to play this game for almost 6 years, and I finally have it right at my fingertips, but I can't get it to work. :(

- Ben

P.S. Sorry for the ridiculously long posts. I tend to blab relentlessly and before I know it, I've typed a novel.
I have no idea what Toxic Hobo was on about (it's illegal to buy something on e-bay if you don't dump the ROM yourself? Wtf, dude?), but I'm going to look at this game myself and see what I can do.

EDIT: HOLY $#@%! This game consistently drops to 30 FPS, and sometimes drops to 15 FPS, even with (to my best understanding of it) the least taxing settings set in Rice's Plugin.

To be honest, I really thought that this was going to be the fault of your hardware.

Sorry I couldn't be of much help. =/
 
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Toxic Hobo

New member
It's illegal to have the rom on your computer if you don't own it. Asking if he should buy it on ebay made me think he didn't own it but his other post clarified things. Sorry for the misunderstanding Ben
 

Clements

Active member
Moderator
Rice's Video (with Fast Loading Tiles option checked, should be enabled by default anyway) + 1964 gives me 60V/Is consistent with no slowdown. There is the odd glitch, but these can be fixed using an older version of Rice's Video/Daedalus. If you are not using a plugin that has this faster loading tiles option, the framerate will always be very slow no matter if you have Blue Gene or not.
 

Iconoclast

New member
Quit blaming the problem on his PC. It's the core emulator causing the slowdowns. Just use Nemu64 to play this game, and it'll go away.
 
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Bentastic

New member
I load the ROM into nemu64 and I get this message:

"nemu64 has encountered an error and will have to restart."

I tried putting the ROM in the same folder as the emulator and drag/dropping it, but I got an error saying the plugins couldn't be loaded. Basically it looks like nemu64 isn't the way to go, unless there's something I'm missing about how to use it.

As far as what Clements said, I need to download older versions of both Rice's Video and Daedalus? Are there specific versions I should look for? Oh and I wish I knew what Blue Gene was. Hell, I wish I understood any of what you said, but unfortunately I'm still mostly in the dark. The last time I tried 1964 with Rice's Video, I got a glitch at the bottom of the screen in addition to an averaged 30 fps. I'll try it with an older Rice's Video and let you know what happens.

Thanks,

- Ben

EDIT: Whoa! I gave nemu64 a shot one more time, and it's running at 57-60fps FLAWLESSLY! But wouldn't you know it, a new problem presented itself. The textures are totally out of whack. When things are supposed to be exploding, giant white squares appear, the ground looks like the sky, etc. etc. If there isn't a fix for it, I'll live. I could barely get myself to stop playing to type this message, but if there IS a fix, I'd love to know. :D
 
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Enzo Dragon

STFU, NAVI
Looks like the game shade's the bits itself rather than relying on a colored texture. I'm not sure if your PC is to blame or not, though I only tend to get this problem (non-colored textures, like Link's tunic staying white) on older computers.

If it really matters to you that much, I would suggest trying Rice v10 (at least, I think that that's the last version from beta) in PJ64 or 1964. I don't know if you can transfer your saves from Nemu64 to one of the other two, though.

There might be a fix with Nemu64, but I'm not familiar with the emu, soooo...
 
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Iconoclast

New member
Oh, and I missed your issue you mentioned. In Nemu64, press F8. Do you see an option to change your graphics plugin? It should say "Nemu64 Graphics." Change it to "Rice's Daedalus." If the option does not appear, make sure you have Rice's Daedalus installed under Nemu64's plugin subfolder, which, btw, is named 'Plugin'. Basically, installing Nemu64 to the same directory where you have Project64 installed in will make the option show up.
 

Clements

Active member
Moderator
Quit blaming the problem on his PC. It's the core emulator causing the slowdowns. Just use Nemu64 to play this game, and it'll go away.

It's a video plugin issue, not a core emulation problem. The reason why Nemu64 is not slowing down is that you are probably using Lemmy's Video plugin, which solved the slowdown issue that affects most other video plugins. Switch to Jabo's in Nemu64 and the slowdown issue returns.
 

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