Problem With Sonic Adventure 2

[ja_master]

hi, guys

i've got a problem (maybe an inemulable part) with sonic adventure 2 (echelon and not echelon versions).
the game runs flawlessly to me, but when in hero story mode, when knuckles is gonna fight against King Boom Boo, i can't see him when he hides in his shadow under the ground (i can see the rings, boxes and stuff shadows, but the character and bosses ones not)
a friend have the GC version and told me that this boss can be defeated when he hides and you gotta dig in the precise moment when his shadow is under you, the attack him a couple of times and when the clock close the windows i gotta repeat that step.
this is not my problem, my problem is that i can´t see the ghost when hides and you gotta pick him by his shadow.
that can be fixed with "3d analyze" per example?, is an inemulable part (that chankast can't emulate the character and bosses shadows)? or is my 3d agp card the "guilty" (isn't pixel shader capable)? (it's a ATI Radeon 7000 series w/64mb and tv out, not pixel shader capable) (yeah, that's not a very fast card but it's cheap and without glitches in most games, besides my pc isn't TOO FAST).

that problem sucks, but anyway, if i download a savegame (.DCI or .VMI/.VMS of the game) after this boss, i can play very good through the remaining story, but i want to play the game COMPLETE, not skipping that parts and using savegames that have a different stages and emblem progress than yours.
and the problem is ONLY this stage, either in the other stories (dark and last) i can play normally.
so,
if anyone can tell me something about my problem or something, help me
plz

my pc specs are:

celeron 2200 mhz (overclocked from 2000 mhz), FSB 466 MHZ, 128 L2 cache==> (that's why my pc isn't so fast) (the cache size)
512 mb ram PC2700 (333 Mhz)
dvd writer (samsung TSSTcorp ts-h552u)
cd writer (samsung sw-248b)
40 gb hard drive (it's too short for my needs)
radeon 7000 series (64 mb w/tv out)(350 mhz)


sorry if my english isn't so good (i'm from chile)

 

[Mouser X]

From what I've read, it's an emulator problem, meaning that it's just faulty emulation. I think I read about it on the ngemu boards (not sure though). Whatever boards they were has a compatibilty forum, where people can post the game, or post about the game if it's already on board, and tell how good it works, and what problems it has. A few people there said that Chankast doesn't emulate the shadows properly, and that the ghost guy (I think it was, anyway. To me, it sounds like the guy you're trying to beat) is really hard to beat because of this. Based on what you've said, it sounds like it's a game of chance to defeat this guy, when emulating it. Maybe it is a shader problem, and your card simply isn't good enough for it. Whether that's the case or not though, you're not the only one expierencing this problem. The only suggestion I can provide is, play with Chankast's settings (Z write, Z alpha test, wireframe, ect.) and see if that helps at all. Also, memorize patterns, and timing. Maybe you'll get lucky enough that you can tell, usually, when he's under you, so that you can attack that way?

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but hopefully it does make some small difference. Mouser X over and out.

 

[ja_master]

thanks a lot MouserX, but even with the z write, alpha test z write and wireframe option i can't see anything.
i'll try that you said it's possibly my 3d card problem, and try it on another computer of my friends or relatives,
it can be a pixel shader feature that the characters and bosses shadows can be emulated PROPERLY (my card isn't pixel shader capable), that may be the reason i can see that shadows.

thank you MouserX

if anyone can tell more or help me about this problem, please do it
plz

 

[Sonicjam]

yeah sonic adventure 2 is not nVidia friendly with the emulator, like you got a Ati its just an emulation problem like that guy said

 

[ja_master]

mmmmmmmmm, so, it's my 3d card incompatible 100% with that game
thanks,

then, what 3d card can run "flawlessly" in this game?
or, who is playing that game and doesn't have my problem?

any help is helpful
please

 

[Agozer]

mmmmmmmmm, so, it's my 3d card incompatible 100% with that game
thanks,

then, what 3d card can run "flawlessly" in this game?
or, who is playing that game and doesn't have my problem?

any help is helpful
please

No card can run it flawlessly. It's just slightly less buggy with an ATI card.

 

[ja_master]

mmmm
that's a shame
thnks anyway

 

[iNvERTIgO]

Unfortunately, I've also had this problem, and it's an issue with the emulator itself. The shadow just doesn't show up, and it doesn't matter whether you are using an ATI or nVidia card (I tried it on a Radeon X300 and a GeForce 6800 GT). No amount of fiddling with 3DAnalyze yeilded any results, either.

However, it is still possible to defeat him. It just takes a great deal of patience and luck. When he is in the ground, the camera points (very loosely) in his direction. If you fly in a circle around the column, you'll notice that the camera angle will turn around at some point. This occurs when you pass by him. Basically, you need to keep doing this, and try to get a feel for when the camera is about to whip around, and dig into the ground right before it happens. If you are lucky, you'll be right over him, and you'll yank him out of the ground.

Unfortunately, he sometimes goes up the side of the column. When on the wall, the camera is much more rigidly focused on Knuckles than on the boss, so it's very difficult to locate him when he does this (though I've done it a few times). My suggestion would be to fly near the column when he first disappears into the ground, in order to scare him away from it.

Once you get the feel of his movement, it should be relatively easy to dig him up the first few times (I can get him down to his last bit of health in less than ten minutes). Catching him for the last hit, though, is major pain in the ass, since his movement speeds up dramatically. I spent the next 20 minutes trying, until I accidentally restarted the battle. I haven't tried it again since then.

There are few extra things worth mentioning. Most importantly (and obviously) you must learn to dodge his attacks perfectly, and fortunately this isn't too difficult. To be on the safe side though, you should be careful to avoid picking up more than one ring at a time, since you have a limited supply. Also, if you've never fought this boss before on a real DC (as I have), you should know that once you dig him out of the ground, he'll run away from you, and you have to chase after him and hit him with an attack.

I'm now getting the feeling that I've wasted my time typing this, because I doubt there are that many people out there crazy enough to actually waste their time trying this, but oh well. The only alternative I can think of that would allow you to keep your save file would be to compare it to other saves in a hex editor, and try locate the exact bits that represent the state of this boss battle (or perhaps your progress through the hero campaign).

P.S. A final alternative would be to actually get your save file loaded onto a VMU and beat the boss on a real DC, though I doubt this is an option for most people.

 

[ja_master]

yeah, i've hit him a couple of times, but not more of 3 times.
its very difficult without the shadows
also you can chase him hearing the sound that makes when is in the ground,
if the sound is more loud than any place you can jump and dig over that place rapidly, but is more more more difficult this way than your way to "with luck" defeat him.
unfortunately i don't own a real dreamcast (they weren't sold very well in here, chile), but, i can still buy one via ebay, etc....., but i haven't so much money to buy it, besides i'm a high school student and i don't have money.
the first time that i saw a dreamcast were in my friend's house with quake 3, unreal tournament, sonic adventure 2, sonic shuffle (i don't liked it so much the only time that i played it, but, i've downloaded it and wanna play it again in chankast!!!!).... but later he sold it to buy a PS2

anyway, i've played this game in his DC before, but i never achieved to that boss (i only achieved to shadow in hero story mode, the only story that i played on his DC), because i'd played it a couple of times (without any skills on this game)(also, we mostly played that game mainly because the 2 Players race mode.....it's too fun do the special attacks) on his DC after he sold it.
i love that game, before he sold it, he made me a copy.....very kind (he knew that i loved the game by the first time i played it) and i love to play it IN Chankast as many times i want (the only thing is that 2 Players mode its buggy, the two players screens mix one each other.....very sad).
however, i can play without any bug through dark and last story with a vms vmi savegame file that has only the hero story completed (so i can play the another ones).

thank you anyway,
bye