sega dev running games

[raylyd]

how can i run a game runing on a dev box runing from hard drive i have ripped the files
i have track01 track03
and track02 raw
how on earth can i get a game runing please
i only need to be show once and then from there i will be fine
anyone please help me

[Evangelion]

Hi raylyd
Thanks for your contribution and your sharing with Hellgate and GK datas.

First, you need to extract data from track03.iso.

http://dumpcast.thekickback.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=534#534

or use isofix tool with 45000 as LBA value and extract with Winrar the resulting "fixed.iso"

Then you need to create a project with GD Workshop and delete track 04 and 05 in order to use track03.

Put all the files in track03.
Put dummy files in track01 (copyright, abastract etc..) and track02 (like warning.da)

Check "Pad Track" option

Create an ip.bin with IPMaker (you can put it in english)

In GD Workshop :

Set System area single with IP0000.BIN
Set System area high with IP.BIN
Save your project
Switch to emulation mode and run the game.

NOTE : You can not run Shenmue or Crazy Taxi on a devbox.

[raylyd]

ok thanks i will try that could you tell me why crazy taxi will not run on a dev box i like that game and shenmue there good games thanks i am uploading a game from my dc with my bba so i will rip lots of my game that i know that will work

[Evangelion]

CT and Shenmue doesn't work on a dev box because an (perhaps...) additional hardware is required, a NAOMI dev hardware.

[raylyd]

hi i am happy that i can run stupid invaders
but sadly i cant do the the same for sonic adventure
heres a photo please tell me what am i doing wrong
http://assemblergames.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=707&stc=1&d=1235212187

[Evangelion]

I can't see the attachement, can you "image shack" it ?

[raylyd]

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3120/30022166.jpg

[Evangelion]

Check the Disc tab and verify if you have set IP.BIN and IP0000.BIN correctly
Tick the Pad Track option

The error log say "track 2 is too small" verify if warning.da is in D1S1T2 directory on your dev HDD

If not, copy warning.da in this directory, this should fix the error

[raylyd]

ok thanks i will try now you are the best for helping me

[raylyd]

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5789/sonic1s.jpg
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/1994/sonic2.png
i have done as you said and its sayin problem building the file table for emulation
failed to prepare an emulation
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3389/sonic3b.jpg
thats my settings
i thank you for your help mate

[Evangelion]

Go in Tools menu and "Check File versions" If you got an error, you can copy the missing files directly to the katana using the explorer ;)

[raylyd]

sorry i have been offline because my internet has been down for a few days lol
i am uploading files for sonic e3 show
the files are ripped so you can see if you can get them up and runing
thanks

[raylyd]

heres link for sonic adventure E3
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QTC03Z4R

[Evangelion]

Your katana is on R11 alpha or R10 ?

[Evangelion]

It's a 100% working version, i have tested it on my devbox (R10 software updated)

But I'm sure you have made a mistake

First, save your project and delete 1ST_READ.bin and put it back on the third track (so your file will be placed at the end of the disc)

Save your project again.

Now you need to set IP0000.bin and ip.bin

Get this file : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3MT10R1G

And do this :

http://img502.imageshack.us/my.php?image=02katana.jpg

If you don't set your workshop like this, then the katana can't get the 1ST_READ.bin

[raylyd]

R10 sdk i am now using i was useing a older version i will see if it works i cant see why not i will let you know

[raylyd]

i have done what you said

[raylyd]

i found a ip bin info
hears the picture
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/6343/sonicipinfo.jpg
says it four tracks

[raylyd]

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7631/soincadventure.jpg
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/7497/sonicadventure1.jpg
i have tryed and tryed if you could you upload the files from your pc please as this is drivn me crazy if you can or have time like thanks for your help

[raylyd]

hi got sonic adventure limted edtion proto type working
but the e3 version refuses to load must have corrupted files
have you got a set of files from track 3 please
i got sonic adventure 2 preview to work so i am doing things right
i thank you for your support

[Evangelion]

I can package the files you have sended to me.

My R10 SDK can run this game I will try to make a Ready To Use pack :)

I'm making a "How to" video to show my good way.

My way is particular, in order to avoid "Warning MAIN: Failed to prepare emulation" message.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9XBC4H34

NOTE : My Katana HDD is FAT32 formatted.

[raylyd]

hi i clicked on my video enjoy but said page not found

[Evangelion]

Corrected ;)

[raylyd]

hi thanks and now works thanks to you

[mathieulh]

ok thanks i will try that could you tell me why crazy taxi will not run on a dev box i like that game and shenmue there good games thanks i am uploading a game from my dc with my bba so i will rip lots of my game that i know that will work

The reason these games do not run on a dev box has absolutely nothing to do with hardware at all, it is because these games look on the flash for the console region strings (to know what video mode they must enforce themselves to) (for instance when they see 211Dreamcast they are going to be set to 50hz (and usually display some choice between 50 and 60hz because the DC region video setting is on PAL50) on the other end, if it is set to 010Dreamcast then it is going to go straight to 60hz because the video output is set to NTSC60

The problem with that is that unlike the retail consoles, the region and video modes are enforced on the bios itself (the code from 0x120 to 0x16C is the one that does the trick) because of that, the devkit flash does not have any region string (it is filled with 0xFF). Thanks to that, the games that look for the video mode settings in the flash to know what video output they must be set to, do not find any proper value and that is precisely what makes them crash.

If you have any doubts you can test it yourselves, just set the region string on the flash to 0xFF (it would be best if you patch the bios first so it wont perform the region checks, otherwise the disc will fail to boot(because the region string will be corrupted)) (to do this go to 0x51E and set the value to 08A0)

I hope this solves yet another mystery.

P.S. this also means that writting an actual region string to the flash (despite that the dev bios does not use it) will allow you to run all those unworking games on your dev box. (assuming the flash on the devkit is fully writeable)

[Evangelion]

So, if we can modify the katana flash (not bios) we can run shenmue and other games ?

How can we disable this feature on the 1ST_READ.BIN to avoid reading flash and force VGA or Video mode ?

[mathieulh]

Yes you just have to modify the flash however make sure you DO NOT set the 0x0001A000 bit to 30 (the first 0 of the 00XYZDreamcast ASCII string) or you are going to brick your dev box (the bios refuses to boot if this value is set) You can set the other values fine though (so you just have to write 0XYZDreamcast instead)

As for disabeling the feature in 1st_read.bin I have no idea since I never looked into it before.

[raylyd]

if you get this working let me know or pm me please

[Evangelion]

I don't know how to rewrite flash memory on the dev box

[mathieulh]

Probably the same way as on retail, through software (I doubt you actually have to solder the R512 on +12v like on retail, beside if you did I am not sure it is worthed to start soldering on a dev box motherboard for such a purpose, but my guess is the entire flash content is probably writeable through software on those already. Too bad the region changer isn't open source :/

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

Couldn't you acutally use your modified bios and flash on NullDC then use the "backup flash" option of region changer to dump the entire flash onto a virtual VMU, then put that file on a real vmu and used the Region changer on a retail DC (with RC mod done) to replace the retail flash witht he DEV one and remove the RC mod, then replace the bios with a chip ?

Just an idea ...

FG

[mathieulh]

Or you could just patch the bios before replacing it, then no need to even touch the flash. I thought we were talking of dev boxes here though :p

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

Well, the devkit BIOS can be easily flashed using a software that come with it.

Any chance you release your hacked bios?

FG

[Quzar]

The problem with that is that unlike the retail consoles, the region and video modes are enforced on the bios itself (the code from 0x120 to 0x16C is the one that does the trick) because of that, the devkit flash does not have any region string (it is filled with 0xFF). Thanks to that, the games that look for the video mode settings in the flash to know what video output they must be set to, do not find any proper value and that is precisely what makes them crash.

Are you sure of this? It seems the only way to verify this would be to modify the RO area of the DCs flash. I suppose this could be done on an emulator, so have you tested it?

Better yet run it with debugger on devkit and monitor the flash to see when it's read/written to.

It just seems odd to me that the region check function of such games would not take into account the possibility of them being run on a devkit.

[mathieulh]

Yes I have tested it on an emulator and it confirms it, the games (sega games such as shenmue 1 & 2, crazy taxi etc etc) wont run (even on retail bioses) when the region information is missing from the flash, when it is there they run fine even with hkt-0120 bios.

[Quzar]

Yes I have tested it on an emulator and it confirms it, the games (sega games such as shenmue 1 & 2, crazy taxi etc etc) wont run (even on retail bioses) when the region information is missing from the flash, when it is there they run fine even with hkt-0120 bios.

Ok, cool. Btw, I didn't mean to attack your conclusions, just wondered if they were speculation of proven ;).

It's quite possible from your method though that the games check if it's a devkit (which SEGA perscribed to be done through a register, not by reading the bios) and regardless of the bios enabled, the emulator will tell the game it's a retail DC.

The official libs had a number of checks for hardware revision to enable workarounds when necessary, so this doesn't seem to far fetched.


anyways... assuming you're right and they don't do any sort of check for devkit-ness (other than looking at the bios).

Since we know what flashrom block holds region info, and the workings of the syscall that gets flashrom info, it should be relatively easy (but non-trivial) to have that syscall read from a pre-made block when called on the RO block. AFAIK it's not possible to write to the RO area even on a devkit (though I've not tested).

[mathieulh]

well it can be done on a retail with a simple soldering, the dev box is probably the same, it might even be writeable directly, since I do not own a katana, I could never try to write the setting myself.

[Jackhead]

I can package the files you have sended to me.

My R10 SDK can run this game I will try to make a Ready To Use pack :)

I'm making a "How to" video to show my good way.

My way is particular, in order to avoid "Warning MAIN: Failed to prepare emulation" message.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9XBC4H34

NOTE : My Katana HDD is FAT32 formatted.

Thanks alot for the avi! Explain a lot what to do :clap:

[VitAmen]

woohoo, i got halflife running on my katana, i'll check if loading times are better that on a standard dc... :)

[VitAmen]

hmmm...no visible improvement...