Emulation Looking for resources to help with research into .ini files for N64 Wii U injects.

MasterFox

MasterFox

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First Backstory....

I have recently purchased and homebrewed a Wii U with the express purpose of using it as a bridge between my N64 games and modern displays.
Come to find out that is a lot harder than it sounds.
It would seem the games when installed using the suggestions in "WiiU_VC_N64_inject_compatibility_list" does not always offer the best configuration options possible, but rather what worked best for one persons specific scenario.
I know this because I was able to achieve better results changing 2 things in particular in my series of the same injections in a trial and error process.
These are the BASE ROM and the .ini file for the game, but mostly the .ini file.
I started by analyzing these .ini files and found that they have a lot of similarities across all the N64 games even from different regions, so I started dissecting pieces of every .ini file I have access to.

For example when I add the following that I took from the EU version of Paper_Mario.ini and add it to the US version of the Paper_Mario.ini, most of the graphic issues that were present when using the configuration suggesting in the compatibility list disappear, but new problems arise.

[RomOption]
TicksPerFrame = 940000

[Idle]
Count = 1
Address0 = 0x8005F968
Inst0 = 0x8C620000
Type0 = 1

I found these categories looking through all my .ini files:

[RomOption]
[Cmp]
[Sound]
[Input]
[Idle]
[Render]
[Cheat]
[BreakBlockInst]
[RSPG]
[SI]
[InsertIdleInst]
[SpecialInst]
[RomHack]
[FilterHack]
[VertexHack]

Now on to what I want.....

1. Can someone that either has resources pertaining to .ini files or in depth knowledge of .ini files, help me to learn about them... specifically how to interpret and modify them?
(Any additional insight or resources would be greatly appreciated.)

2. Is it just wishful thinking to suggest N64 injects on Wii U are simply a work in progress and with time they may actually become more compatible than they currently are?

The reason I am doing this is because it just seems like such a shame that something is so..... close to being able to bring N64 titles to modern displays without the need for a pc and retroarch or modding of the original hardware, and I would simply love to see it become a real option to enjoy these amazing games.

Thank you in advance to anyone that took the time to read this to completion or contribute to its goal.
 
G

grandosegood

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i have very limited knowledge on this sort of thing, but i believe that the .ini and the base could potentially allow for more compatbility, but i think there is limited documentation on what makes an .ini run a game that's currently incompatible. for example, when it comes to some romhacks (starstruck, smash remix, overkart/hooting time), i manually add the expansion pak variable, since they seem to recommend it, and usually follow the compatbility for the vanilla rom (though this method doesn't always work, eg, not all mario 64 romhacks can be injected)
 

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Help Users
  • TwoSpikedHands @ TwoSpikedHands:
    yall im torn... ive been hacking away at tales of phantasia GBA (the USA version) and have so many documents of reverse engineering i've done
  • TwoSpikedHands @ TwoSpikedHands:
    I just found out that the EU version is better in literally every way, better sound quality, better lighting, and there's even a patch someone made to make the text look nicer
  • TwoSpikedHands @ TwoSpikedHands:
    Do I restart now using what i've learned on the EU version since it's a better overall experience? or do I continue with the US version since that is what ive been using, and if someone decides to play my hack, it would most likely be that version?
  • Sicklyboy @ Sicklyboy:
    @TwoSpikedHands, I'll preface this with the fact that I know nothing about the game, but, I think it depends on what your goals are. Are you trying to make a definitive version of the game? You may want to refocus your efforts on the EU version then. Or, are you trying to make a better US version? In which case, the only way to make a better US version is to keep on plugging away at that one ;)
  • Sicklyboy @ Sicklyboy:
    I'm not familiar with the technicalities of the differences between the two versions, but I'm wondering if at least some of those differences are things that you could port over to the US version in your patch without having to include copyrighted assets from the EU version
  • TwoSpikedHands @ TwoSpikedHands:
    @Sicklyboy I am wanting to fully change the game and bend it to my will lol. I would like to eventually have the ability to add more characters, enemies, even have a completely different story if i wanted. I already have the ability to change the tilemaps in the US version, so I can basically make my own map and warp to it in game - so I'm pretty far into it!
  • TwoSpikedHands @ TwoSpikedHands:
    I really would like to make a hack that I would enjoy playing, and maybe other people would too. swapping to the EU version would also mean my US friends could not legally play it
  • TwoSpikedHands @ TwoSpikedHands:
    I am definitely considering porting over some of the EU features without using the actual ROM itself, tbh that would probably be the best way to go about it... but i'm sad that the voice acting is so.... not good on the US version. May not be a way around that though
  • TwoSpikedHands @ TwoSpikedHands:
    I appreciate the insight!
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    @TwoSpikedHands just switch, all the knowledge you learned still applies and most of the code and assets should be the same anyway
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    and realistically they wouldn't

    be able to play it legally anyway since they need a ROM and they probably don't have the means to dump it themselves
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    why the shit does the shitbox randomly insert newlines in my messages
  • Veho @ Veho:
    It does that when I edit a post.
  • Veho @ Veho:
    It inserts a newline in a random spot.
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    never had that i don't think
  • Karma177 @ Karma177:
    do y'all think having an sd card that has a write speed of 700kb/s is a bad idea?
    trying to restore emunand rn but it's taking ages... (also when I finished the first time hekate decided to delete all my fucking files :wacko:)
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    @Karma177 that sd card is 100% faulty so yes, its a bad idea
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    even the slowest non-sdhc sd cards are a few MB/s
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjCivnt5t50
  • Karma177 @ Karma177:
    @The Real Jdbye it hasn't given me any error trying to write things on it so I don't really think it's faulty (pasted 40/50gb+ folders and no write errors)
  • DinohScene @ DinohScene:
    run h2testw on it
     +1
  • DinohScene @ DinohScene:
    when SD cards/microSD write speeds drop below a meg a sec, they're usually on the verge of dying
     +1
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    Samsung SD format can sometimes fix them too
  • Purple_Heart @ Purple_Heart:
    yes looks like an faulty sd
  • Purple_Heart @ Purple_Heart:
    @Psionic Roshambo i may try that with my dead sd cards
    Purple_Heart @ Purple_Heart: @Psionic Roshambo i may try that with my dead sd cards