Dracula X Extended mod patch by paul_met

[paul_met]

A few graphic bugs in certain areas, like when lightening strikes at the top of the screen here:

I do not see such a bug on the emulator. It may have something to do with your hardware.

This enemy colour isnt right:

It looks like you were using patch version 1.2. Thank you for the report. This bug is due to the activation of Gouraud shading, which is not compatible with translucency.

Is there another button that the map could be assigned to? What is the L button used for now? Could that be used instead?

Since the so-called "third hand" appeared in the version for Saturn, it occupied the "L" button. So, there are no free buttons left. Therefore, a combination of buttons is used to call the global map.

 

[Knight0fDragon]

This was fixed in the patch v1.2.


I'm afraid that this will not work with the current implementation of the map. The global map data is loaded into VDP1 memory, but before that, the current data is cached in the buffer so that the map data does not overwrite it. It is likely that this was done due to the lack of VDP1 memory, otherwise the developers did not need to cache the data and call the map separately (without overlapping on the current screen). In the PS1 version, the global map data is initially loaded into video memory and remains there throughout the game. The PS1 video memory is sufficient, as it is not divided into parts, as it is done in Saturn.

I have no intention of using the map code that the game provides. I am playing around with using VDP2.

 

[Knight0fDragon]

After playing it a while, I really don't like the expanded screen because it breaks some rooms visuals (you can see the bg at the top of a room). Also I don't like the artwork change on the character selection screen, looks really out of place and a bit amateurish. And the alternate outfit Richter at the Bloodlines stage does not make sense since that was 5 years ago in the Rondo game, not in the game present day.

Everything else is really good and welcome.

He enables the alternative outfit be default (Up + C for Richter), maybe try that to use his other costume?

 

[paul_met]

I have no intention of using the map code that the game provides. I am playing around with using VDP2.

To display the animation of the cursor, which shows the current location of the hero, you still have to use VDP1.

 

[Knight0fDragon]

To display the animation of the cursor, which shows the current location of the hero, you still have to use VDP1.

i have plenty of VDP1 space for the cursor

 

[TrekkiesUnite118]

This enemy colour isnt right:

This is a side effect of VDP1 transparency. It doesn't work reliably on Paletted graphics. It only works reliably on 15-bit RGB graphics. Since SotN is mostly all paletted graphics, this is most likely why the developers went for mostly using Meshes. There are a few spots where it can work correctly, but this is one where it doesn't work. Another area where it breaks is the intro sequences to new areas with the transparent box showing the name of the area. If you move forward before it disappears Alucuards colors go bonkers. It also happens with Richters sprite during the prologue fight.

I do not see such a bug on the emulator. It may have something to do with your hardware.

When you start dealing with nuances with VDP1 and VDP2, most if not all emulators don't accurately replicate a lot of their more intricate behaviors and are a lot more lenient than the real things. So unfortunately those kind of oddities can only be found on real hardware.

 

[paul_met]

i have plenty of VDP1 space for the cursor

The point is different - do you have enough skill to animate the cursor by pausing all the rest of the animation of VDP1, and then resume it?

When you start dealing with nuances with VDP1 and VDP2, most if not all emulators don't accurately replicate a lot of their more intricate behaviors and are a lot more lenient than the real things. So unfortunately those kind of oddities can only be found on real hardware.

So, does on your Saturn displaying the same strange effect after lightning as described above?

 

[TrekkiesUnite118]

So, does on your Saturn displaying the same strange effect after lightning as described above?

I'd need to give it a try later and see.

 

[Knight0fDragon]

The point is different - do you have enough skill to animate the cursor by pausing all the rest of the animation of VDP1, and then resume it?

I am using Richter/Maria's pause routine as base code to achieve this. Skill is not something I am lacking in lol.

 

[Flupper]

Idk, if this has been reported, is an emulator issue or if others have the same issue.
The skulls seems to have some kind of "Predator camouflage", they're hard to spot, especially the small ones can be tricky.
I'm using v1.2 patch (Beetle-Saturn)

 

[MVSBruiser]

So, does on your Saturn displaying the same strange effect after lightning as described above?

I'm using a Jap Saturn with a Fenrir FYI

Also, do you have a paypal or Patreon where I can throw you a coffee?

 

[TrekkiesUnite118]

Idk, if this has been reported, is an emulator issue or if others have the same issue.
The skulls seems to have some kind of "Predator camouflage", they're hard to spot, especially the small ones can be tricky.
I'm using v1.2 patch (Beetle-Saturn)

That's most likely due to how VDP1 50/50 blending works when the colors aren't direct RGB values.

 

[paul_met]

Idk, if this has been reported, is an emulator issue or if others have the same issue.
The skulls seems to have some kind of "Predator camouflage", they're hard to spot, especially the small ones can be tricky.
I'm using v1.2 patch (Beetle-Saturn)

Yes, this is the same story as with the frozen lady earlier. Fixed for both skulls.

I'm using a Jap Saturn with a Fenrir FYI

Also, do you have a paypal or Patreon where I can throw you a coffee?

Not yet, but I'll think about it.

 

[Ardiloso]

I noticed this mist is wrong. It shouldn't be on the foreground, the buldings are half covered by it this way.

Edit: Ah, since my saturn is back at it's box, I'm playing this on retroarch on Xbox Series X so I don't know if it's a particular issue there but the browsing on the librarian shop is sloooooow. It takes a long time to move the cursor.

 

[paul_met]

I noticed this mist is wrong. It shouldn't be on the foreground, the buldings are half covered by it this way.

Edit: Ah, since my saturn is back at it's box, I'm playing this on retroarch on Xbox Series X so I don't know if it's a particular issue there but the browsing on the librarian shop is sloooooow. It takes a long time to move the cursor.

The priority of the fog has been changed - now it is inside the castle, since there was no other way to make other elements translucent.
The slowdown in management in the librarian's shop has something to do with the translucency of the large window with the list of items. The exact reason has not yet been established.

 

[TrekkiesUnite118]

So is that part actually supposed to be fog or is it the clouds in the background?

As for the slowdown, is the menu done with VDP1 transparencies? If so VDP1 is slow at drawing those so if that's made up of a ton of those that could be what's causing the slowdown.

 

[Knight0fDragon]

So is that part actually supposed to be fog or is it the clouds in the background?

As for the slowdown, is the menu done with VDP1 transparencies? If so VDP1 is slow at drawing those so if that's made up of a ton of those that could be what's causing the slowdown.

yes. The menu has a bunch of VDP1 textures, nothing is VDP2 (shop wise)

 

[Ardiloso]

So is that part actually supposed to be fog or is it the clouds in the background?

it's the mist/fog originally behind the mountains.

 

[paul_met]

As for the slowdown, is the menu done with VDP1 transparencies? If so VDP1 is slow at drawing those so if that's made up of a ton of those that could be what's causing the slowdown.

I do not know what translucency has to do with the controls in the buy / sell items window, but this is precisely due to the activation of HT.

 

[TrekkiesUnite118]

I do not know what translucency has to do with the controls in the buy / sell items window, but this is precisely due to the activation of HT.

Well if it's made up entirely with VDP1 sprites it's probably causing a performance drop. Half Transparent sprites can take up to 6x as long to draw as normal sprites. So if there's a bunch of them and they're all overlapping each other it's probably just too much for VDP1 to handle.