GameZone 1.0 Support Thread

[idkpmiller]

Any comments, questions, or bug reports for GameZone 1.0 should be submitted to this thread.

GameZone V1.0 can be downloaded from the WiKi

http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Plugin/GameZone

Whats New:
Version 1.0
Released 30 March 2007
* Added Winvice Emulator
* Added Virtual Pinball
* Added DreamCast Emulator
* Added DOSBox to support old DOS games
* Added PC Games, which allows other emulators to be supported or even applications depending on configuration
* Change - removed superflous spaces from NES command-line hopefully will fix the issue relating to longer than 255 character command lines.


Please, read the Wiki prior to asking questions just to keep the traffic down.

Enjoy...

[idkpmiller]

idkpmiller

Are those images you have of the two arcade machines hard coded into your plugin. When I had changed the image to something more modern making it a task.png I kept on getting that "OBJECT ERROR". I was able to make this skin mod 16:9 but as soon as you change the graphics that OBJECT ERROR pops-up. I've valudated the skin and all checks okay then you go and run it. Strange I know it can work with the defaults you have. As soon as I change the graphics BANG no dice can't open anything. I wanted to add GameZone to the Intrepid ES line-up.. So I've put it on hold until more re-skinning can be done.

If you got a way to give me more control over the skin for the plugin would be great.

The community skin changed the task.png file fine, I have not hard coded the image anywhere that I can recall, I would suggest looking at how the community skin acheives it. I'm sorry if I sound dense but when it comes to skinning it reflect reality :-(

The emulator images position is hard coded I think thats about it, I keep meaning to make the location skinable but have so far not got around to it.
Could that be causing your problem?

[EDIT] I just checked out the community skin and they just add the task.png image to their skin/gamezone directory and that overrules the task.png in the gbpvr/gamezone directory, hope that helps.

[cracksloth]

it isn't documented in the wiki so i assume that gamezone does not currently support displaying game screenshots? if so, this would be a great feature to add to the wishlist!

i also would like to request a tweak of the favorite system. i want my "favorites" to be similar to a bookmarking system of games that i want to have quick access to (similar to the favorites system in other programs). the current favorites seems like it should be named "frequent" or "most played".

there are many ways to implement this. one method is implemented in the htpc emulator frontend called gameex. when a game is selected gameex will show a game-info page with all of the game options and some information about the game. one of these options is "add to favorites". this method works well and its only drawback is that if you want to play a game you must push select once to load the game-info page and again to choose the "play game" option. this game-info page could also be used for other things like loading game save states, altering the controller layout, or showing a larger version of the screenshot... if you wanted to! obviously, those features can wait a little!

another potential way of loading a "game-info" page is to use the "select" button to load a rom and use the arrow-right button to load the game-info page. that way, it no longer takes 2 presses to load a game (the most common action) yet it is still easy to access the game-info page when needed.

anyway, keep up the *great* work with gamezone! keeping special configs for each supported emulator is *very* smart - most frontends try to make a generic commandline interface for all emulators and unfortunately, each emulator has its own unique quirks that make this type of configuration difficult.

[idkpmiller]

it isn't documented in the wiki so i assume that gamezone does not currently support displaying game screenshots? if so, this would be a great feature to add to the wishlist!

I am only doing bug fixes at the moment, I may pick GameZone up for additional features when work life eases off.

i also would like to request a tweak of the favorite system. i want my "favorites" to be similar to a bookmarking system of games that i want to have quick access to (similar to the favorites system in other programs). the current favorites seems like it should be named "frequent" or "most played".

I understand that the current Favourites is really a most played feature, however you could argue if it is really a favourite it would appear in the most played list. remeber the number of game in the list is configrable so it could easily cover multiple people using the system with opposite tastes.

there are many ways to implement this. one method is implemented in the htpc emulator frontend called gameex. when a game is selected gameex will show a game-info page with all of the game options and some information about the game. one of these options is "add to favorites". this method works well and its only drawback is that if you want to play a game you must push select once to load the game-info page and again to choose the "play game" option. this game-info page could also be used for other things like loading game save states, altering the controller layout, or showing a larger version of the screenshot... if you wanted to! obviously, those features can wait a little!

I like some of the things suggested here, and I think the concept is good; just not a priority for this to be implemented right now.

another potential way of loading a "game-info" page is to use the "select" button to load a rom and use the arrow-right button to load the game-info page. that way, it no longer takes 2 presses to load a game (the most common action) yet it is still easy to access the game-info page when needed.

I have considered an INFO buttone above the BACK when you are in the ROM directories, so you would highlight the ROM and then move left highlight the INFO and select this would provide Screenshots, information about the games and other stuff. more moves - true but also easy to ensure the user really wanted to do this and it keeps one press select to play the game.

anyway, keep up the *great* work with gamezone! keeping special configs for each supported emulator is *very* smart - most frontends try to make a generic commandline interface for all emulators and unfortunately, each emulator has its own unique quirks that make this type of configuration difficult.

Thanks for your great suggestions, I am not sure where GameZone is going and how much enhancement will be done other than bug fixes. I am considering a new plugin to work on in any spare time I have. The problem I have is this was done for my Kids to play with and they have now passed through the phase and rarely use it, meaning my main source of motivation has gone.
The next plugin is to be motivated by me, the danger there is I may grow bored and stop it before I actually have a working plugin :-)

Cheers

[cracksloth]

I am not sure where GameZone is going and how much enhancement will be done other than bug fixes. I am considering a new plugin to work on in any spare time I have.

sad to hear but i totally understand. it was actually your plugin that brought me back to using gbpvr! it's been needing a good emulation plugin for quite awhile. i hope you can find some time when things slow down a bit... or maybe you could release the source code?

thanks again for all the hard work!

[idkpmiller]

@Cracksloth,

I really appreciate what you have said. I will add your comments to the balance of starting a new project versus additional features in GameZone when the time comes.

Thanks

[ShiningDragon]

Thank you, thank you, thank you

But i have another request for an emulator (which just was updated a short time ago).

It's called "SSF" and it's a SEGA Saturn Emulator! No, no cheat, no joke! I use this emu ~2 years and it's meanwhile nearly perfect in emulating real Saturn Systems.

I'll give you a link to this emulator (the link translate the original language to the english one):




Ah, and another question:
Is it possible to use own EmulatorPICs? And give them an alternative Name on the display? (e.g. instead "ePSXe" "Playstation 1"), and use an IconView for the Emus and ROMS?

[idkpmiller]

You should be able to add new emulators using the 'PC Games' feature, see wiki for details.

Iconview, requires a fundamental change in the window that displays all the files and the code changes would affect major portions of code, its not likely to happen unless I get a sudden urge to learn about the listview more, and currently I dont get enough time to scratch my head let alone think :-)

The images can be replaced with your own, the Emulator names I have chosen is currently used for quite abit of hidden code to understand where you are and which emulator is being used this would mean adding a display name section purely for cosmetic reasons, not really a big issue and will be considered when I get time to do additional features in GameZone.

I hope you get your emulator working if you get stuck, post the issue here as I suspect you may be the first guy outside of testers to try it.

Cheers

[azrealhk]

Noob question: How do I get mame to work.

1: Installed gamezone, and OK.
2: Installed mame in /program files/..../gamezone/mame directory
3: In config set up mame enabled, pointed to exe, set to "game specific" etc.
4: Downloaded "crash.zip" game and put into ..../gamezone/mame/roms directory
5: Add "mame","mame roms","*.zip","..../gamezone/mame/roms" in paths...ADD
6: "Build Rom database"
7: Ok,OK exit config.

Enter into GBPVR->GAMEZONE->MAME

Nothing, no game listed etc.

What am I doing wrong?

BTW, latest version of all software as of today.
GBPVR:0.99.12
mame:114b

[idkpmiller]

Noob question: How do I get mame to work.

1: Installed gamezone, and OK.
2: Installed mame in /program files/..../gamezone/mame directory
3: In config set up mame enabled, pointed to exe, set to "game specific" etc.
4: Downloaded "crash.zip" game and put into ..../gamezone/mame/roms directory
5: Add "mame","mame roms","*.zip","..../gamezone/mame/roms" in paths...ADD
6: "Build Rom database"
7: Ok,OK exit config.

Enter into GBPVR->GAMEZONE->MAME

Nothing, no game listed etc.

What am I doing wrong?

BTW, latest version of all software as of today.
GBPVR:0.99.12
mame:114b

I think step 5 is your problem it should be zip for the extention not .zip

Hope that helps