Ok, I'm going to stick with the layout Krakatos suggested:

# Playground version: official playground release 1.0.0395 (and any other self-compiled ones)
# Cpu eerec on, vurec0 and vurec1 on, MTGS on
# Plugins used: Gsdx 0.1.12 or zerogs 0.97.1, spu2ghz 1.9.0 or zerospu 0.46
# Description: Game will show a black screen after showing the "Sony Computer Entertainment.." writing. It actually continues to run in the background but the screen will remain black mostly. When you do a quickload of a in-race savestate, it shows something yet graphics are messed up.
You need to disable both VUrecs in order to make everything look the way it should. It also works in all current non-playground versions.

I'm sure this is a known issue but since theres no GT4 thread 'till now, I figured it can't hurt to start one.

And you did well in starting one. We are aware of the problem, and we know a solution. At least, a solution for the NTSC version. I can't test because of that, but since the problem is identical in the ntsc version I am supposing it will work for PAL too.

We will keep this thread as a note to remember us the problem, AND I will post the workaround here now, so you people can hopefully play

You can keep all the options in the cpu dialogue on. MTGS; vurecs, everything.
Go to speed hacks, select "nothing"
Then click exactly 2 times on the "Disable Vu Overflow Checks" hack. It's the first one. You will notice that you get a grey tick. If you read the description,you'll see that means extra overflow checks. With these on, the game works as it did before.

If you want to enable more speedhacks then, try adding them one by one, I frankly didn't try so I don't know what will work.

Let me know if this fix works in the PAL version too

Well, what can I say? This workaround really helps a lot. Menus and all are working without flaws. However when in a race there still seem to be some errors which aren't present in the non-playground PCSX2. Kinda spiky-polygonish, not on the car but on sometimes the surroundings.
I can take a few screenshots later if that'd help.

yeah i already have a dump of the game that i've tested.

so far with the 'extra vu overflow checks', theres some minor graphic corrections in the menus compared to the official build (the official build cuts some graphics in half)

but asside from those minor fixes, nothing much has changed.

looks like alot more work is going to be needed to get the game working correctly.
and i'm not sure, but gsdx might be responcible for some of the graphic corruption.

I've taken two screenshots in which the corruption is very noticeable: The first one shows the current playground release with extra vu overflow checks, the second shows the current non-playground release
       

(12-12-2008 10:10 PM)cottonvibes Wrote:  and i'm not sure, but gsdx might be responcible for some of the graphic corruption.

Yes, there are minor texturing problems depending on the "Logarithmic Z" setting. Might work correctly under DX10 though.

I noticed that if I run the game from Run>Execute, it works fine. If I run from File>Run CD/DVD it hangs after "Sony Computer Entertainment" screen. Using this workaround I got in menus, but when I get in the races, it shows like the screenshot.
Using pcsx2-playground 1.0.0395, GSdx 0.11.2, Gigaherz's CDVD Plugin 0.7.0, P.E.Op.S. SPU 1.9.0.
Btw, is this work with GT3 [NTSC]? Gt3 hangs too after the "Sony Computer Entertainment" screen.

(12-12-2008 11:42 PM)lightchris Wrote:  I've taken two screenshots in which the corruption is very noticeable: The first one shows the current playground release with extra vu overflow checks, the second shows the current non-playground release

hmm, i didn't know the garbage textures weren't in the non-playground pcsx2 builds.

i might have to look into that more then.

(12-13-2008 05:24 AM)psyalemao Wrote:  I noticed that if I run the game from Run>Execute, it works fine. If I run from File>Run CD/DVD it hangs after "Sony Computer Entertainment" screen. Using this workaround I got in menus, but when I get in the races, it shows like the screenshot.

what you need to do is press Start at the beginning of the race, then one of the options should say "Gamma Correction", and you need to set it to +3 and it fixes the graphics (it was either +3 or -3 i don't remember)

Theres been garbage textures in GT4 before playground. I remember seeing those in the standard svns ages ago back when I used to use Rainbows custom vu-skip to get improved speeds in that game.

When the game used to crash or freeze on me back then, that would usually be the last thing I`d see on the screen before the crash. The big question is whether it is the gfx plugin causing them, or pcsx2.

How are all of you people managing to get into races btw? Ever since a few gsdx revisions ago GT4 has crashed on me every single damn time just as a race is about to start. It will do the count down and get to "2" then BAM, crash. Nothing I`ve tried has worked. Would absolutely love to be able to play that game in pcsx2, more than almost any other.

(12-13-2008 08:02 AM)cottonvibes Wrote:  what you need to do is press Start at the beginning of the race, then one of the options should say "Gamma Correction", and you need to set it to +3 and it fixes the graphics (it was either +3 or -3 i don't remember)

I didn't find Gamma Correction options, there is only Brightness and Contrast. I tried to change them to +3 or -3 with multiple combinations and didn't work.

(12-13-2008 03:39 PM)icemann Wrote:  How are all of you people managing to get into races btw? Ever since a few gsdx revisions ago GT4 has crashed on me every single damn time just as a race is about to start. It will do the count down and get to "2" then BAM, crash. Nothing I`ve tried has worked. Would absolutely love to be able to play that game in pcsx2, more than almost any other.

Oh, my fault. I can't get into a real race with AI drivers either. Only time trials are working. Also, not every track is playable.