Dark Cloud 2 [SCUS 97213] (U)
#1
status=5;
version=1.7.0;
console=PS2;
crc=1DF41F33;
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img_f=empty;
wikiurl=Link;
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Intel Core i7 920 @ 3.4 Ghz | 6 GB DDR3 RAM in Triple Channel | GeForce GTX 285
2.5 TB Hard Drive Space | Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Official betatester of PCSX2
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#2
PC Specs:

CPU: Intel Core i7 @ 3.4Ghz
GPU: Nvidia GTX 285 768MB

Build Description: PCSX2 13 11 2012 1.1.0 r5452- Windows
GSdx 5442 SSE41 [29 10 2012]
LilyPad 0.11.0 [09 10 2012]
cdvdGigaherz 0.8.0 [09 10 2012]
USBnull Driver 0.7.0 [09 10 2012]
SPU2-X 2.0.0 [21 11 2012]
DEV9null Driver 0.5.0 [09 10 2012]
FWnull Driver 0.7.0 [09 10 2012]
USA v02.00(14/06/2004) Console
DC and MTGS | VU1Rec and VU0Rec | rCache 0 | Console 1 | Patches 0

EE/VU Clamp modes: Normal/Normal
EE/VU Rounding: Chop/Chop

Speedhacks Used:

N/A

Gamefixes Used:

N/A

Amount of testing done (little/medium/much/completed-game): medium

Comments:

Status is unchanged. Runs above full speed.

Bugs:

N/A

Status
Playable
Intel Core i7 920 @ 3.4 Ghz | 6 GB DDR3 RAM in Triple Channel | GeForce GTX 285
2.5 TB Hard Drive Space | Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Official betatester of PCSX2
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#3
PC Specs:
Ryzen 5 2600x (Running most of the time between 4.1-4.2Ghz when PCSX2 is running)
Nvidia RTX 2080
Windows 7
Using GSDX DX11 mode

Build:
PCSX2 1.7.0-20200704164713  (v1.7.0-dev-113-g91e7c5b7f)f
(AKAThe last build that doesn't break DX11 in Windows 7)


Speedhacks used:
MTVU -Speed increase
Gamefixes used:
EE Timing Hack - speed increase

GSDX settings:
Allow 8-bit textures
Large Framebuffer
Bilinear(PS2) filtering
Mipmapping-basic
Blending accuracy-basic

Round Sprite - Half (To fix some text errors)
There are other modes you can use to further help but they affect the way distant effects like LODs and the DOF blur are rendered. There isn't really a combination that fixes everything. Only what you are willing to deal with.


SPU-2X settings and general comments.
PortAudio in WASAPI Exclusive mode
Mixture of Async mix and TimeStretch mix modes.
Regardless there can be some glitches with music sequencing or pops and clicks sometimes with either mode at random times. Once in a while the sequencing will break and there will be stuck notes.
Reset fixes it.

I don't know if these issues are due to one of a few things potentially; Windows 7 (Different behavior when any kind of Vsync is used compared to Windows 10); using Scanline Sync  ; running the game with an unlocked framerate and syncing to monitor refresh instead of the internal limiter (needed for Scanline sync anyway or at least you need to set the internal framerate limiter to 60.00 instead of 59.94 through the .ini When there are no performance issues this means you get basically 0 stuttering);etc.

Async mix generally works great with this game and produces the fewest issues in my experience though. If there is a scene where you are going to drop frames or slow down it will be able to keep the audio smooth and in sync enough that you won't notice.
TimeStretch mix mode even when you can keep full speed without issues can cause audio glitches instead. These can frequently happen when in the inventory menus or when the game is switching from 60FPS to 30FPS and vice versa. Loading in a new area with TimeStretch is always accompanied by some kind of audio glitch. (Again this could be due to my specific setup.).

Either way the issues aren't major and a reset or changing from one mode to the other for some time and back fixes a lot of issues.


Reason why MTVU/EE Timing hack are used. This is Windows 7 specific I think. For whatever reason, what tends to happen in Windows 7 with PCSX2 when using Vsync of any kind is that you will get slowdowns or drops below 100% in often specific and repeatable areas that don't run at 90+FPS without any kind of speed limiting enabled. I've tested it in Windows 10 and the behavior doesn't happen there.

This doesn't matter whether you are using:
Aero+No Vsync in PCSX2 enabled
Aero+Vsync enabled
Aero+OpenGL+Vsync forced through drivers
No Aero+Scanline Sync
No Aero+OpenGL+Forced driver Vsync (Which does give functional Vsync)

Unless you are hitting more than 90-100FPS it will always slowdown under 60FPS with Vsync enabled to 30-40FPS. If you hit over that number, it continues chugging along at fullspeed no issues.
Using the EE Timing hack and MTVU increase the performance enough to avoid these performance drops with Vsync in Dark Cloud 2 with my setup 99% of the time. Interestingly enough, early in the game seems to have more performance issues than later in the game. The first 2 chapters or so I ran into quite a few areas with drops (Before I figured out the MTVU+EE Timing). Mostly in Sindain and Palm Brinks. (Only in the town areas).  Later game areas have almost zero issues.


The game uses a distant DoF effect even with the background blur option turned off. (which just brings it closer).  It's always lower res and at the point it draws in and out it creates some ugly seam lines almost like opening a book. This happens even in Software mode. Using some of the vertex offset options can change how this behaves but not completely fix it. But those will also affect how characters are rendered in the distance, how the cel shading works and also LOD pop-in. So find whatever you are willing to deal with.
I am unable to check this against real hardware as my PS2 is in storage in a closet somewhere.
All I can compare it to is the PS4 PSN version that is emulated. As I intended to play it there but the horrible performance issues and broken frame pacing make it essentially unplayable. From what I have seen there, the DoF and distant model draw distance are handled much nicer and look natural. As is the pause screen and the thumbnail in the in game menu. (They are rendered at render resolution instead of original native res.) However I don't know if those behave that way due to some game specific hacks they have turned on for that release or not and how that compares to the original on real hardware.
The PSN version though has completely broken 30hz frame pacing and performance issues though. There is constant stuttering and if there isn't the game almost feels as if it's constantly slowing down and speeding up. Very ugly.


Amount of testing done: Completed game (68 hours on save file. Closer to maybe 80-100 hours including all the resets, game overs, and tweaking to find the right options)

Status: Playable (I'd say closer to perfect honestly given I think my issues are due to my setup.)
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