Growlanser Save Game Freeze / Playstation Clock Not Saving Time

[Blyss Sarania]

Yeah, the source is readily available here: https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2

Normally the latest revision can be got from http://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2 but since the code got moved from SVN to GIT the buildbot has stopped and it won't have any newer revisions until Orphis updates it. I have been providing unofficial versions here and I just built the most recent code a few minutes ago, so you might give that a go! But remember, it's unofficial and hence unsupported!

[Kolrath]

So far rev 5927 has had 0 freezing, going 2 days strong and not a freeze yet.

I just now gave the game a shot using r5932. I was able to repeatedly cause the save game freeze. All I did was launch PCSX2, launch the game, load my saved game, and immediately try to save. The date on that save shows as being errored out and if I attempt to save again I get the freeze.

The workaround of reloading and saving a save slot with a proper date until you get another slot with a proper date in saved still works though.

I even tried starting up a new game entirely (tried it twice) and it froze on my first save attempt.

I then went and downloaded r5929 that you were using. I had the exact same result of getting the freeze and being able to use the workaround.

If its not too much of a hassle to you... could you post your hardware specs, your emulator / plugin settings, and any other information that might be relevant (such as the SLUS # of your game) ?

If you've really been having no freezing issue during your playing I'd love to pinpoint the solution to it.

Additionally if you have time would you be willing to do a test for me on your system? The test would be ...

After having just turned on your computer, launch PCSX2 (its important that it hasn't been running before you do the test), launch the game.

Then load a save slot that has a realistic date showing on it. Save into a different slot and see if the save you just made has an impossible date on it. If the date is impossible (like 00/00/2000) then try immediately saving again into that exact same slot and see if it freezes. If it doesn't freeze the first time then try another time or two and see if it freezes.

If possible try this entire process, of quitting PCSX2 entirely and re-launching it and the game, and let me know if you're encountering the freeze or not.

Thanks in advance, whether you test it out or not.

---

Normally the latest revision can be got from http://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2 but since the code got moved from SVN to GIT the buildbot has stopped and it won't have any newer revisions until Orphis updates it. I have been providing unofficial versions here and I just built the most recent code a few minutes ago, so you might give that a go! But remember, it's unofficial and hence unsupported!

Good to know! I may have to check out your own unofficial builds for my own enjoyment of PCSX2. Thanks for mentioning it.

As for the testing of this I'll likely hold off until there is an official release available. I prefer using the buildbot because its quick and easy so I'll likely wait for that to be updated.

[rama]

Okay, I've put in some debugging prints regarding the real time clock code and the game
appears to only read it when saving. Since it gets the date and time right 50% of the time,
the code itself is probably alright. It must be failing shortly after being read from the RTC.

[Jwalters0814]

So I took you up on the challenge here, and this is what I found out.

If i save once and don't save it again immediately i can save throughout the game with 0 freezes. timestamp is always 0's.
However if i try to save over and over again, after about the 5th consecutive save i get the freeze with this error in the console.

(FileMcd) Warning: checksum sector overwritten. (1)
(FileMcd) Warning: checksum sector overwritten. (1)

So maybe I am just getting lucky when saving my game when not encountering said bug. but i can definitely assure me saving a few times back to back reproduces bug.


*EDIT *EDIT *EDIT

I dug much much deeper into this, went as far as disabling Enable Wait Loop Detection, and I am now able to save 1000 times in a row with a Proper time stamp. Here is proof.
http://prntscr.com/39hnr5
After leveling some and saving another 20 times.
http://prntscr.com/39ht45

[Kolrath]

Okay, I've put in some debugging prints regarding the real time clock code and the game
appears to only read it when saving. Since it gets the date and time right 50% of the time,
the code itself is probably alright. It must be failing shortly after being read from the RTC.

That's awesome that you put in a way to check that in game. I hope that all this can lead to an actual fix for this issue.

Yeah the playtime, date, and time are certainly wonky and don't always update when you save. In all my testing though I've found that the only one that actually indicates a possible freeze is the date being messed up.

While playing and testing Growlanser 3 using the workaround method I haven't had a single save game freeze that I didn't intentionally cause. My playtime and time on my saves is pretty much never updated accurately, but I've never had a freeze so long as the date has been fine.

I've put in almost 13 hours in the game so far and despite numerous battles, events, re-loads, saves, etc... I still haven't had a freeze so long as when I first fire up the game I load and save until the date isn't messed up. So long as I make sure I'm playing on a save with a good date from the start of my playing session I haven't yet seen it revert back to being a messed up date.

If there is anything that I can do to aid in solving this feel free to ask. You guys created this awesome program that lets me enjoy my old games new ways so I don't mind putting in some time to assist if I can.

[Kolrath]

So I took you up on the challenge here, and this is what I found out.

If i save once and don't save it again immediately i can save throughout the game with 0 freezes. timestamp is always 0's.
However if i try to save over and over again, after about the 5th consecutive save i get the freeze with this error in the console.

(FileMcd) Warning: checksum sector overwritten. (1)
(FileMcd) Warning: checksum sector overwritten. (1)

So maybe I am just getting lucky when saving my game when not encountering said bug. but i can definitely assure me saving a few times back to back reproduces bug.


*EDIT *EDIT *EDIT

I dug much much deeper into this, went as far as disabling Enable Wait Loop Detection, and I am now able to save 1000 times in a row with a Proper time stamp. Here is proof.
http://prntscr.com/39hnr5
After leveling some and saving another 20 times.
http://prntscr.com/39ht45

Ha ha. Wasn't really a challenge to you. Just trying to find out why we are getting different results and see if a solution like a specific setting or something can be pinpointed.

I appreciate you doing some testing and posting your results!

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to duplicate your results on my end at all. I've tried testing this all out again using r5919, r5929, and r5932.

I have noticed that while playing with a save file where the dates are 0's if you save right away after getting that its virtually a guaranteed freeze.

Also, as you mentioned, if you don't save right away you can continue playing and your next save may work. This was how I went through the early parts of Growlanser 2 before I started digging into the issue.

If I continued playing on a save that had 0's in the date and any new saves I created also had 0's in them then I would eventually freeze. It was just a matter of time.

For me the freeze would simply have the game sitting there like it was saving and the music would continue playing. I never got any error messages or other such things displaying in the log though.

I tried repeatedly to get the "(FileMcd) Warning: checksum sector overwritten. (1)" you got to show for me, but I never got it.

As for your updated information of disabling the speedhack of "Enable Wait Loop Detection"...

I had already turned off all the speedhacks when I first started looking into the freezing issue. I re-tested again and even tried setting my speedhacks to default and only disabling the wait loop one, but it made no difference. I would still get the save game freezes and can repeatedly reproduce them.

So I don't think that the wait loop detection speedhack being disabled is a solution for this problem. If it is then its certainly not the solution on its own.

I ask that you don't misunderstand anything I'm saying here. Its not that I don't believe the things you're saying, its that I haven't been able to reproduce your results in a controlled and repeatable way. Its quite possible that there is a difference, even a minor one, between our settings or something that's causing this discrepancy. So I'm not doubt you or saying you're wrong at all. I'm just trying to pinpoint what is giving us the different results.

Thanks again for your time and any additional updates or information would be greatly appreciated.

***UPDATED***

I just went and took a second look at your screenshots that you posted. In both of those screenshots you have a realistic date showing on your save slots. In this case (04/13/2014). From everything I've noticed in my testing as long as you have a date showing your game will not experience the glitch unless PCSX2 is restarted or you load a save state that previously had a save game glitch out in it.

During my playing of Growlanser 3 so far I haven't had a single freeze except the ones I cause intentionally for testing. In all cases I first ensured that my save had a realistic date... at which point I can save as much as I want without issue. I save a LOT as well. Like every time I talk to someone, before and after leaving a town, immediately upon entering a town, after I get a new item, etc. I actually think my saving habits might be stepping into OCD territory.

[Jwalters0814]

No worries I know you mean no harm by it. Might I add that those saves with proper dates were previously 0's until i turned off said speed hack. turning it back on re enables the save bug. My settings are as follows.

1.3.0 rev 5932 (5927 exe)
EmotionEngine Recompiler
IOP Recompiler
EE/FPU Chop/Zero
Clamping Normal.

VU0 microVU recompiler
VU1 microVU recompiler
VU0/VU1 Nearest
Clamping mode normal

Speed hacks on
EE cyclerate 1
VU cycle stealing 0
Enable INTC Spin Detection
mVU Flag Hack
MTVU


Direct3d12 (same as Direct3d11 if you have an older gpu)
Auto interlacing
2x native (3,4,5,6x natives have no effect)
Enable shade boost on
Enable FXAA on
Enable FX Shader on
Texture Filtering off
Allow 8Bit textures on
Enable HW hacks off
4 Extra rendering threads
Edga Anti Aliasing on


I am running windows 8
CPU I5-2550k overclocked to 4.6ghz
32GB Gaming Ram timing 9-9-9-24
Radeon 290X Tri X 4GB 512 bit GPU running in SLI but disabled
1 TB HD 7200
120 GB SSD

make sure game is not loaded when you make the change to the speed hack. also if you have a corrupt save, when you load it from start screen, with speed hack off, you have to load it again from in game, then re save, and problem will overwrite the bugged save. tested several times again just now and problem definitely goes away. hope im helping you get closer




Screen 1 speed hack on, bug reproduced
http://prntscr.com/39jvmt
Screen 2 game closed, speed hack off, applied, saved, game ran, loaded from start screen, loaded AGAIN from in game menu, saved with speed hack off
http://prntscr.com/39k16k

doesnt matter if i close the emulator and load the game 100 times, save still works via this method. Hope this has helped.

Sometimes, from a bugged save, when you load and save, you have to reload / save / reload / save. this is if you already have a bugged save. Once the time / date is there, problem usually goes away from bugged save game.

[R4iltracer]

Hello gentleman, I've just registered to be able to share my solution with you all for this old but gold game.

I'm currently running it on the latest version of PCSX2 (it is fairly better than when I used to play some of the ps2 games on the emulator)

First of all: the issue of the memory card freeze.
I've managed to solve it by unplugging and plugging back the memory cards and playing around with them MEANWHILE the game was working. Once you get your memory cards to work as you need to make sure to keep always a save state from where to continue on, since that way you won't have to repeat that process.

Secondly, the issue of the freezes after battles (the mission complete freeze).

I've come around a fairly reliable solution (note, you'll still need a few tries, but saving the state slightly before you're ending a battle requires you at most 10-20 seconds to reach the same point again)

Here's the hacks you need to activate first:
1- Disable all of the speedhacks (the game should be smooth already even without the need of hacks)
1.1- This is not necessary, but some ppl have had issues with graphic bugs etc and in my case I only had 1 occurance hence I suggest to use x3 native.
2- Make sure to enable: EE timing hack, skip MPEG hack, OPH flag hack, ignore DMAC, "Switch to GSdx software rendering when a FMV plays".

Now, those things should generally work by themselves, but It happened sometimes that my game would freeze anyway. What I'd do is save state slightly before finishing a battle and in the case the freeze happens, simply rewind to your latest save slot and retry by doing even just 1 thing differently (instead of attacking, def then attack or mov then atk etc). Sometimes it works even without having to do something particularly different, but ironically it seemed to "change" the outcome.

This solution is by far not 100% reliable, but it managed to help me move on from this bug on a fairly good reliable speed.

Lastly, for those who've the freeze at boot: simply smash your X and skip that cursed vid.

I wish you all fun and enjoy this awesome game

[Slayn]

I do not know what I've touched, but now I was able to save tons of times. I haven't tryed to see if it freezes after completing a mission, I'll update in a while. It does freeze when running the game and pressing X button to skip the intro, so don't do that until the FMV intro has started.
   
Thoug I still get this error:
   
I will leave my emulator config on the next coment.

[Slayn]

They are in Spanish, let me know if you want them in English.