Dark Cloud graphics bugs and resolution problems?

[Ogulf]

Hello forum. I am new here and so apologize if this query has been resolved before but I couldn't find anything about it. Firstly here are my specs:

Asus N75S Laptop
Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU 2.00ghz duo
8 gig ram
64 bit win 7
Nvidia Geforce GT 555M

And here are what I'm guessing are the relevant configurations please tell me if I missed something.

Renderer: D3D10 Hardware
Interlacing: Weave bff sawtooth
Shade boost is ticked
Texture filtering is ticked
EE and IOP are both set to recompile
Round mode is set to hack/zero
Blocking mode is set to null
EE and VU speedhacks are set to 2
mVU Flag hack is checked but I have confirmed that it isn't causing any of the graphical errors.

From what I understood of the recommended specs (granted it wasn't necessarily a whole lot) I should be able to run Dark Cloud smoothly and I can but only with the native internal resolution which makes everything look pixelated and as if there are horizontal lines in the pixels which sort of tear when an actor moves. The view distance is also a lot shorter than it normally is and there is a third bug which causes most of the menus, the hud, and all highlightables to have pink outline boxes around them.
Now the reason I'm posting here instead of assuming that my cpu is just too slow to run it in higher internal resolutions is that according to the monitor in game both the EE and the VU are only at about 30% when run in custom 1920x1020. What is even stranger is that they appear to climb to 60-70% when I run the game in native despite the framerate being more then doubled and stable.

Is there anything I can do to fix this or speed it up enough to run it in higher resolutions? Any help would be greatly appreciated and if there is something I've explained poorly or missed to mention please just ask.

[nosisab Ken Keleh]

The internal resolution scale is a post processing, it is done at the GPU side on the plugin and do not affect that much the emulation itself if the video card can cope with it.

But it can introduce issues in some games. mainly when the chosen output isn't a multiple of the native resolution, sometimes the multiple of the native resolution is actually the problem due to some odd pixel offsets are present or the image is someway malformed.

That's a known issue with some games, including Dark Cloud, Grandia and some others. Sometimes it may be corrected by careful choice of the custom values. Making it the monitor's native resolution may not be the best result.

Anyway, that video card is not strong enough to high values of upscale, is advisable keeping and experimenting values between 1080x1080 to 1200x1200. You may be surprised on how much it improves the image and the game fluidity. some value in between those may remove the lines also.

[hellbringer616]

You can also use the tc offset hack in the latest svn

But from what you're describing thats not native resolution. I only see those when upscaling

EDIT: not sure what i did but i seem to have broken the rendering in my game, or my iso somehow got messed up, i'll check later.

Anyway to solve your line issues turn texture filtering off or on half (3d only)

[Ogulf]

Thanks for the replys! However I'm not quite there yet, how do I know if it's upscaling? I have the native resolution ticked that's all I know. And also what is the svn? Nosisab thank you for a very reader friendly post. I will try finding a good custom value. However I am seeing slowdown even when I am on the nativeX2 or X3. Not necessarily as much though. I will post back when I find something.

[nosisab Ken Keleh]

Thanks for the replys! However I'm not quite there yet, how do I know if it's upscaling? I have the native resolution ticked that's all I know. And also what is the svn? Nosisab thank you for a very reader friendly post. I will try finding a good custom value. However I am seeing slowdown even when I am on the nativeX2 or X3. Not necessarily as much though. I will post back when I find something.

the 555M should be able to get by with 2x, I believe. There is a possibility of the Intel graphics is active? if so that surely is the main problem.

SVN is the method (one could understand as the place also) to keep and control software development. You can download the newest versions from the PCSX2 main page.

That may be specially useful if you can't see the option to chose the video adapter at the GSDX plugin and grant the Nvidia card will be used instead the Intel's. I mean, that option exist in the newer versions.

[Ogulf]

Thanks again for the swift and informative replys! I followed all you're suggestions and it seems that yes it was in fact running on my intel card so now I can run it with 50 fps stable on a 4x multiple which solves view distance and pixelation, and swapping the texture filtering solves the pink outlines and the "screen tearing"(?). The new emulator version has caused some occasional sound stuttering but I should be able to solve that myself and then it's time to get nostalgic! I'll hang around the forums as well and see if I can return the favor by contributing something else.

Edit: fixed a typo and a profanity.