How to play "Shin Megami Tensei" Games (Guide)
#1
Hey Guys,

Here´s my guide to play Shin Megami Tensei related games, especially for Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne, Persona 3 & Persona 4.

I´ve uploaded a Rar File wich can be downloaded here (updated 27.05). This File includes the Pcsx2 Revision 1272 and newest Beta plugins. With these Files, you´re able to play Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne perfect as it can be!
Persona 3 & 4 are also working very well with this Revision.

When finished downloading the Rar Archive, extract it somewhere and copy "pcsx2 1272.exe" and the Folder "Plugins" in your Pcsx2 installation directory. Important : You have to delete or rename your "INIS" Folder before you start the Programm.
Important too : When done, start the Programm with "pcsx2 1272.exe".(You have to reconfigure Pcsx2)

Here is what you have to set in your configuration :

Graphic Plugin :
Choose GSdx 0.1.15 (SSE2, SSE41 or SSSE3. Choose the one depending on your CPU)

Renderer : If your System provides DirectX10 support, use it -(Note: Directx10 is only available on Windows Vista and Windows 7)-. It will increase performance. Otherwise choose Directx9, performance loss depending on your System is not so big.
Note : Always use "Hardware" mode, "Software" mode provides best Compatibility but Software Rendering is veery slow. "NULL" won´t render anything.


Shader : If you are using DX10 you can´t change anything here. Otherwise select Pixelshader 3.0 if your Hardware don´t supports it, choose Pixelshader 2.0

Interlacing : None
Note : You might get a flickering Screen while playing Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne, to solve this, press "F5" while playing. Rotate until you find the best interlace filter.

Aspect Ratio : Choose the Aspect Ratio Depending on your Monitor
Note : You can switch modes while playing with "F6"

D3D internal res : Depending on your System you can Increase or Decrease the internal resolution. 1024*1024 works well on most Systems. If you tick the Option "Native" you´ll get the Native Resolution, wich is much lower than 1024*1024. Try to find your best setting. With a powerfull System, you can increase to 2048*2048 or higher.

SW rend. threads : There´s nothing to change here. Only in Software mode you can change Render Threads, so ignore it.

Texture filtering : Tick it on, grey or off. Depending on your System it will decrease FPS, but in most cases it won´t, better test yourself.

Wait for vsnyc : Off. If you tick it on, it will decrease Performance. For Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne turn it on, cause in some Video Sequences you´ll get a slight screen. But remember, it decreases Performance, in my opinion better live with slighty screens.

Logarithmic-Z : Tick it on. Very Important for Shin Megami Tensei related games!
Note : If you selected DirectX10 you won´t be able to change anything here.

Alpha Correction :
Tick it on. Very Important for Shin Megami Tensei related games!
Note : If you selected DirectX10 you won´t be able to change anything here.

Enable Ouptput merger Blur effect : Tick it Off


Sound Plugin :
Choose ZeroSPU 0.4.6 OR SPU2-X 1.1.0

Both Plugins are working very well with these games, but if you choose ZeroSPU , you´ll gain a small FPS increase, at cost of sound Quality. With SPU2-X the sound quality will be better in cost of FPS.

Test yourself wich setting is the best for you.
Whatever you´re using, leave all settings for both Plugins at default, the´re working good.


Controller Plugin(s) :

Choose whatever you want. In my case i´m using he new LilyPad (r1034) 0.10.0, but all Plugins are working well with these games. It´s your choice.Check the Pcsx2 guide in this Forum how to configure it as its best

CD/DVD Plugin :
Choose Linuz Iso CDVD 0.9.0 for best speed. If you dont have an image file of the game you want to play, search around this Forum, wich Plugin to use.

Best choice here is Linuz Iso CDVD, but you need an image file of every game you want to play. It´s highly recommend, that u use this Plugin for every game you want to play with Pcsx2.

If you want to use other CD/DVD Plugins, like Gigahertz or CDVD olio, check the Pcsx2 guide in this Forum how to configure them as its best. I never used it.Sorry

The other Plugins can be left at default.

Now the important part,configuring CPU, Gamefixes, Speedhacks, Advanced.
Here´s what you have to set.

CPU config :

Enable all four boxes on the left :
EERec - EE/IOP recompiler (need MMX/SSE) (ON)
VU0rec - enable recompiler for VU0 unit (ON)
VU1rec - enable recompiler for VU1 unit (ON)
Multi threaded GS mode (MTGS) (ON) Important - If you dont have a dual core Core Prozessor tick this OFF


At top Top Right (Frame Limiting) set mode to :

Limit - Force frames to normal speed if too fast

Leave the rest at deafult settings.


Gamefixes : (Update)

Disable all Boxes, only tick "VU Clip hack" (ON)
Note : If youre playing Persona you should tick VU Clip Hack "ON". If it´s OFF, in some cases the geometry breaks after a while playing Persona, this will fix it.


Speedhacks :

Set EmotionEngine (EE) Sync Hacks to "Use x2 Cycle Rate"
Set "VU cycle Stealing" first test one tick to the right. If you got sound glitches, let it at default state. Note : If your using a high end PC, you dont need to do this.
Tick "INIT Sync Hack" ON.
Important : Enable IOP x2 Cycle Rate gives a small Speedup, you can Tick it ON!
Tick "WaitCycles Sync Hack" ON.
Tick "Idle Loop Fast-Forward" ON


Advanced :

Leave all Setting as default, they´re working very well.


Round Mode : Chop/Zero
Clamp Mode : Normal
Vu Recs Options : Chop/Zero
Clamp MOde : Normal
"Flush to zero" and "Denormals are Positive" are all ticked ON!

Info :
For a small extra speed in cost of Image Quality, you can try to set both Clamp Mode´s to : None

With these Settings and newest Revision you´re really able to play these games. Since refelctions fix in commit 1257 all these games now has all Path problems solved. Thanks a lot!
Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne now runs Perfect.
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 & 4 are working great. No Graphic flickering anymore!

Be sure, your System has a Dual Core Prozessor with a minimum of 2.4ghz 2GB Ram and a relative up to date Graphics Card inside. Otherwise you´ll have frame drops.

I hope this guide helps some people around here. And a BIG BIG Sorry for typos or grammar, i´m German and sometimes it is hard for me to formulate things Smile

This Software is Awesome and i want to thank everyone who helped, to make this Projekt possible!
You are great, keep up the good work!
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#2
"VU cycle Stealing" speedhack set to "slight" causes some scenes in Persona 4 to jump between fast and "normal" sound speed in my machine a lot, not recommended.
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#3
First Post Updated!
Thanks for your Info!

I uploaded the wrong Plugins Sad

Now Persona 3 & 4 will work Perfect without any Graphic issues!
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#4
Thank you , Amplifie !!!
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#5
I'm trying to play SMT digital devil saga.

Do I still need log Z and Alpha?

I need more speed!
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#6
Yes. Aktivate Log-Z and Alpha Correction.

For more speed, use the Sound Plugin "Zero SPU", fps will increase a little bit.
Be sure, you´re using DX10 if the graphics card support it.
Deaktivate Vsync.
Try some VU Cycle stealing modes.

Untick "Texture filterting" and set Internal Resolution lower (512*512) or try native. In "INIS" Folder you can go to gsdx.ini and set the internal resolution to 384*384 but that wont look so good. Also make sure, you used the new Plugins and Beta Pcsx2 1265 that i uploaded at the top of my first post, it will give you a great FPS increase in many other games too.
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#7
you maybe want to hint that DX10 is only available for Vista or win 7^^

also why peops for CD ? gigahertz CDVD plugin has a nice on the fly swap feature for multi DVD games
and gabest's CDVD olio (i think it means overlay input/output) which reads reads ISOs or real drives ?

else it's a really nice guide!!! and I think it would be nice if there was a special part on this forum for guides like this one ^^
Chicken is not Vegan?

NO VEGAN DIET NO VEGAN POWERS!!!!

http://www.flixxy.com/my-blackberry-is-not-working.htm
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#8
Thanks kabooz!
First post updatet.

I´ve never tested any other CD/DVD Plugin, because i always use Image Files, so i changed some Text in this guide.
If anybody has experience with the other Plugins and "how good they work" post it here if you want to, i will add them to the guide.
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#9
I followed your instructions but I have one problem.

Opening scenes and music sounds ok.
But during text mode, people talk very slow.
I tried tinkering with the options but couldn't find a solution.
Do you have any suggestions?
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#10
thanks for the post, testing right away
My Laptop:
CPU: intel T4200 @ 2.0 ghz
GPU: Intel GMA X4500M
Ram: 3 Gb DDR2
SO: WinVista Home Premium // Windows 7 Ultimate x32
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