just wondering

[chaostheory]

One thing i have noticed, which really...stinks is this. There are in game saves and LJP method of saving. But for some reason like in the game im playing now Ogre Battle. I was saving reguarly. I save after i beat each mission. But my battery died while i was playing. I lost all my in game saving up to the point i last turned off LJP. For some reason even while the game is running, and i save it internally. If the game isnt exited properly, those saves dont ever seem to "hold" unless i exit LJP the correct way. If the phone resets or shuts off, all saves since i turned it on are lost. Only the LJP save seems to be the reliable one

[_Em]

Well, that's not LJP-specific. You'll find that in ANY Palm app you're running; the DB Cache gets flushed to NVRAM when you exit an app. This same thing happens on PCs, you just probably don't notice it as much, because it happens more often. What's happening is this: in order to speed up your device, "write" commands for data currently in the operating memory get suspended by the OS until it feels it has enough free time to release them. This means that if you are in your web browser and hit the reset button, you'll find that your recent history and various other settings haven't been saved since the last time you exited the browser.

This can be coded around, but you wouldn't like the speed of the emulator that would result. Better to keep your battery charged and quit every once in a while.

While on the subject of savestates vs. in-game saves -- you will also find that the two have a strange relationship. If you load a savestate, then do an in-game save, then save state again, the next time you restore the save state you might have problems with your in-game save. I can't recall the exact details of the relationship, but I'm pretty sure there's a thread around here somewhere that covers it.

[chaostheory]

Yes i have noticed some anonmylies but i think i have come to a pleasant understanding of how it works. I had to start my game over anyhow, since my character was pure evil and it was messing up my strategy lol. (haven't played this game in 13 years or so so i forgot how to do it). Anyway i usually save in game, then save LJP each time. I also noticed i cant load a save for a game unless the game is already running as well or my treo will soft reset itself. So i guess lessons learned.

1. Save in game then save through LJP.
2. If you want to load LJP, Launch the game at least to the games menu, then load the LJP save.
3. Check your battery meter often and don't push your luck or you may lose a lot progress (i lost 4 hours worth)

[Tinnus]

_EM, he's right

LJP doesn't save SRAM as soon as it's accessed, but rather only at exit. I believe because checking SRAM writes all the time would slow down emulation, and auto-save without checking would be annoying.

I'll see if I get a better idea.

[chaostheory]

It's alright you guys are gods among men. I about cried when i lost 4 hours worth of play but i had to start over anyhow so its no big deal. Free software is free software after all. If you get a workaround that would be great, or maybe an hourly quicksave to LJP quicksave slot.

On another note, is there any way at all to increase FPS. I was trying to play Mario RPG because i saw someone said what settings to pick to make it run (had tried to run it default and it just black screened me) but it started up. But the game is rather choppy and during movie sequences only runs about 30fps according to LJP which is utterly slow. Is there any way to use SD card space as ram, or could i bump up the UDMH somehow to make it faster to run? Just curious this memory stuff on the Treo is totally new to me. I learn fast though

I just wanted to add, your programs (LJP, zdoom, zhexen, zquake, zheretic, and duke) are the best palm apps i have run across. the tinkering is well worth the time it takes to get these programs to run.. Now if only my Treo had a usb port for a joystick ;D

[_Em]

Tinnus: maybe you could write to SRAM whenever not actually IN the game? -- for example, dropping into the in-game menu (which pauses the game) would also write to SRAM?

That way, to write SRAM saves, all anyone would have to do is make sure to pause their game every once in a while.

[Tinnus]

Still bothersome though. My idea is to check if SRAM was modified every X units of time, or something. Some way to monitor SRAM writes without slowing down the emulation.

There's probably some place that maps the console address to the SRAM buffer though, so if there's an if(...) in there I could just stick a "write that byte to a file as well" bit. Although that would be a tad slow when writing the SRAM... because I'd open, write, then close the file for EACH byte/word written.

[_Em]

I guess that would work; after all -- most games don't write SRAM while they're actually in gameplay; they do it when loading a new stage/when they are at a save screen. So the odd game might hiccough on such a routine, but it would be unnoticeable on most.

[frances]

can someone tell me how to get free games please.

[_Em]

www.pdroms.de

[Tinnus]

Thanks _Em