Panzer Dragoon PC: NV1 version

I recently got a copy of the old PC verison of Panzer Dragoon (1995), the version that uses the NV1. Since I don't have one of these (yet), I can't play it right now, but I wanted to ask if it would be okay if I posted the game here since the NV1 died years ago and it would take a miracle to find anyone who has the required hardware to use it. Let me know, thanks.

 

Don't know what the mods/admin think, but it seems obscure enough to classify as preservation rather than piracy, to me at least.

 

i think it's ok.

 

Yeah, I really don't want to pirate this game, especially since Sega takes alot of pride in this IP and Sega really means alot to me. But since this particular game build has long been passed it's support lifetime (and due to the fact that most people can't really do much with it), I don't believe it would do any real harm. In fact, it might help someone with the right tools to finally create an NV1 wrapper. I'd do it myself, but I'm really lacking in documentation on the API and there isn't much documentation on this chipset out there plus XFree86 appears to be the only open source driver that has ever supported it. I do have one doc on the PCI register specs though (was found on accident when I was looking for documentation on NV3 (Riva128), but it was still a pain in the ass to find!). I'll start another thread about it in a minute.

Okay, here it is: http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=507539#post507539

While I trust your judgement, I think it might be wise to wait on a second opinion because you said "I think". I wonder what the site owner would say as this is kind of a grey area and this particular copy of Panzer Dragoon is pretty rare and I haven't seen a single one of the NV1 compatible discs ever since I bought this one off of eBay.

 

I still have the non-NV1 version sitting at home, bought it back in the day and was massively disappointed by the low framerate.

 

IMO, the fact that it runs at 20 fps just adds to the game's experience (seriously). The combination of the framerate, old school graphics and sound track gave it a very unique feel that brings me way back to multiple different eras every time I play it.

 

Wait, the PC version is locked at 20fps?

Why on earth would they do that?

 

I believe the reason the frame rate is locked (in all versions - not just the PC edition) has something to do with the whole "on-rails" setup, where every little event absolutely must happen at a certain point in synchronisation with the music. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for the localisation team when converting the first two Panzer Dragoon games to PAL format, and I know that similar issues caused problems in PD Saga... is it that installing a 60Hz switch improves the matter or makes it worse? I can never remember!

 

x

 

having trouble making an ISO of this disc. Keeps getting stuck between 72-83%.

Well, the Sega Saturn version ran at 20fps itself. Probably not because it was synched at 20fps on the console, but because that's how fast the game would run on the Saturn. If this is true, then many of the game's internal code would likely have to be locked at 20fps to function properly.

Also, keep in mind that most console games and many DOS games of that era used frame based movement, NOT time based movement like most games do today. This is especially common for Japanese games.

Since the game uses frame based movement, simply locking to 60fps will just make the game run 3 times as fast.

My above response is also relevant to this post, but if you slaved over a console game and could only get 20fps out of it using frame based movement. Would you waste time trying to switch to time based movement and deal with audio sync issues or simply lock the frame rate and get it over with so you can move on to the next project? I'd do the former myself.

See above, but the statement about being able to hit stuff easier only relates to games using frame based movement.