FF8 Hang

[Fuzzy]

Yo,

I've been feeling nostalgic lately, so I was gonna play all my old FF games over again... but my PSX is broken... and I dont really feel like shelling out 100+ dollars to get a machine I dont use that often... so I've been venturing into the world of PSX emulation...

I'm playing FF8 right now... and just got it started and running... I'm at the dollet exam part... waaay in the beginning... and right after the first robo-spider battle (where you have to run) it leaves the battle, gives me the experiance screen, and then hangs on a black screen... with the music looping off infinatly...

I've tried playing with an ISO but that didnt help... and was curious as to what else might be going on...

I've also tried various sound plugins... as well as both Petes OGL and D3D plugins...

Any clues?

[Squ]

Umm... Scratch on CD?

[AtomicFeline]

Sounds to me like it's a sound problem. Which SPU plugin are you using? What are your computer specs? Are you using ePSXe or something else? What program did you make the ISO with? With a little more information, we can work with you.

[Fuzzy]

I'm using the latest ePSXe...

My system:

Intel Celeron 800
320 MB ram
GeForce2 MX 200 (32 MB)
50x CD-Rom (just updated ASPI to 4.60)

and I've got a generic SB compatible sound card

I've tried Eternal's 1.30 plugin, Petes DSound v1.15, and the standard ePSXe plugin...

I used DiskDump to make the ISO... and it ran fine... exept the whole hang thing... just like the CD...

-Fuzzy

[psicomaniaco]

Test with another emu (vgs?). If the same thing happen, its your cd.

[Squ]

Can it still run on a normal Psx/2?

[Fuzzy]

Ok... well I blasted through to the point where it hangs in my buddies copy of VGS... and MY cd works fine... knock down the metal dude, and run... resumes fine

so it's gotta be my set up... or ePSXe...

Dunno if it'd work in a console... cause mine's broken

:(

-Fuzzy

[Fuzzy]

Anybody got any ideas as to what it *could* be?

are there any settings you HAVE to have enabled/disabled to run FF8?

-Fuzzy

[Fuzzy]

Ok... so I did a little bit of poking and prodding... and I'm just as lost as I ever was...

Not only does it hang, with the battle music still playing... but hitting delete, to get at the FPS doesnt work either...

that made me think it might be a GPU/VidCard error... so I tried a few other GPUs including pete's software driver... no luck

I'm about to try some different CD-ROM plug-ins... hopefully that'll work :rolleyes:

-Fuzzy

[Gamer-X]

Maybe you wanna try this:

When that scene happened, press "Escape" then click on File-Change CD-ROM and click OK.

It maybe that the CD-ROM stopped responding

[Fuzzy]

No luck... both with trying different CD plugins, AND with doing the change CD thing...

:(

-Fuzzy

[fivefeet8]

Are you using savestates?

[Fuzzy]

no, why?

[BZZZZZ250]

The same thing has happend to me. Why don't you try looking for a saved game right after the spider chase thing?

[Fuzzy]

That might work... but I dont want this issue to come up again at a later point in the game... imaging being almost to the final boss... and it getting stuck again... UGH!!!

Just wondering, but could someone post a set up that has FF8 working? like... in it's entirety... down to what check boxes are checked and which ones arent... (also, what plugins, and everything...)

-Fuzzy

[Fuzzy]

Ok... I did some more testing... and it turns out something has CHANGED...

Now any battle I get into locks up the CD...

The only way to regain CD access from within ePSXe is to reset...

This lead me to believe there was something wrong with the CD plugin... but then I remembered running it from an ISO... just to be sure tho, I tried a few others... guess what... no luck...

does ePSXe have issues with generic CD drives? or GeForce2s? do you need more than a gig free on your HD?

GAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

-Fuzzy

[fivefeet8]

Something might be wrong with your computer.. Only a gig free? Try and free some more HD space..

[BZZZZZ250]

I don't think it's his computer because mine does the same thing. I think it's one of the plugins, but I haven't found a solution yet.
Here's my gpu specs:

Plugin: Pete's OpenGL Driver 1.1.63
Author: Pete Bernert
Card vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
GFX card: RIVA TNT2/AGP/SSE

Resolution/Color:
- 800x600 Fullscreen - Desktop changing [16 Bit]
- Keep psx aspect ratio: off

Textures:
- Default
- Filtering: 0
- Garbage collection: on
- VRam size: 0 MBytes

Framerate:
- FPS limitation: on
- Frame skipping: off
- FPS limit: Auto

Compatibility:
- Offscreen drawing: 2
- Framebuffer texture: 1
- Framebuffer access: 0
- Alpha multipass: on
- Mask bit: off
- Advanced blending: off

Misc:
- Scanlines: off
- Line mode: off
- Unfiltered FB: off
- Dithering: off
- Screen smoothing: off
- Game fixes: off [00000000]

[Recca]

try updating to pete's latest GPU plugin 1.64 and try using either the newest ePSXe or an older version to maybe get past this problem

[psicomaniaco]

Or try using VGS. I finished it 8 times with VGS.

[Sniper]

post your memory card save state and let me try, I have never had any problem with ff8 besides the very famous mdec problem by quick save thingy, and disc changing problem which not a big problem but can be appriciated if it had fix * don't know if it had coz haven't play psx for a long time*

[Fuzzy]

Well... I have the most up to date version of the plugins and ePSXe... but like I said before... changing plugins doesnt do anything...

My memory card is attached... tho I dont think you'll run into any problems... 'cause I started a new game and saved it to a different memory card... and I had the same problem...

I'm going to see if I have any older versions of ePSXe on my computer... and try those... *shrug*

Oh... and I *would* play it through on VGS but I dont have a copy... doesnt it cost like 30 bucks or something?

-Fuzzy

[Gamer1]

Originally posted by psicomaniaco
Or try using VGS. I finished it 8 times with VGS.

how come my computer locks up everytime at the last battle when ultemecia summons her gf. i don't have this problem w/ epsxe but i have the problem w/ vgs.

o well i still have a psx

[psicomaniaco]

Originally posted by Gamer1


how come my computer locks up everytime at the last battle when ultemecia summons her gf. i don't have this problem w/ epsxe but i have the problem w/ vgs.

o well i still have a psx

Well, this happened to me to, but u can get past this. Its weird, but worked EVERY time i tried (after all, I finished 8 times with VGS).

When u're ready to fight Ultimecia, go out of the castle and save. Then, reset VGS (do not exit vgs, just reset -menu control-) and load it. Then go fight Ultimecia and the game won't freeze. (AND always use Diablo's no enconters). I know its weird, but it works.

[Gamer1]

thanx... i'll try that but i severly doubt that its gonna work. but i've been proven wrong on many ocasions. Do u really mean out of the castle? not outside ultemecia's door

[Fuzzy]

Damn... well... I'm thinking it HAS to be my computer... because I found some older versions of ePSXe... (1.0, and 1.4.something) and still no luck...

So I've tried different SPUs, different GPUs, different CD plugins, different versions of ePSXe, and used an ISO...

But my question here is this... why did it STOP working... It worked up until the Spider... I fought, and beat Ifrit... I killed many bite bugs... and whatnot... but now it doesnt let me battle... it just locks up!

-Frustrated Fuzzy

[Gamer1]

psicomaniaco give me the save or something cuz i still don't know know to make it work.

[psicomaniaco]

Originally posted by Gamer1
psicomaniaco give me the save or something cuz i still don't know know to make it work.

Look at this:

[psicomaniaco]

Here's a step-by-step:

1. Equip Diablo's no-enconters;
2. Go to this place and SAVE;
3. Reset VGS (menu CONTROL/RESET)
4. Load this saved game
5. Go fight Ultimecia BUT don't save anymore. If you make any changes and wanna save, repeat steps 2, 3 and 4.


This always worked for me. Even on BLEEM!

[psicomaniaco]

Look, this is after the freeze part.

[Fuzzy]

Just curious... but for CD-ROM drivers... on generic models... would ASPI be close enough of an update... or do I have to find a more specific type driver (talking windows drivers here... not ePSXe plug-ins)

-Fuzzy

[Gamer1]

Holy crap! it works! how did u stumble into this.

my guess is on how it works was since u didn't access the menu, vgs has more ram and since the summoning the griever took so much ram that vgs was using, it froze. but that is my guess, maybe vgs has a ram limit that it could use so that your comp will still run smoothly. unlike epsxe that eats ram up

o well i would never know

[BZZZZZ250]

Hey Fuzzy,

This is BZZZZZ250. You posted something new on my thread and when I went to check it half of my thread was deleted.
(Including your message)
:(

Anyway I was wondering what it was. Just tell me here.

[Fuzzy]

I think you were inquiring about how to make an ISO... and I was suggesting you look at the main ePSXe forum page... it has a thread that'll tell you everything you need to know...

However, I also know that making an ISO didn't work for me... so if we really have the same problem... it probably wont work for you...

-Fuzzy