Old topic, I know, but Lunar and Gens...

[Dimensio]

I just recently decided to dust off my ancient SegaCD library and check out SegaCD emulation. I decided to try an old favourite, Lunar, with Gens 2.11. Unfortunately, I've run into the same problem that a number of others have had: the game goes through the Working Designs logo, the Lunar title...and then goes nowhere from there. I got the "Memory cart is not formatted" screen until I started formatting the memory cart through the SegaCD BIOS (and then by turning the memory cart emulation off completley). Never gets to the opening theme.

Now, I know that it is not an ISO/mp3 problem. I know this because I'm playing it off of an original SegaCD CD, inserted into my DVD-ROM drive (actually, I made a duplicate via cdrdao, but I get the same problem with the original and the copy). This is very frustrating, because every topic I see on the Lunar/Gens problem ends with someone saying "check the MP3 filenames". ALSO, the game DOES work with Kega (latest version, forget the number). I don't like using Kega because it has no video filters and because it doesn't work well with my joystick configuration (I could get around that problem if someone could recommend a decent joystick button->keypress translator, so I could bind the digital updownleftright to keypresses, otherwise I'm stuck with an analog stick for control and that's just clumsy). The game also boots just fine on my SegaCD console (original unit, 1.10 BIOS). I have verified that the data track is intact (all of the files can be copied and pass a CRC check) and I personally listened to EVERY SINGLE AUDIO TRACK and detected no problems with them.

I have also double-checked configuration options. I had thought that I solved the problem when I discovered that all of my directory settings were wrong (including the BRAM directory), but changing the settings to the correct directories didn't fix the problem. Perfect Synchro is ON. I have a BIOS for both the Genesis and the SegaCD (1.10 and 2.00, both tested, both have the same problem). Are there any other settings that can affect functionality? Should I double-check, as I might have overlooked a setting that I thought was correct.

Now, I know that this topic is likely ancient history, but does anyone have any suggestions?

ALSO,

I am using Windows XP Professional. I could NOT get Gens to recognize any of my CD-ROM drives until I installed Nero's ASPI layer. Adaptec's didn't work, the one that Goldenhawk offers for CDRWIN doesn't work. HOWEVER, Gens and Kega will ONLY see the drives if I run the game as an Adminstrator. This is annoying, because I should not have to compromise security to do this, I should be able to run it as a Power User (my normal account) and have CD access. Anyone know a workaround? This isn't game-breaking, just a convenience issue. ALso, it is because of this that I originally thought that the Lunar problem was an issue with the ISO/MP3 setup, as I used that originally because I couldn't play off of a CD if Gens saw no CD-ROM drive. Game locked after the Title flash. I thought that using an actual CD (remember, an ORIGINAL game CD, not one burned from an ISO/MP3 set) would work. Apparently not :\

[Articwolf]

i play lunar using kega lazurus which you can find right here

http://www.emuasylum.com/index.php?p...Sega%20Genesis

[Soeru]

Try downloading Lunar, it's a measly 100 mb approx.

[Dimensio]

Originally posted by Soeru
Try downloading Lunar, it's a measly 100 mb approx.

What would downloading it accomplish? I already have the full game. If I wanted an ISO/MP3 set, I could rip it myself (and, in fact, I do have an ISO/MP3 set, as I stated, because I couldn't get Gens to work with my CD readers until I found the right ASPI layer).

I already downloaded the ISO file anyway, to compare the files contained within it to the files ripped from the CD to make sure that my rip was good.

Also, as I've stated, I've used Kega Lazarus and it does work. Unfortunately, whoever wrote it assumed that joystick usage would use the standard axis for the D-pad. I don't want that. My gamepad's "d-pad" register as four independent buttons rather than an axis, but Kega has no way for me to map that.

What I want to know is 1) is there ANY way to get Gens to work with Lunar and if not, 2) does anyone know of an application that I can use that will translate joystick button presses to keystrokes (and it MUST work with a joystick that has at least 16 buttons).

Also, I'd like a way to have Gens detect my DVD-ROM drive without running under an Administrator account, but that's currently the least of my concerns.

[Articwolf]

cannot have the cake and eat it too I guess would be the morale of this thread guys...

[Dimensio]

Originally posted by Articwolf
cannot have the cake and eat it too I guess would be the morale of this thread guys...

What's the point of having a cake if you can't eat it!

The same as the point of having Lunar and not being able to play it properly.

[Articwolf]

ok obviously your not a metaphoric person....but anyways what I'm saying is that it is going to be really difficult for the specifics you WANT....I gave you a link of all the emulators if none of those work your screwed...

[Soeru]

Pretty much.
Try updating your CDROM drivers/ASPI drivers, whatever the fuck it is. I know I got one SCD game to work by getting a new driver.
As for question No. 2, go look in download.com. I remember spotting an app that would let you use a joystick as a basic input device(mouse/keyboard). Hell if I remember the name though.

[Zorlon]

ooo big post but hell Gens plays the game fine

just make sure one option is on though and thats Perfect Syncro under the CPU drop down, the option is very much needed for Lunar or it will crash not too long after you start up a new game

one thing I don't get you say you have done everything correct from what I can see but somthing has gone wrong, what I dunno

but the only thing I can honestly think of is that the wrong bios is being used otherwise the only option that should make the diff is that Perfect Syncro one

Soeru's talking about Joy to Keys by the way

[Articwolf]

ahhh dont you love it when zorlon comes by and makes everything better?lol

[Zorlon]

Long time since I done Sega CD

Further tests:-

Seems that Sega CD Games also work even better from ISO/MP3 format but they must be named correctly for it to work.

If you are getting no sound tracks played from CD well thats actully a hardware problem because of the way Gens Reads CD's you need your CD Drive connected to your Sound card/Chip, even though it will play the music through Windows Media Player fine, because it reads it as data and converts it to sound rather than reading it dirrect like Gens, if windows media player did play it direct it would also play the data track and well it doesn't sound nice so instead it reads the disk in data format so it can pick out what is music and what isn't.

Hey you can always test that in the SegaCD Media Player aswell and see if Gens is reading the sound tracks.

If you are not hearing the music in Gens it will crash anyway just after you start your new game. ( look at screenshot for crashy place when CD sound is not read )

I would say ISO and MP3 it and name em something like
Lunar (Data ISO Track)
Lunar 02 (MP3 Track)
Lunar 03 (MP3 Track)
And so on.......

notice the sound tracks start at 02 and not 01 aswell, as 01 is the data track but you don't add that to the name of it, also apart from the numbering the ISO file should always be named the same as the sound track or it will not read the sound files at all.

does the pic show you were it stops by chance?

If so yeah Gens just isn't reading your sound tracks from the CD and if its the same point from ISO/MP3's then you havn't named em correctly, I can help you with ISO/MP3's though, from CD though I don't think there is anything I can do unless you lived round the corner and I would be able to figure it out then by sitting infront of your PC so I could figure it out myself

[Dimensio]

As I said, I've tried the ISO/MP3 solution before. It did not work. I tried it again after you suggested it. The files are named appropriately. It still does not work.

Perfect Synchro is on. All directories are set. Looks like Gens doesn't like my setup for some reason.

I don't get that far in the game as the pic. The game does not go to the opening intro. It runs through the Working Designs logo, then the Lunar title card, then it goes to black and says there.

I should add that I've tested other games with CD audio tracks for in-game music (CD games, not ISO/MP3) and they do work. (though Panic! does not work in either ISO/MP3 or CD form).

Also, I've yet to find a wnaspi32.dll that will let Gens access my CD readers under anything but an Administrator account. Thus far the Nero ASPI layer is the only one that works at all.

Looks like I'm stuck with Kega. Now to find Joy 2 Keys.

[Zorlon]

You still havn't got the names correct for the ISO/MP3's then (I'm not taking the piss and I know it causes people alot of problems naming them correctly so it reads them in Gens)

For WinASPI I might just have better drivers for that myself give me a lil time to find em though...

Joy to Keys for now though can be found at http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA016...y/english.html

I will have another quick test in a sec with out skipping the intro movie.

[Dimensio]

I have figured out the problem.

Gens does not like the intro. I don't know what it is, but Gens is locking when it tries to play the opening intro (with that cheezy pop-ish song). If I hold down all of the buttons while it runs through the opening screens, it skips the intro entirely and goes to the title where I can press "Start" to begin the game.

Unfortunately, I still can't go far. It locks when Ramus comes up, just before it switches to the cutscene of his introduction. It does NOT lock during Nall's initial speech to Alex, though. That scene plays out without a problem. Why that particular cut-scene doesn't cause a problem and two others do I have no idea.

This is true for both the ISO/MP3 setup AND direct play from the CD-ROM (which means that my MP3s are named correctly, because I do get audio until the lockup).

Just to reiterate, Perfect Syncrho is ON.

Maybe Gens doesn't like AMD 64 processors.

Thanks for the Joy2Keys link. I'll need if I can't make Lunar work, and I definitely need it for Panic!, since Gens doesn't like that game at all.

[Zorlon]

grab the Data track from someone, sounds like yours is damaged that intro movie should work fine honest

You can have the data track from me, if you want, PM me if you want it.

On an Extra Side Note isn't this also out on the GBA now aswell as PSX

I still like the Sega CD version and find it hard to say what is better PSX or Sega CD, I will be happy playing both versions