Screwed up timing in new Model 2 ports

I was ecstatic as all hell to play these after work. I skipped the PS2 ports since I didn't have the means to get them back in the day. So this is my first time playing arcade perfect vf2 in over a decade. Except actually it's not arcade perfect and I'm actually quite bummed.

The game randomly delays and/or drops inputs. Simple pppk combos will randomly not work for no reason. I can't put my finger on what's happening exactly. Some inputs are delayed a few frames (feels like a 3 frame delay), and some are simply dropped completely. The weirdest part is it occurs randomly. That's how I know it can't be my tv.

Same problem in Vipers. Can't comment on Sonic Fighters.

I'm freaking bummed! It's not unplayable by any means, and on a positive note these ports are downright gorgeous. But when you miss brain dead easy juggles due to this it can be very frustrating.

Names Mark btw 28 years old virtua fighter since I was 9. I never got into part 4 or 5 but I have always been obsessed with 1 2 3.

 

Oh forgot in fv, instead of saying "round one" she says "rowone!" It's very odd... And if you look closely at Shun during the intro there are very slight "pauses" or "jerks" in the camera and his movement. I'm not nitpicking I'm simply pointing this out as it could be related.

 

Wait bleh I distinctly remember that in the Saturn port too. That just hit me. Nevermind. The vipers sound glitch though is legit. Sorry for all the posts sorta thinking out loud here

 

Played through with Sarah, Jacky, Shun and Akira ... didn't notice anything wrong at all. been playing since VF1 arcade, own VF2 arcade board.

 

Hey Apharmd Striker. I remember we had a bunch of games yesterday on XBL (GT: LeprekaunTM). The dropped inputs is something inherent in both VF5FS and VF2 online. Sega just messed up somewhere with the net code that inputs get dropped randomly when there is any lag. Playing in arcade mode didn't feel any different to the arcade version I play on a PC emulator I have, it feels exactly the same to me and the PC arcade emulation of VF2 is 100% perfect. I would just blame it on dodgy net code.

 

I tested the kage stage easter egg (giant swing your opponent into the fire posts in the corners of the stage) and if i remember correctly, the stage's lighting was supposed to get darker. well i knock them both and I the stage stayed the same, no light changes.... maybe it was a 2.1 feature? can you guys test it? check it out here:

http://www.twitch.tv/nyc_vf/b/343781235
skip to 2:06:58

 

I was never able to see the lighting easter egg and I can't remember if the light changed at all. I believe this is an emulation so it would be odd if that one thing never ported over.

 

I'm talking about offline.

Like something as simple as Jacky's flip kick. I go into vs. mode, I can do one flip kick, two flip kicks, then he'll either do a short hop into kick, or a back flip. Or I'll pick Pai and do pppk. It'll go pppk, pppk, then ppp (nothing) then ppp (nothing) standing k comes out.

Did some research into the subject. Model 2 stuff runs at 57Hz. In the PS2 port done by M2, there was an option for 57Hz or 60Hz. 60 sped the game up slightly, but inputs were dead on. 57Hz mode repeats frames every second, so you have 3 "dead" frames as it were every second. That explains everything I'm experiencing (and could explain the slight jerks or pauses during the intro).

I will admit my experiences are primarily with the Sega Saturn version. But I never had trouble pulling off stuff in the arcade when I did play there. Me missing say, the pppk juggle after sending someone airborne with Kage's throw, that's something that I can say with complete conviction I have NEVER missed on Sega Saturn, once I learned it.

LeprekaunTM: cool, yeah, that was incredibly bad lag that's another story, I have yet to have a non-laggy match but then again I've yet to find an opponent who was not overseas. I live on the East coast of USA.

 

It is my tv I think. Played today and it felt butter smooth at our FCC get together. Strange...

 

I have my gripes about this game too, but only regarding online.

Offline is perfect as far as I can tell. The only anomaly I noticed was some weird background stutter on Shun's stage, but it was hardly noticeable.

That's interesting though about the lighting trick on Kage's stage. I can confirm that this is supposed to work in 2.0. It makes me wonder just how this game was emulated. Is there any real evidence that Sega lost some of their original code for this game? I remember hearing that before.

Akira's reversal glitch does work, which is awesome! Beyond that I haven't tried anything else yet, freeze frame, winning pose mimics, etc.

Online is definitely disappointing. I would have thought for sure that Sega would have used the same netcode as VF5 and/or FS, but it also makes me wonder about something I've always pondered, which is the fact that later VFs have an inherent buffering system which might work well with netcode, whereas VF2 barely has any. Still, this doesn't explain then why a game like Street Fighter HD Remix would work so well, because there is no buffer system at all. The only explanation I can think of is bad netcode. And if that's the case, does it cost Sega more to implement good netcode, and/or was it not possible to use the existing netcode from VF5 & FS?

I played a few matches with 2 and 3 green bars and it was not fun. And playing people from Japan is absolutely horrible! It's a shame, and I hope it's fixable!

 

It wouldn't matter if they lost code or not, the game is stored on the chips on the arcade board. Their excuse when they released the PS2 port was exactly that, and excuse. Elsemi built an amazing M2 emulator all by himself without the fabled lost code and VF2 is picture perfect.

yeah, all glitches and freeze frames/copy taunts work. they likely just didn't comb through it too well because of small teams and time constraints.

played some games yesterday and found it passable in some games, no worth trying in others and butter smooth in some. Sadly, almost everyone wants to farm in rank so I likely won't be playing too much, if at all online - especially when the free weekend expires

 

Jhow, GE, I agree with everything you guys have said. Online is just another beast. It makes me feel as if newer games are defenetly possible online...but VF2? imagine trying to pull off something like PKG counter into a command throw...impossible. i dont even try anymore, no matter how good the connection, youre gonna get hit back.

Mind you, I cannot play half as good as I used to but I at least remember some of the counters to certain moves and online I aint counterign shit lol. it feels like going back in time where people didnt know anythign else about the game and abuse the simple moves that work and simplifying the game to 3 moves (sarah players whoring that 3+kkk, pounce....ah the memories on that..lol).

Apart from online I am quite happy and actually sorta impress by the quality of the port. it looks as clean as the model 2 emulator in fullscreen mode (1080p sickness!)

thats taken from the model 2 emulator (with some texture replacements for fun lol)

im going to try the kage stage light thing on the emu to see if it works there. By the way, GE, hoe exacly do you do the reversal jam? this is somethign I actually have only done with a handful of times but I could never do it consistently. how do you do it? I keep kick canceling and pressing forward and jumping but sometimes....nothing.

Oh yeah, I tried the "shaking the stage" with akira at the name entry and ...nothign happen, screen didnt shake (enter your initials but dont hit END...instead go as far as you can and do any special moves....screen should "shake")

 

I agree that it looks amazing, even at full screen!! I like that you can also pause at anytime. That's weird that the screen doesn't shake, and between that and the reported lighting trick with Kage's stage, it makes me wonder what else isn't exactly right. But if it's just tricks, easter eggs, and glitches that don't work, at least the gameplay and mechanics are sound.

The reversal jam does take a little practice, especially to do it consistently, but also some luck, because you simply can't force Akira / Dural to enter into this state. I'm pretty sure however that the learning function this game had for the arcade machine did eventually help in doing this more easily. I remember being able to get up about 6 levels of height within the 30 second timeframe versus the CPU at my local arcade in the early '90s. However, on the machine that I own, I can hardly get past the 2nd one. This definitely makes me think that the learning feature had something to do with it.

I haven't tried yet, but GE do you know if this new version has the feature during expert mode where the CPU uses learned moves? Also, did anything change with this feature in 2.1?

 

I really dig the M2 Emulator but I love that VF2 is online and enjoying a fair amount of traffic (even if it is through Ranked). I've tested a bunch of stuff and everything gameplay seems intact, including Akira's SE Mountain escapes. About the only thing that appears to be gone is the lighting egg on Kage's stage. Sal, have you ever done it on the M2 Emu?

Like JHow says, it really depends on the CPU to make the reversal jam work. Put it on expert mode after a bit of practicing Akira and doing reversals and you won't have any issue. I will check it the Learn mode is emulated a little later on today. nothing about it changed in 2.1 as far as I know.

My VF2 board Kage does TFT rising knee just as an FYI. doesn't do anything else. just that. sigh. also, Sarah once (and only once) did her Shun Puri instant turn around which was cool.