Suggestion: GBA Slot

[Exophase]

Well I guess advanscene is wrong about save types again (like usual).

[BigBoss]

I actually asked Exophase about this when DraStic first came out and I came up with an idea but I don't really know if it'd work. Since DraStic already emulates the GBA RAM why don't we add an option that replaces the free RAM file with a GBA file? That way games that just need to know a certain cartridge is in the Slot-2 area would respond accordingly. I'm not a Dev so I'm pretty sure this is easier said than done and I also think that games like Pokemon wouldn't be able to access the .sav file like what Exo said above. On another note I know a successful GBA emulator called MyBoy for android was able to emulate the "Link Cable" and you could trade Pokemon via Bluetooth or WiFi server so any thing's possible

[Exophase]

I actually asked Exophase about this when DraStic first came out and I came up with an idea but I don't really know if it'd work. Since DraStic already emulates the GBA RAM why don't we add an option that replaces the free RAM file with a GBA file? That way games that just need to know a certain cartridge is in the Slot-2 area would respond accordingly. I'm not a Dev so I'm pretty sure this is easier said than done and I also think that games like Pokemon wouldn't be able to access the .sav file like what Exo said above. On another note I know a successful GBA emulator called MyBoy for android was able to emulate the "Link Cable" and you could trade Pokemon via Bluetooth or WiFi server so any thing's possible

It's true that adding support for the GBA cartridge and not the backup memory would be relatively easy, I just don't want to add something that lets people use GBA carts to get the majority of unlocks but doesn't support importing Pokemon. I could write DOES NOT SUPPORT POKEMON all over the place but that won't stop the stream of e-mails asking how to make Pokemon work.

[BigBoss]

I actually asked Exophase about this when DraStic first came out and I came up with an idea but I don't really know if it'd work. Since DraStic already emulates the GBA RAM why don't we add an option that replaces the free RAM file with a GBA file? That way games that just need to know a certain cartridge is in the Slot-2 area would respond accordingly. I'm not a Dev so I'm pretty sure this is easier said than done and I also think that games like Pokemon wouldn't be able to access the .sav file like what Exo said above. On another note I know a successful GBA emulator called MyBoy for android was able to emulate the "Link Cable" and you could trade Pokemon via Bluetooth or WiFi server so any thing's possible

It's true that adding support for the GBA cartridge and not the backup memory would be relatively easy, I just don't want to add something that lets people use GBA carts to get the majority of unlocks but doesn't support importing Pokemon. I could write DOES NOT SUPPORT POKEMON all over the place but that won't stop the stream of e-mails asking how to make Pokemon work.

True but I think once DraStic is fully built to what you want it to be then you would consider adding it. I also forgot to mention something. Even though you with this method you can't migrate Pokemon, just having the cartridge in the slot allows certain Pokemon to appear. (That's what being a nerd gets you lol) but even with that it still isn't worth implementing because as you said you can't migrate the Pokemon.

[Exophase]

True but I think once DraStic is fully built to what you want it to be then you would consider adding it. I also forgot to mention something. Even though you with this method you can't migrate Pokemon, just having the cartridge in the slot allows certain Pokemon to appear. (That's what being a nerd gets you lol) but even with that it still isn't worth implementing because as you said you can't migrate the Pokemon.

Yep, from a pragmatic point of view it's absolutely better to have this feature even if it's missing this one part, it enables a whole bunch of stuff even in Pokemon.

But the e-mails man, the e-mails. And the forum posts. Everyone making a new thread every time, no matter how it's described in the FAQ or how many threads have been created already. Maybe I'll do it if you volunteer to answer all of those?

In all seriousness, if I sit down to do it I'll probably try to get whatever level of flash backup support is needed for Pokemon (64KB/128KB), it's not like I don't have code I can push in to do this (from gpSP). The more cumbersome part of this isn't so much implementing it but the logistics of dealing with GBA save files which are ostensibly always from another emulator (or ripped from carts) - what should be the expectation here? Will most people be getting these saves from MyBoy! also running on their device? How should the save files be named and where should they be placed - should I make the users put it in the backup directory or just keep it in the same directory as the ROM? And if popular GBA emulators use save files with headers/footers instead of raw files I have to deal with that...

I have a good feeling that whatever I do it's going to be too hard for a lot of people and I'll get a lot of annoying questions about it :/

[BigBoss]

True but I think once DraStic is fully built to what you want it to be then you would consider adding it. I also forgot to mention something. Even though you with this method you can't migrate Pokemon, just having the cartridge in the slot allows certain Pokemon to appear. (That's what being a nerd gets you lol) but even with that it still isn't worth implementing because as you said you can't migrate the Pokemon.

Yep, from a pragmatic point of view it's absolutely better to have this feature even if it's missing this one part, it enables a whole bunch of stuff even in Pokemon.

But the e-mails man, the e-mails. And the forum posts. Everyone making a new thread every time, no matter how it's described in the FAQ or how many threads have been created already. Maybe I'll do it if you volunteer to answer all of those?

In all seriousness, if I sit down to do it I'll probably try to get whatever level of flash backup support is needed for Pokemon (64KB/128KB), it's not like I don't have code I can push in to do this (from gpSP). The more cumbersome part of this isn't so much implementing it but the logistics of dealing with GBA save files which are ostensibly always from another emulator (or ripped from carts) - what should be the expectation here? Will most people be getting these saves from MyBoy! also running on their device? How should the save files be named and where should they be placed - should I make the users put it in the backup directory or just keep it in the same directory as the ROM? And if popular GBA emulators use save files with headers/footers instead of raw files I have to deal with that...

I have a good feeling that whatever I do it's going to be too hard for a lot of people and I'll get a lot of annoying questions about it :/

Hey man it'll be an honor to just work with you lol but I know what you mean but I guess that's just part of being a Dev. But as for the saves you can either get them from any emulator or rip them from you actual game cards. If anything if you still have my email I can try and help out but my programming knowledge is limited. If anyone can do it it's you Exo

[Jay Haru]

i can just see it now. if we support one gba emu, it would be viewed as favorisitsm. if we try to support each emu, that'll be a nightmare for both devs and support. not to mention it opens up many things that can go apeshit.

[BigBoss]

i can just see it now. if we support one gba emu, it would be viewed as favorisitsm. if we try to support each emu, that'll be a nightmare for both devs and support. not to mention it opens up many things that can go apeshit.

I guess you've gotta take the good and the bad lol it depends how beneficial something is. WiFi support is much more beneficial than the GBA Slot support right now so I think that's priority 1? But then again it's Exo's and Lordus' call. It's their app after all

[Jay Haru]

i can just see it now. if we support one gba emu, it would be viewed as favorisitsm. if we try to support each emu, that'll be a nightmare for both devs and support. not to mention it opens up many things that can go apeshit.

I guess you've gotta take the good and the bad lol it depends how beneficial something is. WiFi support is much more beneficial than the GBA Slot support right now so I think that's priority 1? But then again it's Exo's and Lordus' call. It's their app after all

actually, making games more compatible is priority. we are testing games like golden sun and its really one of them games where you need superphones to make it run at 100%. as for WiFi support, time and again we advocate the'dont hold your breath or youll die' philosophy on it. as for taking the good and the bad, its not about it. its about making sure that the devs and us support crew isnt overwhelmed to the point of breaking. small steps. once the devs think its time for other stuff (compatibility is almost perfect) then maybe we can start doing suff like wifi.

[BigBoss]

i can just see it now. if we support one gba emu, it would be viewed as favorisitsm. if we try to support each emu, that'll be a nightmare for both devs and support. not to mention it opens up many things that can go apeshit.

I guess you've gotta take the good and the bad lol it depends how beneficial something is. WiFi support is much more beneficial than the GBA Slot support right now so I think that's priority 1? But then again it's Exo's and Lordus' call. It's their app after all

actually, making games more compatible is priority. we are testing games like golden sun and its really one of them games where you need superphones to make it run at 100%. as for WiFi support, time and again we advocate the'dont hold your breath or youll die' philosophy on it. as for taking the good and the bad, its not about it. its about making sure that the devs and us support crew isnt overwhelmed to the point of breaking. small steps. once the devs think its time for other stuff (compatibility is almost perfect) then maybe we can start doing suff like wifi.

Definitely! My philosophy is that no one HAS to do anything. Devs and support are working on the emu to make it better not because they have to. And through it they definitely do not need to be harassed to the point where they hate working on something that was their idea to begin with that's why it's nice when people politely ask instead lol