Video Plugins: [Sega Ages Vol 31] Grayscale graphics and slow performance in Virtua On

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I noticed that some of these games have been reported on the forums, but I 
couldn't find a issue report for any of them on Google Code so I decided to 
create one for each. Since all of these games share similar problems and might 
have similar solutions, I decided to create a issue for each instead of having 
them all in one issue just for the sake of classification. I hope you don't 
mind.

1) Did the game ever work correctly?

These problems have always existed for at least GSdx as far as I know. While I 
understand that software mode has always been more accurate over hardware mode, 
even software mode seems to have some problems for certain games. All video 
plugins seem to share the same issues.

2) What steps will reproduce the problem?

Do the following with GSdx set to either DX9/DX10 hardware mode:

1. Run the game
2. Get pass the title screen (up to this point some menus should run and 
display normally)
3. Select a mech (you should start seeing the issue here)

3) What exactly happens when you experience this issue (listing any console
errors or screen output you receive)?

If the video plugin runs in hardware mode, the textures will become grayscale 
and the performance will decrease drastically. If you run these games in 
software mode, most of the game's graphic problems will go away and the 
performance will increase significantly, but will not run at a stable 
framerate. Usually performance should decrease in software mode due to better 
accuracy, but this is not the case with these Model 2 arcade ports. Even under 
software mode, some graphics aren't displayed correctly regardless of the video 
mode. Changing the video settings in the GSdx plugin to DX9 or SDL doesn't 
change anything. Sometimes with ZZOgl and ZeroGS, the entire screen will 
flicker.

Even when all of these errors occur, the console displays no errors.

4) What version of PCSX2 are you using? On what operating system? Plugins?

I am using PCSX2 R4839. My operating system is Windows 7 x64 SP1. The plugins 
that I tested are:

GSdx R4838
ZZOgl PG 0.3.0
ZeroGS 0.97.1

5) Please provide any additional information below.

The common thing between Sonic the Fighters, Last Bronx, Virtua Fighter, Virtua 
On, and Fighting Vipers is that they are all Model 2 arcade games. The games 
themselves on each of these collections are not emulated roms, but are actually 
ports. 

6) Attachments.

Mech Select:
http://i.imgur.com/Wi87b.png (GSdx DX10 Hardware Mode)
http://i.imgur.com/SLjub.png (GSdx DX10 Software Mode)
http://i.imgur.com/evv6g.png (ZeroGS)
http://i.imgur.com/0ZYmm.png (ZZOgl)

First Round:
http://i.imgur.com/kKAm1.png (GSdx DX10 Hardware Mode)
http://i.imgur.com/6xSnI.png (GSdx DX10 Software Mode)
http://i.imgur.com/p1LT6.png (ZeroGS)
http://i.imgur.com/yLyhH.png (ZZOgl)

7) Conclusion.

Since the problem pertains to the graphics and that the result can change 
depending on the video plugin and settings used, I conclude that the problem is 
due to just the video plugins and not the EE, etc.

If there's anything else you need, please let me know and I'll do my best to 
help you guys out.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by knuckles...@gmail.com on 8 Aug 2011 at 5:36

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Copy and paste from Sonic the Fighters report since it's a similar issue.

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Here's an update. As of r5492 this game still has grayscale problems when 
running the GSdx plugin in hardware mode, and the same things occur in software 
as well. But for some reason performance is a lot better this time around, 
pretty much fullspeed. This might be because of a change in my hardware though. 
When I made the report I had a 9800 GTX+ and a C2D, now I have a 680 GTX and an 
overclocked i5 2500k. So I don't know if the performance increase was due to a 
change in hardware or not.

But the grayscale problem in hardware mode still persist.

Original comment by knuckles...@gmail.com on 13 Jan 2013 at 9:30

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Copy and paste from Sonic the Fighters report since it's a similar issue.
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Just another update. As of r5875 (1.2.1) the game still has the same problems 
as it did before, no change. GSDX OGL produces the same results as well as 
ZeroGS.

I still have the same hardware since when I posted last (last year). 

Original comment by knuckles...@gmail.com on 5 Feb 2014 at 8:21