Starblade Alpha large STRs have no video

[aybe]

Environment

jPSXdec version: jpsxdec_v1-00_rev3921 Operating system: Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18362.418] Java runtime environment java version "1.8.0_231"

PlayStation Game (if applicable)

Name: Starblade Alpha Region code (e.g. SLUS-1234): SLUS-00057

Description

What were you doing?:

Convert FLT\GAME1.STR

What happened?:

There's only audio, no video

What was or was not supposed to happen?:

There should be video too

index.log debug00.log

Thanks!

[aybe]

Also, it happens too on its suite, Galaxian 3 - SLPS-00270.

[m35]

Startblade Alpha support added https://github.com/m35/jpsxdec/releases/tag/v1.01

[aybe]

Amazing, thank you!!!

[m35]

By the way, it appears both Starblade Alpha and Galaxian 3 use the same special video format. I found it very curious that you happened to report both in this issue. Do you know something I don't? 😉 And are there other games you think might use the same format?

[aybe]

Not really, unfortunately. It just happens that I have both games and naturally decided to try both!

A rough guess would be that:

• it's the second installment for PS1
• it's been released only 12 months later
• games are similar, recorded off Laserdisc

They certainly re-used most of the code.

Now as on why ...

I tried to diff out between old and last release to try understand what you've added, indeed there are new things but since I don't really know the subject it didn't really help. By the way, why didn't you commit directly to GitHub, it would be great to have an history of commits/versions/tags?

Other games? I don't know, possibly!

Instead, I looked at the docs @ http://www.psxdev.net/downloads.html:

• Technical Reference CD 2.3
  • :\Progcd\PSXGRAPH\BIN\mc32.pdf
  • :\TRAINING\Summer97\mfmovi.pdf (movie as a texture ?)
• Programmers Tool CD 2.2
  • :\PSXGRAPH\BIN\MC32.EXE

There seems to be a way to do custom interleaving, just a guess, Namco being a 1st class customer for Sony, they might had access to some undocumented features too.

I learned many things through these 2 ISOs from SDK, such as (mostly) properly reading Ridge Racer and Wipeout graphics:

This first game ever for the console, with PSX.EXE as executable like many early ones, didn't find anything for months, then suddenly I realized its structures mapped to most of what's in the docs.

This one is more Western-style, easy to read game files, still, docs were helpful in understanding and getting proper rendering.

Also, you certainly know https://problemkaputt.de/psx.htm, its GPU debugger has been really helpful to me.

Hope this helps, let's see if these docs can make you draw some conclusions and hopefully some mysteries will be uncovered :)