Star Soldier Enhanced disappearing sprite. Transparancy bit not working?

[TFHFony]

Star Soldier has received a nice smooth-scroll version: https://www.file-hunter.com/MSX/?id=starsoldier You can download it here: https://download.file-hunter.com/Games/MSX2/ROM/Star%20Soldier%20-%20Hudson%20Soft%20(1986)%20%5BSmooth%20Scroll%20%26%20OPLL%20v0.2%5D.zip

When playing the game, the ship sometimes disappears. This especially happens when using the NES maps, but also in the MSX maps. I've contacted the person who made this enhanced version on Twitter. From what I understand from his answer, the TP-bit isn't supported. I think he is talking about sprite transparancy somehow. Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/KaikaiKaizou/status/1657356812834975746

[NullPointerReference]

It does not seem to happen with the non-OPLL versions of the smooth-scrolls; in that case the sprite correctly turns black; so I kinda assume this has to do with the OPLL's version modification (it's a different ROM-type; so could be a mapping/addressing issue perhaps ?) and not a WebMSX bug.

See for example: https://download.file-hunter.com/Games/MSX2/ROM/Star%20Soldier%20-%20Hudson%20Soft%20(1986)%20[Smooth%20Scroll].zip

[ppeccin]

I see...

Can you point us to the "faulty" version of the ROM? Also, do you know what would be the correct type for it?

Thanks

On Fri, Mar 8, 2024 at 8:14 PM JOM @.***> wrote:

It does not seem to happen with the non-OPLL versions of the smooth-scrolls; in that case the sprite correctly turns black; so I kinda assume this has to do with the modification (it's a different ROM-type; so could be a mapping/addressing issue perhaps ?) and not a WebMSX bug.

See for example: https://download.file-hunter.com/Games/MSX2/ROM/Star%20Soldier%20-%20Hudson%20Soft%20(1986)%20[Smooth%20Scroll].zip https://download.file-hunter.com/Games/MSX2/ROM/Star%20Soldier%20-%20Hudson%20Soft%20(1986)%20%5BSmooth%20Scroll%5D.zip

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ppeccin/WebMSX/issues/98#issuecomment-1986552462, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAFOLICHU74PXYBY2J2FQN3YXJA6XAVCNFSM6AAAAAAYAUSYE2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTSOBWGU2TENBWGI . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: @.***>

[NullPointerReference]

Yes; the Faulty ROM is: https://download.file-hunter.com/Games/MSX2/ROM/Star%20Soldier%20-%20Hudson%20Soft%20(1986)%20[Smooth%20Scroll%20&%20OPLL%20v0.2].zip

And the ROM type is: KonamiSCC.

[ppeccin]

Can you describe a little more what the faulty behavior is? I played both ROMs, and at some moment the player ship disappears in both versions. It looks like both are faulty.

Are you sure the problem does not happen in one of the versions?

Paulo

On Sat, Mar 9, 2024 at 4:49 PM JOM @.***> wrote:

Yes; the Faulty ROM is: https://download.file-hunter.com/Games/MSX2/ROM/Star%20Soldier%20-%20Hudson%20Soft%20(1986)%20[Smooth%20Scroll%20&%20OPLL%20v0.2].zip https://download.file-hunter.com/Games/MSX2/ROM/Star%20Soldier%20-%20Hudson%20Soft%20(1986)%20%5BSmooth%20Scroll%20&%20OPLL%20v0.2%5D.zip

And the ROM type is: KonamiSCC.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ppeccin/WebMSX/issues/98#issuecomment-1986960687, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAFOLIEFG6YTC2YUB44GK63YXNRT5AVCNFSM6AAAAAAYAUSYE2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTSOBWHE3DANRYG4 . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

[NullPointerReference]

Hi Paolo, yes, if I run the 'smooth scrolling non-OPLL' version (from the link I provided) through this link: https://download.file-hunter.com/assets/webmsx.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdownload.file-hunter.com%2FGames%2FMSX2%2FROM%2FStar%2520Soldier%2520-%2520Hudson%2520Soft%2520(1986)%2520%5BSmooth%2520Scroll%5D.zip

I.e. go to https://download.file-hunter.com, search for 'Star Soldier' and click the RUN button on the results - the latter shows a black-sprite (and bullets as normal) whilst the 'opll v0.x' versions both don't show any ship-sprite NOR bullet-sprites (I didn't mentioned the latter before) at all at those moments the ship is supposed to turn black. Please do note that the 'RUN' button sets the 'unlimited sprites' option by default; but turning that off doesn't affect the behavioural difference.

Also note that the 'opll v0.x' version need to have their ROM type set to 'KonamiSCC' manually when clicking 'RUN'.

[ppeccin]

I see... I didn't understand at first that the ship becoming black was expected. I looked like a bug!

Peccin

On Tue, Mar 12, 2024 at 9:34 AM JOM @.***> wrote:

Hi Paolo, yes, if I run the 'smooth scrolling non-OPLL' version (from the link I provided) through this link: https://download.file-hunter.com/assets/webmsx.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdownload.file-hunter.com%2FGames%2FMSX2%2FROM%2FStar%2520Soldier%2520-%2520Hudson%2520Soft%2520(1986)%2520%5BSmooth%2520Scroll%5D.zip

I.e. go to https://download.file-hunter.com, search for 'Star Soldier' and click the RUN button on the results - the latter shows a black-sprite (and bullets as normal) whilst the 'opll v0.x' versions both don't show any ship-sprite NOR bullet-sprites (I didn't mentioned the latter before) at all at those moments the ship is supposed to turn black. Please do note that the 'RUN' button sets the 'unlimited sprites' option by default; but turning that off doesn't affect the behavioural difference.

Also note that the 'opll v0.x' version need to have their ROM type set to 'KonamiSCC' manually when clicking 'RUN'.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ppeccin/WebMSX/issues/98#issuecomment-1991549517, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAFOLIHSTJRTWYUIF3UO453YX3Y4VAVCNFSM6AAAAAAYAUSYE2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTSOJRGU2DSNJRG4 . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

[NullPointerReference]

No, the ship turning black is in the original as well - and also happens in i.e. OpenMSX. I did try the 'smooth scrolling with opll v0.2' with OpenMSX (CBIOS, 2+) btw, and it DID show the black ship there with that same ROM too. Then I retested it another time with WebMSX (2+ too, but it doesn't seem to matter what machine you pick) and the ship does still 'disappear' on WebMSX, so there is indeed some difference in emulation. Could it be related to https://github.com/ppeccin/WebMSX/issues/81 perhaps ? Or something to do with the cartridge format after all ?

PS: Sorry for the 'noise' I really thought it was a bad ROM-mod initially, given the non-OPLL versions just work fine on WebMSX.