Le FAQ De Snes9x

Wassail,
This is the much anticipated and highly informative Frequently Asked Questions article,
which contains, believe it or not, Frequently Asked Questions! This time around we have
also included Frequently Answered Answers! I shall be your host on this gleeful sojourn
through a text document where anything can, but probably won't, happen. On our first
section of this mystical journey you shall see various frequently asked questions, as
well as their answers!

Amendments:
By popular demand the FAQ is now sorted in some form of coherent order, and has little
liney things, which are supposedly neat.

The majority of the things in this FAQ are based off the Windows port of Snes9x. While some
of the information is relevant to most, or all, ports, no gaurantees are made that what is
said will be accurate for all versions. Note that there is a section for the various official
ports in chapter 4.


________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1:

Emulator Specific Questions
    Or 
  It's Not The Size Of An Emulator That Counts; It's How You Use It.

Q: When is the next version (of Snes9x) coming out?
  A: Chances are it will be coming out when enough changes have been made to suitably
make a release.  You can generally guesstimate the release date by paying attention to
the Developers forum at snes9x.com.

Q: Why do my games run too fast?
  A: Through proper nutrition and training an increase in abilities is often found. It is
possible that certain ROMs, whilst training for the annual Rohm race, surpassed a sane
limit.  Generally not allowing them to run will cause atrophy, making them somewhat
slower. Seriously though, try using the + and/or - keys to adjust the emulated speed. If
you are feeling lucky, you might also wish to try holding down Shift, and pressing the +
and/or - keys. In the display settings make sure the "Use Frame Limiter" and "Automatic
Frame Skipping" boxes are checked.

Q: Why doesn't Snes9x support transparencies?
  A: It does! Make sure the "Transparency" box is checked in the settings menu.

Q: I recently purchased a game pad controller. Will it work on Snes9x?
  A: More than likely yes. Any USB compatable controller will work. Generally this
means any controller made within the past 7 years or so. If you are having problems
consider updating drivers and recalibrating your controller.

Q: In Snes9x my game pad is having trouble inputting any diagonal directions on the D-Pad.
How can I fix this?
  A: While setting up your controller functions in Snes9x, make sure you do not setup the
diagonal buttons; leave them blank. Ye olde Snes only had 4 buttons on the D-Pad: Up, down,
left and right. By pressing two directions you would go in the appropriate diagonal direction
(game specific, of course).  If you have accidently set a value in the diagonal boxes already
either select them one at a time and hit "Escape", or press the "toggle diagonals" button.

Q: Soooooooo... Why the heck do you have diagonals in the controller setup anyway?
  A: Simple really. Some people enjoy using the keyboard, or have no other choice.
In the next chapter the topic of keyboard input limitations will be addressed.  Being able to
input the diagonals can help hinder that occurrence. It can also make keyboard usage a bit easier...
assigning the directional controls to the number pad for instance.    

Q: I gotsid me a translation patch (.ips) for my game. Now what do I do so I can use it?
  A:  Make sure both your ROM image and .ips file are in the same folder. Finally make sure
they have the exact same name (minus file extensions, of course). As an example "Pie.smc"
should have "Pie.ips" and "Super_Pie3(E).smc" should have "Super_Pie3(E).ips". Now open up
Snes9x, load your ROM and voila! It should be noted that IPS patches are almost always designed
for use with a specific dump of a ROM. If you are positive you are using it correctly, but it
still does not work, consider trying a ROM from a different source.

Q: I had a bad checksummed game that didn't work so I adjusted the header, but it still
doesn't work :( Why?
  A: It should be noted that while it is possible to plop a ROM into Snestool, or several other
programs, and adjust the header size to be the same as a proper "good checksum" ROM,this merely
mimics the appearance of a good ROM.  Any problems still found within its evil will remain.
One could compare it to covering up a circumorbital haematoma with a paper bag.


________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 2:

Game Specific Questions
    Or
  How I learned To Stop Worrying And Love The ROM

Q: What's da dilly-o wit' dem Graphics packs, foo?
  A: Some games contain processors that are difficult to completely emulate due to their
compression schemes. Through various means something called a "graphics pack" has been
created that will allow you to view the graphics in these games despite the compression.
Most graphic packs are rather large in file size, since they contain all the uncompressed
graphics in a game. The games that require graphics packs are:

Far East of Eden Zero (J)
Far East of Eden Zero: Shounen Jump No Shou (J)
Momatarou Dentetsu Happy (J)
Super Power League 4 (J)

After many hours of work one of the two aformentioned chips has been emulated more efficiently.
SNES games using the "S-DD1" chip can now run without a graphics pack. While there are some pros
and cons to either choice, I recommend not using a graphics pack as they are large and may not
be complete.  It can be much slower without one, however, should yOu feel speed is more important
than accuracy. The exact ROMs that can now run without graphics packs are:

Star Ocean (J)
Street Fighter Alpha 2 (E)
Street Fighter Alpha 2 (U)
Street Fighter Zero 2 (J)

Q: Why doesn't game X work?
  A: There are three possible answers to this question, depending on the scenario. Answer
one is that it does work, but your ROM dump is incorrect (this MAY be fixed by reattaching
your cartridge to your copier and redumping). Answer two is that we have found a solution
to the problem, but have not yet implemented a fix.  Answer three, a subsidiary of answer two,
is that we do NOT know what is wrong with it, and as such have not yet implemented a fix.

Q: Why doesn't Snes9x display SD3/Secret of Mana/other hi-res games properly?
  A: Some games had resolution changes at certain parts during the game that affect the pixel
size of what is shown on screen.  Due to the way this is handled some games require specific
options to keep "right".  First, make sure that Hi-res support is selected in the option menus,
That option can slow down performance on slower machines, which is why it may be off by default.
Second, it is recommended your filter option is set to "normal," as oppossed to "none." Some of
the other filtering modes may work without problems, but I have not tested them to be sure.
Note: In the event the "hi-res" option is greyed out, make sure your display resolution is at
least 512 x 480.
 
Q: Why can't I press many buttons at once? Especially in that Chrono Trigger game.
  A:  Most standard keyboards (There are a few exceptions, though only a few) can only
output so much data to the compter at a time. As such your computer is often unable to
carry-out the instructions you have given it. There are solutions abound, of course,
and here they are now: Lovely recommendation one is to rearrange the keymapping in Snes9x
so that all the necessary buttons are on a single keystroke... That way you can press 1 key
and have it do all the actions.  The draw back to this is that if you set "a" to jump
and shoot you will be unable to jump without shooting, or shoot without jumping, until
you change it back. The super sexy recommendation number 2 is to set the ctrl and alt
keys to some of the necessary buttons. The draw back to this is that often these buttons
can cause problems if used in tandum with other keys, due to Windows shortcuts. You may,
for instance, be using alt to jump and while in midair hit f4 to load a savestate...
That will close the program, which is bad. Finally, and the method I personally recommend,
is to purchase a gamepad. The draw backs to this are that it requires time and money.

Q: I'm all like "Hey, Yoshi's Island" and it's all like "error" and I'm all like "Ooooh, no
Yoshi's Island" but my friend is like "Yay, Yoshi's Island." Why?
  A: Try selecting "mode 2" from the interleave dropdown box in the "open" menu before
loading said ROM Image.


________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3:
All About Netplay
    Or
  More Slow Than A Quadriplegic Ninja Turtle, But Only Half As Entertaining

Q: Snes9x netplay sucks, can I make it better?
  A: Yes, yes you can! Snes9x is open source so all you need to make netplay better is
advanced programming knowledge and a will to improve upon the Snes9x code. At present
time Snes9x is more for LANplay, best used in a small network of local computers. I
recommend Zsnes (www.zsnes.com) and zbattle (www.zbattle.net) for your random chaotic
netplay needs.

Q: I am using a Windows port of Snes9x. My friend is using a Mac. Can we netplay?
  A: Yes... Just not with each other. Snes9x, at this time, does not support cross-platform
netplay. Or good netplay.

Q: Yea who don know dat but when i do what do afta y find som1
      (now that I have someone to play with, what do I do?)
  A: An excellent... ...question. I couldn't have worded it better myself. Despite my
sarcasm however I must cringe at the fact I can actually understand it enough to answer.
The answer depends on if you are acting as the server/host or the client. If you are the
host you must first find your IP Address and give it to the person you intend to play online
with. Next open Snes9x, load the ROM you wish to netplay, and then from the netplay menu,
select "Act as server." Then you wait until the client connects... Now, if you are the client,
first receive the IP address from the host, open Snes9x, and open the ROM you wish to netplay.
Select "connect to server" from the netplay menu, and fill out the necessary information.
Server address should contain the IP Address of the host. After that is done click "Connect."
Assuming both parties have done their role correctly, a netplay match should soon start.

Q: How do I chat with my partner during netplay?
  A: I personally recommend yelling really loudly, but the telephone is also a somewhat
plausible answer I suppose.  Seriously.

Q: Can I play with more than 2 players?
  A:  Indeed you can. Basically the same steps to starting a multiplayer game apply, however
there are a few important differences. Obviously the game you wish to multiplay in must support
three or more players. I may add a list of these games at a later date.  Now then, make sure that
you, as well as everyone intending to play, has selected the "enable multitap 5" option from the
input menu. If you don't do this it just won't work. 


________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4:
Mac, And Linux Specific Questions
    Or
  Don't Buy Into The Paneful Propaganda

Q: My buddy, whose soul has been lost to M$, says he can run games like Doom and
Starfox2, but Snes9x on my Mac has all sorts of problems when running them. What I
do?
  A: The PC version of Snes9x partially uses x86 asm code in place of the C code used on
the Mac, which might cause a difference in compatibility. As of now I believe both ports can
all run the same things. If you find one that runs on the PC version, but not the MAC please
let us know.

Q: On my Mac the damnable games refuse to do anything, even though I'm pressing keys. Why?
  A: This problem is caused by a bug found within OSX 10.2.x. In this bug the authentication
dialog turns off GetKeys() (the function that reads keyboard state) when a user enters his
password, and doesn't turn it back on. This bug has been fixed in 10.3.x.  

Q: On my Mac everything is fine when I play the game, however the next time I play, my save data
is not there. Why?
  A: First, check to see if the .SRM file is still on your hard drive. If it is then make sure
you have set where Snes9x checks for files in the "file" tab, in the preferences section. If the
.SRM cannot be found then most likely you are trying to save files into a locked volume, such as
a cd drive, or read-only folder. This will fail. Check the file saving preferences and adjust where
the files are saving. 

Q: Can I change the keybindings on Linux?
  A:  From what I've been told the keymap is hardcoded to the source, making changing them rather
difficult. The only way to change them, for now, would be to edit and recompile the source, which
from what I've been told isn't something everyone can do.

 
________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 5:
Miscellaneous Questions
    Or
  Q-Bert Is My Only Friend

Q: Is it legal?!
  A: This has been asked time and again, and the answer is yes.  Developing,
downloading, or using the emulator, Snes9x, is completely legal.  Downloading games,
called ROMS, however is not.  If you own the original cartridge of a game, you are still
not entitled to download the ROM image of that game. You may create a single backup
image of your own cartridge via proper hardware, but it must be YOUR cartridge and is
only usable in place of the original... so only one may be active at any time. Many sites
claim that you may legally download ROMs for up to 24 hours before they must be
deleted. This is also wrong; you can't legally download these for "trial" purposes.  You
can't download ROMs for educational purposes either. If you wish to use Super Nintendo
Entertainment System games for educational purposes, contact your closest Nintendo
Outlet and discuss educational programming with them.  Finally, a small number of
ROMs are labeled "(PD)". This means public domain, and these games are not under
copyright. As such they are legal to download at your hearts content. These include
programs created by internet users such as yourself for use in Super Nintendo emulators. 
As of this time there are no commercial videogames in the public domain.

Q: My friend, Tibby, says that you are wrong and that game companies don't care if you
download games!
  A: Whilst not actually a question, and more of a statement, I am afraid Tibby is
incorrect.  Feel free to peruse the various legal documentation sprawled throughout the
World Wide Web or your local constituency. As for the blatant generalization that
companies do not care; At least one does, and truthfully many more do as well, as such
the statement is obviously a fallacy.  For those who think it is not fair, or shouldn't be the
way it is... perhaps not, though as holders of a copyright it is up to Nintendo to decide
how and when their products are distributed. 

Q: I just purchased your fine program off eBay for $19.89, but my friend says I can
download it for free. Can you guys give me my money back?
  A: Okay, this question hasn't actually been asked, however our free downloadable
program does seem to get sold on eBay more often than it should, which is to say at all.
We cannot reimburse anyone who was unlucky enough to be scammed into purchasing
Snes9x, just as McDonalds cannot reimburse you if you purchased 100 Happy Meals
from a random stranger and he gave you a frozen fish. If you find yourself in this
situation... Purchasing Snes9x, not frozen fish... Please take the time to inform eBay via
their heavily disguised investigations department, and leave any negative feedback that
you wish.  It would also be appreciated by the Snes9x team if you could mention where
and when this happened so that we can take measures to stop it from happening again. 
While the fact we aren't making money from the program in no way bothers us (It is
freeware after all), that some grubby bastards are does.
  
Q: So err, where exactly do I contact y'all, eh?
  A: The most convenient way to contact us would be via www.snes9x.com.  There is a
forum that is checked at least 12 times a day by regulars, and at least a few of us can
actually give some advice.  E-mail is also a possibility, though it is much slower, and
you'll hafta find the e-mail addresses on your own.  Be sure to read the FAQ and Read me
before posting, as things already answered many a time will probably result in random
insults or heavy sarcasm.


________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 6:
The Conclusion
    Or
  That Block Of Words And Various Punctuation Symbols At The End Of The Document That Isn't
  Totally Dissimilar To Something That May, Or May Not, Be Considered A Conclusion Given The
  Contents Held Within The Paragraph(s) It Contains

I hope you enjoyed this jaunt through the magical land of FAQs. Much has been said but,
obviously, there is still room to grow and expand. Should you feel you have a question worthy
of this vast tome of knowledge please leave it in the "board feedback" section of the Snes9x Forum.
I have been your host and shall return again next time with an even greater FAQ.

I would like to take the time to thank the vast plethora of people who have helped me conjur this
machination of goodness. However, in the annals of time I have probably forgotten many of those
who have given me advice, defintions, technologial information and cookies. It would be unfair
to only mention the small portion of names I remember from an excessivley long and ever-expanding
list. As such, I won't. Toodles.

Knowledge is power; Learn it well
