Questions about plans for CEN64

[OldGnashburg]

Hey MarathonMan, do you have any plans (no rush, I'm just asking) for the following, and if you do, can you share your thoughts on these:

- Your own GUI/Frontend for CEN64
- Your own RDP for CEN64
- Cheats
- Shaders and Filters (such as a CRT Scanline shader like Higan's)
- Save States
- Transfer/Rumble/Memory Pak(s) support
- Real Time Clock
- Screenshot & Video Recording
- Input for CEN64
- Netplay
- etc...

Again, I am not trying to be pushy, I am just merely interested in your plans for CEN64 and what your vision will be of the final product of your work.

Also, in the end (I know you have been asked this many times), what kind of minimum specifications do you think there will be once all optimizations/features you want are implemented, and all the bugs hammered out.

[MarathonMan]

I don't really have any interest in writing my own frontend. CEN64-Qt is about as pretty and portable as things get as far as a UI goes. Once I get around to writing a debugger, I might implement something for that if nobody else does, but even that doesn't seem overly exciting to me.

A CEN64 RDP is a definite in a long run, but I don't have any plans for it in the short future.

Cheats, filters, rumble support, etc. I'd be partial to implementing when I consider CEN64 a "final product", which I don't envision will happen in the next couple years anyways.

Better input, save states, etc. are something I plan to get around to once I get the new core going a little more as they're kind of fundamental to be able to use CEN64 in an enjoyable fashion.

RTC, 64DD, and other expansion-kind of hardwares will also eventually make it in, but also not anytime in the near future. Probably before things like cheats and filters, though.

Netplay is more or less entirely impossible to incorporate into a cycle-accurate simulator unless you're on a LAN, and even then I'm not certain as to how successful it'd be. Things like remote view/audio/playback (with lag) are more likely and practical. Think of it as netplay with no input if you're on a remote end.

[OldGnashburg]

How long do you think you will be working on CEN64? Or at least how long until you get the core all nice and pretty and bug free? Which I expect is your main goal for CEN64 before you start anything else. At least how far developed is the CEN64 core and what do you have left before the final bug fixing and optimizing starts?

[MarathonMan]

Heh, no idea. It's just a hobby/side project of mine, really. I have a couple other ones, too, that I don't publicize (or publicize much)... I'm guessing that I won't be able to call CEN64 "complete" for at least a few years, though.

[OldGnashburg]

Oh yeah, no rush at all. It's a hobby it is meant to worked on at your convenience. You don't want to have it pressure you. And I hear byuu is having a rough time because of this. But remember this, if you ever feel like giving up, think about the thousands (at least) of die hard Nintendo 64 fans who are pissed off with Zilmar's incompetence (sorry Zilmar it's just my honest opinion) and are looking for a better alternative (even Zelda: Collector's Edition on Dolphin emulates the N64 Zelda Games better than PJ64 with Glide 64 graphics and Azimer's audio which is the most accurate way to play mainstream N64 games excluding CEN64 and MAME). But again, no pressure. You can do whatever the you want, you're a free man. So enjoy doing what your doing and we'll watch from the sidelines.

[The Extremist]

Netplay is more or less entirely impossible to incorporate into a cycle-accurate simulator unless you're on a LAN, and even then I'm not certain as to how successful it'd be.

Why would this be?

From what I've gathered playing N64 games online with Mupen, netplay works by slowing the game down when packets aren't coming in fast enough. In addition, input lag can be increased to compensate (this is how Xbox Connect works).

[MarathonMan]

From what I've gathered playing N64 games online with Mupen, netplay works by slowing the game down when packets aren't coming in fast enough. In addition, input lag can be increased to compensate (this is how Xbox Connect works).

Heh, I should say "seamless" netplay is more or less entirely impossible unless on a LAN, then, I guess. I wouldn't really call slowing down all the clients a viable solution myself... to each his own, I guess. :p

[Nintendo Maniac 64]

unless on a LAN

What about Google Fiber or the like? Still not fast enough latency?

[MarathonMan]

unless on a LAN

What about Google Fiber or the like? Still not fast enough latency?

I can't say for certain, as I don't have access to it, but I'd still say it's doubtful. Perfect netplay is latency critical, and while I'm sure GF latency is better than <insert_oligopoly_name_here>'s service, it's probably still not good enough.

[Nintendo Maniac 64]

I can't say for certain, as I don't have access to it, but I'd still say it's doubtful. Perfect netplay is latency critical, and while I'm sure GF latency is better than <insert_oligopoly_name_here>'s service, it's probably still not good enough.

Here's some hard numbers then:

I tend to get 1-2ms locally (KC), about 10-15ms to Chicago, 20ms to Dallas and usually no more than 40ms to the coasts.

[OldGnashburg]

Wasn't your original idea for multithreading CEN (I think it was called lock step or something) perfect for netplay? I don't get how it's any different.