save backup :s

[gojira1954]

I've just got 100% on castlevania - doesn't look like there are many options to retain this save for long tho ;)
I've seen the info on here for the various mods available for the duo which is great BUT I'd like to keep the save on removable media - I am correct in the following?
The everdrive cannot act as a save tool, but perhaps could if software was written?
Tennokoe hucards have an internal battery - can this be successfully replaced and/or is there any way to mod this device so that the battery is no longer required by changing out the target storage component?

[SignOfZeta]

I don't understand the question. I %100 Dracula X every Halloween. What are you planning to do, load it up and look at a number?

[technozombie]

Yeah, once you 100% it there isn't much reason to keep the save. The game is really pretty easy. As far as long term saves go, I have some PSX saves from BITD, and the reality is that they are so old when I load them up I just think " Damn i need to start over".

[gojira1954]

I don't understand the question. I %100 Dracula X every Halloween. What are you planning to do, load it up and look at a number?

I wanted to discuss save managing options?
Yeah looking at completion percentages could be good for you though?

I guess hudson really fucked up implementing game saves - what a waste of time!

[esteban]

I don't understand the question. I %100 Dracula X every Halloween. What are you planning to do, load it up and look at a number?

I wanted to discuss save managing options?
Yeah looking at completion percentages could be good for you though?

I guess hudson really fucked up implementing game saves - what a waste of time!

I have been using a Tennokoe Bank for 10-15 years and I keep thinking the battery will die...but it hasn't yet.

It will.

Of course it will.



There have been various threads, over the years, about file utilities, managing backups, replacing battery on Tennokoe Bank, games that hog all the BRAM, etc. Some kind person might link to them

Let's see...we need the technical gurus to help us...

(1) At least one person posted about successfully installing a new battery in Tennokoe Bank HuCARD (but soldering + battery requires some delicacy)

-----

(A) Hardware storage solutions include MB132 and Save Kun... I think these are the only two peripherals relevant to a discussion of CD systems. (You could use NEC's Backup Booster or Hudson's Tennokoe 2 for stand-alone PCE)

(B) A handful of games (CD software) included BRAM file  managers/utilities...some of these were designed with MB132/Save Kun in mind.

(C) Covell (member here) released a BRAM utility? But you might need special flash card/cables (developer tools) to use it?

[MNKyDeth]

My personal favorite backup item for the PCE/TG16 stuff is the MB128.
https://pce.cabbage.cx/mb128.html

I personally think this is the best solution for long term storage without any modifications to hardware. As the batteries get low make sure to replace them and your set.

This requires a game to manage the backup memory though. I use Emerald Dragon just like what is used on that page. It really does work well. And it has a ton of space.

[NecroPhile]

I guess hudson really fucked up implementing game saves - what a waste of time!

I hope you're joking.  Assuming you actually play games on a semi-regular basis and aren't just a shelf queen collectard, the system itself will maintain your saves indefinitely; and my Tennokoes are 25 years old yet still going strong.  What more do you want?

If you're that worried about it, keep your system plugged in and put new a new battery in a Tennokoe (hell, get two for redundancy).  You'll be set for at least a couple decades.

[SignOfZeta]

I like the system they use. There is no battery, just a capacitor. If you don't plug it in and play it the saves will disappear, just like your memories of having played the game and your skills. Collectards need not apply.

The alternative would be a battery that would have to have been replaced multiple times by now or it would leak and kill the PCB.

I have no Saturn saves from the original era left because the shitty flash tech from back then eventually corrupted them all. The HD died in my 2004 iPod. The PCE was the very first CD-ROM thing and the first game system to save internally so frankly I think they'd did a AMAZING job of it considering my bone stock never before serviced IFU and Duo R save systems still work with exactly as intended.

I have a full day today but after the kid goes to sleep I'm going to see if I can max Rondo tonight before this thread dies.

[crazydean]

I don't see the problem. Just leave it plugged in and you won't lose the save. As has already been stated, get a tenoke bank if this is a problem.

Also, please explain the purpose of keeping a save once you beat the game.

[esteban]

I don't see the problem. Just leave it plugged in and you won't lose the save. As has already been stated, get a tenoke bank if this is a problem.

Also, please explain the purpose of keeping a save once you beat the game.

Yup.

Some games use a file to save high scores...which is kool (we have high score threads), but I don't think Dracula X is akin to a platformer/shootemup where score is a *goal* beyond simply beating the game.

[SignOfZeta]

It's nice to be able to play any level with either character and whatever but the next time I play for reals I'm always going to start over. It's not like we're talking about Mario Paint or anything.

[SamIAm]

Being able to move game saves back and forth from a PC would be useful for hacking purposes, and if I could utilize my Everdrive to store save files, I absolutely would. Relying on capacitors and batteries in 20+ year old tech doesn't lend itself to peace of mind, to say nothing of how otherwise inelegant the MB128 and Tennokoe Bank are as extra-backup solutions.

Some of the PCE's ancient RPGs are designed to force you to grind levels or risk dying inside long dungeons with no save points. With a busy job and a baby to look after, my gaming minutes (formerly gaming hours) are too precious to spend like that. Being able to hack in some money or items could make all the difference between whether or not I decide to clear certain games.

An interesting example is Tales of Phantasia on SNES, which is a vastly more enjoyable game if you cheat and give yourself the Scout Orb right at the beginning. This item, which is normally only available if you get through a long optional dungeon at the very end of the game, lets you adjust your random encounter rate.

Finally, once in a blue moon, you can get save-data corruption on real hardware. I actually got it after I had played several hours of Tengai Makyo 2, and I lost the save. Now, I can't bring myself to commit to going all the way through that game in part because I'm paranoid that I'll lose my progress again when I'm much further in. I'll probably get over that and try eventually, but I sure would like an easy and reliable backup.

The same goes for swapping memory in order to play BRAM hogs like Blood Gear.

Wanting to preserve your 100% clear/Level 99 files may be a little silly, but I bet that if krikzz built an easy backup system into his next Everdrive OS, nearly everyone here who has one would make use of it.

[NecroPhile]

If you're worried about old stuff and reliability, pop in a new cap and/or battery.  Problem solved, it's just like new.

There's nothing 'inelegant' about the Tennokoe Bank or MB128.  They're both dead easy to use, with the only minor drawback being that you have to backup the entire bram contents instead of individual files.

If you want to cheat, it's possible to give yourself more money, exp, etc. using Chris's bram tool.


In other words, use what you got and don't sit around pining for something better. 

[gojira1954]

Nice to hear some varying opinions on this topic & thanks for the info =]

>https://www.chrismcovell.com/PCEmon/index.html
I'll give this a go -  the documentation is excellent ;)

>Wanting to preserve your 100% clear/Level 99 files may be a little silly, but I bet that if krikzz built an easy backup system into his next Everdrive OS, nearly everyone here who has one would make use of it.

This is what I'm talking about - keeping saves isn't the end of the world but pushing this old hardware with new techniques is just as much fun for me as playing the game themselves sometimes...

[gojira1954]

I'm close but no banana :/
I can talk to the pce but nothing happens - I enter a command which appears on the screen but enter key set for CR doesn't do anything? Think I have something simple wrong but don't know what :s

tinypic.com/ztsyo3.jpg

[gojira1954]

yep needed transmit to be set for <CR><LF>
thanks =]

[gojira1954]

OK so I've done some more, my problem is I don't know wtf I am doing tho ;)
A patched sys card works great for RAM codes - that is easy =]
Saving the BRAM I'm stuck with the utilisation of the terminal program, as the screen grab below shows I've done the save command which fills the binary window on the right of the terminal program, I've copied that data into a notepad file and renamed as .bin I hope this is the correct way to save the BRAM data? Then I cannot get the data back into the pce - I've tried the 'send file' in the transmit section of the terminal prog then used the > command but BRAM was not affected :/

tinypic.com/2gt96xc.jpg

[Johnpv]

My friend and I replaced the battery on my tennokoe bank.  Though the solution was not elegant.  I based it on a website I found that was in Japanese that said one battery model was an exact replacement......it lied.  It ended up being too thick.  Though that is what we have on there now, desoldering the battery was not fun.  Plus I can't fit the cover on it any more, so its not an ideal solution.  I did eventually find the right model thickness battery and managed to find one with solder taps on it, but they're in the wrong position.  I've considered trying to desolder them and place them right, but just haven't done it.  Unfortunately I just moved and everything is still in boxes so I'm not sure the model number of the correct size battery but as soon as I come across it I'll try to remember to post it here.

[SignOfZeta]

I never thing the elegance bar would be so high in 2017.

[gojira1954]

Nice one - I've got a tennokoe card coming over so I'll try and change out the battery on that for giggles ;)

I don't know how to save the binary BRAM file correctly, the terminal program I'm using is Terminal v1.93b.
I don't knmow if this is the correct sequence?
set output device to SCREEN [ECHO OFF]
< bram to buffer
S save binary - in Terminal there is a window where the 01s are displayed - is it simply copy paste this into a notepad file and rename the extension .bin?
I then restart set set output device to SCREEN [ECHO OFF] again then
L 800 and send file via Terminal transfer button
On the screen I get

>
>00000000
>

and the pcemon hangs :/

Maybe the binary I made is completely wrong? How to check the size of it?

[gojira1954]

First many thanks to the creator of this soft - was fun to use =]

Back up duo BRAM - instructions on
https://www.chrismcovell.com/PCEmon/
are excellent, below is just a step by step of how I have followed some of them;
No resposibility taken for damage to your equipment etc!

1. I have this running on win7 64bit, fuck apple.

2. Get a RS232-USB adapter (As per instructions you could also use a TTL cable but I don't have one), I have used this one (beware china fakes);
http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/DataSheets/Cables/DS_US232R-10_R-100-500.pdf

3. Install the RS232-USB adapter and confirm which COM port it is assigned to in device manager, I like port 4, it is possible to lock the address in advanced settings.

4. Burn the PCEmon CD from the image provided at the homepage 'RS232_19200.cue' run in it your duo

5. Build the RS232-PCE cable to the schematic shown when you run the pcemon cd with a normal pad connected

6. Install a terminal program, I chose;
https://osdn.net/projects/ttssh2/releases/

7. Run the terminal program 'ttermpro.exe', I used these settings;
Setup>Terminal - Transmit CR+LF, local echo unticked
Setup>Serial Port - correct COM port selected, 19200 baud, 8bit, none, 1bit, none
save the setup from this setup section at the bottom

8. run the pcemon cd, swap over the pad to rs232 cable

9. type n to see if the palette colours change, if they don't something is wrong

10. to create a bram backup I typed this exactly from booting;
IN TERATERM File>Log - only have 'binary' option ticked then save, change the save file location to somewhere else if you like
o re
<
s

close tera term, restart duo

11. inspect the .log file created and if required trim any command written before the dump like shown here, no need to rename the .log file;

tinypic.com/vnd0gn.png
tinypic.com/v7qfwx.png

12. feeling brave? format the back up ram on your pce and check saves are gone

13. load up pcemon and type this to restore the bram
o re
l 800
IN TERATERM File>Send File ENSURE 'binary' option is ticked and cick open, this will send the file over to the pce buffer
c  TO CHECK BUFFER IS FILLED
>

close tera term, restart duo

14. check the save files on the pce, hopefully restored OK ;)

[gojira1954]

Whilst messing around with this my dracula x save got deleted (yeah boohoo ;)
I was testing on ys1&2, I just played some dracula x after formatting the save memory, when I went to backup the dracula x file it wouldn't load even though the save slot was populated in the manager menu 
Checking the binary in hxd showed the following;

tinypic.com/13zofbs.png

I overwrote the data circled with 00 and transferred this amended file into the duo, works OK =]
Dunno why? maybe I'm creating the binary wrong, but it was fine with Ys?
anyway at least I have it functioning - thanks again =]

[SmokeMonster]

Really interesting tool. I saw you posted this on the EverDrive forums too, could something similar to this ever be implemented into the Turbo EverDrive, or is save data simply not accessible from the hucard port?

[gojira1954]

I don't understand how this works - I've just followed instructions ;)
The patch sys card allows bram codes for cd games which is nifty - everdrive is required for that.
The RS232 connection requires the pad port to communicate and dump the data, no everdrive required but can be loaded either via cd or everdrive

[gojira1954]

I've rinsed through the game again, if anyone is interested or would like to try out the save backup here's the 100% file :p

filedropper.com/draculx100

Is the BRAM space the same size on an IFU? I'd be interested if this .log worked on one - my cdrom2 is dead (again) :/

[destructive cactus]

This is really cool. I'm going to make a USB/FTDI -> controller port cable and try this out, too!

[gojira1954]

I acquired a working CDROM2 - file transfer over from the duo backup to the IFU worked OK =]

Got a tennokoe as well, the cover is just held on with double sided sticky tape, battery is a CR2320 23mmx2mm easy peasy to replace ;)

tinypic.com/288zart.jpg

[Johnpv]

Please post here if you find any CR2320s with solder tabs already on them.

[gojira1954]

No need - just scratch the surface of a standard one with a knife and presolder with a *small* amount of solder on the old tab and the scratched surface, push down and solder it will fit perfectly.
Finding tabbed battery is not possible I think