I tested it using a genuine Network AdapterYou are using genuine NA?
Genuine NA with SATA modification or 3rd party (e.g. GameStar)?
If you have any modification can you try "clean" NA (without any modification)?
You installed this game from DVD on a PS2
or through network?
All my tests were done with genuine NA.
Dragon Quest VIII
"strict sync = no"
Can you test this game on a PC\laptop with windows?
[global]
server role = standalone
map to guest = Bad User
disable netbios = yes
load printers = no
aio read size = 0
aio write size = 0
keepalive = 0
socket options = TCP_NODELAY TCP_NODELAYACK IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_KEEPALIVE TCP_KEEPIDLE=30
strict locking = no
strict sync = no
[ps2]
path = /ps2
guest ok = yes
writeable = yes
[media]
path = /media
guest ok = yes
writeable = no
There's no stuttering at all when playing from a Windows share (!).
I happened to try a different Windows host today and got stuttering, so it looks like the OS isn't the deciding factor. Both of my test Windows devices are Intel NUCs running Windows 10 LTSC 1903, but different models:
NUC8i5BEH (Bean Canyon) - this is the first Windows device I tested. I did get a tiny bit of stuttering when I retested today, but not nearly as much as the other NUC or the Pi.
NUC6CAYH (Apollo Lake) - I need the Bean Canyon NUC for desktop use, so I thought I'd use this one for any future testing. Stutters just as much as the Pi.
Notable difference between the two: NUC8i5BEH has an Intel Ethernet adapter vs. Realtek for the NUC6CAYH. I'm very interested in trying the Linux OS+Intel NIC combination now...
When testing SMB from PC (static ip direct connection) I could either get or not stuttering depending on firewall settings. For the max reading speed I had to set it in a certain way. Totally disabling the firewall wasn't the best solution, I had to twist some settings for the best performance.
I never had similar problems using the mini-router instead (my is Nexx WT3020F I got for 10$, but you could easilly find something better for a similar price now), I simply configured it and never had any slowdown problem.
In Dragon Quest VIII specifically? Most of the games I've tested run smoothly on any old SMB host. There just seems to be something about DQ8 that causes stuttering even with pains taken to remove every bottleneck imaginable.
As an update to my previous post, I went ahead and installed Linux (Manjaro) on the Bean Canyon NUC to see if the OS made a difference, and DQ8 ran just as smoothly as with Windows (maybe a little more smoothly, even). Though I should add that I was too quick to declare it completely stutter-free--the title screen is fine, but there are intermittent stutters during gameplay, especially when entering or leaving a building. Completely playable, though.
Tentative conclusion: switching to a SMB host with an Intel Ethernet adapter might reduce stuttering?
In Dragon Quest VIII specifically? Most of the games I've tested run smoothly on any old SMB host. There just seems to be something about DQ8 that causes stuttering even with pains taken to remove every bottleneck imaginable.
As an update to my previous post, I went ahead and installed Linux (Manjaro) on the Bean Canyon NUC to see if the OS made a difference, and DQ8 ran just as smoothly as with Windows (maybe a little more smoothly, even). Though I should add that I was too quick to declare it completely stutter-free--the title screen is fine, but there are intermittent stutters during gameplay, especially when entering or leaving a building. Completely playable, though.
Tentative conclusion: switching to a SMB host with an Intel Ethernet adapter might reduce stuttering?
I done some testing on Dragon Quest VIII NTSC-U: MD5: 7c4aacc0bb5108b9e6e12734c0f84967
Tested from ETH with OPL 0.9.2, 0.9.3 (r.851), 1319, 1559. Enabling MODEs seems to not change anything.
No version was 100% perfect, but I got much better performance with OPL 0.9.2, 99% perfect let's say.
It stutters at Level 5 logo, then all intro is perfect. Also beginning a new game all is fine aside for a precise moment on the cut-scene when entering the town, where there's like a little freeze, then all keeps running fine.
All is 100% perfect once in game.
So if you really want to play from ETH, OPL 0.9.2 is the best (if you use it remember to rename the ISO with his ID as prefix, also the games take a little longer to boot compared to newer OPL versions, so be patient).
Otherwise you could play it from USB, it is a streamed game with in engine cut-scenes, it runs pratically the same from any device.
Another test would be to try the PAL version, it is possible that the problem isn't present on it (it happens sometimes). In case, You can force PAL version to NTSC using GSM without problems.
EDIT: Forgot to mention I tested with a direct connection from PC. Maybe I'll also test from the mini-router next time.
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