I random idea

[drahsid]

I got a random idea.
I was thinking of Steam OS and Linux and how much it sucks, even though I'd never tried it, instantly turning me into a hater.
(Hahah, laughs.)
Then I got an idea,
what it the Pj64 Dev Team made a Linux Distro based around Pj64, a full emulator-only OS.
Like, if the N64 had a boot menu/bios when you'd boot it up like the dremcast/psx, just it's PC only and whatever.
Though I do understand how it'd have to be rewrote for Linux, but I don't care.
Just imagine starting up the OS, and seeing a high quality N64 logo pop up with 'Get N' or get out!' below it, and a smooth, clean UI that lets you select what game to play. (How would we get games though? a USB flash drive? or maybe a game center app? Hm. If they do make a game center, then they could also make a SDK.)
With this, not only would it simply be more simple, and clean, but it would also allow more use of a PC's hardware, which could mean better performance for lower end machines.
This also would mean you would use more of the system's power to focus on emulation, allowing for better graphical and sound emulation.
Of course doing this would cost time, and make the developers want money, but who's to disagree that this would be awesome?
I mean, think of steam big picture, just with N64 games.
Lets not forget this could even allow for texture packs be easier to access and share.

Tell me what you think?

Edit: Have you ever seen a post that you posted years past and just thought "Wow I was insane?"

[RPGMaster]

Better yet, just improve the current code base

[drahsid]

Originally Posted by RPGMaster

Better yet, just improve the current code base

Or they could just make the UI look similr to PPSSPP, I mean, compared to PPSSPP, PJ64 looks boring and dull.
That's what sucks about N64 emulators,
No UI whatsoever.

[RPGMaster]

Imo, I think the opposite is true. Sure it's not perfect, but the UI is at least decent...

Most importantly, the codebase needs an improvement. I think this OS thing should not be first priority. If performance is an issue, then simply optimizing the current code will do wonders. Since time is an issue, the developers should focus on the most important things.

[HatCat]

I like

mupen64.exe -nogui -g [rompath]

on the command-line :3

[drahsid]

Originally Posted by RPGMaster

Imo, I think the opposite is true. Sure it's not perfect, but the UI is at least decent...

Most importantly, the codebase needs an improvement. I think this OS thing should not be first priority. If performance is an issue, then simply optimizing the current code will do wonders. Since time is an issue, the developers should focus on the most important things.

Well, for me, performance is nothing of a problem.
I'm just speaking of people with legacy computers.
And yes, I agree, the code could be better,
I also believe the lack of default netplay really kills it,
this is where 1964 surpasses it,
1964 runs better on legacy PCs, and supports netplay by default.

[RPGMaster]

Originally Posted by drahsid

Well, for me, performance is nothing of a problem.
I'm just speaking of people with legacy computers.
And yes, I agree, the code could be better,
I also believe the lack of default netplay really kills it,
this is where 1964 surpasses it,
1964 runs better on legacy PCs, and supports netplay by default.

I love 1964 . From my experience, it had the lowest desync rate out of the 3 kailera emulators.

I'll need to try out AQZ sometime, to see if that's equal to or better than 1964 Kailera. Too bad I can't use 1964 with AQZ netplay plugin. PJ64 only works with AQZ netplay if you enable fixed audio timing, but that messes up the audio.

What kind of UI changes would you like to see?

[drahsid]

Originally Posted by RPGMaster

I love 1964 . From my experience, it had the lowest desync rate out of the 3 kailera emulators.

I'll need to try out AQZ sometime, to see if that's equal to or better than 1964 Kailera. Too bad I can't use 1964 with AQZ netplay plugin. PJ64 only works with AQZ netplay if you enable fixed audio timing, but that messes up the audio.

What kind of UI changes would you like to see?

I never got AQZ to work, mea nd my friend tried in a 15 hour Skype call mainly consisting of it.
I used 1964 on my OLD OLLLLLD Legacy PC in 2009-2011.
It was a windows XP from 2002, with integrated graphics, 512 MB of ram, 32 MB of graphics memory, and a maximum of 24 bit color deph.
It ran at ~24 FPS at any plugin's lowest settings, which surprises me.
It's CPU was weaker then a Intel Pentium.
I believe it was clocked a 1.2 GHZ.
So 1964 is REALLY fast.
As for UI changes,
well,
EVERYTHING.
it's not really the time where lists of test are a game list, anymore.
I mean, thinking of PPSSPP again, what surprised me was actually how great
it's UI is. It's the only emulator I know of that actually has a good UI. Most are just lists, with the exception of dolphin, which is LISTS with thumbnails.
Like,when you start it, it should have a clean, high poly N64 logo rotate, then have it auto-full screen into a main menu of sorts, with a game option, a options option, and a plugin configure option.
choosing the game option should bring up a section that displays games, like, if you look at your games in steam big picture, you have a thumbnail, title and description, and the games are listed horizontally. (It also has smooth Xinput support.)
Which would be a good look for the game list, and you could get 'thumbnail packs' for custom thumbnails, while the default is the boxart.
Right clicking, or hitting some button on a controller could bring up a configuration, allowing the memory expansion, data type, default plugins, etc.
The options menu (from the main menu) would let you configure the settings of pj64, like cheats, the sp hack, the default plugins, allow advanced options, etc.
The plugins option would let you configure plugins.

Also, maybe they could add netplay?

[V1del]

There's no reason to custom tailor this to a single emulator, and would be a huge waste of time. Just use some of the multiemu frontends which were pretty much designed for this purpose

OpenEmu
RetroArch
XBMC Rom Collection Browser

to name a few

[RPGMaster]

Originally Posted by drahsid

I never got AQZ to work, mea nd my friend tried in a 15 hour Skype call mainly consisting of it.
I used 1964 on my OLD OLLLLLD Legacy PC in 2009-2011.
It was a windows XP from 2002, with integrated graphics, 512 MB of ram, 32 MB of graphics memory, and a maximum of 24 bit color deph.
It ran at ~24 FPS at any plugin's lowest settings, which surprises me.
It's CPU was weaker then a Intel Pentium.
I believe it was clocked a 1.2 GHZ.
So 1964 is REALLY fast.
As for UI changes,
well,
EVERYTHING.

The plugins option would let you configure plugins.

Also, maybe they could add netplay?

Lol in my honest opinion, I think you're asking for too much . Anyway, I kinda agree with you about the UI though. I'd like to see an improvement myself, but nothing as drastic as what you suggest xD.

1964 is awesome man! Its Kaillera implementation needs a little fixing, and maybe the UI could use a few tweaks, but otherwise, it's amazing.

I tried seeing if I could fix/tweak PJ64 2.1, but I gave up, due to it being more complicated than I anticipated. It's not that it's too difficult, but more like too time consuming. Time is important! I really wish PJ64 2.1 had that on the fly plugin swap!

AQZ is easy to setup, I just don't like how I'm limited to either Mupen64, or PJ64 1.7/2.1 with fixed audio timing on (which I don't like).