Wiki source code of Getting Started

Version 15.2 by Calinou on 2024/01/31 03:26
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1 This page contains all the details you need to know to get started with playing Dinosaur Planet, including where to find the ROM, how to play on an emulator, and how to play on a real Nintendo 64 console with a flash cart.
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3 {{toc depth="3"/}}
4
5 = Downloading the ROM =
6
7 The ROM for Dinosaur Planet can be found on the [[Internet Archive>>https://archive.org/details/dino_20210220]]. Download the zip file on the right side listed under **Download Options** and extract it. Inside, you will find several files:
8
9 * {{code language="none"}}rom{{/code}}
10 * {{code language="none"}}rom_crack.z64{{/code}}
11 * {{code language="none"}}normpnt.rom{{/code}}
12 * {{code language="none"}}normslp.rom{{/code}}
13 * {{code language="none"}}readme.txt{{/code}}
14
15 Check out {{code language="none"}}readme.txt{{/code}} for more information on these files and the origin of the ROM. In short, the {{code language="none"}}rom{{/code}} file is the unmodified dump, but contains numerous security protections that make it unplayable. The {{code language="none"}}rom_crack.z64{{/code}} file is a modified version of the ROM that allows it to work on emulators as well as flash carts on a real Nintendo 64.
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17
18 = Updating the ROM =
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20 Even with cheats, the game on its own is nigh unplayable. Fortunately, the community has been working together to bring performance and stability patches to the game, as well as restoring content that was in the game but unable to be accessed by normal means. You can find the latest [[xdelta>>http://xdelta.org/]] patches in the [[#patches-and-fixes>>https://discord.com/channels/827608544555171850/969700298987819020]] channel at the [[Dinosaur Planet Community Discord>>https://www.discord.gg/dinosaurplanet]]. There are a few methods of updating your game found below, sorted by ease of use.
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22
23 == DinoLauncher ==
24
25 //If you like things to be easy...//
26
27 * [[DinoLauncher>>doc:Main.Tech.DinoLauncher.WebHome]] was created by the community specifically for the purpose of keeping your local copy of Dinosaur Planet updated.
28 * Download [[DinoLauncher>>doc:Main.Tech.DinoLauncher.WebHome]] from the [[releases>>https://github.com/sabre230/DinoLauncher/releases]] page on GitHub and place it in a safe location
29 * Open DinoLauncher.exe
30 * Select your update branch based on your preferences
31 ** **Nightly** gets updates on the regular, while **Stable** isn't updated as regularly but should have less issues all around.
32 * Click "Browse..." to look for your "rom_crack.z64" file
33 * Click Check for Updates to check for the latest patch
34 ** You can also enable HQ player models at the cost of performance
35 * Once the patch is complete, the folder with the patched game will open and the launcher will give you the option to launch the game with your system's default application for handling Z64 files
36
37 == xdelta web interface ==
38
39 //If you like things easy but prefer doing things your own way...//
40
41 * Open [[Rom Patcher JS>>https://www.romhacking.net/patch/||rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"]] in a web browser
42 * Make sure you have the "Apply Patch" tab selected
43 * Click "Browse..." next to **ROM file** and browse for your "rom_crack.z64"
44 * Click "Browse..." next to **Patch file** and browse for your xdelta patch file
45 * Click **Apply patch** and move the downloaded file to the desired location
46 * Run it in your favorite N64 emulator and enjoy!
47
48 == xdelta3 ==
49
50 //If you prefer doing things your own way...//
51
52 * Download **xdelta3.exe** either from one of the many mirrors online, or build it yourself from its [[GitHub page>>https://github.com/jmacd/xdelta]].
53 * Place the xdelta executable and the rom_crack.z64 in the same directory
54 * Open a command prompt window in this location and run the following command
55 ** {{code language="none"}}xdelta3 -d fs rom_crack.z64 name-of-dinoplanet-patch.xdelta dinosaurplanet.z64{{/code}}
56 ** //Keep in mind, you may need to change the name of "xdelta3.exe" in the command to match your own copy//
57 * A new file should appear in the directory that says "dinosaurplanet.z64"
58 * Run it in your favorite N64 emulator and enjoy!
59
60 (((
61 ----
62
63 = Running the game in an emulator =
64
65 Dinosaur Planet can be run using most modern N64 emulators including:
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67 * [[RMG>>https://github.com/Rosalie241/RMG]] –// if you don't know what emulator to choose, this is a good starting point//
68 * The Mupen64Plus core within [[RetroArch>>https://www.retroarch.com/]]
69 * [[Simple64>>https://github.com/simple64/simple64]]
70 * [[Project64>>https://www.pj64-emu.com/]]
71
72 On Android, [[M64Plus FZ>>https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mupen64plusae.v3.fzurita]] can be used. Dinosaur Planet is a demanding title by N64 standards, so you will need a relatively fast Android device to run the game smoothly – especially if aiming for 60 FPS. On Android, consider using the Medium GPU accuracy preset as opposed to Accurate or Very Accurate, as it performs much better, especially at higher resolution scales.
73
74 (% class="box successmessage" %)
75 (((
76 Thanks to emulation, you can run the game with many enhancements such as resolution scaling and [[60 FPS>>doc:Main.How-to-Play.Playing-at-60-FPS.WebHome]].
77 )))
78
79 = Running the game on real hardware using a flashcart =
80
81 In order for a patched Dinosaur Planet ROM to work on an N64 with an Everdrive 64, you'll need to copy and paste "DP=5" into save_db.txt under ID detection. Save_db.txt is located inside the ED64 folder on your Micro SD Card.
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83
84 = Setting up the game for widescreen =
85
86 The game has native support for 16:9 on both real hardware and emulators. When you launch the game, you are greeted with splash screens then a title screen. In the title screen, go to **Options** then **Video**, then set **Ratio** to **16:9** instead of the default **Normal**. Do not change the **Screen Size** setting as that setting has no effect.
87
88 After changing this setting, configure your emulator's video options to use a **16:9** aspect ratio then restart the game. Note that even with the game's native widescreen mode engaged, the title screen's cutscene will appear stretched, but gameplay and other cutscenes will use the correct aspect ratio. Aiming with the staff will also display the crosshair at an incorrect position when aiming towards the left or right, so make sure to compensate for that too.
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90 On real hardware, it's recommended to stick to 4:3 to avoid degrading performance, as the game already runs quite slowly in 4:3.
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92 (% class="box warningmessage" %)
93 (((
94 Avoid using the **Try to adjust game to fit** option in your emulator to adjust the 4:3 game to 16:9, as this will result in culling issues on the edges of the screen that don't occur when using the game's native 16:9 support.
95 )))
96 )))