DreamPi Desktop

[Windows9X]

Holy jeez has a lot of refinement been made! I re-wrote some bits of my parser; This really rare and randomly elusive bug has been fixed! So, good news, Roareye!

Secondly, users that have usernames with illegal characters (ex: <Silent-for-the-cause>) can now use this tool! I've implemented support for parsing out these characters, so those usernames won't crash now.

[Roareye]

AWESOME work. Glad it's working again ^_^

US TITLES Tested
Daytona USA 2001: [NET PLAY] Didn't get to online [WEBSITE] Shows as previous title (Website not yet rebuilt, doesn't work)
Next Tetris - Online Edition: [ONLINE PLAY] Shows as previous title (W.S. Baseball 2002 in my case), Tetris doesn't light in Library. (I've seen some with it in their library, no idea why mine won't show)
Propeller Arena: [ONLINE PLAY] Shows as previous title (Although it does fail to log in as Propeller Arena isn't online yet. [WEBSITE] Shows as previous title (Website is complete, but redirect doesn't work yet.)
Street Fighter Alpha 3: [WEBSITE] Shows as previous title (Website not yet rebuilt, doesn't work)


JAPANESE TITLES Tested
18 Wheeler Pro Trucker: [WEBSITE] Shows as F355 Challenge [Site complete, redirect not working]
Aero Dancing i Jikai: [ONLINE PLAY] Shows as Phantasy Star Online
Buggy Heat: [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online [Site complete, redirect not working]
Cool Boarders Burrrn!: [WEBSITE] Shows as previous title [Site complete, redirect not working]
Dead or Alive 2 LE: [WEBSITE] Shows as previous title (Website lost forever, not recorded due to registration wall)
F1 World Grand Prix: [WEBSITE] Shows as previous title [Site complete, redirect not working]
Fighting Vipers 2: [WEBSITE] Shows as F355 Challenge [Site offline]
Gundam Online Battle: [ONLINE PLAY] Shows as Phantasy Star Online [WEBSITE] Shows F355 Challenge (Site offline)
Jet Set Radio: [WEBSITE] Shows correctly.
Net@Versus RIVERSI: [ONLINE PLAY] Shows as Phantasy Star Online
Power Stone 2: [ONLINE PLAY] Shows as Phantasy Star Online [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online (Site offline)
Sega Rally 2: [ONLINE PLAY] Shows as Phantasy Star Online
Shutokou Battle: [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online (Site complete, redirect not working)
Shutokou Battle 2: [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online (Site offline)
Sonic Adventure 2: [WEBSITE] Shows correctly.
Soul Calibur: [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online (Site complete, redirect not working)
Vampire Chronicles: [ONLINE PLAY] Couldn't get it to dial (Runs on Power Stone 2 system, but same info didn't get me past sign in screen) [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online (Site offline)
Eternal Arcadia: [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online (Site offline)
Toukon Retsuden 4: [WEBSITE] Shows as Phantasy Star Online (Site Offline)

DIDN'T TEST YET;
Super Producers [JP]: Online Play. Website possibly.
Unreal Tournament [US]: Online Play
Vermilion Desert [JP]: Online Play, Website

This is by no means a list of every online title, but at least it gives some clarity of what the Companion (and by connection the Dreampi itself I assume) picks up when games connect online.

[Windows9X]

AWESOME work. Glad it's working again ^_^
...
.

Roareye, you are just phenomenal. I really appreciate your devotion to helping me test as it not only show's what Kazade needs to do on his end
of the DreamPi framework, but it also shows what games i could possibly future proof into my companion tool.

You results pretty much show that these games are not supported by Kazade what-so-ever. As I have private discussed with him, the DreamPi has a list of known URLs and if the DreamPi detects one on read, it will push a specific game ID to the website, which of course is then leeched into my tool. Phantasy star is definitely a place holder return and the fact that some games show the last title only means those URLs don't exist at all, yet. I'm not sure if Kazade will support Japan titles, but the 40ish on the DCLive site will be and that's what the tool currently models towards.

I am keeping close ear with Kazade, so if anything changes, i'll make the update. Just recently, Kazade added the ability to "show recent" users, on the website as well as make the website compatible with mobile devices. Because of this, i was able to add a "full database pull" feature into RC2, the first public release, of the tool. This is why, even if like... 4 people are online or even none, you'll have like 100ish DPPs in the database folder.

Now that this main bug is sorted out, (which by the way, i want to point out that is was a debug function that should even have been compiled in the release version that was messing things up), RC4_REV1 is pretty much complete. However, i am considering adding a 'favorites' mode which will allow you to 'star' certain users and allow you to pull them up in a second list so you can specifically watch their libraries.

I'm not sure if a feature like this is needed or will even be used.. but it sounds like a nice idea. I might add it or just go ahead and release RC4_REV1, since it's done, as it is.

but yeah, in the latest build i have, we're red-hot and cooking.

[Roareye]

You're welcome man, I really love the tool and potential it has. I'm no coder so the closest I can do is test the features out where possible.
Bear in mind I don't own all of the JP online titles, Street Fighter Zero 3 (the Japanese version of Alpha 3), 3rd Strike and Marvel Vs Capcom 2 included online play (using the Vampire Chronicles/Darkstalkers and Power Stone 2 system), but getting these titles back online will be incredibly tough and aren't a key focus right now.

The titles that allow for website connectivity and Leaderboards are very possible. Leaderboards run on the website using input data, and the sites are accessible using a DC anywhere in the world via the in-game browsers.

I noted some of the sites above that have completed websites, as I've completed about fifteen sites for Dreampipe, the issue is getting the redirects to function. MSR is suffering an unknown issue where, despite being redirected and complete (leaderboards are under construction though) the browser can't find the page. Xiden will know more than me about this though.

It's disappointing to access games that are already completed and still find the online portions aren't working despite the bulk of the work being done. 18 Wheeler, Buggy Heat, Cool Boarders, POD Speedzone, F1 World Grand Prix and Soul Calibur are all ready to visit, converted and translated, but most of the community rejects Japanese titles even if they include enhanced features. I'm not sure if Kazade fits that bracket or it's just to do with how much time things take. I'm pretty sure if Leaderboards and websites were available and usable on Japanese titles (online play is a different issue) then people would use them. Buggy Heat or 18 Wheeler tournaments would be epic!

[Windows9X]

...

Older stuff, even webpages, will always be more troublesome because there just isn't the same caliber of checks and balances like modern solutions. Dreamcast uses ancient web technology, even compared to Windows 98. It will be tricky, but will feel great when accomplished.


So, yay or nay on the 'favorites' idea? Won't be in RC4_REV1, but i might do it. Also, 89 downloads; I hope more people come to the thread to discuss the tool and give feedback.

I hope people also actually update to the latest release. It's super stable, so not upgrading should be out of the question.

And for the lot that have downloaded it, i'm curious if people actually are using it or if they just said 'neat' or 'poop' and then deleted it. The kinds of stats are just impossible to know, but i can dream.

[Roareye]

I love the idea of a Favourites, but perhaps it should be called a Friends List? Kind of a bit like modern consoles you can connect and watch directly when your friends pop online. That'd be awesome.

I have other ideas but I don't want to over-egg the pudding, for the time being getting the Companion is awesome enough. The Friends List idea is a great plan.

[ncman071]

how does it detect the pi's IP? do i need to connect dreampi to my wiireless dongle?

[Roareye]

It requests that you put in the IP Address from the Pi manually.
The best way to get this is to unplug the Pi, wait ten seconds and then plug it back in. After it finishes booting up it has some text on screen (From the Pi's HDMI output) that says "My IP Address is ......" and that will tell you what your IP address is.

[Roareye]

Damn. I hate to be that guy, but my Dreampi Companion has died again.

I was trying to get Sega Swirl working, which required me to follow the connection guide on dreamcastlive seen here;
https://www.dreamcastlive.net/sega-swirl-guide.html

So I set up a new email account, allowed access etc to get everything set up. I put the dcgmail.sh file on my SD Card, logged in and followed those instructions, I then used Dreamkey 3.0 to enter the email information and saved it.
Then I logged into the internet using Dreamkey 3.0 to test the email account had been set up correctly. Dream Companion closed itself down and now won't turn itself back on.

Here's my DPP file to help you figure it out;
http://www.seganet.co.uk/Roareye.DPP

Sorry dude. It was working beautifully up until that point.

EDIT at 20:17 - It's started back up again now, I'm going to test going online again.

[Roareye]

- Connected online on Unreal Tournament via Network Play and while it's asking me to select a server, Dreampi Companion has killed itself again
- After a minute of being offline the app started working again
- I then attempted PSO, as a stable online title, and upon dialing in the app died again.

Basically anytime the Dreampi registers that I'm online, the Companion decides to close itself down and won't turn back on until it believes I'm offline. I can use it while I'm offline, but not when my DC is connected to the net. My regular net features don't seem to be blocked as I'm playing online just fine.