Homebrew developers... Some advice about digital releases for ode

[dubcity]

Homebrew developers... Some advice about digital releases for ode

If digital releases for ode users is important to you then please do these four things:

1. IP.BIN with proper name of game in application title.

All releases in the past were made with cdr users as the target and no one ever saw the application title. Old games display in gdmenu as boot dreams or ghetto pong or something else. If someone uses gdmenu they spend a lot of time changing the names before writing to card due to this.

2. Unique product ID in IP.BIN.

Unique product ID is important for openmenu. So many old homebrew use the same ip.bin over and over it is a problem to add them in openmenu. This code will keep games from colliding with each other. MrNeo240 had come up with a fix to get around this and its in alpha status. Save us the trouble fix your IP.BIN before compiling. Generate a new code with IP build or create a unique one with whatever you want. Example: I used NGC-0000 for this neo geo cd release.

3. 0GDTEX.PVR in root of cdi files.

This file displays as a cover in gdmenu. Again old releases never cared about this due to cdr being the target.

4. Exit back to menu.
This is a code you can insert into your game for ABXY+Start button combo reset like how retail dreamcast games work. This will send game back to ode menu without pushing the power button. Or you can put exit at bottom of game start menu that will do this same function. This is a quality of life improvement for ode users. Even cdr users like this function in compilations so they don't have to get off the couch to power cycle. Example: Quit is at the bottom of this DD3 beats of rage mod from the collection Ian Michael made. If you need help with this I am sure Ian would be willing to help. (Sorry Ian for volunteering you)

It would be a service to the community/your customers if future releases have these quality of life improvements. Not sure how many people are using CDR vs ODE? I set up a poll over a year ago here: https://www.dreamcast-talk.com/forum/vi ... =2&t=14129 just to find that out. I ask all users of this site to please take the poll so we can keep an accurate tally. Certainly it is not every DC user in the world but it gives a good idea of how the community is made up. It's better research than no research.

Thank you for reading.

P.S.
The entire gdemu/dreamshell collection hosted here was created to fix these problems with retail games and homebrew. Every release in it has to follow these rules I've laid out here. Some games need revising due to openmenu product codes now being a thing. It's a project currently in it's third year. I am currently unpacking homebrew and it will take a while due to how much is out there which is what caused me to make this thread.

[mrneo240]

Yo this also goes for anyone making homebrew that gets sold on cdrom aka indie titles too.

Your disc will be dumped so people with ode can play the game they've just purchased if you don't offer cdi.
If you do offer digital then not having this makes you look sloppy and amateur.

[colgate]

Is there a code sample for the quit function?
Curious if there's an easy way to detect if you are running from disk or sd or ode.

[Ian Micheal]

Is there a code sample for the quit function?
Curious if there's an easy way to detect if you are running from disk or sd or ode.

Many kos examples have it even the basic folder.

[FlorreW]

Well written Dubcity

[colgate]

Is there a code sample for the quit function?
Curious if there's an easy way to detect if you are running from disk or sd or ode.

Many kos examples have it even the basic folder.

Cool I'll check it out, thanks.