3rd Gen PC Multiplayer, No Kai or PS2 required

[Breaking Point]

I've set up Last Raven Portable (would probably work with SL portable too) emulated on PC, with multiplayer enabled.

 

If you want the details, I'll post them into a guide, but you just need:

 

1. PPSSPP

2. last raven portable ISO

3. LogMeIn Hamachi

 

And if you want to use a PS3 controller, you need SCP server drivers.

 

I'm using a PS3 controller remapped to work using the PS2 control scheme instead of the PSP one (which means, yes, you do have L2/L3 and two analog sticks!). It plays used like Last Raven on the PS2 did, except with a few new parts, and a lobby-based multiplayer with up to 2 people.

 

Anyone want to do some matches?

Edited July 7, 2015 by Breaking Point

[Mom]

I can do Last Raven.

[Not-Hunter]

How'd you get a PS2 control scheme to work? I spent a while playing ACLR portable on my vita, but the control scheme never quite worked out properly.

[Breaking Point]

Use a PS3 controller on PC, use SCP drivers to make the computer think it's a X360 controller so it will work via USB/Bluetooth. Then you remap the keys to the controls you want in PPSSPP. This means, for my scheme, not using the D-pad and some of the triangle/circle/square/x buttons, as I remap them over to the L2/R2 and right control stick. To navigate the menus, I just use the keyboard arrows and enter/backspace/shift/space.

 

You wouldn't need LR:P or a PSP to play this, just a computer that is capable of OpenGL or DirectX rendering (any graphics card, or decent integrated graphics and a solid CPU basically), and the willingness to get a lot of individual pieces of software to play nice with eachother.

 

My next step is finding a more secure VPN to recommend than Hamachi, people are suggesting tuungle but I hate its ads. That might mean there's port forwarding involved or some other complexities if you want to also do this, but Hamachi works fine if you're not worried about being compromised.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Breaking Point

[Shirtless Crackhead]

Someone's gonna have to do a more clear/dumbass version of how to do that.

 

Break it down 3rd grade level.

[Py687]

1. Download emulator

2. Download game ISO

3. Download VPN program

4. Download drivers for PS3 controller use (optional)

 

I assume he didn't hand out his hamachi IP address publicly for reasons, probably gonna be a PM.

 

I'd be interested for sure, just don't know how well a PSP emu would run on my computer. Crap graphics card and all that.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Siri

[Breaking Point]

It's a bit more complex, but a visual guide isn't hard to put together, there's just a lot of very simple steps and would take a weekend's worth of work doing screengrabs and editing.

 

The most complex part is making sure that PPSSPP runs smoothly on your computer, the rest isn't that difficult.

 

I ran it on Intel HD Graphics and it seemed alright. My more powerful laptop has an ATI card that does not play well with OpenGL so it's using Direct9 (these settings are under the graphics settings on PPSSPP) but it still freezes. It probably runs well on anything with an Nvidia card for that reason.

 

The easiest way:

 

1. Download the latest version of PPSSPP (1.01) from their home page (Not posting links because there might be a forum rule against linking to emuators, there usually is)

2. Download the ISO, it's about 770 MB.

3. Unzip the ISO using Winrar, highlight the contents, extract them all at once to a new folder, so it should show up as an ISO now. This means you have extracted the files twice.

4. Create a Hamachi or Tunngle account.

5. Download Hamachi, or Tunngle

6. Create a room in Hamachi/Tunngle, and write down the VPN's IP (at the top in Hamachi, at the bottom in Tunngle) address

7. Go to settings in PPSSPP, game settings, and change the following:

7a. (Graphics) OpenGL to Direct93D if using an ATI card.

7b. (Networking) Turn on WLAN support

7c. (Networking) For all players you want to play with, take the VPN's IP address, and type it into the corresponding field in PPSSPP.

7d. (Networking) All of the players on the network need to enter a unique (but doesn't have to be accurate) MAC Address as well in PPSSPP.

8. Load the ISO by browsing for it in PPSSPP, start the game.

9. Make sure the game runs smoothly in single player, then go back to the title screen and go to "connection"

10. If you've done it right, you should be able to now move into or create lobbies in-game with the people who you shared the IP address with.

 

 

Notes/troubleshooting:

1. If your game crashes during gameplay, it's a rendering problem and try changing the rendering type and buffer in graphics settings, or use a different GPU.

2. If your game plays, but is laggy and slow, it's a graphics problem and try a lower resolution or more mild graphics settings.

3. If you get a "No WLAN detected on PSP" or similar error in-game, then you have WLAN disabled in network settings on PPSSPP.

4. If you can see the lobbies but cannot see any other players, you or the other players have the wrong VPN IP entered, or one of you is not running hamachi or has connection issues.

 

How to set your controls:

1. Get an Xbox 360 controller, or a PS3 controller.If using an Xbox 360 controller, skip down to step 6

2. Download the SCP driver package. (1.2.2)

3. Connect the PS3 controller. Let it run its driver download.

4. Run SCP Driver Package (1.2.2)

5. The PS3 controller should now work as a 360 controller.

6. Open PPSSPP and run the game.

7. Set the in-game controls with as many buttons that you want existing on the PSP already set. For the rest, set them to buttons that you do not want to be able to use in menus.

8. Go to the setting for keymapping or controller mapping on PPSSPP. For the buttons that do not exist on a PSP controller (L2, R3, L3, R3, Right Analog stick) hit the + button next to the corresponding PSP button, and then press the button on your controller that you want to do that action. For example, if you want L2 to boost, then you need to set (in-game) boost to a button that you do not use but exists on the PSP. Say, Triangle. Now in PPSSPP, set "Triangle" to be equal to L2 on your controller.

9. To navigate menus more easily, use the keyboard commands when not piloting the AC, which can be set similarly in PPSSPP.

10. Now you should be able to play using a PS2-era control scheme.

 

Notes/troubleshooting:

 

1. If your controller randomly disconnects, try running SCP again after unplugging it and clearing the device from your device list.

2. The right analog stick can be mapped top the D-pad, however it cannot do diagonal directions. This is similar to how the game worked in pre-nexus era.

3. (Important) If you set your buttons a certain way, you will not be able to purge weapons, because the PSP controls will have you pressing either the D-Pad in two directions at once (cannot be done) or the analog stick. The same goes for look reset.

 

The SCP drivers will work for other games, also. I also use the PS3 controller for dark souls, and it's plug and play.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Breaking Point

[Not-Hunter]

7. Set the in-game controls with as many buttons that you want existing on the PSP already set. For the rest, set them to buttons that you do not want to be able to use in menus.

8. Go to the setting for keymapping or controller mapping on PPSSPP. For the buttons that do not exist on a PSP controller (L2, R3, L3, R3, Right Analog stick) hit the + button next to the corresponding PSP button, and then press the button on your controller that you want to do that action. For example, if you want L2 to boost, then you need to set (in-game) boost to a button that you do not use but exists on the PSP. Say, Triangle. Now in PPSSPP, set "Triangle" to be equal to L2 on your controller.

Ah, okay. That sounds like it would work after a fair amount of tinkering. The reason I brought up the ACLR:P on a vita was that it's similarly emulated to allow two sticks, but remapping the buttons in-game frequently broke the control scheme and disallowed the purge command. And since this is emulation of ACLR:P, there's a possibility of weird scenarios where purging doesn't work.

 

I've set up and used SCP and all that before, but it behaves strangely and has a tendency to break my controllers temporarily. On the other hand, xbox controllers hurt my hands. Emulators are usually pretty receptive, though. Heck, I've been able to pretty easily just plug a PS2 controller in and use that for emulated games before.

[Breaking Point]

The only reason this is a deal to me is the native support for WLAN emulation that didn't exist last year or so, making it possible to do multiplayer.

 

I haven't had any problems with SCP on my controllers, or switching back to the PS3 afterwards.

[Mom]

I can play Last Raven.

[Py687]

Actions speak louder than words

 

JUST DO IT

Edited July 8, 2015 by Siri

[Breaking Point]

I'm having trouble with the emulator freezing up during one of the VR arena matches, and during some of the missions (Frontline Base Assault). Others who are using it haven't reported any problems yet (but I haven't gotten confirmation that they've done those missions), so could someone confirm for me that it's my PC, or if it's the ISO?

 

I'll look for another ISO that might be better quality in the mean time.

 

EDIT: The JP language one seems fine, still looking for a US one.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Breaking Point

[Rixlen]

edit: ...interesting

 

(got ahead of myself in my earlier reply)

Edited July 17, 2015 by Rixlen

[Pendragon]

For some reason, I have problems with Hamachi. I guess it's just my gas guzzler laptop.

[Mom]

I can play last raven on kai.