General Dolphin Game Troubleshooting

[ajilejay]

Dolphin's Game Compatibility List
Latest Dolphin Version
I will try to include details on what is needed to make a game run correctly if it is extra tricky.
If you are having problems with a game try the troubleshooter section near the bottom of the post.

Here are a few examples using games that people frequently have problems with. However this troubleshooter can help you run just about any game, these are just a few examples. (see next post for screenshots)
To find the fix refer to the troubleshooter at the bottom!

Fixable Games

Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers (Perfect after Wiipatch remove 001 + 002) SVN R 4771
Fixes
-WiiAim offsight
-Grainy Resolution
-Missing textures
-Flashing textures
-Overall Speed

Resident Evil:The Darkside Chronicles (Perfect after Wiipatch remove 001 + 002) SVN R 4943
Fixes
-Multiple texture and audio problems
-Grainy Resolution
-Audio and Frame Stuttering

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Do not use TP hack it will reverse your nunchuk control!(Perfect after Wiipatch remove 001 + 002) SVN R 4800 or higher
Fixes
-Black Boxes
-inconsistent speeds (too fast)
-grainy resolution
-Wii Aim offsight

Onechanbara:Bikini Zombie Slayers (Perfect after Wiipatch remove 001 + 002) SVN R 4771
Fixes
-Black Boxes
-Grainy Resolution
-Blank Screen
-Overall Speed
-Audio Issues

Muramasa (Perfect after Wiipatch remove 001 + 002)SVN R 4771
Fixes
-Sound Crackling
-Freezing
-Loading Issues

The house of the dead (Perfect) SVN 4943
Fixes
-cutscene audio / video sync

Valhalla Knights (Perfect after patch on SVN 4943)
-Fixes
-Grainy Resolution

Smash Brothers Brawl (minor texture problems) SVN 4943
-Fixes
-Moving Level + 4+ Man Brawl slow down.

Unfixable (but still playable)

Bass Pro Shop: The Strike (some distorted textures)
Tatsunoko vs Capcom: (Micro stutter upon 1st special move)

Not Playable
Need for Speed Nitro (various menu and texture problems, I hear 2 player works?)

General Tips

1.Here are the settings I believe you will have the least problems with.
Use version 4771 but also have the Latest Dolphin Version as an alternative.
Config

Enable Dual Core = On
Enable Idle Skipping = On
Lock Threads to cores = On
Optimize Quantizers
Framelimit = 60
Use Panic Handlers = Off
D3D
Fullscreen = Off
V-Sync = Off
Render to Main window = On
Aspect Ratio = All off
Anti-alias mode:Off (I know it is tempting but it causes way more problems than it's worth no matter what you have in your machine)
Enable 16 anisotropy filtering:Off (same as above)
Enable hires texture loading = On
EFB Scaled Copy = On
EFB Copy enable = On , To Texture = On
Force bi/tilinear = Off

2.Avoid editing your general configurations as much as possible, instead edit each game's personal config by right clicking its banner and selecting Properties. This way you can leave the setting I have listed and only change a few options in each games configuration.

3.Need Help configuring your game properties or just find more information on a game?
Game Index
Also Keep in mind that the Search Forum Option always works best if you cannot find information needed.

Troubleshooting

Game speed and/or music speed is to fast?
1.Solution:Use Dolphin version 4800 or higher
2.Set Watchdog to 60 in the general config

Black Boxes?
Possible Solutions:
Set Disable Copy to EFB = Off

Black Screen?
Possible Solutions:
Set Copy to RAM = Off
Toggle Progressive Scan = Off/On
Toggle Safe Textures Off/ On

Game Wont Load and/or is to Slow?
Possible Solutions:
1. Toggle Optimize Quantizers On / Off
2. Toggle Idle Skipping On / Off
3. Toggle Disable Copy to EFB
4. Toggle EFB to Ram

Distorted / Stretched Game Objects (Examples: Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers -Large Ferret, Newspapers ect..
Possible Solutions:
1. Set Optimize Quantizers Off

Missing Special Effects texturesblack) (Most often found in fighting games. Capcom vs, Naruto , Super Smash Bros,)
Possible Solutions:
1.Toggle Distance Aplha Pass On/Off (only reduces amount of missing textures in most cases)

Game often freezes randomly and/or Won't Load
Possible Causes:
1.Region incompatibility
2.Dolphin version incompatibility
3.Corrupt ISO (Delete your ISO and create a new backup from disc)

Sound Stuttering and Frame Stuttering, sound related microfreezes (Like in Capcom vs and many others)
Minimizing Stuttering
1.Enable Audio Throttling = Off
2.Toggle REO Audio Hack on / off
3.Try version 4943
4.Download OpenAL
5.Select OpenAL in Audio Backend

Constant Sound Crackling and/or Distortion?
Possible Solutions:
a.Use version 4771
b. Turn off sound throttling

Cutscene Audio and/or Video out of Sync and Frame Lag (Example: House of Dead )
Solution
1.Use revision 4943
2.Click DSP
3. Enable All check boxes
4.Audio Backend DSound

Grainy Textures, Missing Menus, Low Resolution, Missing Textures, Graphic or Error Related slow downs ,Game wont Load? (Found in many games:Zelda TP, Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers, Resident Evil, other 3d graphic intense games and many others)
Likely Solution: If all else has failed then patching your iso is your most likely solution. The quote below gives directions on how to patch your game ISO.

(04-10-2009, 06:16 AM)neotrack Wrote: it's really very simple to do that, once you've done with the iso, all you have to do is download the two softwares(GenericWiiPatcher and WIIScrubber)

I. execute wiiscrubber
1.then " load iso ",
2. partition:2 - DATA ", right click on "main.dol...etc"
3.extract and you make a save of this file put it in the same directory as your game iso

II execute GenericWiiPatcher
1. click on "open" and open the save(main.dol)
2.then click on "search",
3.a line on top of the soft will appear,
4.click on "remove 002" and
5.save by clicking on "save"

III execute WIIScrubber
1.click on "main.dol"
2. select "replace / load" and open the main.dol that you modified previously, but be careful, this operation can take few seconds or minutes.

The game wont detect My Wiimote?
A
1.Close all Bluetooth programs(including dolphin and make sure none of them are in your task manager
2.then reconnect your wiimote in your bluetooth control panel.
3.Open Dolphin click wiimote and refresh the Wiimote if it vibrates it is working.
B.
1.Test the keyboard bindings in your pad settings the game may not support the wiimote or some of its connections and thus it may be using your Dolphin pad bindings as a default.

How can I use my old Dolphin Game Configs , Saves , Settings ?
1.Open your Dolphin Folder
2.Open your x86 or x64 folder
a.copy and replace the whole user file
b.open user file and copy and replace select files to the new Dolphin folder of the matching name

Is there any programs that can help my Dolphin Emulation Speed?
AMD Fusion
It will free up your CPU and RAM for Dolphin

If this troubleshooter helps you please rate it 5 stars.
Sample Screenshots in next Post
Use this thread to add your tips, fixes, add to a list, or report any trouble you are having with a game.
I will update this when I can

[ajilejay]

[Kipston]

Dude, I owe you one. :]

[Warrio_r]

extremely nice work mate

[313archer]

Hi. I registered this account just to say:

Thank You!!!

Why is this thread not stickeyd?
Please sticky this thread.

This thread helped me when i had the game working fine but had a "minor" problem of missing textures on several small objects in my game.

Fire emblem radiant dawn missing texture on weapon blades and meg's body armor. On dolphin 2.0 release version.

congrats on getting your 3rd reply!
Hope this thread gets the attention it deserves.

Update: I am so sorry about accidentaly rating this thread "1". I meant to rate it "5" but I clicked on the wrong place cause i havent used "myBB" boards before and my finger is stupid. I am seriously considering amputation.

[ajilejay]

Thank you guys I wrote this a long time ago but I stopped updating it because I didn't think anyone was finding it useful I can add a lot more stuff I have found since then.

[NaturalViolence]

For individual game troubleshooting just look up the game on the dolphin wiki: http://www.dolphin-emu.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page