BoF Dragon Quarter Flicker on PVM

[xAzurexEonx]

Decided to play this game recently and noticed that the player icon (when your character stands still) has what I'll call a flickering effect.

Has anyone else noticed this?

[Obiwanshinobi]

Icon (2D image), or his textured polygonal (3D) model? It's been years since my last playthrough (on a real PS2, RGB CRT, interlaced), but isn't it an indication of the "disease" he's caught?

Which version are you playing, by the way? Mine (PAL) is 60 Hz (like about every PAL console Capcom game from 2002 onwards, bar Bombastic), BUT like some PAL Capcom games of the time is a different build from NTSC (gameplay tweaks).

I've been wanting to replay it for a while (as well as Crimson Tears). It's just that, well, I'm no good at completing this sort of game anymore.

[xAzurexEonx]

hey Obi. thanks for replying.

NTSC game

It is the 2D portrait icon, it activates when you stand still in-game.

I started a new game and noticed it right away. I plugged it into my LCD to check if it would happen there, it does not. I am just curious if this is because (MAYBE) it's a 2D image on a 3D rendered world and the CRT is acting weird because of that.

Sadly this BoF is probably the weakest of the lineup and the cut-scenes drag out way too much, like Xenosaga but not as pretty. Still I'd like to play all of them.

If you do ever decide to have a look please let me know.

[Sumez]

Your monitor has no idea what's 3D or 2D in the image being output by your PS2
It probably has to do with the interlaced video signal though. Your CRT displays half the lines of an image, and then the other half, and repeat for the next image. An LCD monitor tries to interpolate these two halves into one image, so it might succesfully hide the flickering effect.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Usually, when the picture isn't deflickered (as in early PS2 games, or a handful of hi-res PSX ones), not only 2D image flickers, but so do vector graphics. If memory serves, Dragon Quarter is deflickered properly, so I've no idea why this filter wouldn't apply to the icon. Will give it a look soon, but sometimes one build is deflickered, whereas the other isn't (such as OutRun 2006: Coast to Coast for PAL PS2 - also 60 Hz - is not, but OutRun 2SP - later build, NTSCJ - is).

Sadly this BoF is probably the weakest of the lineup and the cut-scenes drag out way too much, like Xenosaga but not as pretty. Still I'd like to play all of them.

Not so much weakest as very unlike the rest (or any other jRPG I can think of for that matter).

[xAzurexEonx]

Your monitor has no idea what's 3D or 2D in the image being output by your PS2
It probably has to do with the interlaced video signal though. Your CRT displays half the lines of an image, and then the other half, and repeat for the next image. An LCD monitor tries to interpolate these two halves into one image, so it might succesfully hide the flickering effect.

Hi Sumez.

Yes I know the monitor doesn't know what is 3D/2D. You did point out what I waa alluding to, with the way it displays. Since the 2D icon appears as if in the "foreground" so the 3D world is still behind it for display.

Still I feel like I must of played some other games that did something similar without this effect
Perhaps this is specific to whatever they tried in this game.

Thanks for your input.

[xAzurexEonx]

Usually, when the picture isn't deflickered (as in early PS2 games, or a handful of hi-res PSX ones), not only 2D image flickers, but so do vector graphics. If memory serves, Dragon Quarter is deflickered properly, so I've no idea why this filter wouldn't apply to the icon. Will give it a look soon, but sometimes one build is deflickered, whereas the other isn't (such as OutRun 2006: Coast to Coast for PAL PS2 - also 60 Hz - is not, but OutRun 2SP - later build, NTSCJ - is).

Sadly this BoF is probably the weakest of the lineup and the cut-scenes drag out way too much, like Xenosaga but not as pretty. Still I'd like to play all of them.

Not so much weakest as very unlike the rest (or any other jRPG I can think of for that matter).

Quite a few psx flicker like mad. Yet I feel I didnt see this effect in other PS2 games with 2D protraits. I believe it may be unique to this games build, so hoped to see if anyone has seen this too.