Topic: Latest Updates - Hardcore mode restriction for outdated and unknown emulators

hbROBO

Joined Feb 16, 2023

January 10 2025, 7:44pm

 (It would be amazing if these events would encourage some people to dip their toes into Android development and try to chip in to get projects like EtherealSX2 over the finish line, but that's probably wishful thinking.)

- Talebearer

It would be great but right now the project is not open source. Maybe it opens up after the first alpha release but it's a private codebase as of writing. So any would-be momentum from this is kind of blunted. Anyway I really like your suggestion to play AOTW but some people have to skip weeks where PS2 games win even now for hardware reasons. Not perfect solution but it's a good idea.

I'd also like to point out that we have over 8000 sets across more than 40 systems that aren't PS2 and GameCube where you can still earn hardcore achievements on Android.

- Jamiras

Facts. Even minus those systems RA has an unfathomable amount of content. Demographic wise I think the Discord census had a plurality of users in the age range where they grew up with 6th gen consoles, so I'd wager that's part of the fixation.

Mydo2000

Joined Feb 24, 2024

January 10 2025, 7:45pm, last edited January 10 2025, 7:47pm

Guys I feel touched by your comments ( talking about the last three) I think I overreacted because I wanted to master all dragon ball and sonic games this year
Sorry for any harm

12ek

Joined Jun 22, 2023

January 10 2025, 7:57pm

Anyway I really like your suggestion to play AOTW but some people have to skip weeks where PS2 games win even now for hardware reasons.

hbROBO You can use Flikkies to swap the AotW game, and usually those options are from different systems too.

lordpsycho

Developer

Joined Oct 14, 2019

January 10 2025, 7:58pm

Probably Trixarian doesn't want to publish anything on EtherealSX2 to avoid what happened to the AetherSX2 dev. However, they already stated that something will be published by mid year so people can contribute to get things done faster.

I hope that will be the case and something will happen this year. In the meantime as an Android player I'll just wait patiently starting April for PS2 Android support, the same I'm waiting for GC in Android. As already mentioned, there are many other systems to play on Android besides PS2 and GC, so it's not like your retro handheld immediately becomes a brick with this change

Talebearer

Joined Feb 22, 2015

January 10 2025, 8:03pm

Anyway I really like your suggestion to play AOTW but some people have to skip weeks where PS2 games win even now for hardware reasons. Not perfect solution but it's a good idea.

Totally fair. Though in addition to the option to use a lifeline to swap games (which I actually just did myself for the AotM), even as someone who only ever shoots for the Bronze badge during the event it's one of my favorite parts of RetroAchievements because of how many games it introduces me to that I may never have played previously. So even if I miss some weeks/months I personally find it to be a really worthwhile and enjoyable experience.

Mydo2000

Joined Feb 24, 2024

January 10 2025, 8:18pm

Wait what do you mean (happened to AETHERSX2 DEVELOPER) ?

Wolfric

Joined Jan 2, 2023

January 10 2025, 8:48pm

Couldn't a compromise be made to just opt-out of the leaderboards and still unlock as Hardcore instead of Softcore for these emulators?

doomhiker

Joined Jul 26, 2024

January 10 2025, 9:26pm

The point of hardcore is to play competitively without the advantage of emulator features such as save states and rewind. Using outdated emulators which have exploits / do not properly restrict features that are banned in hardcore reduces the point of hardcore. If anything, hardcore's integrity is more important than that of leaderboards, so no, this compromise would make little sense.

Also, again, only 0.9% of current game sessions are using outdated or unsupported emus. This thread wildly overstates the actual effect of this change on most players.

Wolfric

Joined Jan 2, 2023

January 10 2025, 9:29pm

I didn't know that was the case with the removed Dreamcast/PS2 emulators. Read so much about leaderboards on the announcement that I figured that's where the focus was.

If save states/rewind/etc. are somehow not restricted in those emulators, then yeah I can understand the disabling of Hardcore altogether.

Mydo2000

Joined Feb 24, 2024

January 10 2025, 9:49pm

No you can't use save state in Flycast the option is disabled when you choose hardcore

ACStriker

Joined Apr 10, 2021

January 10 2025, 11:26pm

Only now I got to take a read at this and was relieved to see that BizHawk WILL stay supported through an update - I prefer it to play on a few DS games [as well as being the only compatible one for DSi, since RetroArch + melonDS isn't compatible with DSi cheevos for some reason]

LeXofLeviafan

Joined Oct 5, 2024

January 10 2025, 11:49pm, last edited January 10 2025, 11:50pm

as well as being the only compatible one for DSi, since RetroArch + melonDS isn't compatible with DSi cheevos for some reason

melonDS DS core is officially supported for DSi games (as I recently found out). Also seemed to work fine last time I checked (though I had to disable the "Close Lid" button due to what seems to be a bug).

Freedfox

Joined Jan 14, 2024

January 11 2025, 12:57am

@doomhicker I don't really dig this argument of "it only affect 0.9% of users" yeah then why make the change if it's only a minority ? It's not like this minority will create thousands of tickets or bring thousands of cheater then ?

I made my peace with this change but this argument is not the best imo.

doomhiker

Joined Jul 26, 2024

January 11 2025, 1:08am

Because it was always a rule. And minority or not, the issues regarding both ticking and potential cheating (the latter especially) are a legitimate problem wether it affects one, one hundread, or a thousand users. Empasise the cheating part - if outdated or unsupported emus enable even a handful of players to cheat, that is a real tangible problem.

AluKiller

Joined Feb 15, 2020

January 11 2025, 7:30am, last edited January 11 2025, 12:05pm

Well, players who don't have a decent desktop and play PS2 for achievements via Aether/NetherSX2 on mobile will have to wait for a new emulator with AR support to be released. That's a shame because I'm one of them.