[Regression] Sega Rally Online Arcade stuck at loading screen permanently

[GaussTek]

Quick summary

This is similar to this #14375, however, from build 0.0.29-15427-39a0ff99 to the latest, the game is stuck at the loading screen no matter what. Before that build (0.0.29-15422-bb2d7063 and below), you could use the restart method in the other issue, and the game worked. Now, it's completely broken.

Something in this hotfix is causing the problem, as starting with the build that included it, the issue became permanent:
#14414

Many others are having the same issue, doesn't matter if they are using AMD, Intel or Nvidia.

Details

This is the way the game gets stuck in the initial loading scren (from build 0.0.29-15427-39a0ff99 to current one):

And below is with build 0.0.29-15422-bb2d7063 using the restart method

Build with regression

0.0.29-15427-39a0ff99

Attach two log files

Log with build with regression
RPCS3.log.gz

Log with build with that works (using restart method)
RPCS3.log.gz

Attach capture files for visual issues

No response

System configuration

CPU: AMD Ryzen 4600H
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650
OS: Windows 11 latest updates.
Latest updated Nvidia Driver, but same behaviour occours if using the integrated AMD GPU in my card.

Other details

No response

[tij77]

Latest 0.0.29-15655 still gets stuck at "loading".

What funny about last "working" version 0.0.29-15422. The game gets stuck on "loading" only if it is the first thing that is ran after RPCS3 starts. If something else was running prior to staring the game, the game will work fine.

What is also interesting ... If the game is the first thing that is ran after RPCS3 starts - there is a way to prevent it from stucking on "loading". Pause then un-pause during SEGA logo animation or Sumo logo animation (see attach log file for this event). This at least allows scripting to start from launchers like Launchbox.

RPCS3.log.gz

This pause/upause trick does not work on later RPCS3 versions.

[tij77]

I had some time last night to play around some more with 0.0.29-15655 ... and it paid off - put PPU decoder on Static (leave SPU decoder on LLVM Recompiler) ... and everything works fine - no more stucking at "loading" (even if the game is the first one to start) ... log file attached for reference

Tried with 0.0.29-15422 ... same results.

Movies (like Sega or Sumo logos) are a bit choppy ... but these are not important.

Loading tracks is a bit longer too ... but still better than original PS3.
RPCS3.log.gz

[GaussTek]

I had some time last night to play around some more with 0.0.29-15655 ... and it paid off - put PPU decoder on Static (leave SPU decoder on LLVM Recompiler) ... and everything works fine - no more stucking at "loading" (even if the game is the first one to start) ... log file attached for reference

Tried with 0.0.29-15422 ... same results.

Movies (like Sega or Sumo logos) are a bit choppy ... but these are not important.

Loading tracks is a bit longer too ... but still better than original PS3. RPCS3.log.gz

Tried setting PPU decoder on Static in 0.0.29-15655 and it didn't work for me. Still stuck on loading no matter what :(. Did you change another additional setting?

[tij77]

config_NPUB30375.zip

My settings are a bit aggressive towards accuracy ... not sure which of those helped in addition to static PPU

Will test some more to see which additional settings contributed to not beeing stuck on "loading"

[tij77]

Just tried one more time ... created custom profile for the game ... there i click "Restore Defaults" in bottom left corner ... then just change PPU decoder to "Interpreter (static)" ... and it works for me

So does not seem that any additional "aggressive" settings i posted earlier contributed

Edit: i manage to get stuck once on "loading" after many tries ... but 0.0.29-15655 has a new feature that allows restart from menu (press PS button) - and it clear "loading"

[GaussTek]

Sadly still doesn't work for me. I also created a custom config for the game with restore default settings. Changed PPU decoder to static and nope, still stuck at loading screen with latest version :(

Also tried your custom config without luck.

So maybe that's why some people can't reproduce this, so this is very weird.

Still would be cool it could work without changing the decoder.

[tij77]

Did you upgrade the game to version 1.01?

[GaussTek]

Did you upgrade the game to version 1.01?

Yep, and same behaviour without the update applied, tried both ways already ;_;. Also tried a fresh install. Guess that as it only happens to some people it won't be fixed at all :c

[tij77]

FYI mine runs on Latest Windows 11 ... i9-12900K with avx512 and 2080ti

Also tried on Windows 10 ... i7-6700 and 1070

Are you running US or EU version of game ... I am running US one - NPUB30375

[GaussTek]

Yeah, also running latest Windows 11. I have an AMD Ryzen 4600H so that could be the issue.

Also have an Nvidia card though.

Running the US version NPUB30375

[Revenge209]

I also have this problem. I'm running RPCS3 on Windows 11, and I have an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon Graphics as my CPU, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. I hope this problem is fixed soon.

[Dirteebreaks]

Just tried one more time ... created custom profile for the game ... there i click "Restore Defaults" in bottom left corner ... then just change PPU decoder to "Interpreter (static)" ... and it works for me

So does not seem that any additional "aggressive" settings i posted earlier contributed

Edit: i manage to get stuck once on "loading" after many tries ... but 0.0.29-15655 has a new feature that allows restart from menu (press PS button) - and it clear "loading"

this did the trick for me on 0.0.29-15711 cheers dude!!

[GaussTek]

Any idea is there's progress on this? The PPU decoder to static method doesn't work for everyone :(

[Special-Niewbie]

Hey Folks,

I found the settings that work with the latest updates to get Sega Rally Online Arcade to no longer get stuck on the "loading..." screen. Following the errors in the Log to fix freezes, you can leave all the default RPCS3 settings to get the maximum performance and add the following:

1. Go to the list, and on the game, right-click and open "Change Custom Configuration," then go to the settings menu on "Advanced." In "Advanced," you need to check 2 "Firmware Libraries" in the list of the first group, these "Firmware Libraries" are called libcamera.sprx and libgem.sprx. Save the settings and close the "Change Custom Configuration" menu.

2. It's not over, we need to change a setting that is not present in the settings menu because they are hidden (I'm not sure why these settings are hidden), so go back to the game, right-click, and open "Open Custom Config Folder." It will open the folder containing the custom configuration files for each game you have configured. Now open the file "config_NPUB30375.yml" (which is the custom configuration file for Sega Rally Arcade Online, identified by its serial number), and by any Text Editor software, find and modify the entry from HLE lwmutex: false to HLE lwmutex: true.

And boot the game with Custom Configuration created, it will stuck anymore on "loading..." screen.