Gaming Soma Bringer Questions

[Sora de Eclaune]

Here are a few questions about Soma Bringer. I don't need any help with the game; these are just technical questions.

1. Last night, when I started a new game, the sound blipped. This hasn't ever happened before and has never happened on any other game unless it was freezing or about to freeze. However, the game didn't freeze. Should I be worried about this?
2. Today, when I continued the game I started last night, a line flickered onto the screen just as I pressed start. This has never happened before and has never happened on any other game. Should I be worried about this?
3. When I started the game last night, it had to create a new save file. The 'creating new save' text was all in Japanese, which made me initially think I had patched the ROM incorrectly. I don't believe the prepatched ROM I had downloaded before had that text in Japanese, though. Is this normal?
4. Is it normal to press the button an ability is assigned to, but the ability isn't performed? I occasionally have to press the button multiple times, or even hold the button down...sometimes even hold a direction on the D-Pad while holding the button down, just to use an attack ability.
5. I found another line of text that was in total Japanese. It was in the cutscene between Act 1 and Act 2, and the only other thing I know is that there was a 5 at the beginning and that it was possibly a graphic. Is this normal to see in Japanese, even with the translation patched on?

I hope I'm explaining these enough, but if you need more information then I can try to explain better.

 

[gonzab]

Regarding technical issues it might be a whole lot of stuff: compatibility issues, flashcart issues, bad rom, bad patching or just random bullshit, I really have no idea.

Since no one has helped you yet and if this has anything to do with the translation patch you might want to ask on the official thread. Hopefully someone will know anything about any of that.

Regarding the last question I think it might be possible that they missed some line of text since there are some other parts of the game that aren't translated.


I'm sorry I can't help you more.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Regarding the last question I think it might be possible that they missed some line of text since there are some other parts of the game that aren't translated.

They already said they left part of the game untranslated because they'd get back to it later. I was just assuming that the part they said they left untranslated was the only spot where I'd see Japanese text outside of explanations with pictures.

I'm sorry I can't help you more.

That's alright.

 

[The Milkman]

Sounds like your just being a little critical of it. Its a Rom and these things are bound to happen, just ignore it and if it becomes a real problem grab a new one.

 

[Fel]

Wow, I haven't logged in for quite a while. I've been looking at the site for the past week after a long time but your question made me login, since there are some things I can aswer.

1+2: I'm not sure if I've ever seen a vertical line like you did, but I wouldn't worry too much about it - I think I recall it bleeping weirdly once or twice too either on the "press start" or character load screen, so I wouldn't be surprised if on other flashcarts it'd do stuff like vertical lines as well. Now when I've booted up the game and pressed back to go to main menu from the character selection screen, it always does a weird bleep.
3: Nope, I just checked, mine is in English.
4: Nope again, the only time the button doesn't perform the selected action is when you run out of mana, in which case you hear quite loud denying "bleep" sound. I haven't used all of the classes yet, so it's possible that with some you do have to combo it with other buttons, however I don't think that's very likely - especially if you have to use different combinations to make one attack work.
5: If I remember correctly, some of the tutorial graphics where you see the static picture with hiragana/katakana/kanji explaining stats and so on are left untranslated (as Myrtle explains it all in the text box anyway). However all normal script should be in English, the only other thing which is in Japanese are some articles in the database you can access on the ship. I'm very much into plots, so I've read everything,have talked to everyone multiple times and nothing except these two things are in Japanese to my recollection.

So if the attack button bug persists, the best thing you should do (or overall, since you're having these problems at all there's no telling what could happen next) is to get a new copy of the game and the patch (with new patching tools just in case) and see what happens - and use a new save file with it, don't forget to delete any flashcart game files too. In case it doesn't improve, it's either the flashcart firmware or something is causing the issue in the PC while patching it (if you're using the same one to do it). There could be other reasons but there's no point in trying to guess them before trying to patch it again and seeing if that fixes your problems. And if it works, you can always try to put back in your old save file and see if it works - but if you're still in Act 2, starting over is quite easy so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

Wow, I haven't logged in for quite a while. I've been looking at the site for the past week after a long time but your question made me login, since there are some things I can aswer.

1+2: I'm not sure if I've ever seen a vertical line like you did, but I wouldn't worry too much about it - I think I recall it bleeping weirdly once or twice too either on the "press start" or character load screen, so I wouldn't be surprised if on other flashcarts it'd do stuff like vertical lines as well. Now when I've booted up the game and pressed back to go to main menu from the character selection screen, it always does a weird bleep.
3: Nope, I just checked, mine is in English.
4: Nope again, the only time the button doesn't perform the selected action is when you run out of mana, in which case you hear quite loud denying "bleep" sound. I haven't used all of the classes yet, so it's possible that with some you do have to combo it with other buttons, however I don't think that's very likely - especially if you have to use different combinations to make one attack work.
5: If I remember correctly, some of the tutorial graphics where you see the static picture with hiragana/katakana/kanji explaining stats and so on are left untranslated (as Myrtle explains it all in the text box anyway). However all normal script should be in English, the only other thing which is in Japanese are some articles in the database you can access on the ship. I'm very much into plots, so I've read everything,have talked to everyone multiple times and nothing except these two things are in Japanese to my recollection.

So if the attack button bug persists, the best thing you should do (or overall, since you're having these problems at all there's no telling what could happen next) is to get a new copy of the game and the patch (with new patching tools just in case) and see what happens - and use a new save file with it, don't forget to delete any flashcart game files too. In case it doesn't improve, it's either the flashcart firmware or something is causing the issue in the PC while patching it (if you're using the same one to do it). There could be other reasons but there's no point in trying to guess them before trying to patch it again and seeing if that fixes your problems. And if it works, you can always try to put back in your old save file and see if it works - but if you're still in Act 2, starting over is quite easy so that shouldn't be a problem.

1&2) Thanks anyway. I must have some kind of Micro SD blip, seeing as it's so cruddy when I try to reformat it half the time.

3) I may have a slightly outdated version of the patch...which is odd considering I got the link directly from the forum thread AND downloaded it from filetrip.

4) I actually don't know what causes it, but I checked on about 3-5 different ROMs, even untranslated ones, and they all do this. I have to hold the button in for a specific amount of time if I want them to do any attacks that use MP.

However, I HAVE found that the attack lag doesn't happen on my friend's R4i Gold with Retrogamefan's YSMenu (I still have no idea why they have this when they could have Wood R4) or my other friend's Acekard with AKAIO. According to what I've seen, Chell's and Alessa's game files created on my R4 with Wood R4 on my DS don't have the attack lag either, and they're both using one of the classes with faster weaponry.

The lag isn't just slow animation, either. The lag is like this: Press button, wait, nothing happens, lose MP equal to that of what I'd lose if the attack had gone, MP counter disappears, no attack has been made and no enemy has been damaged, HOLD button, attack works as normal. Sometimes I have to spam the button instead of holding it, but that usually causes no attack to be made and no MP to be lost.

5) As I said before, I may have a slightly outdated patch despite where I downloaded it from. I do know about the tutorial graphics. But this wasn't a tutorial graphic. It was part of a cutscene - right before the Schildkrote gets to the mobile fortress (not giving any names, because of spoilers), where that general and some other guys were talking amongst themselves. I was thinking it said "5 (months/years/days/weeks/etc.) (later/before/earlier/etc.)"

 

[Fel]

1&2) Thanks anyway. I must have some kind of Micro SD blip, seeing as it's so cruddy when I try to reformat it half the time.

3) I may have a slightly outdated version of the patch...which is odd considering I got the link directly from the forum thread AND downloaded it from filetrip.

4) I actually don't know what causes it, but I checked on about 3-5 different ROMs, even untranslated ones, and they all do this. I have to hold the button in for a specific amount of time if I want them to do any attacks that use MP.

However, I HAVE found that the attack lag doesn't happen on my friend's R4i Gold with Retrogamefan's YSMenu (I still have no idea why they have this when they could have Wood R4) or my other friend's Acekard with AKAIO. According to what I've seen, Chell's and Alessa's game files created on my R4 with Wood R4 on my DS don't have the attack lag either, and they're both using one of the classes with faster weaponry.

The lag isn't just slow animation, either. The lag is like this: Press button, wait, nothing happens, lose MP equal to that of what I'd lose if the attack had gone, MP counter disappears, no attack has been made and no enemy has been damaged, HOLD button, attack works as normal. Sometimes I have to spam the button instead of holding it, but that usually causes no attack to be made and no MP to be lost.

5) As I said before, I may have a slightly outdated patch despite where I downloaded it from. I do know about the tutorial graphics. But this wasn't a tutorial graphic. It was part of a cutscene - right before the Schildkrote gets to the mobile fortress (not giving any names, because of spoilers), where that general and some other guys were talking amongst themselves. I was thinking it said "5 (months/years/days/weeks/etc.) (later/before/earlier/etc.)"

Well, that sounds like firmware problems if the attack lag doesn't happen on your friends' cards. Which one do you own? Can you go and try to upload another firmware on it? Maybe that would fix it.

And yeah, if you've got anything untranslated in a cutscene, then you have a different patch. I used Filetrip to get it too, but at least two years ago. Maybe you'll be able to find it somewhere else, or it's your firmware - try and see if they have the cutscene translated or not on their flashcarts.

By the way, since there is only one mobile fortress in the game, you are spoiling it for those who have not gotten that far. If you'd like, just put it into spoiler brackets.

Spoiler

I think it said "Five hours later"

 

[Sora de Eclaune]

By the way, since there is only one mobile fortress in the game, you are spoiling it for those who have not gotten that far. If you'd like, just put it into spoiler brackets.

Spoiler

I think it said "Five hours later"

I had no idea, as I've never played the game to completion.

Well, that sounds like firmware problems if the attack lag doesn't happen on your friends' cards. Which one do you own? Can you go and try to upload another firmware on it? Maybe that would fix it.

It doesn't happen on my roommates' files, either, and they're using classes that have faster weapons.

My R4 is either an original or a 1:1 clone, with the latest Wood R4. I've tried one other firmware and, as it turns out, normal YSMenu and Retrogamefan YSMenu also have attack lag.

And yeah, if you've got anything untranslated in a cutscene, then you have a different patch. I used Filetrip to get it too, but at least two years ago. Maybe you'll be able to find it somewhere else, or it's your firmware - try and see if they have the cutscene translated or not on their flashcarts.

I got my patch from Filetrip as well. The patch was several years old, and the last updated section in the folder I had put the patch in said it came from at least 2009 or 2010.

I downloaded a save file and used it, and it's untranslated on every single flash card I try it on.

I'm sure I downloaded the latest version. I have no idea what's going on here.