Features

Major Features

Stat Tracker

Project Rio's stat tracker tracks data from the game in real time and logs this data to a JSON file at the conclusion of each game. This can be found in your Documents\Project Rio\StatFiles folder on your computer. In the future, these stats can be submitted to a central database, and global stats for Mario Baseball can be viewed and parsed through. The stat tracker collects an immense amount of game data, and can in theory be used to create a rough recreation of each game, meaning that the possibilities of this database are almost endless.

Since users generate their own stat files, anyone can parse through them to generate their own analytics, which expands the possibilities for people to create side-projects based around stats collected from the game. Users who do not want to generate stat files also have the option to disable stat file output.

Auto Golf Mode

Auto Golf Mode is a network setting based off of Dolphin's Golf Mode. With Golf Mode, one player, the 'golfer', has host input authority, meaning that they do not experience any latency or lag due to online play (the golfer has 0 input delay, effectively playing on console). All other players, however, will experience a latency penalty. What separates Golf Mode from Host Input Authority is that the host player (golfer) can be changed at any time.

With Project Rio's Auto Golf Mode, the batting player is automatically set to the golfer while the game is in the batting/pitching state. Once the game switches to the fielding/baserunning state, the golfer is swapped to the fielder. This means that while batting, there will not be any input delay or online lag, and same for when fielding.

The benefit of Auto Golf Mode is that batting is never influenced by online lag. This is important since batting is often frame-perfect and requires precise timing which online lag can easily influence. Once in the fielding/baserunning state, the fielder is given the golfer status because fielding, while not as precise as batting, is still heavily influenced by lag. Baserunning is the most forgiving aspect of the game, since it typically just involves mashing A/B with the occasional X/Y press and doesn't normally require precise timing. Pitching on the other hand is noticeably influenced by non-golfer lag. It's for this reason that while batting and fielding receive substantial benefits from Auto Golf Mode, pitching becomes more difficult.

Online Play Gecko Code Set

Rather than have everyone activate their own assortment of gecko codes, made by the Project Rio devs, we instead provide one built-in gecko code which contains all the mods used over online play. This code contains many QOL mods which allow players to quickly hop into games without much of a set up. The mods in this gecko code set include, but are not limited to:

• Manual Fielder Select: allows the fielder to manually select which fielder to take control of, since the fielding AI in Mario Superstar Baseball is notoriously buggy

• QOL mods: boot to main menu, unlock everything, default competitive rules, unlimited extra innings, anti quick pitch (prevents the pitcher from pitching until the batter is actionable)

Training Mode

While Mario Superstar Baseball's built-in practice mode is great for learning the basics of the game, players with greater skill may be left unsatisfied with what it has to offer. Training Mode is a feature of Rio which displays information within the game on your screen in real-time. Instead of needing to do frame data, TAS work, or look over stat files, Training Mode allows you to see important game information in real-time, which is very helpful for practice at a higher level. As Training Mode is updated and improved, more and more features will be getting added to make the practice experience much easier and more efficient.

Built-in Texture Packs

Since not everyone has the means, time, or knowledge to create their own custom textures of the game, Project Rio comes with pre-made texture packs. Under the Graphics > Advanced tab, there is a combo box which lets users select either "Custom" (load textures to dolphin the standard way) textures or any one of the pre-made texture packs.

As more releases of Rio are made, more texture packs will be getting added into the build, so stay excited for what's to come!