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BBA is the future of homebrew online! And is a must for all online Dreamcast enthusiasts.

Just be prepared to have to drop about $150 to get a BBA

Does Dreampi replicate BBA or just dial up?

just dial up

redjeff76 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 7:48 pm Just be prepared to have to drop about $150 to get a BBA

If you check on eBay daily you can find one for a fair price. I have got lucky two times with findings bba's for cheap. The first time is because the guy didn't know what he had and the second time was a very yellow bba and I retro bright it and it looked like new afterwords

redjeff76 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 8:01 pm just dial up

ah ok. Then it might be time for someone to create a device like that handles dial up and bba if thats possible. Or combo them together like Megavolt has done. Maybe pi can do both? I'm just guessing.

enfilade wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 7:32 pm BBA is the future of homebrew online! And is a must for all online Dreamcast enthusiasts.

Future? BBA is the now for the 2 most popular retail games (QIII and PSO). I see newbies almost daily who haven't even played their newly acquired DC; yet they're chomping at the bit to try out online. (and they don't even know they could sample it free on flycast).

Sorry to be pessimistic, but limited availability will hamper the online population of BBA users... additionally the segmentation between BBA and modem games splinters things further. We really need a breakthrough with a modem replacement solution.

redjeff76 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 7:48 pm Just be prepared to have to drop about $150 to get a BBA

Dreampi pricing isn't much better for the lazy.
Consumers want a ready-to-go solution. Even the capable hobbyists will read a tutorial, and want all their parts in one easy swoop. Look at these eBay "sold" listings for Dreampi: (prices US $ )

• $150 Sega Dreamcast Pi4 Dreampi Kit ( Instructions Included )
• $150 Sega Dreamcast Pi4 Dreampi Kit ( Instructions Included )
• $150 Sega Dreamcast Pi4 Dreampi Kit ( Instructions Included )
• $95 DreamPi & Line Inducer For Dreamcast
• $85 DreamPi Online Play Set-Up For Sega Dreamcast
• $162 Sega Dreamcast DreamPi Box (all in one)
• $100 DreamPi Kit by CMA Microsystems

The first 3 may be a re-listing, it's hard to tell. Either way, these are inefficient setups with excessive components. Meanwhile vultures try to oversell the modem, too.

The newer PC-DC server using Virtualbox should be advertised more, most people have an old PC or laptop laying around they could use instead of buying new hardware

The BBA can do a lot more than in the past. It can connect to Dreampipe to use the broadband portal to use Dreamcast website that where original dial-up only like: Buggy Heat, Crazy Taxi 2 and you can also upload you scores to the site and download DLC for the game, Daytona USA, Dee Dee Planet, Jet Grind Radio plus uploading your own graffiti and download graffiti, Metropolis Street is Racer, POD: Speedzone, Rayman 2 and it has DLC to download, San Francisco Rush 2049, Samba De Amigo and I believe it has DLC songs, Sega Tetris, Sonic Adventure and downloading DLC and downloading Chao's and soon uploading your score to the game, Sonic Adventure 2 and downloading DLC and downloading Chao's, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Toy Racer.

The BBA can also listen to internet radio through the Dcplaya disc : viewtopic.php?p=190847&hilit=dcplaya#p190847

The BBA can be use with the DreamPi by installing BBA.Mode so you can show up on Dreamcast Now: viewtopic.php?t=16649

Plus a lot of homebrew Dreamcast games that use online, use the broadband adapter

And once Bomberman Online and Outtrigger come back online I would say the BBA is worth it. Even with it's high price

Also play Counterstrike 1.6 with the BBA

It splinters the userbase if some games use dial up and others use bba. Not to mention any new homebrew will probably target bba. If you all want someone to play with online then this problem has to be solved.