Gp32 Mame Beta Testers Wanted

[thegrimreaper]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for some people to help me Beta test some changes I've been making to the Franxis' GP32 Mame source code.

I've spent most of the last week getting the Atari Vector engine working, using Franxis' source code as a starting point. I've already sent Franxis a couple of updated versions of the source code and I can now proudly say that the Atari Vector engine seems to be working quite well.

However, one VERY time consuming problem I've come across is that the games that are written to work with an anolague input device (e.g. a trackball in millipede, or an anolgue joystick in Star Wars) need their settings "tweaking". Those games simple don't play very well with the GP32 joystick when using the settings that come straight from the Mame 0.34 source code. The movements are often way too fast, making it impossible to control the game the way you want to.

I've now altered the source code to load alternative "sensitivity" information from a configuration file in the GP:\\GPMM\MAME034 directory.


If there is anyone out there that will help me find the best settings for all the anologue games using the GP32 joystick, I'll put their suggested settings into the source code as default values (and try to get Franxis to give them a thankyou in the release notes).

 

[Jaw]

i've got a load of spare time and know loads about arcade stuff (and a very high clocking unit) if you want i'll give them a shot.

 

[thegrimreaper]

The configuration file is fairly easy to set up. Just create a file with a .cfg extension in the GP:\\GPMM\MAME034 that matches the name of the ROM file you want to run. (NOTE this will only work on these new "beta" fxe files)

eg.
To configure the sensitivity of the controls in Star Wars (yes, you'll soon have the original Star Wars for the GP32). Create a "starwars.cfg" which matches the "starwars.zip" file with the roms in it.

The file should simply contain

x_sensistivity=XXX;y_sensistivity=YYY;


Where XXX and YYY should be numerical values between 1 and 255. (There are no spaces in that configuration string above).



The games/zip files that need testing are....

atari centiped.zip
atari centipd2.zip
atari mhavoc.zip
atari mhavoc2.zip
atari mhavocrv.zip
atari milliped.zip
atari tempest.zip
atari tempest1.zip
atari tempest2.zip
atari temptube.zip
atari warlord.zip
atari llander.zip
atari llander1.zip
atari marble.zip
atari marble2.zip
atari marblea.zip
atari roadrunn.zip
atari roadblst.zip
atari avalnche.zip
atari bsktball.zip
atari redbaron.zip
atari foodf.zip
atari jedi.zip
atari missile.zip
atari missile2.zip
atari suprmatk.zip
atari sprint2.zip
atari sprint1.zip
atari subs.zip
atari nitedrvr.zip
atari quantum.zip
atari quantum1.zip
atari sbrkout.zip
atari eprom.zip

classics boothill.zip
classics spcenctr.zip
classics clowns.zip
classics seawolf.zip
classics gunfight.zip
classics zzzap.zip
classics lagunar.zip
classics dogpatch.zip
classics midwbowl.zip
classics blueshrk.zip
classics circus.zip
classics m79amb.zip
classics meadows.zip
classics moonwar2.zip
classics monwar2a.zip
classics ripcord.zip

dataeast hbarrel.zip
dataeast midres.zip

konami konamigt.zip
konami rf2.zip
konami circus.zip

others dday.zip
other ccastles.zip
other ccastle2.zip

taito arkanoi2.zip
taito ark2us.zip

tecmo tehkanwc.zip
tecmo gridiron.zip
tecmo teedoff.zip

PHEW!!!!

 

[thegrimreaper]

i've got a load of spare time and know loads about arcade stuff (and a very high clocking unit) if you want i'll give them a shot.

​

Thanks Jaw. I've sent you a PM with my email address. If you can supply me with your email address I'll send you a copy of the files. If you could start with the Atari files, maybe the next person to reply would like to tackle the next section.


If anyone else wants to help, then send me a PM, or reply on here and I'll be in touch.

Cheers.

 

[AXNJAXN]

Count me in. I've got time to burn on testing software, and I know how much of a pain it can be to have to test your own stuff alone. I've used mame quite a bit over the last couple of years, so I might be of some use to you.

 

[thegrimreaper]

One more thing...

If people could do the testing with the Sound Option "Not Emulated" selected, then the games should run as fast as possible and give you better (more accurate) results.

 

[Hooka]

I'd be willing to help you with some testing if you'd like

ATARI
mhavoc
mhavocrv
mhavoc2
All of these seem proper with the default settings compared to the PC

sorry, just noticed you asked jaw to do the atari section, I'll work on the classic stuff

CLASSIC

boothill: x_sensistivity=32;y_sensistivity=255;
spcenctr: I have come to the conclusion that there is no good setting for this dos mame is the same
clowns: x_sensistivity=15;y_sensistivity=32;
seawolf: x_sensistivity=1;y_sensistivity=32; well, at the start menu this works but ingame nothing does it's always too fast :S
lagunar: x_sensistivity=32;y_sensistivity=32;
M79amb: no good setting
circus: x_sensitivity=5;y_sensitivity=(doesn't matter)
dogpatch: x_sensistivity=32;y_sensistivity=32;
blueshrk: x_sensistivity=10;y_sensistivity=32;


batteries dies so that's it for now, rechargables are in the charger though

 

[thegrimreaper]

I've sent a copy of the fxes to AXNJAXN, as he's the first to give me his email address.

If you could all keep this page updated with what you're testing, then that should hopefully stop everyone wasting too much time testing the same games at the same time.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[AXNJAXN]

EDIT2: I've already started testing.

TAITO ARK2US: x_sensistivity=32;y_sensistivity=32;
TAITO ARKANOI2; x_sensistivity=32;y_sensistivity=32;

There is a defect in both games whereupon pressing left makes the paddle start from the right side of the screen. It happened no matter what sensitivity was set to.

TECMO TEHKANWC; x_sensistivity=32;y_sensistivity=32;

The setting of 32 seems to work fine on several games. I'll keep starting out with that value and changing it as I go on. I also tried out the other two tecmo games, but they might be harder to value. Gridiron looks like the same type of game as tehkan world cup, but plays a little different, and tee'd off is strange - the controls on that have to vary in sensitivity for gameplay's sake, it seems.

 

[Gruntfuggly]

Hey guys - this is brilliant news. Sorry I can't offer to do any testing for you, but it sounds like you'll be able to add some excellent games to the supported list!

 

[thegrimreaper]

Thanks Jaw, thanks Hooka, the files should be on their way to you now.

 

[tattooman]

The controls personally are fine for me, my big issue is speed and sound. remember most of us like my self are lucky eough to voer clock to 166mhz. Focusing on full speed and sounds for MAME games would be great for the GP32.

 

[Jaw]

ok, started testing don't read the email, i did not see the post

 

[Franxis]

The controls personally are fine for me, my big issue is speed and sound. remember most of us like my self are lucky eough to voer clock to 166mhz. Focusing on full speed and sounds for MAME games would be great for the GP32.

​

The controls and other great work done by TheGrimReaper are very needed...

About the speed i have done some improvements after a LOT of small optimizations, but still there are a lot to be done... I have tried several times to change the 68000 core with Musashi i.e. without success. I have optimized Z80 core but still not enough, maybe the only solution would be a ASM core, and i have no access to it...

Regards.

 

[thegrimreaper]

Thanks to Hooka and AXNJAXN for the first set of results.

I've done some work myself on the Atari games (as they're what I've mostly been working on for the last week or so). My 1st stab has found these to reasonable staring values:

ATARI llander x_sensistivity=32;y_sensistivity=32;
ATARI centiped x_sensistivity=10;y_sensistivity=10;
ATARI marble x_sensistivity=100;y_sensistivity=255;
ATARI mhavoc x_sensistivity=100;y_sensistivity=100; (y_sensistivity is not used)
ATARI milliped x_sensistivity=10;y_sensistivity=10;
ATARI missile x_sensistivity=12;y_sensistivity=100;
ATARI quantum x_sensistivity=4;y_sensistivity=30;
ATARI redbaron x_sensistivity=20;y_sensistivity=18;
ATARI starwars x_sensistivity=25;y_sensistivity=35;
ATARI suprmatk x_sensistivity=12;y_sensistivity=100;
ATARI tempest x_sensistivity=8;y_sensistivity=100; (y_sensistivity is not used)

If anyone has any better suggestions, I'm quite willing to try them instead.

As has been mentioned before some games could really do with different settings for different sections of the game. Star Wars being a good example, where small accurate movements are needed to shoot the Tie Fighters, then more exaggerated movements to avoid the obstacles in the trench section. So the values I've used have had to be a compromise.

 

[Bronze]

I just wanted to say I think its brilliant that efforts are being made to add more games to MAME

Bravo!

 

[Jaw]

most of the stuff works very well. the only one that i found to be perticually bad was starwars, which is sorted with that config will do a bit more testing, but the default settings are very accurate

 

[thegrimreaper]

I've put all the values that you wonderful Beta testers have given me back into the source code, thanks for that.

I've also integrated all the other changes I've made in Franxis' source code and sent the modified source code back to him. They are:

1. Save the details from the settings screen to file, so you don't need to change them everytime you restart your GP32.
2. Make altering the CPU speed easier by moving the joystick left and right (you don't have to go through ALL the speeds now just to drop the CPU speed one notch).
3. Allow multi-player games. There are many games that ask you to "Press 1 or 2 Player Start", but there was no key combination to allow this (I can't guarentee this'll work in all games).
I've used:
Joystick Up + Start = Start 2 Player Game
Joystick Right + Start = Start 3 Player Game
Joystick Down + Start = Start 4 Player Game
(Has anyone any better ideas for key combinations to start multi-player games?)
4. Implement the Atari vector graphics engine, mainly so that Star Wars works on my beloved GP32.
5. Allow anlogue input device's sensitivity data to be loaded from a file and therefore over-ride the "default values". For how to set this up, see the info earlier in this post.

 

[x68000]

'I've also integrated all the other changes I've made in Franxis' source code and sent the modified source code back to him. '

do you think there is room for the gp32 to play these games at full speed now that the code is open source or could that be a little too much for the gp32 to handle?

 

[thegrimreaper]

My GP32 over clocks to 166 mhz and I've found that using the "Sound Not Emulated" option, makes the games play quite smoothly. If I use the "Sound On" it's still quite playable, but feels a bit "rough around the edges"

I know Franxis has done some work to optimize the code, but I don't think he's happy with how far he's got so far. I think he said he wanted to improve the Z80 engine and was looking for help, but I don't think he's had much luck there, unfortunately.