Update on 4-way to 8-way changes to MAME (Jeoff, Derrick)


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Posted by Tiger-Heli on 31, 2001 at 8:45 AM:

I have tried Jeoff Krontz's inputprt.c file and have reached several conclusions:

(I will refer to it as Jeoff's method throughout this text, even though I realize Derrick Renauld was the first one to suggest it. "Derrick's and Jeoff's method" takes to long to type. No offense.)

First, Jeoff's file works exactly like the description of "sticky" mode.

Second, you can't have it both ways:

The current MAME make it very easy to make an uncommanded direction change when you hit a diagonal.

Jeoff's method makes it very hard to hit a direction change at all (you must be real precise).

I believe the current MAME is better for most 4-way games with the possible exception of QIX.

Playing Pac-Man with a PC joystick (sorry), I found that the pacman would often freeze in the corner instead of changing directions with Jeoff's control. I played with the standard MAME and did not have this problem. Then again, I had problems with the joystick sticking and the pacman not moving when commanded when I played the actual game in the arcades, so this is not strictly an 8-way sticks are no good problem.

Jeoff's method may (should) work better for QIX, although I don't remember having any control problems in QIX using the current MAME.

In PacMan the current MAME is better for the following reasons: In most cases, if you accidentally move the stick diagonal and send a direction change, nothing will happen because the pacman is confined to that "lane" and can't turn anyway. If he is not confined, you probably needed to change directions anyway, so it really doesn't matter.

I think Donkey Kong would be a toss-up (going on theory here). The current MAME will make it easier to go up ladders but also easier to go up ladders when you didn't really intend to. I would think the current MAME will be better overall, but you probably should try both ways and pick the one that you like.

STATUS – I have already sent Jeoff's file to a MAME dev for evaluation. I also pointed out the 8-way definition problem in the Donkey Kong games. Based on my findings, I am going to follow-up and recommend that Jeoff's method be added as a command line switch, but the current control method will remain the default.

If this does not happen, there are fairly simple solutions: Compile MAME using Jeoff's file. Put the new MAME in a new directory, say C:\MAMEA, copy the rom files over for the games that work better with Jeoffs method and use MAMEA to play these games.

Anyway, thanks to Derrick and Jeoff for all the help with this issue. I hope this helps a lot of people.



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