Posted by Tiger-Heli on 2, 2001 at 7:28 AM:
In Reply to: Re: Update on 4-way to 8-way changes to MAME (Jeoff, Derrick) posted by Bill Lash on 31, 2001 at 3:20 PM:
>: Hmmm. I haven't tried the Jeoff's method yet, >but the problem I usually have in MAME is that >I'll be going along in one direction, and I'll >move the joystick just a little, and pacman will >stop. I assumed this was because MAME detected >that I had both directions pressed, and would >choose to send the new direction to the game. >Since I was in the middle of the hallway, I >couldn't go that way, so it would just stop. >That lets the ghosts catch up real fast. I was >never any good at pacman anyway.
The code change in R37B4, this will not happen anymore. With the current method, if you are moving left and you accidentally hit the UP switch (left-up diagonal) MAME immediately sends a UP command, but the Pac-MAN driver ignores this and the pacman continues moving left (assuming it is in the lane). The problem with Jeoff's control is the the pacman will not turn when it can unless you hit the direction switch precisely.
>: As for donkey kong, are you sure that the >joystick is supposed to be 4way? I seem to >remember a time when donkey kong was hard to >control in MAME, but I have played a lot of >donkey kong in MAME version 36, and it reacts >very well, and it is listed as an 8 way there. >It could be that the donkey kong roms do their >own 8way to 4way conversion that works very well >for the game. I remember a time that if you >moved the joystick up, and you weren't precisely >under the ladder, you would just get stuck. I >don't remember having this problem in the >arcades.
Again, 4-way control was improved in R37b4. It may be (quite likely) that 8-way control played better in R37b3 and before and they forgot to change the control methods in the DK driver.