MAME 0.102u4 ST-V updates

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 6:34 am

http://mamedev.com/updates/whatsnew_0102u4.txt

Some good news from the MAME camp: 0.102u4 is out an there have been some impressive speedups and improvements to ST-V (Sega Titan Video) hardware, particular for the 2D games. What once were expected to need 6GHz+ now show some games running smoothly on 3GHz machines.

Interesting games that might become playable sooner than expected:

Guardian Force
Cotton 2
Cotton Boomerang
Radiant Silvergun

Shienryu
Terra Diver

I'm going to test/benchmark a bunch of these tonight.

agony · Post by **agony** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 6:50 am

oh! great to hear

Trying it now :> I hope RS will finally run

Edit: still no luck with RS

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:45 am

Well, all of them except RS worked (looks like a game-specific driver issue for RS).

I'm on my girlfriend's machine at the moment, which is an AthlonXP 2600+ overclocked to 2.2GHz (just above standard "3100+" speeds). I'm getting around 50 FPS in all of the working games (during gameplay - for some during the intros it was way up over 110FPS), which is substantially more than prior builds. 3GHz should definitely get you full FPS.

Now to wait for the RS driver to be fixed, and we're onto a winner!

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 1:39 pm

Check the optimised builds in my sig, should help increase your performance.

SSF and the Saturn ports are a better choice in most cases. Especially RS.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:15 pm

Neon wrote:Check the optimised builds in my sig, should help increase your performance.

SSF and the Saturn ports are a better choice in most cases. Especially RS.

Those builds don't work on XP (I always have problems running DOS programs on my computer). I have a AMD Athlon 64 laptop running at 2.0 GHZ (should be 3.0 GHZ on a desktop), and I'm only getting about 45-55 FPS on some games. Terra Driver still needs some work (mess up graphics, etc).

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 6:53 pm

Fighter17 wrote:
Neon wrote:Check the optimised builds in my sig, should help increase your performance.

SSF and the Saturn ports are a better choice in most cases. Especially RS.
Those builds don't work on XP (I always have problems running DOS programs on my computer). I have a AMD Athlon 64 laptop running at 2.0 GHZ (should be 3.0 GHZ on a desktop), and I'm only getting about 45-55 FPS on some games. Terra Driver still needs some work (mess up graphics, etc).

Scroll down for the mame32 versions, or use emuloader.

Smraedis · Post by **Smraedis** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 7:35 pm

Souky isn't playing too well here on 102u4, even though its claming 100% 60/60.. I got to the 3rd boss at about the same time I would be at the end boss..
The dates said on the levels are incorrect too, for some reason..

sammaza · Post by **sammaza** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:59 pm

you guys are making me want to break my rule of not using .u versions

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:36 pm

Neon wrote:Check the optimised builds in my sig, should help increase your performance.

SSF and the Saturn ports are a better choice in most cases. Especially RS.

Yup, I always use the optimised builds. All of my testing above was done with the AthlonXP builds from redump.de.

Before they were around I used to compile my own version using MinGW, but now thanks to them I don't have to waste my time applying diff patches and compiling every time. Very handy.

According to the mame.net forums, people are getting big speed boosts using GCC 4.0 (I've seen one guy post differences of 10 FPS with the new compiler!). I'm fairly sure the redump.de guys use an older 3.X build.

So this weekend if I get the time I'm going to set up the new MinGW environment and try some compiles for myself, and see if I can't get Cotton2 running full speed.

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:38 pm

Fighter17 wrote:Those builds don't work on XP (I always have problems running DOS programs on my computer). I have a AMD Athlon 64 laptop running at 2.0 GHZ (should be 3.0 GHZ on a desktop), and I'm only getting about 45-55 FPS on some games. Terra Driver still needs some work (mess up graphics, etc).

It's not a DOS program. It's a native Win32 command line program. Double-clicking it will do no good. You have to execute it from the command line with the right parameters, or as mentioned used MAME32 if you desperately need to use a GUI.

The Win32 command line != DOS.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:41 pm

Good stuff, though it's still more practical to stick with PSX/Saturn emus at the moment. Here's hoping, though...

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 11:42 pm

sammaza wrote:you guys are making me want to break my rule of not using .u versions

I typically don't bother updating my MAME installs unless there's something of particular interest. Updating every single "u" release is time consuming, and pretty pointless most of the time. It's only when something interesting like these ST-V updates appear that I bother.

Damocles wrote:Good stuff, though it's still more practical to stick with PSX/Saturn emus at the moment. Here's hoping, though...

I've got a real PSX with most of the games I enjoy already bought, so no dramas there. Finding second-hand Saturns in Australia is nigh impossible, and the current crop of emulators aren't bad, but still a little rough. The times they are a changing however.

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 11:35 pm

Updates!

http://rbelmont.mameworld.info/?p=80
http://haze.mameworld.info/2005/12/22/rsg/

Progressing much faster than I thought!

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 1:24 am

6 fps during which boss battle? That's like the whole game.

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 2:32 am

Neon wrote:6 fps during which boss battle? That's like the whole game.

How about focussing on the positives?:

1) It works. The encryption has been successfully broken

2) 6FPS unoptimised. 6 months and we'll see full framerates, most likely. Even so, at least it works AT ALL, which is great.

3) RADIANT SILVERGUN! This might not be big news for you US/Japan kids, but for we meagre, worthless Aussies who don't ever get any software other than the latest EA Sports remake shite, this is a big deal. eBay you say? Yeah right... eBay Australia has 400 copies of Virtua Fighter II for Saturn, and nothing else. Emulation is the only chance we get to even taste what you lot have taken for granted for the last 10 years.

And yes, I'm very jealous.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 3:01 am

elvis wrote:
Neon wrote:6 fps during which boss battle? That's like the whole game.
How about focussing on the positives?:

1) It works. The encryption has been successfully broken

2) 6FPS unoptimised. 6 months and we'll see full framerates, most likely. Even so, at least it works AT ALL, which is great.

3) RADIANT SILVERGUN! This might not be big news for you US/Japan kids, but for we meagre, worthless Aussies who don't ever get any software other than the latest EA Sports remake shite, this is a big deal. eBay you say? Yeah right... eBay Australia has 400 copies of Virtua Fighter II for Saturn, and nothing else. Emulation is the only chance we get to even taste what you lot have taken for granted for the last 10 years.

And yes, I'm very jealous.

I live in American, but I know how you guys in PAL feel.

Now, if the same guys can breat the encryption for SegaSonic the Hedgehog, then that would make my day.

Bloodreign · Post by **Bloodreign** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:32 am

ST-V still runs like crap for me, but hey to be able to test RSG soon would be an honor, I've always wanted to give it a whirl.

But I did notice a slight bump in speed from older MAME builds.

mice · Post by **mice** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:59 am

RSG...me...playing...soon...droool.
It's been 7 years since I last played it (once) and I still remember it like yesterday.

PooshhMao · Post by **PooshhMao** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 11:34 am

New U-release out now, and RSG runs.
Just played it - impressive I must say, albeit slow.

Defcon 5 · Post by **Defcon 5** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 1:31 pm

Holy Shit !!!

It works, unfortunately with 6-10fps but damn how long Ive been waiting for this moment: IT WORKS !!

TalkingOctopus · Post by **TalkingOctopus** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 3:39 pm

What kind of computers did you guys try it on?

I know it won't work with mine....My best computer is an athlon 1.4 ghz

Defcon 5 · Post by **Defcon 5** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 9:42 pm

It doesnt matter, even the biggest PC can not run it smoothly because its not the machines problem.

I owe a 3 Ghz Pc with 1 GB Ram...

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 2:52 am

Give it time guys. It looks like ST-V is getting a lot of focus from more than one MAMEDev at the moment, which is great news. I'm sure we'll be seeing speedups very soon.

Also worth noting is that around this time of year it seems a lot of work gets done on MAME. I remember this time last year they were releasing "U" release every few days. I guess it's because people are taking time off around this time of year, and have a bit of time away from normal work do do volunteer stuff for MAME, etc.