Shmupmame 4.2: Lagless Mars Matrix, Strikers 1945, Galaga 88

[trap15]

It appears that according to that patch, the hardware doesn't do any sprite buffering, but the game code does? If that's the case whatever patch I'd do would not affect it.

And for the git, you should set up a real local git, pull, and then you can just pull whenever you want to update, and it won't be so bad.

[MEDIEVAL_MIKU]

It could easily be done, yes. I don't think it has been done yet though.

EDIT: Once the next u release is out, I might give it a quick shot and provide patches for those who build their own releases (and maybe others would routinely compile them or something, I dunno how most people deal with MAME).

Well, the next u release has just been released so

[trap15]

I'll give it a shot in a bit then

[Ed Oscuro]

I'd look forward to this as well, thanks for doing it

(Obligatory "there may be consequences..." but honestly, removing sprite buffers doesn't seem like it should be a major cause for concern. Removing input buffers might be though.)

[BPzeBanshee]

I'd look forward to this as well, thanks for doing it

(Obligatory "there may be consequences..." but honestly, removing sprite buffers doesn't seem like it should be a major cause for concern. Removing input buffers might be though.)

QFT

I don't think I've seen a single person here mention the sprite layer being unsynced from background movement as an actual bug in a long while so THAT part definitely got into people's heads. Besides, anyone who downloads an unofficial build should be considering it experimental anyway (not like WolfMAME but stuff like the Ashbuilds).

[trap15]

Sorry for the massive delay, but here's a quick patch.
http://pastebin.com/2Xzh2Ti7

Should work for basically any MAME from now on.

EDIT: btw, no support. Don't ask me how to apply it, because I won't tell you. Do a bit of googling before looking like a fool.

[captpain]

Sorry for the massive delay, but here's a quick patch.
http://pastebin.com/2Xzh2Ti7

Should work for basically any MAME from now on.

EDIT: btw, no support. Don't ask me how to apply it, because I won't tell you. Do a bit of googling before looking like a fool.

How do you apply it?

[trap15]

*slap*

[Obscura]

I haven't looked at the files yet, but to answer captpain's question, I'm pretty sure you need to download the MAME source, follow these directions: http://mamedev.org/updates.html , and then compile.

Thanks for doing this, trap! I'll try this out when I get home; hopefully, no more crappy sound and broken savestates for me!

Out of curiosity, will this work with mameplus? I would *think* so, but I don't know much about mameplus...

[trap15]

No clue.

[captpain]

If any kind and generous soul would post an x64 build, I would be very grateful.

[Despatche]

if you could get the source from mameplus it probably would but all i see is source for old versions

[Obscura]

Have you tried the GNU tarball at mameplus.svn.sourceforge.net?

[O. Van Bruce]

Waiting for a Kind soul to do something with this... I have NO IDEA of programming.

A lagless Slowpoke MAME would be like heaven... dunno if it can be done with this.

[Obscura]

Lagless slowpoke mame can't be done with this. It'll solve all of your non-SH3 needs, though.

EDIT: I just downloaded the mameplus source at the SVN to my phone, and the version.c file says it's .146, so it should be the latest version. When I get home from work, I should be able to look at this.

[Zaarock]

Thanks trap! got 146 w/ sprite buffer off set up now. Donpachi with savestates, Ketsui with better graphics and sound, etc. Hell yeah

trap15's patch just changes one word in the file it's for: m_buffered into m_spriteram in the file and place shown on that pastebin.. you can just type it in yourself in a text editor.

[trap15]

You can't "lagless" SH-3 anyways; there's no sprite buffering (iirc).

[BPzeBanshee]

I can't do this for 64-bit builds but I can do a 32-bit build for anyone who cares given a few days. Just gotta update my local copy of the MAME source. >_>

[Obscura]

Just tried it, it doesn't seem to work. I got 1 frame of lag with DOJBL using the "pause, then advance frame" test; shmup mame 2.2 gives me 0 frames.

For those who want to try it anyway, here's the 64 bit version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?aaarpsvbkl3xdkm

[Zaarock]

Just tried it, it doesn't seem to work. I got 1 frame of lag with DOJBL using the "pause, then advance frame" test; shmup mame 2.2 gives me 0 frames.

I can confirm this for DOJBL but on donpachi both react to the input in one frame. Maybe this could just be a difference in how the pause works? why would DOJ/pgm specifically lag more with the sprite buffer off compared to other drivers?

also: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 11#p340011 what

edit: ok, using pause + frame advance Mars Matrix has 4 frames lag on 146 patched while it has 2 on shmupmame 2.2.. two frame difference cant possibly be caused by pause.. meh.

edit2: dodonpachi and donpachi both react in one frame in both emulators, so the patch happens to work with the cave driver? ketsui also has the same thing happen as DOJ.

[trap15]

The issue is because the PGM driver doesn't use the centralized sprite buffer (iirc it does its own weird buffering, but I haven't looked in a while so I may be wrong).

[Ed Oscuro]

Zaarock: We've had lots of discussions about the sources of "lag" in MAME elsewhere on the Forum, most recently a couple months ago. Look those threads up.

Whatever Rekless is saying is obviously not true. There are elements of truth to it (the PC environment always adds an extra wait, or at least extra latency) but this does not equate to an extra lag frame when using the pause lag check method, because as you note there are games that show "instant" reaction (0 lag frames counted).

Thanks for the info on the PGM driver, trap15...that's what I was expecting to be said.

[Obscura]

Quick note on building this with mameplus:

It compiles, but for some stupid reason, it randomly sets keys (including "insert coin" and direction keys) to autofire in the config file while you play, making it pretty much unplayable. I kinda suspect that this is actually a mameplus 146 error, though.

[BPzeBanshee]

Is there a way to get custom buttons going without having to go with MAME Plus! Extended? That thing takes horribly long to load.

[Ed Oscuro]

Quick note on building this with mameplus:

It compiles, but for some stupid reason, it randomly sets keys (including "insert coin" and direction keys) to autofire in the config file while you play, making it pretty much unplayable. I kinda suspect that this is actually a mameplus 146 error, though.

I've been noticing this in the EmuCR MAME Plus! build recently.

And yes, it takes horribly long to load. I just load it and keep it resident much of the time.

[BPzeBanshee]

Quick note on building this with mameplus:

It compiles, but for some stupid reason, it randomly sets keys (including "insert coin" and direction keys) to autofire in the config file while you play, making it pretty much unplayable. I kinda suspect that this is actually a mameplus 146 error, though.

I've been noticing this in the EmuCR MAME Plus! build recently.

And yes, it takes horribly long to load. I just load it and keep it resident much of the time.

I had a crack at MAME Plus Extended 0.146 and it indeed scrambles autofire settings for the buttons. Can't even set the config files to read-only because it'll just do it anyway without saving the changes.

I'm going with MAMEUIFX 0.146 until I can find a good version of MAMEUI that has custom autofire buttons and doesn't take a century to load. At least MAMEUIFX has *an* autofire function.

[Ed Oscuro]

The bigger problem I've noticed in recent MAME Plus! builds is that some keys are seemingly taking only half the inputs. For example, the player stutters across the screen and can't stay aimed up or crouched in Metal Slug games (4 and 5 for example), and in Donpachi, only flying forward is smooth and at full speed.

[Obscura]

I think that's actually because of the rapidfire glitch.

When I had the rapid-fire glitch on my arrow keys, the exact effect I saw was the ship "stuttering" on the affected directions.

[BPzeBanshee]

Yeah that's the one and the same glitch. I first noticed it in 1943 Kai but its across all games. The directional keys are having autofire set to them so moving in a direction with autofire enabled to it causes the stuttering.

Hopefully they'll fix it and maybe fix their century-long loadtimes in the next few releases.

[Ed Oscuro]

http://www.emucr.com/2012/05/mame-plus-v0146-r5028.html

Code: Select all

MAME Plus! SVN Changelog:
r5028
*fixed ioport.c (autofire problem)