Street Fighter Alpha 3 Survival Mode - Discussion

[Buttermaker]

Not to mention that the cheat.dat gets a new version every..... well alright... not that bloody often at all...

It doesn't matter whether you use a one year old or a one day old cheat.dat because this line never changes:

Code: Select all

:sfa3:00000000:FF854B:000000FF:FFFFFFFF:Survival Mode PL1

While NVRam is not perfect... and could create equal problems with people forgetting to eradicate the dir after...

Just put them in a seperate folder, and use the -nvram_directory switch when you want to use it. Couldn't be simpler.

[Blinks]

Crikee! I never even thought of that! (*,)

[Chad]

Just put them in a seperate folder, and use the -nvram_directory switch when you want to use it. Couldn't be simpler.

[Blinks]

Crikee! I never even thought of that! (*,) #-o

one bad thing about that is you stil have to put a

Code: Select all

copy orig\gamename.nv using\gamename.nv

in your sfa3-survivor script because the game will undoubtably be overwriten in using\gamename.nv when recording or playing thus potentially making your 2nd recoring (when not copying the nv file first) not work.

i really don't see a difference between NOT using nvram and everyone using the same one, not using nvram is just more convenient because you dont have to recopy the default nvram file, but it has to be one or the other, on per game/split basis.

[Buttermaker]

in your sfa3-survivor script because the game will undoubtably be overwriten in using\gamename.nv when recording or playing thus potentially making your 2nd recoring (when not copying the nv file first) not work.

You mean the NVRAM files will be changed by MAME? Not when they're write protected. Or do you mean something else?

i really don't see a difference between NOT using nvram

Does this mean using cheat.dat?

and everyone using the same one, not using nvram is just more convenient because you dont have to recopy the default nvram file, but it has to be one or the other, on per game/split basis.

You mean everybody should make their own NVRAM files and distribute them with the inps? That's fine with me too.

[Chad]

You mean the NVRAM files will be changed by MAME? Not when they're write protected. Or do you mean something else?

yes, nvram files change as you play or record, somegames don't change them very often but they do change, i.e. if you hit F2 and change the volitile memory that changes the nvram, it's not likely that the game changes during normal play but it is certainly not garaunteed NOT to happen, maybe completing a level or entering your initials on the scoreboard will write something different to the nvram, thus you have to recopy before each recording to ensure no problems.

i really don't see a difference between NOT using nvram

Does this mean using cheat.dat?

naw, using a nvram verses using NO nvram directory, both ways start with an equal competative game initialization, even though each starts with a different initialization.

You mean everybody should make their own NVRAM files and distribute them with the inps? That's fine with me too.

no, everyone uses the same nvram (and includes it in their zip) so each competative recording starts with the same inialization, and it's available to others in the zip readily.

[Weehawk]

Let's focus our discussion on these two points:

1) Whether this qualifies as a "cheat" as prohibited by Rule #2.c)

2) If so, should we make an exception?

Or alternatively, you can waste time going through all the same arguments about the NVRAM issue that went on last year.

I have absolutely zero interest in this type of game, or this game in particular

Fortunately.......

[Buttermaker]

thus you have to recopy before each recording to ensure no problems.

Not when the files are write-protected.

When you record an inp for MARP it's your responsibility to avoid NVRAM usage, otherwise your inp gets zeroed. If you wanna play SFA3 survival mode it's your responsibility to use the correct NVRAM file, otherwise your inp gets zeroed. If somebody doesn't follow the rules it's their own fault.

naw, using a nvram verses using NO nvram directory, both ways start with an equal competative game initialization, even though each starts with a different initialization.

Yes, that's right.

no, everyone uses the same nvram (and includes it in their zip)

Fine with me.

Now about cheat.dat. Cheats against the MARP rules are things like slowdown and autofire. If you record using cheat.dat to enable infinite energy the recording won't play back correctly unless cheat.dat is used to enable infinite energy during playback as well. So you can't even use cheat.dat to create a recording that will play back correctly.

What you could say is that using cheat.dat to enable survival mode is something you can't do on a real machine. My reasoning for an exception would be that it's not a cheat that affects gameplay.

MARP is trying to stay true to the real arcade experience with things like no pausing and no slowdown. So in my opinion we should play with the light blue background enabled just like you would in an arcade. It just "feels" right.

With the light blue background enabled Balrog, Juni and Juli become available as selectable characters. They are not overpowered and are allowed in real SFA3 tournaments. No big deal but still worth mentioning for the sake of the real arcade experience. And who knows, maybe somebody will use them one day for a MARP inp.

[Chad]

Not when the files are write-protected.

When you record an inp for MARP it's your responsibility to avoid NVRAM usage, otherwise your inp gets zeroed. If you wanna play SFA3 survival mode it's your responsibility to use the correct NVRAM file, otherwise your inp gets zeroed. If somebody doesn't follow the rules it's their own fault.

oh yeah i keep on forgeting windows isn't that much of a brain dead os, that should work.

as long as the same nvram file works to start survival mode, -cheat shouldn't be necesary.

[Barthax]

Is there not a hacked version of the SAF3 set that mahlemiut could kindly put in the WolfMAME? Saves NVRAM, -cheat or anything else other than one non-standard MAME game.