Page 1 of 2
Enabling testdrivers
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:16 am
by The TJT
Anybody can explain here how to enable testdrivers for mame. Dragon's lair has been added into mame some time ago as a testdriver. how to get it playing then...
I use Daphne for Dl, and know nothing about compiling mame.
Don't even know romname for DL...
It would be really awesome to compete at DL at Marp, which is maybe another thread later
Thank you,
TJT
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:36 am
by Buttermaker
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:56 am
by The TJT
Hmm, ok, now I can learn how to compile mame...oh, so easy???
I was looking for some little more easy way to do it. Even if I would learn to change code, would I know s**t what line to change there to get Dlair work????
Any easy solution? This is exactly why I didn't ask mame.net msg board
Call me lazy, if you want....No, do not, getting Daphne to work was hassle enough.
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:12 am
by Buttermaker
You wanted to know how to enable a testdriver. The pages I linked describe how to do that. It's easy. After enabling the testdriver you have to compile MAME of course. That's easy as well.
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:14 am
by The TJT
Found out already, that just take "test" out of "testdriver". So compiling is the way to go for this. Will try to learn how, after watching F1 GP and Terminator 3 tonight, maybe.
When was this Dlair testdriver introduced to mame? Is it playable? Which mame ver to use for best performance? -I have 2, 4 gig proc. Wonder how Daphne video/sound files are compatible to mame?-where to locate these files(folder/directory) +zipped or not??
Hehe, maybe not so easy anyway, especially when I have the game working at Daphne already
TJT
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:12 pm
by BBH
a rule of thumb: if a game is a testdriver, it's probably disabled because it doesn't work correctly. Sure there are exceptions (like the newer Neo-Geo games), but if it was fully playable it would probably be in a regular MAME release already.
and don't expect to be able to compete on it at MARP until it's in a regular release anyway... speaking of which, how does one start a competition on it? I mean, if two people have the game memorized...? :p
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:29 pm
by QRS
If MAME emulates the score table on Dragon“s lair (Wich daphne does not I think..) You can at least get a score. Also there arwe some tricky ways to get more points than on a 'perfect' run on that game

I guess Tommi will explain that in detail sooner or later hehe.
Anyway, with a recording on marp I guess there still will be like 10 perfect scores after a while.. so I guess it is not the best game to compete on

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:35 pm
by Chad
subtract the movement timing frames from when the last frame that the correct move should be pressed, who's ever closes to the limit wins. :) It was cool to play that game with out looking at the screen in the arcades.
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 10:26 pm
by mahlemiut
I seem to remember Mirko Buffoni writing a Dragons' Lair driver for MAME, but it worked under Win98. I'm also not sure if that driver is the one that is in the MAME source currently.
Testdrivers that I know of that are in the MAME source, that work are...
Recent Neo Geo games,
Rock'n Tread 1/2/3/4/Megasession,
not much else.
It would be useful to look through the relevant drivers' internal docs (comments in the codes), to see what doesn't work and why.
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2003 7:50 am
by The TJT
BBH wrote:
and don't expect to be able to compete on it at MARP until it's in a regular release anyway... speaking of which, how does one start a competition on it? I mean, if two people have the game memorized...? :p
Well, answer is very easy, change dips. At hardest difficulty game is not so easy, more accurate timing and even reflexes tested there. DL can also have continuation, meaning after getting lai...I mean killing dragon you start again new round(without credit insert)-this at least in Daphne emulator. So imo only worthwile settings for competition are the hardest ones with continue:
3men, hardest difficulty,continuation on
I'm not sure if it's testdriver because of playability or digital leisure licence. At which version does it work then?
See you laterz, space invaderz
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2003 8:51 am
by mahlemiut
Looks to me like the driver in MAME is not emulating the laserdisc. So basically, it'll probably just run something like Us vs. Them, but probably even less playable.
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2003 11:42 am
by LN2
QRS wrote:Anyway, with a recording on marp I guess there still will be like 10 perfect scores after a while.. so I guess it is not the best game to compete on

exactly...although it might end up like circus charlie or lode runner where many maxed scores are all tied for first place....instead of archiving it.
Another option is the continuation mode where you keep playing beyond killing the dragon. I never played one set up like this in an arcade...which makes sense....but it would work for MAME settings.
I just wonder how long of a run someone could do then...and if the score turnsover or freezes at 999,999 or the last score you had prior to turning it over.
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2003 5:52 pm
by Q.T.Quazar
this is old news, if i remember. Dragon's Lair has been over a year emulated, but without LaserDisc support, and with no foreseeable LaserDisk support in the future.
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2003 6:31 pm
by QRS
It does not need lazerdisc support. It only need mpeg support as the movie is avaialble as that in Daphne
QRS
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2003 4:17 am
by Mr. Kelly R. Flewin
QRS wrote:It does not need lazerdisc support. It only need mpeg support as the movie is avaialble as that in Daphne
QRS
Until someone can find a completely freeware codec to read mpegs properly [or some other compression method is found] that doesn't have licensing issues and other fun stuff, there''s gonna be no way in hell we'll see DL officially emu'd... well that I can see
Kelly