Hi everyone.

I'm quite new to all this MAME and MARP stuff so this will probably be seen as a stupid question, but I've looked everywhere and I can't seem to find a solution to my regulation speed problem.

Let me give you all an example. I've just played 1941 and the speed on AUTO was going from between 75% to 100% without sound, with sound it was even lower. Now I know that I can change that by using the F9 key, but it goes back to normal when the INP file is played back.

So, I tried to change the Frameskip line in my MAME.CFG file from AUTO to 11, which made the game run 100% all the time, both during recording and during playback. However, when I change the line back to AUTO it plays back the inp file with those horrible low speed figures.

My question is. What can I do? Is it enough to tell in the file description that it was played with frameskip 11? I mean, if someone checks that recording and his CFG Frameskip line is set to AUTO, then it won't show the game speed I played with.

Please explain to me how you set the Frameskip so that it plays back exactly like I played it no matter who check the INP file. I'm totally confused about this. Please help.

Sorry, for asking such stupid questions :-)

BTW, I'm using DOS37b5

Before I go another stupid question. How do you guys check the recordings? Do you just press F11 and watch if it goes under 90% or is there some trick how to check the average speed the game was recorded with?

I better leave now. Please help.

Bye.

-- Frankie (frankie@image.dk), August 13, 2000

Answers

Not stupid questions at all. First of all we can't know the speed the game was recorded at in any other mame than tgmame. Certain nontgmame recordings are relativley easy to eyeball that slowing down was used and some recordings we have other analyzers to give hints to the slow down technique. But speed is not judged watching the F11 status of the playback, there are things in the recording that show what the speed was when it was recorded on. However the speed that is recorded into the inp is the F11 screen "as you record it." And so far 75/100 might actually average out to an above 95% average depending on how many 75's and 100's there are. Auto is probably the best setting to get close to 100% and not making the game unplayable with frameskip set to 11 and 92% of the frames not being seen in the game you play.

you'll really have to just submit with a tgmame recording and find out if it qualifies for now.

-- Chad (churritz@cts.com), August 13, 2000.

Thanks for your help Chad.

I tried again playing 1941 (World) with m37b5 and scored 265.000. I've submitted that score. Could someone please check it and let me know if the recording is okay regarding the regulation speed rule?

The speed according to F11 was moving between 84% and 100% while playing.

I also tried to play it on m35tg3, and got a score of 421.100. In that game the speed again according to F11 was between 97% and 100% while playing. I might submit that score later, but I would really like to know if my uploaded m37b5 recording is okay as I would like to use the newest version of MAME to be up to date.

How come, m35tg3 is better in performing the speed? I thought the only difference between the TG and the normal versions of MAME was that you can't use any cheats and that the P key is disable.

I know, I'm hopeless. But I want to learn :-)

Bye.

-- Frankie (frankie@image.dk), August 13, 2000.

Cheer up Frankie. You don't have to self-deprecate every time you post a question, and hell, if you don't want other people to see, just e-mail one of the Editors privately. We're always happy to help.

I can field your last question. The main reason that tg.35 runs better is because it is .35 cycle and not .37 cycle

Every new version of MAME gets slower and less efficient, with the exception of the one where they speeded up the Midway drivers for Mortal Kombat/Smash TV. If you frequent the #MARP chats, a number of players complain that MAME already has enough games, and the DEV team should spend more time fixing existing games, optimizing speed, and cleaning up drivers and settings.

-- Q.T.Quazar (qan@home.com), August 13, 2000.