How to map keys 0-9 for SPACE WARS (0.78)

mikemolang

SWEET!!! Thank you so much. Space Wars is the main reason I built a MAME cabinet; to play against my "little" brother. When we were kids we pumped many dollars into this game at "the good arcade" at Seaside. He is coming over with a few others this weekend, and I really want to have this up and running.

Using the page:
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/MAME#emulators-advancemame-mame4all-pi-lr-imame4all-lr-mame2003-lr-mame2010

I see...
AdvanceMAME 0.94
MAME 0.94

AdvanceMAME 1.4
MAME 0.106

AdvanceMAME 3
MAME 0.106

...and confusion sets in.

I know that newer emulators tend to be more accurate, but slower.
You mentioned that you tested 0.94 and 1.4 using 0.139. Neither list this as the "right" ROM version.

I am looking for some advice. I am DL'ing the .106 ROMs as I type, figuring that will let me try 1.4 and 3. Any suggestions to the contrary, or feedback saying this is a good move?

Thanks again folks. This was a very helpful assist. I could have spent weeks chasing vague suggestions, but you guys got the facts by testing. Thank you very, very much!!!

MML

jonnykesh

@mikemolang It's always best to use the proper ROM for the version of MAME you are using. That's a given. I was really only testing with what I had to hand in the sets I have. You would be best to use advMame 3.5 which is the latest advMame using the 0.106 set. The others seem to have a forced aspect ratio that isn't true.

mikemolang

@jonnykesh

Thank you! Downloading the .106 ROMs now. Will let everyone know how it works out. Any other advice is also welcome.

You guys were really great. I did my best reading the README files and following advice already available in the Wiki and Forums, and you guys didn't just spin me back around. You really helped me, and for that I am very grateful. Thank you.

Best,
MML

caver01

@jonnykesh when the tab menu doesn’t work in lr-mame2003 it is because the mame2003/cfg/default.cfg file is corrupt. Delete it.

jonnykesh

@caver01 Yeah that fixed it but boy that was a pain to find. (I really should read the docs!) I was looking in /opt/retropie/configs/... when it was in /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcade/mame2003/cfg/ Anyway, thanks.
Though, it still doesn't work in "Space Wars" in lr-mame2003which is really odd. But sure, moving on.

caver01

@jonnykesh Still couldn't map the keys? I want to load that ROM now and check it out.

jonnykesh

@caver01 Not in Mame2003. The TAB menu just doesn't come up. In mame2010 the TAB menu comes up but is sideways and it won't allow you to map the number keys on a keyboard to the 0-9 functions. Have a look.

caver01

@jonnykesh Well, you would have to do quite a few other changes if you start mapping number keys, as the default raw keyboard mapping has 1-8 spoken for already.

Finding available keys might be tricky.

Isn't space war a vector game? It is better suited for AdvanceMAME in that case anyway. Key mapping question still applies, however. I will take a look tonight.

caver01

@jonnykesh said in How to map keys 0-9 for SPACE WARS (0.78):

@caver01 Yeah that fixed it but boy that was a pain to find. (I really should read the docs!) I was looking in /opt/retropie/configs/... when it was in /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcade/mame2003/cfg/ Anyway, thanks.
Though, it still doesn't work in "Space Wars" in lr-mame2003which is really odd. But sure, moving on.

So, were you able to get TAB working in lr-mame2003 or not? This messages seems to imply that you did once you found the right file to delete (sorry, I should have been more explicit about where it was, but it depends on what roms folder people are using). Yet, in a more recent message you are saying again that TAB does not work. Which is it?

I was also wondering, having not looked at this myself yet, whether modifying the controls for THIS GAME in the TAB menu is showing the necessary inputs, or if you have to back out and do it for ALL GAMES (in other words, changing the defaults.

It's too bad these inputs were required to begin with. I remember playing Space Wars as a kid and all of the buttons for gameplay types. I wish it had been built with an on-screen selection instead. Oh well.

jonnykesh

@caver01 Mame menu is working in all games except Spacewars in 2003.

caver01

@jonnykesh In that case, delete the spacewar.cfg or whatever the rom is called. I am thinking maybe the keyboard config file for just that title is messed up to prevent you from getting into the menu.

jonnykesh

@mikemolang You might be interested in this:

caver01

@jonnykesh Yes, that panel picture will definitely help when messing with this one!

mikemolang

@jonnykesh

Thanks! I had downloaded a couple of photos, but this is nice and clean!

mikemolang

@jonnykesh

GUYS! IT WORKED!!! (Well, basically...)

THE GOOD:

I DL'ed 1.06 ROMs
I installed AdvancedMAME
I hooked up a wired USB keyboard with a number pad (game was preconfigured to use the number pad)
I PLAYED A GAME!!!

TO DO:

No sound. The sound worked for less than a second.
When I tried to copy the two ROM zip files that looked to be most promising, one kept hitting an error and asking for disk 60 to be reinserted. Maybe I got a bad torrent DL? Maybe that is the sound problem.

So, while I still have work to do, you got me there! Thank you so very much!!!

MML

jonnykesh

@mikemolang You need to put the samples into /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/mame-advmame/samplesWith older games the sounds cannot be emulated so samples are used. If you downloaded a full rom set there will be sample files included. The sample file will be named the same as the game rom and will contain multiple.wav files. For example:

mikemolang

@jonnykesh

YASSSSS!!! Thanks!

Since I am using ARCADE mode, I followed that path and it led me to the AdvancedMAME SAMPLE folder. But when I put the samples there it did not work and it added a "game" called "Sample".

Then I loaded them into the sampleS folder in AdvancedMAME, and viola!!! SOUND!!!!

One problem left (that I know of). A key feature of the game is the ability to press the reset button when both player are out of bullets, or damaged, or frustrated for any other reason. I tried all 10 of the numeric keypad keys, and as of yet, nothing works to reset.

Ideas?

Also, regarding samples, I am going to guess that regardless of which emulator I use, if I don't get sound I should look for samples. Is that correct, or is that a function of AdvancedMAME, or something else?

Thanks again. Very helpful!!

MML

jonnykesh

@mikemolang The sample file is a red herring! Hahahaha, Within RetroPie it's samples you need to use. This is the file path pointed to in the .rc files. It confused me at first too.
Samples tend to only be for quite old games with very few sound effects. The actual sounds from the PCBs couldn't be emulated for whatever reason, maybe it had very specific, custom sound hardware so the samples option is a work-around.
The only way I can think of to do a soft reset is to hit TAB then scroll down to reset game You could go into Input (general) > User Interface and map Reset Game to a specific key or controller button. However I think this will apply across all games you use that version of AdvMame for. If that isn't a problem then do that.
EDIT: Just checked, reset is mapped to F3 by default

And here's this:

jonnykesh

@mikemolang Also if you go into the Dip Switches setting you can change the length of the game from 0:45 up to 2:00 mins.

mikemolang

@jonnykesh

I am away from the machine right now, but when I refer to reset, there is a button on the actual game cabinet, and referred to in the instructions on the cabinet that performs this “reset”. It keeps you in the same game, same scores. It just kills both ships so they can start fighting again.

Pressing TAB to access the quick menu shows numeric keypad buttons 1 thru 0 (10 keys) which correspond to the game modes, but I did not see the button to map for “reset”. Any chance you see it, and I missed it?

That seems to be the final piece.

THANKS!
MML