Lost controller function after installing MAME2003-plus

[LouF]

I have controller problems - I was trying to get Asteroids to work with 2 controllers on a 2-player session (originally an alternating, 2-player arcade game). I lastly I installed MAME2003-plus and assigned this emulator to it in "Arcade" - I lost all controls except for "Coin" and "Start" on controller #2.

Initially, Asteroids was installed and used "Arcade" using the lr-fbneo emulator. It ran fine with one controller and no high scores saved.

Next, I found a ROM version that worked with MAME2003 (1.8.8, 0.78 (720e7f6)). This version was placed in "Arcade" and assigned lr-mame2003 -it played well except two players still only used one controller. Then I installed MAME2003-plus via RetroPie experimental packages. With this, there is no controller function except "Coin" and "Start" only on controller #2.

I then removed MAME2003-plus and launched Asteroids assigning MAME2003, and the controllers did not revert back to the functional pre-MAME2003+ installation. So this is where it stands. I have a backed up image to go back to (last good setup), so I am not worried and am interested in experimenting on the existing installation to better understand the controller configuration/hierarchy.

Notes:

• RetroArch says "1.8.8 No Core " in the lower left of its System Information menu

• In RetroArch, Port 1 Controls menu has "Auto:" listed before configuration entries (under RetroPad device type); port 2 does not, port 3 (and on ) also have the "Auto" prefix

• In RetroArch, Port 1 Binds menu has the "Auto" prefix in the right column configurations, port 2 does not, port 3 (and on ) also have the "Auto" prefix

• In RetroArch, Drivers menu has Input as "udev", and JoyPad as "udev"

• Somewhere along the line, Space Invaders seems to have picked up 2-player on 2 controllers (running under the same lr-mame2003), but now it currently has lost all controls too.

I am also suspicious of initial configuration and use with lb-fbneo (before MAME)

Help is appreciated

[mahoneyt944]

@louf

One thing to remember is arcade games (upright cabinets) typically used one set of controls for player 1 and 2 to take turns on but had separate coin and start buttons. So player 2 is actually using player 1 inputs when it's their turn.

The exception would be cocktail tables where player 2 has a dedicated set of controls or games like tmnt that had multiple joysticks for each player.

For these games you can either take turns on one set of controls or dual map the player 1 inputs for player 2 to use.

Open the mame menu and go under "input this game" then map both controllers to the player 1 inputs. (P1 up, down, left, right).

You'll end up with something like this:
P1 up--------rp1 up or rp2 up
P1 down----rp1 down or rp2 down
P1 left--------rp1 left or rp2 left
P1 right------rp1 right or rp2 right

[LouF]

@mahoneyt944 Thankyou for the reply. Please bear with me...

I think I've done what is instructed without a keyboard (accessed the Tab menu), but it did not take the "or" inputs from the controllers (I only tried one button, P1 Button 3 as shown in the screenshots). It has lost existing function of button3 of my previous remapping, as Hyperspace. I'm not worried about botching this, I can go back to a backup image if necessary. (Also, I've gone back to MAME2003 at this point.)

Before:

After:

Is it possible to go into \retropie\configs\arcade\MAME 2003 (0.78) (via PC desktop (Windows)) and edit the asteroid.rmp and MAME 2003 (0.78).rmp files? If so, it might be possible to add the P1-P2 mapping. For that matter, maybe editing \retropie\configs\arcade\retroarch.cfg (which is a BIG list of lines). Or did not using a keyboard mess this up?

Also, I recall seeing a "simultaneous" (regarding controllers) somewhere, once, but I cannot find it again- it may have even been with fbneo.

[mahoneyt944]

@louf to map both, you'll press "a" on controller 1 on the input line you want to change. Then press the button you want to use on controller 1. Then press "a" again on controller 1 and press the same button on the 2nd controller.

You can't change input lines as you map both or it won't work.

You'll get RetroPad1 A or RetroPad2 A

[LouF]

@mahoneyt944 THANK YOU ! That was very helpful! Image file made at this point!

This gives what seems to be the only way to do 2 controllers : 2 players (I say it like this since this leaves interference available from the other player, as you know).

This is all great except for two issues:
A.) No Button X ever shows in the configuration list
B.) Button mapping is twisted e.g. I have to press A for B to enter, press B for A, press X for Y, and pressing Y for X shifted things all around - I have no idea where that is coming from.

This is how it stands:

[dankcushions]

@louf please provide all relevant configs and a verbose log as per https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

[mahoneyt944]

@louf I'm guessing you altered your default inputs in retroarch so that's why you're getting odd inputs. This would be in the Retroarch menu-> inputs-> port 1 controls.

When you map in the mame menu under "input this game", these inputs only apply to that specific Game and this menu will only show controls relative to that game.

If you map in the mame menu under "input general", these will apply to all the games you play in the mame core.

Mapping in Retroarch will alter which button signal is sent for what input you press on the controller. So for example if you want your A button to become your B button. This changes the layout of your controller. Again, this would be in the Retroarch menu-> inputs-> port 1 controls.

[LouF]

@mahoneyt944 Yes, in short, it was with that. Thankyou for help. It seems easy to dual-assign now, LOL. I'll just have to smack fingers that want to interfere, LOL.

BTW, does fbneo (v0.2.97.4r 7b74a22) have similar mapping? I don't see it, and RetroArch per-game changes don't have the same effects.

In case you're wondering why such persistence for this, it's for controller button wear, battery wear, and plain separate controllers.

Thankyou again! - On to the the next tweaks.

(I would have tried to include further details as requested by the moderator, but what is "relevant" becomes obtuse for me at this point. Thanks for the qualitative answers.)

[dankcushions]

@louf said in Lost controller function after installing MAME2003-plus:

I would have tried to include further details as requested by the moderator, but what is "relevant" becomes obtuse for me at this point.

the verbose log would have indicated all relevant overrides, and in addition to that the relevant configs are
/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg,

/opt/retropie/configs/mame-libretro/retroarch.cfg or
/opt/retropie/configs/arcade/retroarch.cfg depending on where your roms are
and for fbeo,
/opt/retropie/configs/fba/retroarch.cfg or
/opt/retropie/configs/arcade/retroarch.cfg depending on where your roms are

anything changed within the MAME menu is stored in additional non-human readable files detailed here: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/lr-mame2003/#mame-menu and should be deleted before investigating any retroarch-side config issues.