Seven Cities of Gold and lr-vice

[jamrom2]

@10vorne I can help you with this one...I have the same keyboard.

You need to map the "scroll lock" key to another key. I chose the "page up" key.

It's a little tricky to do and you do need a USB keyboard to do it once.

I use a SNES style controller. Plug in the USB keyboard and press <scroll lock>. That will disable Game Focus, you should see the message in the lower left corner.

Now break into the RetroArch menu with however your control is set up. Mine is Select +X buttons. -->
Back out to the Main Menu and go to Settings --> Input --> Hotkeys --> scroll down to "Game Focus (toggle)" and remap it to another key. I have it mapped to the PgUp key on the far right. As far as I have seen, nothing usues this key and I've tested a ton of systems and games.

Now just back out to Main Menu then Configuration File --> "Save current configuration" and that should be it. Your done with the USB keyboard.

Now... You can enable/disable the Game Focus which will allow you to access the "Disc Control" option in the "Quick Menu". Open that and you will see the "Eject Disc" option. Select that and that will bring up the "Current Disc Index". Open that and you will see the other "discs" saved in your zipped rom file that are accessible. Select the next one, then "Insert Disc" will appear. Select that, you will be taken right back to the 7 Cities game and press the fire button... Off you go.

Let me know how you make out

I've done the same to all systems that use disk swapping. It's made things a lot easier.

[10vorne]

@jamrom2
First of all thanks for your answer.

From your answer it sounds like the main problem is getting into RetroArch's disc control to switch discs. That works for me without reconfiguring a key. I press Select+x (when the game demands the map disk), insert the map disk, come back to the game, then I want to press F7 on the virtual keyboard to resume but this keystroke is not recognized by the emulator, at least nothing happens. Or will Vice recognize the press of F7 after I have remapped the scroll lock key?

[jamrom2]

@10vorne

Once I select the next disc, I go right back to the game. But if it needs more input, I go through the VK to do it.

I'm not sure why the key stroke isn't working on virtual keyboard.

You can try what I mentioned and see if that helps... Try another game like Bruce Lee that uses F7 to start.

[10vorne]

@jamrom2

I feel like a higher power is preventing me from playing the game again.

So what have I tried now:

• I have configured the button for game focus, it worked so far. However, that has not changed the basic problem.

• then I tried Bruce Lee, here F7 is taken from the virtual keyboard without a problem. The F keys are also recognized by the virtual keyboard on the first screen of Seven Cities of Gold. But at the second screen (inserting map disk) no longer. Although I don't think it has anything to do with the disk change itself vie RetroArch.

• then I made new map disks (via vice x64) because mine was made over the The C64 Maxi. That didn't do anything either.

• then I chose the vice 64 for the Seven Cities of Gold Rom. Everything runs great, but with the 2nd screen (insert map disk) a high-frequency beeping starts (3,5mm jack), which is not there at the beginning with the melody. The beeping doesn't go away in the game either. Via the physical keyboard in vicex64, the F-keys are used without any problems, everything runs great. I'll make my own post about the beeping, maybe someone has an idea.

• By the way, I use a Raspberry 3 and the latest version of Retropie.

Now I'm slowly running out of ideas, a very peculiar problem that the F-keys are taken in other games and even in Seven Cities in the first screen, in the second (after loading game, when prompted to insert the map disk) not more.

[jamrom2]

@10vorne

It's always the way with this stuff. I've been there many times myself.

So next, try another romset. There could be an issue with the rom itself. That has to be eliminated as a cause as well.

There are several versions of 7 Cities. Also, try Heart of Africa...same game type, same disk method. See if it works there as well.

So you know via Bruce Lee that the Function keys work, that means lr-vice is good.

It has to be the game.

Also, if you plan on running any DosBox games, that Game Focus trick will come in handy, so lesson not lost.

[10vorne]

@jamrom2 I forgot to mention.....I already tried another rom. It has the original EA-Loader, the old one has not. Same story...

Another mystery is that everyone on a Raspberry 3 with my version of Retropie should have the same problems, we're all on the same hardware and at most use different SD cards and maybe a different sound output. But obviously...

Ok, I'll try Heart of Africa. But afaik there is no map generation and disc change?!

[jamrom2]

@10vorne

I onlj suggested HoA because it's a similar game to 7cities.

I don't know why that's happening to you, I'm not seeing that issue on my end. Same Pi version, RetroPie version and BT keyboard

[10vorne]

@jamrom2
Is there a way in lr-vice to assign certain key functions (e.g. F7 and F3) to the controller or to use the Rii keyboard with lr-vice? That would be a pragmatic solution

[10vorne]

@10vorne

Well at least. By switching from FastSid to ReSid 6581, the high-frequency beeping in vice x64 is gone and I can start play the game :)

Also, it seems that lr-vice doesn't accept any keyboard input at all in the maps screen. Because if you don't change the disk to the map disk and still press a key to continue, an error message should come up with the sound "Please insert a map disk". It's not coming either.

[jamrom2]

@10vorne you got me on that one.

Yes, the sound issue is a known thing on vice64. I found it when I tried to run Dino Eggs and Beachhead II. It was missing certain effects and voice sounds. Like you, I kept screwing with settings until I found it.

I don't know what's causing the other issue. If F7 works in Bruce Lee, it's not lr-vice. Perhaps it's just how lr-vice is interacting with 7cities?

Try Beachhead II. That's another one that you need function key input to start the game. If it works, you don't need to remap anything.