Multiple mice support in RetroArch cores (lightguns, spinners, trackballs)

mediamogul

@caver01 said in Multiple mice support in RetroArch cores (lightguns, spinners, trackballs):

It seems like I could do a test too even with a trackball and spinners, as the game should not know the difference.

You can indeed. It can even be tested by mapping buttons or keys to move a light gun, trackball, etc. It's a real testament to the versatility of MAME, although obviously you'd always want the granular movement of analog input whenever possible.

@illando

I tested the games you mentioned. 'Point Blank' refused to launch for me, 'Steel Gunner' loaded with persistent crosshairs generated by AdvanceMAME for P1 and P2 just as you said, but bizarrely, control of the AdvMAME crosshairs for P1 had no effect on the crosshairs for the game. Lastly, 'Zero Point' seemed to behave as it should, but it definitely had persistent crosshairs generated by AdvMAME for both players at all times with no second mouse present.

This might end up being something better addressed over at the AdvanceMAME forums, but it seems as though it may be a bug or perhaps that the light gun implementation for two player games is still somewhat immature. It would seem as though the ideal behavior would be to only generate crosshairs for a second player if a second mouse is found.

caver01

@mediamogul said in Multiple mice support in RetroArch cores (lightguns, spinners, trackballs):

It would seem as though the ideal behavior would be to only generate crosshairs for a second player if a second mouse is found.

Unless this is exactly how the actual arcade machine behaves. In that case it is doing perfect emulation in this regard, and to expect more or different is maybe to expect too much.

mediamogul

@caver01

Very true, but in these particular cases and probably more, the in-game crosshairs for P2 are only present when needed. AdvanceMAME generating a second set at all times seems unintentional and you'd think avoidable by polling for another mouse device. Then again, I'm not a programmer, so perhaps it truly is unavoidable.

mediamogul

@caver01

I've been meaning to mention something to you for a while, but I keep forgetting. Sometime last year we were both lamenting the fact the lr-vecx didn't render it's vector emulation in HD. Well, you might already know this by now, but sometime along the way, hi-res options were added to the core settings, all the way up to 4x. Of course the arcade conversions are still better experienced in AdvanceMAME, but the Vectrex original games now look fantastic for the first time in RetroArch.

caver01

@mediamogul said in Multiple mice support in RetroArch cores (lightguns, spinners, trackballs):

the Vectrex original games now look fantastic for the first time in RetroArch.

That's fantastic! I will have to take a look. I have not loaded the Vectrex emu, as I just barely remember these machines. I do remember seeing ads for them, and a few months ago I got to try one first hand at the Portland Retro Gaming expo. I was amazed at the titles that were not even vector that they tried to remake as vector.

Speaking of more vector, did you ever hear about VEC9, the first NEW vector arcade game in 30 years?!

mediamogul

@caver01

Ha! The game not only looks amazing, but that premise is hilarious. They really nailed that cold war vibe in the commercial. I'll have to make a road trip to wherever this ends up.

illando

@mediamogul

@mediamogul said in Multiple mice support in RetroArch cores (lightguns, spinners, trackballs):

I tested the games you mentioned. 'Point Blank' refused to launch for me, 'Steel Gunner' loaded with persistent crosshairs generated by AdvanceMAME for P1 and P2 just as you said, but bizarrely, control of the AdvMAME crosshairs for P1 had no effect on the crosshairs for the game. Lastly, 'Zero Point' seemed to behave as it should, but it definitely had persistent crosshairs generated by AdvMAME for both players at all times with no second mouse present.
This might end up being something better addressed over at the AdvanceMAME forums, but it seems as though it may be a bug or perhaps that the light gun implementation for two player games is still somewhat immature. It would seem as though the ideal behavior would be to only generate crosshairs for a second player if a second mouse is found.

Don't know what to say about Point Blank, It's running perfectly on my retropie. About stelle gunner you should follow the process of calibration described in this video and the P1 crosshair generated by the game will follow the P1 AdvanceMame crosshair (the P2 AdvanceMame crosshair will remain in the center of the screen).

But I think you are right, it should be a problem related to AdvanceMAME.

mediamogul

@illando said in Multiple mice support in RetroArch cores (lightguns, spinners, trackballs):

About stelle gunner you should follow the process of calibration described in this video and the P1 crosshair generated by the game will follow the P1 AdvanceMame crosshair

Gotchya. Outside of that, the game seemed to run very well. Notice from the video that the second set of crosshairs are not visible, so it's either a config issue that we share, or a subtle difference between MAME and AdvanceMAME in how mice are detected.

illando

@mediamogul
Not a real fix but I solved pressing "f" and "g" keyboard keys, placing the player2 crosshair in the bottom right corner. :)
I can confirm 'Point Blank' refused to launch on AdvanceMAME 3.6 but it works using AdvanceMAME 1.4 core.

mediamogul

@illando said in Multiple mice support in RetroArch cores (lightguns, spinners, trackballs):

Not a real fix but I solved pressing "f" and "g" keyboard keys, placing the player2 crosshair in the bottom right corner. :)

Not a real fix, but an incredible simulation. ;)

I can confirm 'Point Blank' refused to launch on AdvanceMAME 3.6 but it works using AdvanceMAME 1.4 core.

Ah, good to know.