Neogeo

markwkidd

@columboscoat said in Neogeo:

What happens when he tries to use a ROM that is a clone and requires a parent from the same set?

Fbalpha works with merged sets. I think every neogeo game have the same parent anyway (which is neogeo.zip). If both its rom and its neogeo.zip file are good, then it's a setup issue. By the way, neogeo.zip file go in the rom folder, not in the bios folder.

I know that you are well versed on how FBA works, so can I use a specific example to ask?

The OP said they were interested in the "SNK vs Marvel" titles. Picking one arbitrarily I wound up with "SNK vs. Capcom - SVC Chaos Plus (bootleg set 2) [Bootleg]" The DAT says that this title has a parent ROM: "svc"

Here's the relevant section of the DAT:
<game name="svcplusa" cloneof="svc" romof="svc">
<description>SNK vs. Capcom - SVC Chaos Plus (bootleg set 2) [Bootleg]</description>

How would the OP make sure that this NeoGeo clone plays correctly with a merged set?

barbudreadmon

@markwkidd my bad, i meant a non-merged set, here are the differences :

merged set contains all the files from parent + clones into the parent file, in your example, that would mean svcplusa files would be inside the svc file, let's say you have a directory MY_DIRECTORY containing 2 files (neogeo.zip + svc.zip), you could launch svcplusa by running "retroarch fbalpha_libretro.so MY_DIRECTORY/svcplusa" (yes, without the extension, because the file doesn't exist)
non-merged set : all the necessary files for the game are inside the file for the game, in your example, that would mean svcplusa.zip would contain the files it needs from its parent svc.zip (in this case, it would need svc-c1.bin to svc-c8.bin, svc-m1.bin, svc-v1.bin to svc-v4.bin from its parent svc.zip + its own files specific to this clone which are svc-s1pl.bin, svc-p1pl.bin and svc-p2pl.bin)
split set : each clone contains only its own specific files, so it will search its parent for the additional files

Basically, what's happening when you load svcplusa (with or without the extension) in fba/mame :

The emulator match the name with a list, and retrieve the list of files needed to run the game
It will then search for those files in the file named svcplusa.zip, if the file doesn't exist or miss a few files, it will then search in the parent svc.zip, if the file doesn't exist or it still miss a few files, the loading of the game will fail.

Which means, as long as you have all the files needed, and all of them are in clone.zip and/or parent.zip, the game will load.
Of course, it applies to any game.
I hope it cleared up things.

markwkidd

@barbudreadmon Thanks!

It seems like FB Alpha has a more sophisticated approach to loading Merged ROMs than the libretro MAME cores that I'm familiar with.

That helps me understand much better.

barbudreadmon

I just checked, you can run merged set with the extension too, the emulator just doesn't care if the zip file exist or not, also i think i messed up when listing the files from svc/svcplusa, but you understood the general idea.

guythp

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I didn't see the point in starting a new one - I'm having similar problems; usin fba for arcade roms (acquired via READ THE FORUM RULES!) and used the neogeo bios from said site but it doesn't work. I tried placing the bios and roms in the neogeo folder but they still don't work, yet other fba roms are fine (including tatsujin II, which makes me a happy man).

If I were to use mame .78 roms and bios in the neogeo folder, would this work? I'm itching to play viewpoint and my son loves king of the monsters so it'd be great if I can get the neogeo games working. Of course I own all said games etc etc.

Thanks in advance

Darksavior

@guythp If you've bothered to read this old thread, you'll know you need the correct romset. Read the links people have posted. You can't just go get random arcade roms and stick them in and expect them to work.

The reason other fba roms work is because they aren't neogeo roms. Neogeo bios is for neogeo games. Games that don't change their romset will work on newer versions. You can find out with hours of trial and error...or get the right romset instead.

If you have the correct romset for fba, it will work. Same goes for mame.

guythp

@Darksavior Thanks for the quick reply - I have realised that the correct romset and neoeo bios need to match. The fba roms (including neogeo games) were, as far as I know, from the same romset. As the neogeo games didn't work I thought it may be an issue with the bios so I got a neogeo romset with its own bios and tried that but they also didn't work so before I tried it, I thought I'd ask if going via a mame .78 route would be worth trying.
I had read the thread (albeit skimmed through) so apologies if I missed something.. I'll have a tinker with things in the morning to see if I can workout what's wrong. Thanks again for responding.

dankcushions

@guythp said in Neogeo:

@Darksavior Thanks for the quick reply - I have realised that the correct romset and neoeo bios need to match. The fba roms (including neogeo games) were, as far as I know, from the same romset.

it's not so much that they need to be from the same romset, but the right romset. lr-fbalpha was updated recently (and again a couple of days ago, but you probably have the previous version) and i believe the neogeo.zip is one of the files that is different now. so to use lr-fbalpha you need the neogeo bios and games from the 0.2.97.39 FBA romset or you will not get it to work. some other arcade games may work if their dumps happen to be unchanged since whatever romset you have, but it's random. if you have the right romset, nothing is left to chance :)

As the neogeo games didn't work I thought it may be an issue with the bios so I got a neogeo romset with its own bios and tried that but they also didn't work so before I tried it, I thought I'd ask if going via a mame .78 route would be worth trying.

if you have a valid 0.78 romset you could do that, but it's likely a worse emulator than lr-fbalpha for neogeo. to do it: place both games and neogeo.zip from that .78 set in /roms/neogeo/ and also you'd have to change the neogeo default emulator to lr-mame2003 via the runcommand menu: https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Runcommand

herb_fargus

@guythp do not post links of references to romsites. Read the forum rules! Next infraction will result in a permanent ban.

guythp

@herb_fargus Apologies - I realised after I'd posted what I'd done. It won't happen again.
I've sorted it in the end; it seems the bios with fba works with the seperate neogeo roms I acquired elsewhere.

Sometimes even not knowing what you're doing can work :)

Daveb3650

@starcade2084 I seem to have the same problem....I'm new to the Pie.......I got the SD card installed fine, I copied a single Rom to test it......when I launch the Emustation it shows a single NEOGEO file....when I click it does nothing.......I wasn't aware that I needed to do anything BIOS wise....although I did see the folder for BIOS and was curious.......is this the same for all machines being emulated....Amiga....C64 etc etc.......so do I track the BIOS files down and stick them into the BIOS folder on the USB drive, I assume they will be copied across......

BuZz

@daveb3650 Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

Daveb3650

@buzz Apologies Buzz,,,, i'm sort of swamped with tons of info, I was just looking for a quick solution from someone who had had a similar problem. Your comments are noted...Thanks

Darksavior

@daveb3650 https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki/FinalBurn-Alpha

There's your quick answer without knowing what emulator you're using. I'll repeat the answer again.. get the right romset for the version of fba you want to use.

Daveb3650

@darksavior Will do..........I foolishly thought that once I had an emulator installed it would just.....er......emulate........but i'm learning fast that's its not going to happen "straight out of the box"............

Daveb3650

@darksavior Thats looks great.......i'm going to hopefully get it sorted once i'm home....Cheers again...