Cheat Engine Request

kelvSYC · Post by **kelvSYC** » Fri Sep 28, 2001 12:18 am

I wish that if there was a new revision of the cheat engine that cheats that change the same address (and for multiple cheats (eg. 000+500), all of the addresses) that you would have a fairly descriptive list choice. For example, the screen would show

Energy Infinite>

and when you press right, it would say

Energy <None

This would be great for "Free Character Selection" cheats as well.

_________________
This is not a signature. I don't know what it is, though.

[ This Message was edited by: kelvSYC on 2001-09-27 19:19 ]

ianpatt · Post by **ianpatt** » Fri Sep 28, 2001 3:26 am

That sounds like a good idea. I've updated the cheat spec to support it.

Here's the new addition:

Code: Select all

Select Cheat Type: (01100010 -------0 -------- --------)

May be used only as the first cheat of a linked cheat. In the "Enable/Disable
Cheat" menu, instead of simple listing On/Off or Set as the menu option, the
engine will list the name fields of each of the subcheats. If the current
selected subcheat is a one-shot cheat, pressing Enter will activate the
currently subcheat. If the subcheat is an on/off cheat, the currently selected
subcheat (and only that subcheat) will be activated.

Notes:

- if you want to have a list of many on/off subcheats, include a "None" option,
or there will be no way to disable the cheat
- the engine will display "Press Enter to Activate Cheat" if a one-shot cheat
is selected

This works by adding another custom cheat type.

[ This Message was edited by: ianpatt on 2001-09-27 22:31 ]

[ This Message was edited by: ianpatt on 2001-09-27 22:59 ]

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 11:25 am

Hmm...how about a slight graphical modification to the one-shot cheats. When you press ENTER to set one-shot cheats, you get no recognition that the cheat has been set unelss it conflicts with a standing cheat. How about reverse-fielding the "Set" when the cheat is hit to let you know that the one-shot is ready to fire. This has the advantage in that it can also be used with the new Custom Name cheat type while still maintaining readability.

sum · Post by **sum** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 11:29 am

I suggest that when Press "Set",
it will show "xxx is set"

ianpatt · Post by **ianpatt** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 12:01 pm

I am trying to make it so that random end users will have the easiest time possible with the addition. Since it isn't obvious that you need to press Return, I think it would be best to display some prompt text while the cursor is over the cheat.

Post by **Pugsy** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 2:26 pm

Personally don't like the idea of prompts....from a personal point of view (I know what I'm doing so they'd just annoy me). If they are to be used it would be better to have an option in the mame.cfg file to turn them off.

As for showing if an item has been set (temporary cheats) - it's not going to be that useful unless the game has been paused..perhaps making the 'SET' disappear for 1 second would suffice.

ianpatt · Post by **ianpatt** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 11:07 pm

For right now I'll just make the prompts a compile-time option. Later I'll look in to making it a command-line option.

I might also have the engine create a preferences file, depending on if I need to store anything else. This would remove the need for an extra command-line option, and make it so that systems without a command line (MacOS) could disable prompts.

I think having a message after a cheat is activated (unless there is a conflict) is a bad idea; it doesn't fit with the rest of the "MAME user interface" (if it can be called that.)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 05, 2001 10:19 am

Besides, I must note that the clocks used for the prompts now (ie. conflicting cheats) have a problem when the game is paused. Prompts, especially conflict prompts, don't disappear until after you get back in the action.

If it weren't for the fact that two conflicting cheats could be on opposite ends of a long list, making only one of them appear on-screen, I'd resort to a simpler indication of a cheat conflict: flashing the names of the old cheat in conflict for a second so it's easy to notice, "Oh, that got changed, too." Hopefully, this won't be that much of an issue once the new List type becomes available.

kelvSYC · Post by **kelvSYC** » Wed Oct 24, 2001 10:38 pm

So I take it that this is a good idea and it will be in the next version of MAME?

This would reduce some of the clutter in cheat menus in some games...

ianpatt · Post by **ianpatt** » Thu Oct 25, 2001 1:52 am

I think it's a good idea and it already is in the next version of the cheat engine.

Just I'm being lazy and procrastinating, so it's not done enough to release yet. Most importantly, cheat searching isn't done, and editing isn't perfect yet.