Should I just concentrate on a 0.60 cheat file

[Pugsy]

I was planning on doing a 0.59 cheat file (keeping the old cheat format as long as possible) but now I'm beginning to wonder if it's worthwile and whether I should just bite the bullet and concentrate on the new cheat format and release a cheat file only compatable with MAME 0.60 (with cheats for all the games in 0.59 too obviously but that'll only work with MAME 0.60 due to the format change).

So here's a Poll. When there's been 50 votes I'll start work on the winning result..... It'll be a while after that before there's a release though....a few WIP cheat files may happen though..

[stephh]

I was planning on doing a 0.59 cheat file (keeping the old cheat format as long as possible) but now I'm beginning to wonder if it's worthwile and whether I should just bite the bullet and concentrate on the new cheat format and release a cheat file only compatable with MAME 0.60 (with cheats for all the games in 0.59 too obviously but that'll only work with MAME 0.60 due to the format change).

So here's a Poll. When there's been 50 votes I'll start work on the winning result..... It'll be a while after that before there's a release though....a few WIP cheat files may happen though..

Well ... Until I decide to add the new types of cheats supported by MAME 0.60 cheat engine, I will continue to "produce" cheats in old format as they can be converted WITHIN the cheat engine ...

That's why I'd be happy to compare your cheats with mine in the same format, thus the use of the old format ...

BTW, I've just uploaded my latest cheat databases on my site ... Enjoy them

Steph from The Ultimate Patchers

Visit The Ultimate Patchers' site

[kelvSYC]

If anything, I say (but don't do) keep them in the old format for a v.60 cheat file unless:

1. There is no old format equivalent (samsho infinite life)
2. You can reduce the lines of cheats (combine a two-line cheat to a one-line cheat using two-byte cheat)
3. They are listable
4. They are ROM cheats with endian issues
5. The cheat are for games new to v.60

[stephh]

If anything, I say (but don't do) keep them in the old format for a v.60 cheat file unless:

1. There is no old format equivalent (samsho infinite life)
2. You can reduce the lines of cheats (combine a two-line cheat to a one-line cheat using two-byte cheat)
3. They are listable
4. They are ROM cheats with endian issues
5. The cheat are for games new to v.60

I agree with points 1 and 4, I'm note sure about point 3, and I disagree with points 2 and 5 (see my cheat databases for references) ...

Of course, this is only MY opinion, and you are free to have yours

Steph from The Ultimate Patchers

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[kelvSYC]

Maybe I should elaborate...

In a v.60 cheat file, point 1 is a given. The v.56 cheat file has the arkanoid "one ball in play" cheat already.

Point 2 is debatable, but I do it so that I can make the xmvsf cheat "select Rogue's stolen power" listable. But you then introduce various endian issues.

Point 3 is also debatable, but a good thing is that in a v.60 cheat file you can reduce clutter. For ddsom, ddtod, sfa3, practically all the kofs, etc. this would be a good thing. For smaller games such as 1942, that's another story.

Point 4 is given. I've been waiting for an endian fixed kof99 "unlock Kyo+Iori in NVRAM" cheat, since I do all my cheat work on a big-endian machine, and thus, the cheat as-is is unusable to me.

Point 5 is obvious, but debatable. I can see why you still need cheats in the old format: retrocompiling with the old cheat engine, a pre-v.60 build with v.60 games, etc. I only thought this since the standard v.60 build would have the new cheat engine.

PS. If you didn't know, I voted what stephh voted.

[[Haze]]

I prefered it when you just posted WIP cheat files containing everything which was posted now and again .. it was easier to know exactly what was needed then :-p I'm not too bothered about the format

[Pugsy]

Well opinion seems to be divided...

So, it's gonna be a MAME 0.60 cheat file with cheats mostly in the old cheat format, I'm not going to convert any old cheats to new format yet. Cheats for the 0.60 games will be mainly be in the old format too (especially the clones), though if I have to find the cheats they will be in the new format. ROM cheats have been changed already to fix the endian issues (only effects the 68000 games), but they are still in the old format.
Not checked kof99 can somebody (KelvSYC) check if this works (I've just byte swapped it over).

Code: Select all

kof99:0:D003FC:0F:113:Unlock Kyo + Iori in NVRAM:Enable and reset. Displays <K.I> on title screen. Afterwards, use the following; Hold "Start" over [?] and press "Left,Right,Up,Left,Down,Right" to enable Kyo. Hold "Start" over [?] and press "Right,Left,Up,Right,Down,Left" to enable Iori.
kof99:0:D003FC:00:113:Lock Kyo + Iori in NVRAM:Enable and reset. 

Point 2 - mentioned above is a non-starter as I have no intention on going through the cheat file and fixing them to poke words instead of bytes. New cheats yes but old cheats no....if it ain't broke don't fix it!

Point 3 - will be done at a later stage after the next cheat file release, maybe a job for a new maintainer.



And how did Haze manage to post as a Guest I wonder?


As for WIP cheat files yes I'll post a few though I'm thinking of doing it a different way for the first few - and as the cheat finders are all forum users.

I'll send the url for the WIP cheat file as a global message (or global email) to all registered forum users. So if somebody wants the WIP cheat file I suggest you sign up now - remember though hotmail or similar free email addresses will not work with the sign-up script and maybe rejected later.

[[Haze]]

because i'm amazingly blind and managed to miss the login bit at the top and it doesn't have anywhere to enter a password for my registered name otherwise

[Haze]

better now ... :-p

[LarryStarstruck]

I have already gone to version .60 so an older cheat file wouldn't help me at all.

[kelvSYC]

OK. I'll check the ROM cheats.

I'll also help converting cheats to lists, as I have started to do so in my cheat files. Since my cheat file is WAY off the latest WIP, I'll start that when Pugsy releases his first WIP cheat file.

PS. My email that I registered with is from Hotmail. This is the second forum that has rejected Hotmail addresses (the other is a Pok?mon discussion board) after I registered there.

As for our guest, the difference between a v.60 and a v.59 cheat file is, and I can think of the following:

It's really a v.60 cheat file but the only cheats in new format are the Savage Reign/Samurai Showdown/Last Blade/Arkanoid games in which new-style cheats are absolutely necessary (like with the v.56 cheat file). But all games that are in v.59 are in old format. Cheats for games new to v.60, with the exceptions of clones or other submitted cheats in old format, use the new format, and are located in the testdriver section. Games that have been renamed (I don't think there are any) for v.60 use their v.59 names.

Either way, expect v.60 games to be in the cheat file. There is no way that Pugsy would just ignore the v.60 games (I'm guessing Pugsy has neither the time nor the effort to sort apart v.59 games from v.60) regardless of the next version of the cheat file.

Of course, overclock cheats, key prebinds, default-enableds, and underscore commands (I love that game) are not in cheat.dat.

[kelvSYC]

Nope, not here. Maybe the original cheat worked (I haven't tested the original) on big-endian machines and didn't on little-endian machines...

[Bugfinder]

and underscore commands (I love that game)

Yep, Underscore Command is a nice addition to MAME, thanks Ian

[kelvSYC]

... at this rate it's going to take forever to get to 50 votes...

[frankx]

I'd like a new cheat file based on the newer cheat engine, but I don't know where to add my vote (a luddite here)




Frank

[l-k-f]

i think new format is better than old format!