dooves Posted August 12 Report Share Posted August 12 Hi all and sorry in advance if this is the wrong section, feel free to move or delete if its not appropriate. I've been playing around with the idea of making a new fruit machine emulator, mainly aimed at the older/retro machines, and thought I'd throw the idea out here and see what people think. First of all, this isn't intended to replace MFME. I know how much people value MFME, how much work has gone into it over the years, and obviously with Wizard having passed away there's a lot of history attached to it. I'm not looking to tread on that or tell people they need something different. The idea is more about seeing if there are any gaps that could be filled, particularly for machines or features that aren't possible to support in MFME, and building something that can hopefully continue to develop in the future. I'd also like to make it open source and cross-platform rather than something tied to Windows, although that's probably getting ahead of myself at this stage! I'm still very much at the infant stages, so what I'd really like to hear is what people think is missing from the current emulators. If you've used MFME for years and there's something you've always thought could be better, or something you've wished it could do, I'd be interested to hear it. Equally, if there's something you think a new emulator absolutely shouldn't try to change, that's useful to know too. No promises that I can implement everyone's suggestions, but I'd rather get some input from people who actually use these things before I disappear down the wrong rabbit hole. So, what would you like to see in a new retro fruit machine emulator? There are no bad ideas. Cheers Dave 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vectra666 Posted August 12 Report Share Posted August 12 Personally I see no problem with any new emulator mfme will always be my goto but eventually it will become out of date and consigned to the history books every thing needs to evolve into something new 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dez Posted August 12 Report Share Posted August 12 Global Stealth please 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealteredemu Posted August 12 Report Share Posted August 12 I’d have to say. It would be great to see an emulator that supported SC6, MPU6 and Pluto6? Not sure if it’s Pluto6 but some of the Astras like Double Decker, Solid Gold. We have the software for a lot of those Astra Games, not so sure on SC6 of MPU6, rom wise. J 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 12 Report Share Posted August 12 1 hour ago, Dez said: Global Stealth please I forgot this existed. I've got a motherboard for it too. Anyone got any ROMs? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 12 Report Share Posted August 12 Just now, thealteredemu said: I’d have to say. It would be great to see an emulator that supported SC6, MPU6 and Pluto6? Not sure if it’s Pluto6 but some of the Astras like Double Decker, Solid Gold. We have the software for a lot of those Astra Games, not so sure on SC6 of MPU6, rom wise. J Scorpion 6 you can forget about unless someone has the encryption keys and is willing to share. I looked in to this not long back. It may be possible by modifying a real board and hooking up some devices to read the decrypted output direct from the CPU Bus but not an easy task. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy-1 Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 I'd love to see BGT games emulated but not sure what tech they use. 2 hours ago, BigBreakfast said: Scorpion 6 you can forget about unless someone has the encryption keys and is willing to share. I looked in to this not long back. It may be possible by modifying a real board and hooking up some devices to read the decrypted output direct from the CPU Bus but not an easy task. There is a scorp 6 emulator being worked on, a video did surface on You Tube but not sure if it's still being developed or not. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amusements Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 For me I would love to see MPU1 and Summit Coin emulated:) 3 Treat every day like your last, because one day it will be! Fruit Machine <<<Pics, info, links and some of my layouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkster Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 Would The ability to instantly put roms in a random state each time you go to play them be possible, as if they’ve been played by other’s sort of thing but without using the auto play feature. So you never know if the machine is gonna be happy or not? Support for more than 2 hoppers per machine would be a great feature too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopShaun Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 5 hours ago, Amusements said: For me I would love to see MPU1 and Summit Coin emulated:) Yeah that would be great, also Carfield games, like Frenzy, if theres any roms for these about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 (edited) 6 hours ago, andy-1 said: I'd love to see BGT games emulated but not sure what tech they use. Very much WIP, taking a long time because I'm having to go through a long winded process to work out the serial protocol they use. But it boots and I can get to Test Mode. However we are missing the ROM for the Reel Controller board, so I'm having to stub it out as well. I'm making no promises, but I can confirm it is being worked on FYI the tech is Spanish and I think its called Unidesa. Edit: And yes those are the reels for the simpsons. As long as they spin round that's all I need to see at the moment Its very very WIP. Edited August 13 by BigBreakfast 9 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 5 hours ago, clarkster said: Support for more than 2 hoppers per machine would be a great feature too Why? Is there a particular machine that needs this? I'm curious as to what you think that would achieve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infection Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 12 hours ago, dooves said: Hi all and sorry in advance if this is the wrong section, feel free to move or delete if its not appropriate. I've been playing around with the idea of making a new fruit machine emulator, mainly aimed at the older/retro machines, and thought I'd throw the idea out here and see what people think. First of all, this isn't intended to replace MFME. I know how much people value MFME, how much work has gone into it over the years, and obviously with Wizard having passed away there's a lot of history attached to it. I'm not looking to tread on that or tell people they need something different. The idea is more about seeing if there are any gaps that could be filled, particularly for machines or features that aren't possible to support in MFME, and building something that can hopefully continue to develop in the future. I'd also like to make it open source and cross-platform rather than something tied to Windows, although that's probably getting ahead of myself at this stage! I'm still very much at the infant stages, so what I'd really like to hear is what people think is missing from the current emulators. If you've used MFME for years and there's something you've always thought could be better, or something you've wished it could do, I'd be interested to hear it. Equally, if there's something you think a new emulator absolutely shouldn't try to change, that's useful to know too. No promises that I can implement everyone's suggestions, but I'd rather get some input from people who actually use these things before I disappear down the wrong rabbit hole. So, what would you like to see in a new retro fruit machine emulator? There are no bad ideas. Cheers Dave Scorpion 6 Mpu6 Pluto 6 I say you have loads of layouts possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wearecity Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 It would be great to see an emulator, that supports any of the techs from the 1970s-2014 that are missing from MFME. TBH, nothing will replace MFME, unless all the techs it supports are supported by a new emulator and every single layout, that exist for it, can be converted to it, all at the same time, by scanning the end users layout directories. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealteredemu Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 Ideal, an all encapsulating fruit machine emulator up to SC6 MPU6 and PLUTO6, including all already emulated techs. MFME is absolutely amazing, but it is showing it's age now, no disrespect to the amazing work Chris has put in over the years, just, at some point new emulators become viable for fme to continue and evolve. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPU_FIVE Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 I too would love to see British Gaming Technology (BGT) emulated - especially for Cherry Bar and Barmy Army. Also would love to play the Electrocoin high techs like Stairway to Heaven and Mr Do again. But the biggest wish of all would be to have Sp.ACE tech so i can play PCP's What a Carry On again. Although MFME emulated Sp.ACE tech, it didn't run PCP machines on that tech cos PCP used a Reel Microprocessor, i believe the reason why is that ACE didn't share the knowhow with PCP to fully run Sp.ACE technology and so PCP had to create their own Reel Microprocessor. There's a topic i posted on this site about it which i will add a link to - a layout of What a carry on showing how far it gets on MFME and a copy of the PCP Reel Micro is within those topics. I know for a fact myself and @woodsy would love to play What a carry on again. Links to topics... BGT Machines Cherry Bar and Barmy Army on YouTube: - I actually own the PCP What a Carry On machine, I've had it since 2008, annoyingly it worked fine when i played it in the seller's house in Nottingham, but when i got it home it had problems with it, add to the fact i was broke most of the time due to struggling to make ends meet due to paying the ex maintenance for my kid all the way up until last year, and lost the damn key so can't get inside it - hoping to get someone to fix it eventually now i can save up for a repair - just hope the insides haven't had significant potential battery damage over the years. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealteredemu Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 Are there any other pcp sp_ace tech games that have the same issue with reels? J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPU_FIVE Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 1 minute ago, thealteredemu said: Are there any other pcp sp_ace tech games that have the same issue with reels? J Just a wild guess but i would say any PCP on Sp.ACE tech probably had to use the Reel Micro too... Am i right in thinking the only Sp.ACE tech games emulated on MFME are all made by ACE themselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 4 hours ago, MPU_FIVE said: I actually own the PCP What a Carry On machine, I've had it since 2008, annoyingly it worked fine when i played it in the seller's house in Nottingham, but when i got it home it had problems with it, add to the fact i was broke most of the time due to struggling to make ends meet due to paying the ex maintenance for my kid all the way up until last year, and lost the damn key so can't get inside it - hoping to get someone to fix it eventually now i can save up for a repair - just hope the insides haven't had significant potential battery damage over the years. Is there any chance you can dump the reel controller ROM and get Photo's of the MCU? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealteredemu Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 There is a reel MCU already in mame I believe. ace_sp_reelctrl_pcp.zip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 Well I know what the next tech in queue is going to be. Been waiting years to play this again 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealteredemu Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 IS there any extra hardware inside the machine? Or is it literally the replacement MCU controller chip? The lamps aren't controlled by that is it? There are no lamps being displayed for Carry on in mfme. I got ai to build a PCP to ACE reel controller bridge in the rom but we can't get the reels spinning. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 I may be that the Memory Map is shuffled around? Get AI to check the memory map and look for Lamps etc. They are usually pretty easy to spot. Is it actually getting the correct signals back? Plus MFME sometimes pulls stuff directly out of memory locations rather than emulating the full IO. It may be looking in the wrong place for lamps or reel mcu comms. I haven't looked at the MFME source for spACE yet so not sure how its set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBreakfast Posted August 13 Report Share Posted August 13 Barmy Army runs on the same tech as Max a Million. It boots to door open mode in Amber at the moment. As does Ding Dong Bells. Wild Cherry is a different board. I haven't tried the ROMs but I doubt they will run on this board. If you can dump the Reel Controllers from both I will give it a try though! Wild cherry uses a 3 reel MCU. Barmy Army uses a 4 reel MCU. I really need dumps of both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amusements Posted August 14 Report Share Posted August 14 17 hours ago, BigBreakfast said: Why? Is there a particular machine that needs this? I'm curious as to what you think that would achieve. On some of the older fruit machines (Pre hopper) there are up to 4 different coin/token payout tubes. My first cab has 42 layouts that use 4 different triacs - IE: 50p/20pTokens/£1/10p. Then there are almost 200 layouts that have 3 different payouts including 2p games. Treat every day like your last, because one day it will be! Fruit Machine <<<Pics, info, links and some of my layouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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