Getting fed up

[DAD]

If Guitar can bring something better than Amber, then I can accept its dead. 

Lets look to the future instead of digging the same old shit up again.  Its getting really boring now.

Are you arsed about one of them horse racing machines being emulated?

Personally I'm looking forward to the Sooty Machine.

What's it matter so long as work continues on fruit machine emulation?

[Guitar]

Are you arsed about one of them horse racing machines being emulated?

The horse racing game is not a high priority, and at the moment just a general wondering. I literally know nothing about those machines. I can take a decent guess how the horses move (screw thread), but other than that I have no idea what tech they use, or even if roms / artwork are available.

I think its no secret by now that I want to try and emulate the whole arcade experience, fruit machines, penny pushers, roulette, horse racing etc etc. Pretty much all the stuff not covered by MAME (and the fruitys). Mostly because that's what I played in my youth.

I'm forming a decent plan of action and I will go into detail on the 18th when I've had a chance to finish testing what I want to test.
Fruit machines are still very much the direction Amber is headed though.

Also don't build your hopes up with the 18th. There won't be an emulator release, probably just a lot of text and a video.

August is my tentative aim for a first release, so expect it around christmas.

[re-emulated]

Thanks for the post Guitar.   I just like to read the tech stuff, videos etc of any developments are greatly appreciated.

Could the scene hire your emulation coding skills?   I know its an extremely grey area but would donations help motivate you? 

Be nice to hear your thoughts on this either way.

J

[Geddy]

In all fairness 'hiring' a coder in theory would be fine but with FME track record of 'coder-member' relationships I doubt very much many people would stump up any cash.  I think the coder being paid would heap all sorts of pressure on them since the members are paying for a service. 

Are we also going to pay for the people who source the roms and artwork?  Are we going to pay for people to make layouts?  I mean people will try to charge $500 for 50 layouts or something next..

[re-emulated]

Yes, we don't have many options. I'd certainly be willing to donate, I guess there would be no guidelines per se, just that we are kept in the loop with fairly regular news updates, maybe people who have donated get a say in what they'd like him to work towards emulation wise.

Obviously we'd need a willing coder. 

J

[Guitar]

I agree with Geddy (shocker ) that it would likely lead to ill feeling within the scene.

Realistically I would need at least £300 a week in order to work on it full time, which whilst cheap in terms of hiring a coder, I doubt very much the scene would be willing to pay.
It would also mean I would have to work on techs that don't interest me, or could be a grey area legally.

It would also set a potentially dangerous precedent regarding roms / artwork, and its hard enough to get people to contribute that as it is.

Plus, say for instance everyone wants Red Gaming machines emulated. I've looked into red gaming, and it may be damn near impossible to get going. It might not be, I haven't had a thorough look so it could go either way, but from the way the tech is laid out, it could be a monumental task to get them running. If the scene is paying, will they be able to accept no for an answer?

It's best for the scene to keep money out of it really. I have motivation to continue, but real life has to take priority. There have been times in the past when I have been working on Amber for entire days in a row, to the detriment of other things. That has to stop.

I will get to all the techs eventually, but Amber for me is about preserving the past, not about gaining an advantage on modern machines. I like reliving some of the memories I have from my youth.

I don't need help with motivation, there is just a lot to do to get things where I want them to be and that takes time. I wish we already had everything emulated but alas that is not the case.
I don't think people realize how much effort goes into an emulation sometimes. It may not seem like much is happening, but it is.

If something needs 5000 lines of code to work, even after writing 4999 lines of code it still doesn't work properly, and there's not much to show. Sometimes bugs creep in, sometimes things just don't work the way you think, sometimes you need to go back and start again.

The new amber will be the definitive version, taking what I have learned to create an up to date FME package. All the cores are being written modularly so they can be used in future C++ projects with very little work if needs be.

The future of FME is bright, but it's the future, not the present. We'll get there eventually.

If people would like to show their appreciation, then a donation to my steam engine repair fund would be gratefully received, but that is up to individuals. There is no obligation to anyone and is entirely voluntary.

[Daryl]

Oh that was a good read lol......

Oh the irony...... http://www.fruitforums.com/vb/showthread.php?28109-EPOCH-Emulation-The-Truth-Please&p=399058&viewfull=1#post399058

that's one prediction that I would never, ever have seen coming!

[Slasher]

So sorry I do  not buy this 'we will frighten them off' lark from where I'm sitting the coders were treated like Gods. 

That's the problem though, we don't do that any more and probably should do.

Lets look to the future instead of digging the same old shit up again.  Its getting really boring now.

That's exactly why I made this topic

Are you arsed about one of them horse racing machines being emulated?

If he wants to emulate one as a break from fruit machine shit then fine, plus don't forget Amber has the online thing, so it'd be great to see one of these in the online arcade thingy! Stop dictating what Guitar can and can't or should and shouldn't code. In fact reading the rest of this thread as I write this post, Guitar has already said

I think its no secret by now that I want to try and emulate the whole arcade experience, fruit machines, penny pushers, roulette, horse racing etc etc. Pretty much all the stuff not covered by MAME (and the fruitys). Mostly because that's what I played in my youth.

so let him get on with it and be patient! He's already proven to the scene that he can in fact code an emulator and is continuing to do so.

I've looked into red gaming, and it may be damn near impossible to get going.

I really hope this isn't the case with Red Gaming, but if it is then fair enough, you're doing a better job than I could anyway.



Before I get accused of arse licking, I'd just like to say these are my views, I barely know Guitar, but I have tried and was impressed with what I've seen of Amber so far. For me, it's moving forward and I'll continue to be patient and encourage everyone else to be. Whether you like Guitar or not is irrelevant as he is the only one that's actually doing anything for the scene. Sure, there's layout creators, people that host forums like this one, etc, but without the emulator, it might as well all be dead. Patience people, and be nice!!

[Daryl]

Plus, say for instance everyone wants Red Gaming machines emulated.

Not everyone... I for one, haven't even heard of the tech, yet alone playing on it on FME!!

[Tommy c]

Red gaming is the manu daryl. The tech is just mpu 5 witj some supreme security.

[stanmarsh14]

Plus, say for instance everyone wants Red Gaming machines emulated.

Not everyone... I for one, haven't even heard of the tech, yet alone playing on it on FME!!

Barcrests MPU5 tec basicaly they run on, although they have done others.

Problem is from what I understand, is they use some rather strange custom security chips, that as of yet, we do not fully stand, let alone able to crack.

Remember when BWB started that lark on MPU4, and how much of a bugger that was to understand?

Thankfully as of yet, I have not dealt with a Red MPU5 based machine in real life (I've never been much of a fan of their games anyway), but there probs will be a time when I do.

One thing I do want to suggest though, is that it maybe worth talking to Andrew96 @ Classic Reels, to get a better understanding of their games possibly?

[Slasher]

I love red gaming machines!

[DAD]

The only one I can think of which I'd love to see running is the Red Dwarf machine.

[barcrest junky]

I would like to see the line up 25th anniversary edition from Red Gaming.

bj

[Slasher]

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