30 replies to this topic

[alanduggan]

I have a question. Could it be possible to make a working slot machine with one of the emulators on this site, and a rom? I've checked out the coin mechs, bill acceptors, and coin hoppers that they sell at happs. I'm thinking that the easiest one would probably be MAGE. I've been playing Gold Star, and I love Cherry Master, I just wish it would work properly. Anyone have any thoughts? Let me know!

[khards]

Happ have been bought out by Suzo now, but you could make a real m/c what you need to do is make a RS232 / USB to CCTALK converter(www.cctalk.org) then write the drivers (I can help) and patch them into the emu. as the emulators around here are closed source (WHY ? as they are obsolete) you will have to find a emu you can edit MAGE?.

[mythicos]

as the emulators around here are closed source (WHY ? as they are obsolete) you will have to find a emu you can edit MAGE?.

MFME and JPEMU both use copyrighted libraries that are purchased as a part of the C++ package and cannot be distributed freely.

Seeing as the whole concept is written to use these libraries and components the source code cannot be released as it would be considered distribution of copyright matierial.

Its hard to understand, but I know if I paid a couple of grand for some software then I wouldnt break copyright by giving it out..

Mind you, thats the real reason, you can always go with many of the other reasons generated within the scene

My favorite is.

"Chris wont give out the source because hes a controlling power freak"

Hey, its bullshit but inevitably more fun

[khards]

If people are so worried about copyright, thwen why do they copy the copyrighted artwork and eeproms from fruit machines ?

[jamesb99_1999]

Asnwer being that's not there's... lol.. I guess the same reason I have a copy of War of the worlds and Fantastic Four on DVD.. Yet all my own works I would be gutted if people copied.. Anyone want Harry Potter.?? LOL... J/K

[kensplace2]

You dont need to distribute any standard copyright libraries to distribute the source, as its useless unless you can compile it, and to compile it you need the compiler - which comes with the libraries anyway..........

Could it be that the emulators actually use some code from other sources that they dont want anyone to find out about? (like from a manu???) - who knows, without access to source, no one knows.

[khards]

If MFME could have plugin's then it would be possable to have a payout plugin. This is how closed software like the excelent WINAMP works, many people can contribute to the project without the core being made public.

[kensplace2]

Already got a stepper motor reel control board designed, and prototype working, its software controlled (via rs232) and could be adapted to run the reels, if the emu was to offer some api/plugin then reels could be done.
Course the manu's would probably throw a hissy fit if the emulators suddenly turned into real machines.......

[Geddy]

Could it be that the emulators actually use some code from other sources that they dont want anyone to find out about? (like from a manu???) - who knows, without access to source, no one knows.

Or like MAME.....

[Nudgeman]

The reason you <> cannot see the source code is because Astra own ALL the emulators and they have coded in subliminal <> type messages. They don't want you to see what depths they <> have stumbled down to - that's the real <> reason why.

[Bencrest]

Lol Nudgeman, you should post here more often

[mythicos]

If people are so worried about copyright, thwen why do they copy the copyrighted artwork and eeproms from fruit machines ?

Because its not the same ballpark mate.

The emu, as it is, breaks no copyright.

All it is is source code and components.

However, when you fork out 2 grand for a licensed version of a program then youd be pretty sensible to adhere to the rules of it, wouldnt you?

I mean seriously, would you go around handing out your legitimate windows key?

As for mame, mame doesnt have components like a fruit machine emulator does, so youd be f*****g daft to compare the two..

Oh hang on, Ill get me coat

[mythicos]

f*** that didnt sound very clear... lol.

As an example.

The dil switches in mfme's config window.

These are components that come with c++.

Now, when you pay for your c++ it comes with the components for you to use in your program, however, these components (ie that dilswitch) are not free and you are not legally entitled to distribute them for other people to use.

You may use them yourself in your code but you are not allowed to distribute them.

its kinda like windows, you own it, its yours (sort of) but youre not allowed to go giving out apps like paint and the like to other people.

[kensplace2]

Doesnt mame use lots of libraries though, for the individual chips, many of which are used in as support chips / processors in certain fruities? The libraries are GPL, so any software that is based on them would need to be gpl, hence free for all on the source code if that was the case.
No idea if any mame is used, would have made a lot of sense to use those libraries to save re-inventing the wheel though, but they are also probably available elsewhere, I cant imagine that the mame people wrote them all themselves, lots of them are probably based on older code.

Technically there are copyright issues with the emu's, as it would be impossible to write one without reverse engineering the software roms / mobo hardware roms to find out all the info required for emulation. Reverse engineering is one of the things specifically prohibited in every licence agreement I have ever seen, and usually is included in manuals etc for fruities as a its not allowed.....

[jamesb99_1999]

Is that why I waste so much money on the ruit machines Subliminal advertising.... <> I think I should give that a go myself <> Hope you all have a lovely day <>.

[alanduggan]

Here's what I'm thinking...You know how some people make a arcade cabinet, use a computer and a monitor running mame, and turn it in to a kick ass multiple gaming arcade? That's what I want to do, only with just one fruit machine.

I know that it would be easy to set up a coin mech with the mage emulator, its basically the same as mame. Just wire the insert coin button on the keyboard to the coin mech. The only thing that I don't understand is how I would go about hooking up the coin hopper to make payout. Is there something in the MAGE emulator that I could use to send a signal to the coin hopper to distribute x amount of coins?

The only reason that I would like to use MAGE, is that to me, it looks more like the real thing. I like the other emulators, but running MAGE looks just like running a real fruit machine that plays on a monitor.

[elcondor]

AGEMAME (get the name right guys, I went to a lot of trouble to get it licensed ) could be programmed to send signals to the LED's of a keyboard when a coin is paid out (this is part of the plan with the autopayout system we're trialling). It may be possible to intercept that, but I must warn you now that the MAME license prohibits the use of this kind of thing for commercial gain, so it would have to be homebrew.

Anyway, autopayout only works properly for 2 games at the moment.

[elcondor]

Just to make it clear, because I didn't last night, I have no problem with this. However, I don't think that AGEMAME 0.26 is mature enough to drive real hardware.

But, it's always nice to hear requests, although I may not be able to satisfy them all, I'll try.

On that note, I can't remember it's name, but there's a version of PinMAME that can drive real hardware through a parallel port, that might be worth a look.

Basically, for now, I'll just try to set up hopper/slide simulation through the keyboard lights, then maybe we can work from there (possibly a 'special' build?)

[alanduggan]

Your the best elcondor. I am not going to use it for commercial gain, I just want the realism. And to hear the ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping.

[mythicos]

Doesnt mame use lots of libraries though, for the individual chips, many of which are used in as support chips / processors in certain fruities?

I think you'll find that these cpu's have all been written from scratch and at the point of completion they are then distro'd around between programmers to clean them up and better them..

As an example to this the original mpu4 cpu used in mpu34 was taken from mame..
It was good enough at that point to work and run mame games but was useless for mpu4 as it wasnt written well enough to be much use.

This meant a couple of years work making it better..

The same can be said for the CPU in Rbelmonts emu (its in mame now) Tony downloaded it and took one look and said to me "thatll need a complete rewrite to work epoch"

I think youll find that Chris Wren got the fright of his life when barcrest came after him that time and wouldnt say boo to a goose now..