Games "supported" by MAME but still don't run?!?!!

[Thunder In Paradise]

Subject line says it all. Why do they add support for games like Terra Cresta and Darius 2, if they don't run? I would think you wouldn't add a game to the list till it atleast runs somewhat, kinda like Cotton 2, runs, but at really slow speed, even with a 2.53Ghz P4!

[floopy]

That's pissed me off for awhile now. Not only that, but they keep adding new games that don't work properly, and never get around to fixing them. I think they should stop adding new drivers and focus on fixing the existing ones. Of course, it's not like they're getting paid for doing it, it's just their hobby, so they can do as they please. But still, I know there are non-working games that have been there for years, I kinda feel silly having these useless roms on my hard drive simply to say I have the complete rom set.

[Weirdy]

there's a difference between "working" and "playable"...here's something from the namco system 22 source

* Known issues:

* - no emulation of the MCU.  The MCU provides sound and input port handling.  Proper emulation will

*   obviate the need for a great many hacks in this driver.

*

* - no emulation of the DSP processors.  The DSP processors are used as slaves to render 3d scenes.

*   All current functionality is simulated based on a study of the raw scene description and known behaviors

*   of the games running on real hardware.  A proper emulation of the DSP processors will provide two things:

*   1. Eliminate guesswork and errors in our simulation.  In particular, depth BIAS feature, used to

*      manage draw order is fairly complex.

*   2. Allow any game-specific DSP code to function correctly.  It seems that the DSP functionality varies

*      very little from one game to the next.  But each game includes one or more self tests that involve

*      custom code.  And an understanding of the DSP code might help to fix games like Alpine Ski or Air Combat22.

*

* - the intensity values used with gouraud shading aren't being interpretted quite right.

*   Cap of vivanonno team suggests to interpret it in two ways:

*   (a) 0x00 <= value <= 0x40 : simple scaling for source color. 0x40 means original color.

*  ( B ) 0x40 <  value <= 0xff : saturates to white color. (interpolation or add).

*    The master contrast fader at 0x90020000 also can be fed such a strong power used for white-out.

*

* - our video driver does not yet handle orthogonal fader controls, or polygon-tilemap priority.

*   On real hardware, it is possible to fade the polygon layer as a whole independently from the sprite layer

*   or tilemap layer.

*   And on real hardware, it is possible for a polygon to be marked so that it appears in front or behind

*   the tilemap layer.

*

* Time Crisis notes:

* - some memory tests fail because of MCU/DSP hacks.  These can be patched out or skipped using MAME's debugger,

*   but even if they all pass, the game does not start up.  It may be something simple - missing status bits or

*   bad interrupt handling.

*

* Prop Cycle notes:

* - motor output: fan, blows air towards player when flying fast

* - lamp output: start button can light up

* - steering yoke should be analog

* - could use a new analog input port type for pedal speed

* - needs nvmem save

*

* The "dipswitch" settings are ignored - this isn't a bug.  The Prop Cycle software

*  explicitly clears the chunk of work RAM used to cache the 8 bit dipswitch value

*  immediately after populating it.  This is done to hide secret debug routines from

* release versions of the game.

*

* When the red namco logos slides in from top right and bottom left during splash screen,

* it is supposed to be translucent with respect to the polygon layer

*

* TBA:

* - fix Alpine Racer (Super System22) - encrypted point ROMs

*

* Special thanks to "team vivanonno" for System22 memory map, and insights on object list

* parsing.

*

********************************************************************************

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soo..there's your reasons for system 22 emulation Edited February 16, 2004 by Weirdanzeige

[-=LoRd=FIB=-]

damn it....screw them bastards...they are way over paid for what they do....lolololol