Hi BBH:

This is just a guess, as Kelly and I are both MAME referees and as he set these up, but...

His thought might have been to standardize every aspect of the NeoGeo series. I personally doubt that the Country changes anything...but I can see why he wanted the continue set to off, just to be by the book.

However, if continue is set to on, all that this might mean (at most) is that the referees must watch the continue countdown until the score entry screen comes up. If I am correct and this is the extent of what continue=ON means, then the impact pf continue=OFF is most likely for presentation purposes.

Just a guess.

Robert

Originally Posted by RMRUCZEK

I personally doubt that the Country changes anything...

As do I, but remember Puzzle de Pon! from a few years back? Admittedly that takes a whole different bios to change countries (Nightmare in the Dark is actually unusual in that it has an internal setting for that), but there's a HUGE difference in game play, clearly recognizable as early as rounds four and five.

As for actually using a US bios instead, well, it seems that my recent recordings on US MVS ver. 2 never play back for anyone but myself. I switched to the Europe MVS ver. 2 bios for my latest NitD game because Kelly was actually able to get it to work. If TG hasn't made it an official rule that the Europe MVS ver. 2 bios must be used, they should, and for all intents and purposes, they already have.

Originally Posted by And then he

However, if continue is set to on, all that this might mean (at most) is that the referees must watch the continue countdown until the score entry screen comes up. If I am correct and this is the extent of what continue=ON means, then the impact pf continue=OFF is most likely for presentation purposes.

That is, at least, a reason it could be beneficial, or at least break-even (it probably takes ten seconds to change the settings and restart). Since TG policy is (was?) for the player to input something meaningful when given the chance to input initials or name (probably as a good-faith verification assistance), we're supposed to let the recording run to that point anyway, so skipping the continue counter may actually speed things up.

Hi ZM/all:

Tomy knowledge this policy is still in effect.

Ron/others came up with a decision. and Walter was most likely in the loop on this one and had some input, that players should restrict themself to a single, uniquely identifying 3-char (or whatever if it allows more) throughout their gaming career.

The origin of this concept seemed to have sprung up on it's own, as Walter/everyone observed that back in the day, all you would have to do to see if a particular known player had been at the arcade or on that machine was to look for the tell-tale 3-char high score initials.

In the here and how, were have quite a few in the arcade and emulation community. Without embarrassing anyone intentionally, here are but a few that you or, I as referee, know all too well from recent arcade and MAME/MARP uploads, in no particular order...

TJT, QRS, AWE, DBH, BLW, RVM, SJC, JRZ, USA, PRO, DES, ZTM, DAV, MSP, D_H, T_T, WIN, JON, ANT

That's just a few. The concept was recognition, and the likelihood of two master-class players on the same title sharing the name 3-char initials was remote.

Unless stated otherwise and I truly missed it, this policy has remained in place for years.

As for the Country, I am fairly sure that in some titles it is necessary for legal reasons but since this is MAME the locale of the \"machine\" is moot. I am personally unaware of titles where the choice of country actually has a material impact on the gameplay and/or outcome of the performance. Please educate me if there are any. Thansk.

Robert

Originally Posted by Zotmeister

As do I, but remember Puzzle de Pon! from a few years back? Admittedly that takes a whole different bios to change countries (Nightmare in the Dark is actually unusual in that it has an internal setting for that), but there's a HUGE difference in game play, clearly recognizable as early as rounds four and five.

Fair enough, supposedly Neo Drift Out has some changes depending on the country setting, and Aero Fighters 3 is much harder on the Europe bios (it's noticeable from the first level).

I've actually played Nightmare in the Dark in an actual US arcade, and after playing on the regular Europe territory in MAME I noticed zero changes.

That is, at least, a reason it could be beneficial, or at least break-even (it probably takes ten seconds to change the settings and restart). Since TG policy is (was?) for the player to input something meaningful when given the chance to input initials or name (probably as a good-faith verification assistance), we're supposed to let the recording run to that point anyway, so skipping the continue counter may actually speed things up.

And what if a player finishes the game (which I guarantee some people will be doing, myself included)? It's a pointless change. It takes less than 10 seconds to run out the continue timer if you just press the button a few times to speed up the countdown anyway.

I'll make the changes if I have to, but this is still a silly thing to be requiring people to do.

Hi BBH/all:

I agree...it's not critical, so long as (obviously) the players do not continue.

Should a player happen to have the continue set to \"ON\" and not use the continue, their INP should not be disqualified as a result.

Also, if the capacity to do so exists, a player is welcome to \"speed up\" the countdown timer of the continuation option. Again, doing so should not disqualify the INP.

As a matter of consistency I have been personally coding \"Allow Continue = NO/OFF\" or \"NOTE - continuation is NOT allowed\" into the rules of every game applicable. This is largely to ensure that nothing is left to chance (i.e. a gamer sending in a score with a continue and then telling us \"But you didn't say that we couldn't continue ?\").

I do the same thing with \"Allow Cheat = \"NO/OFF\" when it is a dip switch option even though standard MAME guidelines prohibit this anyway.

Robert

Hello from France,

I watched Werner's inp and i 've been very surprised he only did 1.200 pts.
So i watched my 2de inp (5.613.500 pts) kelly told playback failed and it playback all fine.
At this point i understood there was a problem with nitd only.

I dowloaded wolfmameplus 101 , nitd and neogeo rom, i make a new file and i tried to read again my 2de inp (5.613.500 pts) and there i saw a 735.600 pts.

No point to watch my 3de game kelly, you will watch a 24.300 pts game.
I will send you a new one later.