Lag with reaction games, when using MAME/Emulators

[Hammerfist]

How would you compare the experience between an original Pacman or Donkey Kong and a MAME version of those, when discussing how fast your cab reads your input? What I'm wondering is if there is something I could configure, to make my mame cab react faster to the control input (not the machine itself, but the program). Today when I played Pacman with my mame cab, it felt veeery different compared to Ms. Pacman which I played with an Namco 20yr reunion cab. It just feels that there is a lag of some kind, that hinders the fluid feel of the game. I haven't played original Pacman, so I don't know if it differs greatly from Ms.Pacman, but I'd be willing to bet that it should feel the same. It was like I had to turn the joystick quite much before the corner, to make sure Mr. Pac would make the turn, instead of flicking it just at that corner, as it should be..

My PC is up to par and I'm running controls trough J-Pac, test mode shows the input being read as it should, right away, so the problem isn't there. Everything is working as it should, but reaction games are the question mark atm. Haven't had time to test any other similar games yet, to have more thorough feeling about this. Will do that tomorrow.

(I'm using Suzo Happ 500 sticks)

[shponglefan]

What screen are you using?  With newer LCD TVs there is display lag.

[Thenasty]

it might be because of the Joystick being used. I bet if you use the 20 re-union sticks, instead of the suzo 500, you would feel the same.

[Hammerfist]

Shponglefan: I have a Wells Gardner 19" arcade screen, so it's not display related.

Thenasty: Yeah, that's something to consider. But then again, the stick basically consists of the stick and the switches where the parts that register the movement are the switches. If they register my movement precisely when using the test mode of WinIpac, then I don't see the games registering them any differently. BUT it is possible, that when playing a game, moving from one extreme to another might not register correctly every time. I have to check this with the test program more thoroughly. If something, I could buy new switches anyway. Wouldn't be a bad idea at all..considering most of them are about 20 years old .

[TOK]

I know you're leaning toward this being software related, but does your PC have a PS/2 keyboard input? I have no personal experience with this, but I remember reading that if you're experiencing input lag on a USB connection, sometimes the PS/2 input is much faster.

[Hammerfist]

I know you're leaning toward this being software related, but does your PC have a PS/2 keyboard input? I have no personal experience with this, but I remember reading that if you're experiencing input lag on a USB connection, sometimes the PS/2 input is much faster.

Yes, the PC has PS/2 input. I could give it a try, if I don't find any reason for this from elsewhere. Thanks for the tip!

[TOK]

That at least gives you a fallback option. From what I remember it was because the USB input was polled at a much less frequent rate the PS/2.

[paigeoliver]

It is the stick (or a tiny chance your system isn't running the game full speed for some reason). The encoders you can buy today are more responsive than the original hardware.

In my basement I have a real Ms. Pac-Man with an original stick, a 60 in 1 with the reunion stick, and I can play it in mame using a japanese stick.

Guess which one doesn't feel right? The japanese stick.

Pac-Man really only feels right with the original stick or with the reunion stick, nothing else feels right with it.

[RandyT]

Pac-Man really only feels right with the original stick or with the reunion stick, nothing else feels right with it.

I take it that you've never tried the game with a Leaf-Pro 4-way?

[paigeoliver]

Randy, no I haven't tried your particular stick yet. It looks like a nice stick, I will think about picking up a pair next time I need to order sticks.

I have played Pac-Man with the real sticks, reunion sticks, 4-way wicos (both microswitch and leaf), 4-way nintendos, 4-way cinematronics, happ supers, happ ultimates, happ competitions, happ P360s, happ universals, whatever shipped on the Super Neo 29 candy cabinet, and several of the asian sticks that various parts sellers stock.

The real sticks and the reunion sticks have different feels but both control the game great. The Happ universal comes in a close second.

Honestly, no other 4-way game besides the Pac-Man titles seems to be so unforgiving about what type of joystick

Pac-Man really only feels right with the original stick or with the reunion stick, nothing else feels right with it.

I take it that you've never tried the game with a Leaf-Pro 4-way?

[Hammerfist]

To partially answer to my question and to some of my comments:

I realized yesterday testing my cabs software, that the Pacman I played earlier, which led me to starting this thread, was some other version than the original Midway Pacman. This I found out, by playing the Midway Pacman rom yesterday and it worked as it should. The one I tried earlier, had this thing, that you had to push the joystick all the time if you wanted to move in to some direction. I have to check what it was later, when I have time.

About the switches; I think I'll keep using the ones I have, testing them more to see if they actually affect the gameplay. I'll look around to find out what switches ppl prefer. If you have some tips, please do share. Thanks for all the help and comments, always interesting and a learning experience!

[danny_galaga]

Hammerfist, is there a reason you aren't comparing like for like? Why not Ms Pacman on MAME?

[Hammerfist]

Hammerfist, is there a reason you aren't comparing like for like? Why not Ms Pacman on MAME?

Good question . Mainly because the first time I thought about this problem, was with the first Pacman game I tried with my Mame cab (and as I mentioned in my last post, which was different to the Midway Pacman I tried yesterday which felt as it should). I wrote this question knowing that the original Pacman and Ms. Pacman have the same feel, so I didn't come to think about comparing 100% like to like. But it's all good now, since the problem was the weird (to me atleast) version. I'll compare the missus with missus now that you mentioned it. Thanks! (I have to read my posts about five times today before posting..just to make sure I make even remotely any sense More coffee and less sleep? )