Limiting Credits

[IG-88]

Is there some kind of way to limit the amount of credits that can be
added in MAME32 in order to give a more realistic feeling to game play.
I'd like to give my boys a machine to play all the old classics on but
if they have "unlimited quarters" so to speak they just play until they
conquer a game which to me, takes away from the whole experience. They
don't do this when they are staying with me, but if they had a machine
at their house, I'm sure they would.

[DaveJ-UK]

Fit a coin mech and make them pay

[Veinman]

I would be interested in statistics like how many "quarters" had been pumped into the cabinet over its lifetime. Does any software track that?

[Chris]

I would be interested in statistics like how many "quarters" had been pumped into the cabinet over its lifetime. Does any software track that?

Wire up a coin counter like a real cabinet...

[Thenasty]

Is there some kind of way to limit the amount of credits that can be
added in MAME32 in order to give a more realistic feeling to game play.
I'd like to give my boys a machine to play all the old classics on but
if they have "unlimited quarters" so to speak they just play until they
conquer a game which to me, takes away from the whole experience. They
don't do this when they are staying with me, but if they had a machine
at their house, I'm sure they would.

pass out your BYOAC tokens and when its all gone, GAME OVER....

[monkeybomb]

pass out your BYOAC tokens and when its all gone, GAME OVER....

I second that.  I want to do the same at my next party.  The real arcade feel is somewhat about making you tokens last.  This is especially important for games like gauntlet  and double dragon.

[IG-88]

Is there some kind of way to limit the amount of credits that can be
added in MAME32 in order to give a more realistic feeling to game play.
I'd like to give my boys a machine to play all the old classics on but
if they have "unlimited quarters" so to speak they just play until they
conquer a game which to me, takes away from the whole experience. They
don't do this when they are staying with me, but if they had a machine
at their house, I'm sure they would.

pass out your BYOAC tokens and when its all gone, GAME OVER....

Well I wasn't going to put coin mechs on the thing but maybe I'll have too.....thats not a bad idea, although I'd like a software option.

[Joystick Jerk]

Wire up a coin counter like a real cabinet...

For anyone interested in this option, keep an eye on the Free Stuff thread, as I may be giving away a free coin counter and faceplate in the near future.

[Thenasty]

although I'd like a software option.

[Apollo]

I agree with the coin mech and tokens idea. That's how my machines work and it's been excellent.

[Thenasty]

I agree with the coin mech and tokens idea. That's how my machines work and it's been excellent.

if you gonna go with coin/tokens click on my WWW page and check out the Build your OWN Ultimate All in one Coin Mechs. This mech will accepts any size coin/tokens. no need to be swaping coin mechs anymore. Get your money back from the kids allowance you gave them in the first place 

[RayB]

Sometimes there is a simpler solution:

Alot of games will let you change "continue" settings via the dipswitches (TAB). You often can even disallow continues, or in some games, limit the number of continues. So start by tweaking those settings...

[Veinman]

I would be interested in statistics like how many "quarters" had been pumped into the cabinet over its lifetime. Does any software track that?

Wire up a coin counter like a real cabinet...

That won't work for me, I'm not putting a coin door on mine.

[19rjs99]

Put the credit switches in the control panel or inside a locking coindoor and add only the credits you want them to play. This still requires minimal supervision and if they are not at your place this still may not work. Just a suggestion.

You could work out a reward program for credits with the kids.

[IG-88]

Now if use Advmame, there there is an easier solution to that. You don't need to create INP for each game as above. There is a GLOBAL setting (script) you make for ALL games. So if you limit them to 20 Credits, anygame they load have have 320 credits total, then when its gone, they need to exit out and back again or choose another game to get 20 credits. Coin inputs are still OFF, so they can't insert any.

see the picture ?

[jelwell]

I would be interested in statistics like how many "quarters" had been pumped into the cabinet over its lifetime. Does any software track that?

Wire up a coin counter like a real cabinet...

Hey, my cabinet came with a coin counter. How do I wire it up?
Joseph Elwell.

[Wade]

I set all my machines to work on tokens and just hand some out when people come over.  It is especially effective at keeping the really young kids from starting 4 player pinball games (which it seems they always did when they were set on free play).  Kids just like to walk around hitting buttons...  Also on games like TMNT or Simpsons, they would just keep playing forever on freeplay.  Giving them a set number of coins will at least make their game come to an end, eventually.

Also keeps me from having to explain how to add credits to the Mame machines, etc.  You'd be surprised how many people also get confused when a game is set on free play.  I've found people putting their own quarters into my games because they didn't realize they were on freeplay (actually, that still sometimes happens even after I switched them all over to tokens).

Wade

[Thenasty]

Hey, my cabinet came with a coin counter. How do I wire it up?
Joseph Elwell.

coin counters comes in different voltages. If you use an I-pac for your encoder and your counter is 5-6Vdc, then its just a straight connection.

If you are not using an encoder or a higher Voltage on the counter, then a little mod is needed (like using an opto-isolator etc...) I have used this method when I was using a KEYBOARD hack.

here is link for the discussion.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,17633.0.html

Here is a simple sketch when this covered back then.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=17633.0;id=3399

[Kremmit]

pass out your BYOAC tokens and when its all gone, GAME OVER....

I second that.  I want to do the same at my next party.  The real arcade feel is somewhat about making you tokens last.  This is especially important for games like gauntlet  and double dragon.

Me, too! 

I picked up a Sky Soldiers machine a while back.  Already had a credit button on it.  The guys came over, and we beat it right away, on like a thousand credits.  In the arcade, it would have taken us weeks, because once the gameplay got so tough that credits weren't lasting long enough to be worth a quarter, we'd quit pumping them in.  We'd have to keep going back, day after day, week after week, polishing our skills until we were good enough to finish with a reasonable # of quarters.  With unlimited, free continues, we got bored of the game pretty fast, and I had to sell the gameboard. 

I'm going to an all-token game room ASAP.  Visitors get a limited # of tokens when they arrive.  Bonus tokens awarded on a per-beer basis.  (That's beers they bring, not beers they drink!)

[youki]

We can do that by software. (keep track of coin inserted, and add coin on the front end and eventually limit coin (i can do that very easily))

My Front End is able to do that.  (for now, i provide only a limited version to "Mame ethic" problems), but my be you participate to the discussion about that , in thread :

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,36710.0.html

thanks

[Veinman]

I went ahead and wrote my own app to track coins. Check it out here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,37122.0.html

[EndTwist]

I think I've actually found a great way to limit credits

I should have an example up later this afternoon.

[IG-88]

Cool! Veinman has a good idea too. We're discussing it in that other post.

[EndTwist]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,37171.0.html

Working coin limiter finished. Very simple, doesn't count credits as Veinman's does -- only limits them.