Stopping too many credits being used a game.

[Mr Kray]

Hey all,

I have a couple of questions...

1. Has any here created a method to stop people from using lots of credits to finish the games?
 I won't be using a coin mech on my cab and I can see my friends piling on the credits to finish a game instead of actually playing it enough to finish it with skill, this would mean the games lose their appeal quicker.
 I was thinking possibly a circuit that counts the number of times the credit button is hit and then stops it working after say.. 5 credits (Like Contra's 3 continue limit) and then resetting only after the ESC keep is hit to end the game, if people want to keep playing they can reload the game but will have to restart.. I'm not very good with electronics so does anyone know how this could be done?

2. On an unrelated note, how much distance should be between a 3" trackball and the 2 player joystick so that you don't keep whacking your hand on the joystick every time you slap the trackball?

Any help's much appreciated,

Mr Kray.

[SirPoonga]

Hey all,

I have a couple of questions...

1. Has any here created a method to stop people from using lots of credits to finish the games?
 I won't be using a coin mech on my cab and I can see my friends piling on the credits to finish a game instead of actually playing it enough to finish it with skill, this would mean the games lose their appeal quicker.
 I was thinking possibly a circuit that counts the number of times the credit button is hit and then stops it working after say.. 5 credits (Like Contra's 3 continue limit) and then resetting only after the ESC keep is hit to end the game, if people want to keep playing they can reload the game but will have to restart.. I'm not very good with electronics so does anyone know how this could be done?

Well, other than say putting in a set number of credits at the beginning and just running off of those there really isn;t a good way that isn't tmepting to put more in:)

2. On an unrelated note, how much distance should be between a 3" trackball and the 2 player joystick so that you don't keep whacking your hand on the joystick every time you slap the trackball?

Make a cardboard mock up,  see what you think.  It will be different for different people.

[Thenasty]

the best way to answer the first and its a good work around.

Set up your coin mech to accept TOKENS only and during your party, hand out just enough token so everyone can have a chance to paly anything.

[eightbit]

Hey all,

I have a couple of questions...

1. Has any here created a method to stop people from using lots of credits to finish the games?
 I won't be using a coin mech on my cab and I can see my friends piling on the credits to finish a game instead of actually playing it enough to finish it with skill, this would mean the games lose their appeal quicker.
 I was thinking possibly a circuit that counts the number of times the credit button is hit and then stops it working after say.. 5 credits (Like Contra's 3 continue limit) and then resetting only after the ESC keep is hit to end the game, if people want to keep playing they can reload the game but will have to restart.. I'm not very good with electronics so does anyone know how this could be done?

2. On an unrelated note, how much distance should be between a 3" trackball and the 2 player joystick so that you don't keep whacking your hand on the joystick every time you slap the trackball?

To make the credit changes that would require code changes in mame, the mame team  is interested in authenticity first and foremost. If the game allowed unlimited continues than the emulated rom also will.

[Brad Lee]

Following on SP's limited credit fix, maybe find a front end that allows you to send keypresses to the emulator after it begins, send 5 "5"s to dump in 5 credits, and remove the coin button from the cabinet
That way every game would start with 5 credits and you wouldnt be able to add more

[GSXRMovistar]

Interesting, I

[eightbit]

Has any here created a method to stop people from using lots of credits to finish the games?
 I won't be using a coin mech on my cab and I can see my friends piling on the credits to finish a game instead of actually playing it enough to finish it with skill, this would mean the games lose their appeal quicker.
 I was thinking possibly a circuit that counts the number of times the credit button is hit and then stops it working after say.. 5 credits (Like Contra's 3 continue limit) and then resetting only after the ESC keep is hit to end the game, if people want to keep playing they can reload the game but will have to restart.. I'm not very good with electronics so does anyone know how this could be done?

One of the flaws in having your own game is even if you have to put quarters in you have the key to get them out. It does change how you play. I remember the day that I beat double dragon in the arcade on one quarter. I was pretty ticked because the game ended. I wanted my quarter back, after all I beat the game. I figured I should be able to keep playing untill the game beat me. I didn't play it anymore after that. Putting false limits on it is going to make friends not want to play at all. These games are old, if they are into it they will keep coming back. If they aren't then a false limit isn't going to change that.

The working quarter slots on my cab are cool and all but no one is interested in putting in quarters in at a party even if I had a jar of them next to the cab. Its funny how they think a classic arcade cabinet is really cool but the first thing they want is for it to act like a console game and just push "start" to play.

One party I had a friend of a friend got sick of the game he was playing and no one showed him how to get out of it. Before I caught him he had rebooted the pc and ended up in the bios because he was randomly pushing buttons on the control panel because it wasn't instant on like a console. Friends shouldn't let friends play mame unattended.  

A party is the wrong place to try to educate people on mame and the preservation of the arcade experience.

[Chris]

My cabinet doesn't have coin buttons on the control panel.  The coin return buttons are wired to give credits, but inside the coin door is a switch to turn these buttons off.  With that switch are a pair of credit buttons for use if the coin return buttons are turned off.  When I want to limit my daughter's play, she gets into the game she wants, I open the coin door, turn off the "free play" switch, and press the credit buttons to coin her up, then I re-lock the coin door.

You can see the switch block and coin switches for my cab at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/celamantia/mamecab/coin_door.htm .

--Chris

[Mr Kray]

Well thanks for the advice.

I'm not sure how much money some of you guys had as kids but I only ever had enough change for a few credits meaning the need to actually get good at the game was greater, for me to have unlimited credits now would completely contradict my goal of arcade nostalgia.. Although having said that  my cab is nothing like what you'd find in an arcade, I have taken my nostalgia and improved on it!

Mr Kray

[Silverwind]

Well thanks for the advice.

I'm not sure how much money some of you guys had as kids but I only ever had enough change for a few credits meaning the need to actually get good at the game was greater, for me to have unlimited credits now would completely contradict my goal of arcade nostalgia.. Although having said that  my cab is nothing like what you'd find in an arcade, I have taken my nostalgia and improved on it!

Mr Kray

For your personal use.. you can always have it enabled to accept quarters via your coin door... however here is the catch.. you can only play with your spare change  Makes a good vacation fund jar/piggy bank.. hehe..

[menace]

  As a small green master once said, and I quote "control, control, you MUST learn control"  

[Smack]

Keep an eye on the dipswitch settings. Some games allow you to turn off the "continue" feature.

Just a thought.

Smack

[Gopherboy]

Was thinking along similar lines Chris!

I was going to suggest perhaps that Kray could wire up a small (sub miniature if he likes!) switch  between the button and his interface and mounts it in an easy to reach but hard - to find place. Then you can simply put in the no. of credits and flick the switch.

I know what you are saying though - games like R-type need MAJOR control to stop the credit frenzy! And beating the entire first level and all the way up until the second boss in Metal Slug 3 without losing a life is a feat I am rather proud of!


Oh - and on switch counting - I have no idea what any of this means as it is not in english but I thought I would throw it in anyway. Actually, it may well be english, but not any I've heard before. Maybe some of you more techy / programy/ electronically minded folks can figure out a word here or there!

http://www.6502.org/source/io/buttons.htm
http://www.howell1964.freeserve.co.uk/Acorn/Atom/amb/amb_6522.htm
http://www.kep.com/catalog/ii/pdf/omni.pdf


gb