Game competition #3: Mame - Zoo Keeper

[Ummon]

So, um, where's your vid?

[DeLuSioNal29]

How would I go about making one?  I had thought that screenshots were sufficient.  I tried messing around with inp files, but they never play back correctly and after a while the zoo keeper guy does crazy stuff and then dies.

Anyone figure out how to record and playback perfectly?  I checked out the MARP website and tried their scripts, but they still don't play back correctly.  I give up.  Been trying all week.

Note:  I also tried recording MNG and AVI files and the game slowed to a crawl at times.  So that didn't work.

~ D

[protokatie]

How would I go about making one?  I had thought that screenshots were sufficient.  I tried messing around with inp files, but they never play back correctly and after a while the zoo keeper guy does crazy stuff and then dies.

Anyone figure out how to record and playback perfectly?  I checked out the MARP website and tried their scripts, but they still don't play back correctly.  I give up.  Been trying all week.

Note:  I also tried recording MNG and AVI files and the game slowed to a crawl at times.  So that didn't work.

~ D

Have you tried FRAPS? It works for mame games, and doesnt have a high overhead (just hope you have a lot of HD space while recording)

[DeLuSioNal29]

Yeah, I tried the demo version of FRAPS and the game stuttered for 30 seconds and then got better.  But then I realized that the demo version only lasts for 30 seconds of record time, so it was the recording that caused the problems.  I have tons of hard drive space running a quad core CPU.  I don't get it.

[protokatie]

Yeah, I tried the demo version of FRAPS and the game stuttered for 30 seconds and then got better.  But then I realized that the demo version only lasts for 30 seconds of record time, so it was the recording that caused the problems.  I have tons of hard drive space running a quad core CPU.  I don't get it.

In this case "quad core" = mono or dual core. Do you have SV out or similar and a DVR? Dunno what more to say... Maybe a VHS recorder and an import card... (yeah, I know: So 90's!)

[Ummon]

DeL, I can't figure out how you got those scores, so I was curious if you could vid them is all. I don't have problems with older versions of mame. I know .125 was screwy at least for playback. I suggest trying Mame32, either say .104 or the current version and see what happens. Mame32/UI is easy in that all you have to do is right-click on the game in the list and select 'play and record', the game starts in record mode and off you go. Then for playback, right-click and select 'playback' and it should playback correctly. I know .104 does, anyway. Then post your inp file and say which version you used.

Anyways, time's been up, DeL's the winner so he has to pick a game.

[leapinlew]

DeL, I can't figure out how you got those scores, so I was curious if you could vid them is all. I don't have problems with older versions of mame. I know .125 was screwy at least for playback. I suggest trying Mame32, either say .104 or the current version and see what happens. Mame32/UI is easy in that all you have to do is right-click on the game in the list and select 'play and record', the game starts in record mode and off you go. Then for playback, right-click and select 'playback' and it should playback correctly. I know .104 does, anyway. Then post your inp file and say which version you used.

Anyways, time's been up, DeL's the winner so he has to pick a game.

I also would like to see the vids. Not for any reason but I think it would be cool to watch someone else play and to see their strategies. If you guys can figure a way to do that, that would be cool.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Well, thanks to the MARP forums, I was able to make a vid!  (see attached .zip below) I am using MAME32 .119.

The problem was, I was hitting F3 to bypass the maintenance screen, when I should have been hitting F1 instead.

So, when you play the video, once in the game, you type "OK" to bypass the disclaimer. Hit "enter" to bypass the game info and then let the .inp file automatically do the rest to bypass everything.

I know the contest is over, but I managed to score a whopping 625,670!

I only scored 4,240 on the first level (4,690 is my hi), but it shows the technique that I use to score higher without losing a life.

~ DeLuSioNaL

[DeLuSioNal29]

Here's another inp file that show a high score on level 1 if you are curious on how I do it.

[DeLuSioNal29]

To play my .inf file I made:

-  Download the matching MAME version the .inf recording was made on. (I recorded mine on .119)
-  Download the files below and unzip to the mame directory
-  Download the .inf file and place it in a folder name "inf" in the MAME directory.  Create the directory if it's not already there.
-  Copy the zookeeper.zip rom to the rom folder in the mame directory.
-  go to the c:\ prompt and navigate to the MAME directory.  To do this in Windows:  Click on Start, Run, type in "cmd" (no quotes) and hit enter.  Type in "cd c:\mame" (no quotes) (or wherever you have mame .119 installed).  The prompt should now be in the mame directory.
-  Type: playback zookeep delusional29.inp (hit enter)

You can do the same to record .inf files:
-  Type: record zookeep (hit enter)
It will automatically create an .inp file in the inp folder called zookeep

Hope this helps!

~ DeLuSioNaL

[Ummon]

I just tried the maneuvers shown in your playback, and it won't let me. For some reason, when you play it, either the timer runs slower or the elephant runs faster, because I looked at the timer length during various points in the game (when you got your freebie death, as well as the second time around when you jumped the elephant after collecting the second mug) and compared your playback and when I play the game in any version, even .119, and they aren't the same. The timer has more left to it in both those points in your playback.

[DeLuSioNal29]

It's actually a built in feature in the game.  Sometimes the elephant "runs" faster depending on where you land.  The AI does this so that it will "kill you" faster.  The trick to getting him to run faster is to jump nearer to him and then when you land in front of him  he tries to run faster to kill you, then you jump again.  It's all about timing.  There is nothing wrong with the clock, it runs at the same speed every time.  It's the elephant's positioning that changes.

~ D

[Ummon]

Mmmm. I wondered about that kind of factor but didn't pick it up when viewing your vid. Good enough for me.

[DeLuSioNal29]

So, I fired up my new arcade machine and decided to give it a go on Zookeeper again.  What a way to initiate the new machine!  

I scored my personal highest ever in my life.  896,330

Below are some shots of the screen on my new arcade.

DeLuSioNaL29

[DeLuSioNal29]

Resurrecting this old topic, because it's one of my favorite games of all time.

I posted a video on my channel.  I've since topped that high score in the video, but thought you guys would get a kick out of seeing the game in action.  Enjoy!



DeL

[leapinlew]

First time watcher of Last Credit. Loved it! Good job Delusional.

For some reason, I pictured you having an accent... and being a hippy.

[yotsuya]

First time watcher of Last Credit. Loved it! Good job Delusional.

For some reason, I pictured you having an accent... and being a hippy.

I kind of hoped he sounded like John Leguizamo in "To Wong Foo..."

[DeLuSioNal29]

Thanks Lew.  LOL.  One of my comments in my first videos way back when (10 years already?  Whoah!) a guy commented that I sounded like Ray Romano.

Sorry to disappoint Yots.   

DeL

[DeLuSioNal29]

So, um, where's your vid?

Resurrecting this topic. So it's been years, but I finally got my hands on a real machine. And I've improved a bit. 
Here's a vid of my gameplay (with an 8 mil point jump included at the end).  I missed the 30 mil by 2 animals!

Enjoy!

Del

[leapinlew]

Nice! What's the record for that game?