05101: sqbert: Random problems with the game

ID	Category [?]	Severity [?]	Reproducibility	Date Submitted	Last Update
05101	Gameplay	Major	Always	Jan 7, 2013, 04:16	Jul 26, 2023, 16:39

Tester	joe35car	View Status	Public	Platform	MAME (Official Binary)
Assigned To		Resolution	Open	OS	Windows Vista/7 (64-bit)
Status [?]	Acknowledged			Driver	gottlieb/gottlieb.cpp
Version	0.147u4	Fixed in Version		Build	64-bit
		Fixed in Git Commit		Github Pull Request #

Summary	05101: sqbert: Random problems with the game
Description	Playing sqbert during game play the qbert sometimes disappears and I also seen it turn into a disc. The Qbert also got stuck in mid air to the top right of the pyramid.
Steps To Reproduce	Just start the game and play it. Even jump off on purpose.
Additional Information
Github Commit

Flags
Regression Version
Affected Sets / Systems	sqbert

Attached Files	0002.png (5,455 bytes) Jan 7, 2013, 04:56 Uploaded by joe35car
	0003.png (6,228 bytes) Jan 7, 2013, 05:25 Uploaded by joe35car After playing a bit I noticed a black line on the bottom left of pyramid.
	sqbert.inp (15,141 bytes) Jan 7, 2013, 17:28 Uploaded by joe35car
	sqbert.zip (14,550 bytes) Jan 7, 2013, 17:32 Uploaded by joe35car
	0000.png (6,845 bytes) Jan 9, 2013, 04:34 Uploaded by joe35car
	0001.png (5,887 bytes) Jan 10, 2013, 01:19 Uploaded by joe35car

No.09216 joe35car Tester Jan 7, 2013, 04:34	I also noticed it would jump off in front of the pyramid instead of behind it. It even fell off the pyramid when I was in the middle of it for no reason.
No.09217 Fujix Administrator Jan 7, 2013, 09:26	I played some but no reproduction for me.
No.09218 Haze Senior Tester Jan 7, 2013, 15:57	also no repro here. clear our your nvram file for it?
No.09219 B2K24 Senior Tester Jan 7, 2013, 16:53	I can't reproduce it here either. Joe, can you run -record sqbert.inp
No.09220 joe35car Tester Jan 7, 2013, 16:55 edited on: Jan 7, 2013, 18:20	Yes sir I deleted all sqbert files in the mame folder. I even did a fresh install of mame and created a new ini for mame. I am using the command line for sqbert. I played it again and I still can reproduce these bugs. Can someone check to see if this build is the problem. I got it from mameworld.info. Here is the link to the file. It is a 64bit. http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=300762&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1. For the heck of it I also tried it on mameui147u4 64 build and still reproduces these bugs. I also attached a few ini recordings.
No.09223 Tafoid Administrator Jan 8, 2013, 08:51	Does it happen in every game you play? Try assorted replays with the following commands: -nomt (Multithreading off) -nohlsl (hlsl off) Do either of these show any differences? Also, download the 32-bit build and see if that makes a difference for you as well.
No.09224 joe35car Tester Jan 8, 2013, 19:13	I did another fresh install of the 64 bit and 32 bit version in a completely separate folder with only the sqbert rom and sample and I still can reproduce these bugs. I have tried other games and found no other problems.Normal Qbert runs fine. I ran it in command-line -nomt -nohlsl sqbert. I downloaded these version of the builds from mameworld. http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=300762&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1 http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=300764&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1
No.09225 Tafoid Administrator Jan 8, 2013, 20:20 edited on: Jan 8, 2013, 20:22	Ok... After a bit a play testing and finally being able to confirm the issue 100%, I'm also 100% sure it's something in your configuration and not an issue when MAME is used in a normal manner with keyboard or a single joystick/joypad. Something on your system, mapped to the player direction keys, is sending contradictory input information and causing the game program to become confused. The only way I was able to duplicate on command line is to use the ability to allow for such input to be used (UP+DOWN, LEFT+RIGHT, etc). That is done with: mame sqbert -joystick_contradictory In order to 100% duplicate, when the game starts, hold RIGHT+UP arrows. You won't move anywhere. But, add a LEFT arrow in there while holding the other two - you die instantly. I would advise that you check each one of your inputs (if you are using multiple devices, as in a control panel), one of the analog controls might be off center or be leaning to an opposite direction than what you are using. Regular Qbert doesn't have this abnormality and in a perfect world, you'd never know such an exploit existed. I'm on the edge with what to classify this as - it might be an intentional TEST feature to restart a play or get out of a impossible situation also seeing that the original QBert has no such behavior. This is technically an unfinished prototype and such debugging tools tend to stay in game until the very end. I'm voting BTANB, though it would be great to get some information on this specific instance being something that was programmed in..
No.09226 joe35car Tester Jan 8, 2013, 20:42 edited on: Jan 8, 2013, 21:05	Thanks for the information and on this game play I am only using one plugin usb Logitech Gamepad F310. I also deleted all the sqbert files including the cfg. I started the game and did a fresh input to the gamepad and I still get these random bugs. Thanks again for looking into this problem. I also notice the disc is somewhat cut off when it starts on the bottom right of the screen. You can see it with the snapshot I included earlier above.
No.09227 Tafoid Administrator Jan 9, 2013, 00:45	I'd try complete without your gamepad, without any fancy command, using the keyboard and see if it errors out. I'm willing to bet the problems that show are due to gamepad input being used for whatever reason. Many people before cannot duplicate under normal conditions.
No.09228 joe35car Tester Jan 9, 2013, 00:53	It must be my gamepad. When I map the inputs to the keyboard arrows it works. If I try to hold down 2 arrow keys and hit another it produces the bug like you mentioned above. Just weird because I use the same gamepad for qbert and no issues and moves exactly to the spot I push the stick to.
No.09229 Tafoid Administrator Jan 9, 2013, 01:20	The normal Qbert, as I speculate above, doesn't have this 'feature' using contradictory inputs to kill you off :) A couple things I would suggest trying a couple commands to see if this is improved: --joystick_deadzone --joystick_saturation Deadzone is set at 0.3 - it might need to go bit bit higher to make sure partial moves to an area are not considered full moves. Saturation is set 0.85 - tweaking this might also help, has to do with the upper end when you've actual held the controller down what it takes to ignore other minor changes to direction.
No.09230 joe35car Tester Jan 9, 2013, 02:43 edited on: Jan 9, 2013, 05:11	OK thanks so I guess we can close this? Also one more question what about the black bar on the bottom of the screen? That still shouldn't happen with the inputs would it? I was just using the keyboard arrows and the black bar would still appear randomly on the bottom left of pyramid. Maybe we can use this video as a reference and ask John if this is normal for the game.
No.09231 Tafoid Administrator Jan 9, 2013, 17:28 edited on: Jan 9, 2013, 17:31	I'll be honest, I haven't had the line happen in any attempt or even when trying to glitch the game using the contradictory inputs. I cannot duplicate that with anything. regarding the video, while it appears to be on original hardware is 3rd party bootleg kit which used the roms that were distributed for emulator use. I'd say unless it were the original production board, we can't be 100% sure of anything.
No.09232 NekoEd Senior Tester Jan 10, 2013, 00:06	I'll mark this Ack'd until it's all sorted out.... if it ever is, this one seems like a bit of a doozy.
No.09233 joe35car Tester Jan 10, 2013, 01:18	OK hope it could be resolved. I just tried it again -nomt -nohlsl sqbert and deleted all the sqbert files before launching the game. I was just using the arrow keys on the keyboard and was not pressing any of the keys at the same time and I still can produce the black bar on the bottom left of the pyramid. I attached another snapshot of it and this time has a little qbert in the black line.
No.21672 hap Developer Jul 26, 2023, 16:39	The black line at the left, I can repro it if I set -cheat, set infinite lives, and die a lot. I think it's because it tries to erase the little qbert, and the next one to erase is above it. So eventually it will wrap around to the bottom of the screen and will erase the playfield. Let's say it goes from 3,2,1,0,-1,-2,-3, ... and at -7 it will show the black line. If you lost 11 lives (draw lives counter at -8), and get enough score to earn an extra life, a little qbert would appear over the black line (0001. png above) It does not happen if you cheat by enabling the 'demo mode' dsw. This report is 10 years old, so I doubt you remember if you played with -cheat enabled or not?