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ID Category [?] Severity [?] Reproducibility Date Submitted Last Update
03230 DIP/Input Minor Always Jun 1, 2009, 22:48 Jun 2, 2009, 07:58
Tester shongun View Status Public Platform MAME (Official Binary)
Assigned To Resolution No change required OS Windows XP/Vista/7 32-bit
Status [?] Closed Driver
Version 0.131u3 Fixed in Version Build Normal
Fixed in Git Commit Github Pull Request #
Summary 03230: pdrift: No Autocentering in paddle controls.
Description There is no autocentering in Power Drift while in other similar games there is, being it a racing game, as speed is gained, it makes it impossible to drive in a straight line most of the time, rendering the game nearly unplayable (unless you furiously shake the joystick left and right).

In the other tested games of the driver, only Strike Fighter seems to show this behavior, but it's a flying first person game.
Steps To Reproduce
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Regression Version
Affected Sets / Systems pdrift
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Notes
5
User avatar
No.04430
Tafoid
Administrator
Jun 1, 2009, 23:22
It sounds like all you need to do is adjust the "Paddle Sensitivity" (in your Analog Controls Menu) to your liking. At "100" - the steering with a mouse or similar device is pretty sensitive. Games with analog controls in MAME are set at default level leaving it up to the end user to find the best setting for them to use. In this particular case, I found a setting of 25-30 pretty good for Power Drift.

I'll leave this open for now, in case a Dev wishes to comment.
User avatar
No.04431
shongun
Tester
Jun 2, 2009, 00:03
edited on: Jun 2, 2009, 00:09
Not really, I have tried editing Paddle Sensitivity with various amounts and combinations (your suggestion included), I even have hand copied configurations from other games, including but not limited to the 3 outrun games.

It just won't center, one curious thing to notice is that at the driver selection part, it will autocenter properly, as soon as the game begins it stops working.

This behavior is not shown in FBA.

I see you have changed the severity, so I would like to ask if it's ok to fill the same bug for some system32 games (only 2 as a matter of fact, the rest work perfectly)
User avatar
No.04432
Tafoid
Administrator
Jun 2, 2009, 00:55
We can keep the discussion on this bug for now. If there is a global issues with analog input with MAME then it's best addressed in one place. FBA is not a fair comparison - the only comparison that counts is how the arcade game is supposed to react.

The "Critical (Game)" severity is reserved only for games that crash/hang/freeze or do not function at all. Input problems are generally minor in scope. The game is playable by technical standards, it's a minor issue. Just because it's minor doesn't mean it's not important.

I normally don't use much analog control in my testing.. you are right that the game does not auto-center with the analog device (mouse) even at the driver selection screen as you mentioned. I'm not sure if any game does in MAME, or how to achieve it. The game perfectly auto centers in that game with a keyboard control, though. This might be a problem of type of device that MAME assigns to the steering.

Again, those Devs or other users that have experience with analog controls in respects to MAME are welcome to comment here. I, myself, don't have enough collective experience to be able to make a definitive answer.
For what it's worth, the Upright manual I saw for Power Drift mentioned that when the steering wheel is let go, it should go back to 80h.. which given the ranges means it should auto center.
User avatar
No.04433
shongun
Tester
Jun 2, 2009, 03:15
Ok first thanks for taking the time to test this and point taken about FBA.

So as to not make too much clutter I have compiled a quick list of sega racing games showing the same issue, and similar games, on the same driver. It includes the whole set, master and clones.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
segas32.c,

f1en - Autocenters
orunners - Autocenters
radm - Won't autocenter
radr - Won't auto center
slipstrm - Autocenters
scross - controls are messed up but it has been reported on ID 03034


Segaybd.c

gloc - Autocenters
gforce2 - Autocenters
pdrift - Won't autocenter
strkfgtr - Won't autocenters


I recently made a run thru the whole MAME collection picking a few games to make a custom list, I didn't noticed such behavior in any other games from sega or other companies/drivers, but then again I can test again if required.
User avatar
No.04436
Fujix
Administrator
Jun 2, 2009, 07:57
edited on: Jun 2, 2009, 15:53
This should be a correct behaviour of the originals.
Even if you center the steering, the car doesn't run straight in Power Drift and Rad Mobile, and it's a characteristic to reproduce the "real" car control.

Pre-polygon Sega driving games actually calculate 3-D character positions, they are not simple simulations with horizontal line shifting.
Actually the car is auto-centered and runs straight ahead , but the "direction" against the race track is not aligned.

In f1en, it also uses the quasi 3-D, but the small auto-centering must be by design.