08549: dinodino: Game often gets into bad states with clean NVRAM

ID	Category [?]	Severity [?]	Reproducibility	Date Submitted	Last Update
08549	Gameplay	Major	Random	Jan 12, 2023, 14:26	Jan 27, 2023, 19:26

Tester	cuavas	View Status	Public	Platform	MAME (Official Binary)
Assigned To		Resolution	Open	OS	Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
Status [?]	Acknowledged			Driver	misc/astrcorp.cpp
Version	0.251	Fixed in Version		Build	64-bit
		Fixed in Git Commit		Github Pull Request #

Summary	08549: dinodino: Game often gets into bad states with clean NVRAM
Description	Often, dinodino seems to boot to a state where the error lamp (red lamp at bottom right on internal artwork) is blinking and the game won’t coin up. However, sometimes it starts in a playable state. When it starts in the error state, you can often get it into a playable state by restoring factory settings: * Hold F2 and tap F3 to get to the Main Menu * Press Start (1) to choose Setting * Hold Start (1) and press Odds (C) to restore factory settings * Press Auto (Z) twice to exit service mode I’ve also seen it get into a state where you can’t exit service mode (pressing Auto at the Main Menu has no effect). Given the randomness, it could just be a case of uninitialised variables.
Steps To Reproduce	* Remove nvram/dinodino folder * Run "mame dinodino" * If the error lamp doesn’t blink when the game boots, exit and try again
Additional Information
Github Commit

Flags
Regression Version
Affected Sets / Systems	dinodino

Attached Files

No.21012 Robbbert Senior Tester Jan 13, 2023, 04:17 edited on: Jan 13, 2023, 04:20	You say there's a red error light on the left? For me it's on the right, with default artwork ("Button Lamps"). The light on the left is yellow and says WIN. I take it the correct operation is (1) delete nvram (2) start game, red error flashes (3) Hit F3 (4) Error light turns off and game is playable. I tried many times to get something else to happen and was unable to. Maybe someone else might have more luck.
No.21014 cuavas Administrator Jan 13, 2023, 13:38	I meant right, no idea how I got out backwards. Fixing description. I'd expect it to work properly on first boot, which it does very rarely.
No.21049 Tafoid Administrator Jan 27, 2023, 15:20	I didn't notice any specific malfunction with a freshly deleted nvram and start and a few plays and reboots. Acknowledged for now until more is discovered.
No.21050 hap Developer Jan 27, 2023, 19:26 edited on: Jan 27, 2023, 19:27	Delete nvram once, and then you can use -nonvram_save I tried dozens of times, and made sure to not accidentally press an input used in the driver at the MNW screen. I can't repro it, and I didn't find uninitialized vars in the driver or devices it uses (did not check m68000 device)