On Monday 22 January 2001 20:39, you wrote:
> What about Required=SCC ? I need to make some tests, but I believe
> the game will not run if the SCC mapper is not present (by SCC mapper
> I mean the bankswitch when you write 3F to the last bank register).
> Even if the users wants to turn off SCC due to performance problems,
> I believe the mapper still needs to be present, so the SCC must
> have Required status.
Maybe we're putting SCC into the wrong category. The "Required", "Optional"
and "Extra" keywords are used for describing the system the cartridge can run
in. SCC is part of the actual cartridge. For a disk-based software (a game by
TeddyWareZ or an SCC demo) the SCC is a system requirement. For Konami SCC
cartridges, the SCC is inside that cartridge. We're not specifying
"Required=MegaROM mapper" either.
> I don't like the idea of making GM2 an Optional. I think Game
> Master should be mentioned in the Comment field of the database server,
> but not listed inside the msxsoft.ini.
GM2 can be used in two ways: as a separate software (to run the built-in
games or to cheat) and as an SRAM cartridge, like the PAC. If it's used as an
SRAM cartridge, not the entire GM2 is used, only a signature ("YZ") and a
handful of routines. The emulator wouldn't even have to load the entire GM2
ROM, I think a single 8K block is sufficient.
I agree that the complete GM2 should be considered a separate software. But I
do think that the GM2 as an SRAM cartridge should be an option. It's a way of
saving rather than a piece of software. Just like the disk ROM, which can be
located in a cartridge, but we don't think of it as a separate program.
> If we allow GM2 inside the ini,
> then we should also make things like this...
>
> Name=Salamander
> Required=MSX
> Required=SCC
> Optional=Nemesis 2
> Optional=Penguin Adventure
>
> ...and I don't think this is a good idea. Things like that should
> belong to the .msx database.
This is much the same case as the GM2. To activate the combo secrets, you
only need a cartridge signature ("AB" at #4000 and "CD" plus the right RC
code at #4010). The ROM of the combo game isn't needed, only the RC number.
By the way, what does Salamander do when Penguin Adventure is found?
> > The "5000-57FF" notation is easier to read, but it's not equivalent to
> > the "5000/07FF" notation.
>
> What about preserving the 5000-57FF notation, but require
> the values to be valid addr/mask pairs ? In this case 5000-57FF
> would be a valid argument but 1234-5678 would not.
That would be possible, but I'm not sure it's actually much of an advantage.
It's easier to read "5000-57FF", but when writing an info file the creator
must think "is this possible as an addr/mask pair"?
Also, what happens if some cartridge disregards A12..A1 but does care about
A0? Using the range notation, you would need 4096 lines to describe it. The
advantage of the addr/pair notation is that it is closer to the hardware.
Bye,
Maarten
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