Fruit-Emu (Fruit Machine Emulation) » Fruit Machine Emulation Software » FMEF

[guitar]

Well, Christmas is now on the way so I guess I should give a little update on the FMEF front.

First of all a quick note on performance...
FMEF uses Vb, which is an inherently slow performing language when compiled. DirectX 8 has been implemented to run the graphics as the normal windows api calls are far too slow to deal with the frames per second required to run the emu smoothly.

To this end, unlike MFME, JPeMu, BFMulator, and AGEMAME, FMEF relies quite heavily on graphics hardware. The advantage of this, is it makes VB fast enough to run an emulator in, which, by itself is quite an achievment.

Anyway the upshot of this, the better machine you have, the better it will run and look. Whereas with other emulators the cpu speed is important, in this both cpu speed and graphics hardware is important.

I apologise for this, but I can't compile C++ properly, and my skills with it are rusty at best.

I have included a "Lite Mode" to get a bit of speed for those of you with slower PC's. The lamping does suffer slightly, but it is playable.

When MFME first came out, people with better pc's had a definate advantage. With the progress of PC technology you can take it for granted that the emulators will run at full speed now.

So, to sum up. I'm sorry about this, the only thing I can say is, christmas is coming, maybe ask for a dual core and a slightly modern gfx card.

The development machine is an AMD Dual core running @ 3GHz and an ATi HD3870 GFx card. The test machine is an AMD 3000+ with ATi HD2600.

The test machine runs it at normal speed but it does use lite mode to get a smoothness to it.

If anyone knows of a better VB compiler with some optimisation options, please speak up, I'll only be happy to give it a go.


Right, with the apologies out of the way, and the understanding that FMEF is a bit slow, lets move on to the new and updated stuff. So maybe someone will make a layout for it...

NEW STUFF...

Stability: Something which the first releases lacked in a fairly obvious way is now well on the way to being fixed. Its not 100% non crashable (So its right up there with several commercial games Firaxis I'm looking at you, please fix Sid Mieirs Railroads)

Now I've been using DirectX for a while I've sussed out where most of the crashes were coming in. I have been able to play the emu and edit in it one several occasions without problems. There are a few fixes still to be done, but they are mostly related to currently unfinished sections, that are still being redied. Talking of those, lets move on.

Sound: Games using sampled sound can now be played in all their glory. Depending on how much time I get between now and release time there may be a small hack involved in this, but if all goes to plan this wont be an issue, so lets not dwell on it and move on.

Games with synthesised sound will still be mute though. Its in hand, but its not there yet. No doubt FMEF 1.2.0 will include this, hopefully.

Also sound related, sound effects for the machines are now in, or going in - things like meters clicking etc. A sound panal to enable or disable these will be included, also volume controls for emulated or mechanical sounds.

Characteriser: Well, uh, at present, this still isnt working. A few attempts have been made, but without success. I'm working on it, and getting help from Magik and System80 where needed. Theres a lot of stuff thats half in and needs completing. I'm no longer adding new stuff, but finishing what I have started. The characteriser will be one of the last things to be done so I can concentrate on it fully without distraction.

As for Crystal and BWB characterisers, not yet, no, sorry.

Extender boards: Not complete yet, but its well in hand and I am sure this will be done by release day. All of the structure is there, I just need to get round to doing the logic for each extender type. All the control is in there though, so its simple enough to add. At the moment something else is taking precedence, as you'll see later...

Other Bits: Theres a lot of small fixes and extra features included in this version. You'll see them when you get to play with it. The graphics bits have been very much played with to make it a bit more fast. Load times at the beginning of the game have been reduced by at least 50%. A new load bar has been added to help discern when the game has crashed rather than still loading. Lots of bug fixes, a few changes to the way layouts work, and the alpha blending has been improved.

Also DirectX7 is no longer used, so those using Vista only need to register the vbdx8.dll, the version 7 is no longer required or used.

Without getting too techy about it all, its just better, in almost every way than the first.

Moving on...

Multiplayer Online Play: Oh yes, I said I wanted to do it, so I did. Currently being worked on frantically to get it ready for a christmas release. A few tests have been made over the net and been successfull. A lot of code still to go in, but its going in fairly quickly. My own encryption has been devised to help prevent cheating.

The way it works, basically, You log in to the FMEF server and you can host your own "Arcade". Its basically a list of machines and layouts that you have in your very own virtual arcade. Other people can log in and play the ram file from the machine and play the machine in the state it was left by the last player. This means that you wont know how well a machine is doing when you play it. You can track your win loss record over time, track the amount your arcade has made you, and try to make a profit over time. Something definately not possible in usual emulators without an emptier because you're always playing from the last state you left it in. And of course over time, the arcades always win.

I'm toying with the idea of having virtual credits so to add machines to your arcade you have to "buy" them, and try to make a lot of money. Maybe the option to buy features later in the game to enhance your arcade and maybe attract more people to it. I think this would be quite fun, anyone else?

So there you have it, the new awesome FMEF 1.1.0, coming to you soon.

Now, for you're dedication to reading it all, some screenshots.

1. The shiny new logo screen
2. The current online interface, just to give you an idea.

Enjoy. Now say nice things to me, not gonna lie, this takes ages to do and I want rampant discussion about it. So be nice and pander to my self indulgance. hehe.

Guitar.

[RB]

Looking good mate...and thanks for the update, glad that things are finally coming together.

[ady]

Originally Posted by RB

Looking good mate...and thanks for the update, glad that things are finally coming together.

Agree RB....prefect world is....Guitar working with Chris....that would be a great Xmas!.....Two great brains together.


Of all the SS's its an Empire lol, i'll say again I love them....even better Xmas is Empire accepting a 'sorry' from the FME scene and supporting the community for a Third time.

[ForYouToEnvy]

Great stuff guitar but........with all the time you're putting into this i gotta ask, when did you last get laid

[guitar]

Originally Posted by adydb

Agree RB....prefect world is....Guitar working with Chris....that would be a great Xmas!.....Two great brains together.

I'm not against the idea, I imagine CW might be though. If he wanted to spend the effort to release stuff, he could release his own.

However maybe a deal could be struck with the Agemame team. If the cores were compiled as DLL files, and called from VB, it would run much quicker. Its possible to run FMEF that way for sure. It would be up to the powers that be though.

Originally Posted by adydb

Of all the SS's its an Empire lol, i'll say again I love them....even better Xmas is Empire accepting a 'sorry' from the FME scene and supporting the community for a Third time.

I would say its not beyond the realms of possibility for them to allow the MPU4 stuff again. Just conjecture of course. I think we touched a nerve with the MPU5 latest machines though.

Originally Posted by ForYouToEnvy

Great stuff guitar but........with all the time you're putting into this i gotta ask, when did you last get laid

Friday, thanks for asking

[Zoltar]

Originally Posted by guitar

I'm not against the idea, I imagine CW might be though. If he wanted to spend the effort to release stuff, he could release his own.

Without trying to start a debate on this, I agree if CW was as enthusiastic as the rest of us on the scene, he would have released something by now. And again, without trying to start any heated debates, I personally believe that he will sit back, and watch how you get on with a close eye. Maybe even to the point that if you come close or even surpass what his released programs can do, he'll release something just to pull the carpet out from under you. It's not a personal feeling I have, and I so hope I'm totally wrong, it's just from what has transpired over the years with DialTone and ReAnimator, with basically their independent programs and what they did becoming part of MFME, this is the impression I have built up in my head.

I feel that after all that has passed within the scene, I do feel that CW wouldn't be the vindictive type in this situation. But at the end of the day, if the guy sees fit to punish us all for the wrong doings of one or two people, who knows. I respect the guy tremendously and I even agree with his self imposed sanctions towards the scene, but theres not even been a word of potential hope for those who played by the rules. The war mongers, and shit stirrers have still won the day. The needs of the few most certainly do outweigh the needs or aspirations of the many. Because on this scene, it takes just a single person to bring it all crashing down.

It's been a long time since we have had any hope of any advancement on this scene. I'm sure Guitar will scoff at what I'm saying, but i do know that FMEF is still a baby. But if nurtured right and supported by the scene, the hope it brings is good enough for me to hang around, and I'm sure many others also.

Sure. It ain't running 'Deal or no Deal', but I do believe that when people ask wether that game is emulated, I feel we can replace the 'It will never be emulated' with 'Maybe one day, it will be.'

Yep, the chances are pretty much remote. Probably almost non existent. And possibly years from any possible reality of ever being done, and I'm sure Guitar will say I'm having a laugh here. But the point is, that before Guitar, it was a definate NO!. Now we have a slight glimmer of hope. And HOPE is the keyword. At last, theres a little bit around this scene.

[Gazeyre1966]

Great to see development in the activity of your emulator Guitar. I can't programme to save my life so I appreciate all your, and everyone else's efforts involved in this. As for Empire giving us another chance....Well, from what I've read it would mean disposing and having no contact with, the old guard who have done nothing but use FME for their own selfish purposes (I know, and you all know who we are talking about here).

Good luck mate. I always believed in ya!!!

[Gazeyre1966]

Originally Posted by Zoltar

Without trying to start a debate on this, I agree if CW was as enthusiastic as the rest of us on the scene, he would have released something by now. And again, without trying to start any heated debates, I personally believe that he will sit back, and watch how you get on with a close eye. Maybe even to the point that if you come close or even surpass what his released programs can do, he'll release something just to pull the carpet out from under you. It's not a personal feeling I have, and I so hope I'm totally wrong, it's just from what has transpired over the years with DialTone and ReAnimator, with basically their independent programs and what they did becoming part of MFME, this is the impression I have built up in my head.

I feel that after all that has passed within the scene, I do feel that CW wouldn't be the vindictive type in this situation. But at the end of the day, if the guy sees fit to punish us all for the wrong doings of one or two people, who knows. I respect the guy tremendously and I even agree with his self imposed sanctions towards the scene, but theres not even been a word of potential hope for those who played by the rules. The war mongers, and shit stirrers have still won the day. The needs of the few most certainly do outweigh the needs or aspirations of the many. Because on this scene, it takes just a single person to bring it all crashing down.

It's been a long time since we have had any hope of any advancement on this scene. I'm sure Guitar will scoff at what I'm saying, but i do know that FMEF is still a baby. But if nurtured right and supported by the scene, the hope it brings is good enough for me to hang around, and I'm sure many others also.

Sure. It ain't running 'Deal or no Deal', but I do believe that when people ask wether that game is emulated, I feel we can replace the 'It will never be emulated' with 'Maybe one day, it will be.'

Yep, the chances are pretty much remote. Probably almost non existent. And possibly years from any possible reality of ever being done, and I'm sure Guitar will say I'm having a laugh here. But the point is, that before Guitar, it was a definate NO!. Now we have a slight glimmer of hope. And HOPE is the keyword. At last, theres a little bit around this scene.

I think you have summed it up perfectly there Zoltar. For those of us who are just in this for emulation purposes only. Not to be knighted or want adulation. I think the difference between Guitar and what has transpired previously is that the guy seems pretty down to earth. Not saying that CW wasn't...I didn't know the guy...but a lot of his cronies and "trusted" companions certainly were in it for their own agenda.

[guitar]

Originally Posted by Zoltar

Without trying to start a debate on this, I agree if CW was as enthusiastic as the rest of us on the scene, he would have released something by now. And again, without trying to start any heated debates, I personally believe that he will sit back, and watch how you get on with a close eye. Maybe even to the point that if you come close or even surpass what his released programs can do, he'll release something just to pull the carpet out from under you. It's not a personal feeling I have, and I so hope I'm totally wrong, it's just from what has transpired over the years with DialTone and ReAnimator, with basically their independent programs and what they did becoming part of MFME, this is the impression I have built up in my head.

I feel that after all that has passed within the scene, I do feel that CW wouldn't be the vindictive type in this situation. But at the end of the day, if the guy sees fit to punish us all for the wrong doings of one or two people, who knows. I respect the guy tremendously and I even agree with his self imposed sanctions towards the scene, but theres not even been a word of potential hope for those who played by the rules. The war mongers, and shit stirrers have still won the day. The needs of the few most certainly do outweigh the needs or aspirations of the many. Because on this scene, it takes just a single person to bring it all crashing down.

It's been a long time since we have had any hope of any advancement on this scene. I'm sure Guitar will scoff at what I'm saying, but i do know that FMEF is still a baby. But if nurtured right and supported by the scene, the hope it brings is good enough for me to hang around, and I'm sure many others also.

Sure. It ain't running 'Deal or no Deal', but I do believe that when people ask wether that game is emulated, I feel we can replace the 'It will never be emulated' with 'Maybe one day, it will be.'

Yep, the chances are pretty much remote. Probably almost non existent. And possibly years from any possible reality of ever being done, and I'm sure Guitar will say I'm having a laugh here. But the point is, that before Guitar, it was a definate NO!. Now we have a slight glimmer of hope. And HOPE is the keyword. At last, theres a little bit around this scene.

Its a possibility years down the line, it all depends what transpires. If there is someone out there who understands C++ well enouh to give me a bit of hand then its certainly doable. At present, anything newer than MPU4 is a definate no no. The speed of VB isnt there. However a nice VB front end with C++ CPU cores is something I am looking in to. Maybe if the AGEMAME team are inclined that way something can be done. A bit like Visual Pinmame a kind of two projects coming together. I belive there are parts of the agemame licence that require the source to stay open, which I would gladly do all barre the encryption for online stuff, as open sourcing that would make it easy to cheat the games possibly. Which ruins it for everyone.

But we shall see. Its taken FME many years to get where it is, hopefully within a few years FMEF can sit proudly alongside those that came before. In three years then most of the scene should own PC's that are fast enough to run FMEF anyway. That said I am moving to a core2 duo tomorrow, hehe.

If there are a couple of layout designers who would like to make a layout for release day I'll send you over a pre release copy for you to start editing with. PM me. Would be nice to play something other than pinball nudger.

[guitar]

Originally Posted by Gazeyre1966

I think you have summed it up perfectly there Zoltar. For those of us who are just in this for emulation purposes only. Not to be knighted or want adulation. I think the difference between Guitar and what has transpired previously is that the guy seems pretty down to earth. Not saying that CW wasn't...I didn't know the guy...but a lot of his cronies and "trusted" companions certainly were in it for their own agenda.

There are two definate sides of the fence here. If you were given MPU5 by Wizzy a few years ago and been told to keep your mouth shut and youll keep getting updates. I know exactly what I would have done, exactly what those who had that opportunity did.

Some then twisted that to their own ends, but overall I cant blame them for what they did. Back then it would have been one hell of an opportunity, novelty, nice thing to have.