Home Page Forums MAME MAME How to name inputs on multi-game software ?

Hi,

I'm adding software called Super Petrix to the magic10 driver.
This is two games in one, the first being Tetris the second a Poker game.

As the two games are very different hardly any of the inputs have the same function, even the start inputs are different and some inputs are only used by one game, so what's the best way of naming ?

At the moment I've got the following which is horrid (Anything before "-" is for Tetris)
PORT_BIT( 0x0001, IP_ACTIVE_LOW, IPT_POKER_HOLD1 ) PORT_NAME("Right - Hold 1")
PORT_BIT( 0x0002, IP_ACTIVE_LOW, IPT_POKER_HOLD2 ) PORT_NAME("Left - Hold 2 / Low")
PORT_BIT( 0x0004, IP_ACTIVE_LOW, IPT_POKER_HOLD3 )
PORT_BIT( 0x0008, IP_ACTIVE_LOW, IPT_POKER_HOLD4 ) PORT_NAME("Down - Hold 4 / High")
PORT_BIT( 0x0010, IP_ACTIVE_LOW, IPT_POKER_HOLD5 ) PORT_NAME("Rotate Left - Hold 5")
PORT_BIT( 0x0020, IP_ACTIVE_LOW, IPT_START1 ) PORT_NAME("Poker Start")
PORT_BIT( 0x0040, IP_ACTIVE_LOW, IPT_GAMBLE_BET ) PORT_NAME("Rotate Right - Bet / Take / Cancel")

If it makes any different the player can't choose which game to play as it's fixed by the operator/installer.

Thanks
Paul

If the operator chooses the control panel it might just be better to have a 'control panel' configuration switch, and conditional inputs based on that.

If it isn’t a “stealth” game where the mode can be changed on-the-fly, a configuration option for control panel type might be the best option. Gambling games with multi-function buttons can be annoying to deal with at the best of times.

Speaking of which, it will be a colossal PITA to make 10+ different control panels for each and every aristmk* game that supports them, I don't even know where to start.

Thanks for the replies.
Game can't be changed on the fly and when poker has been selected there doesn't appear to be any way of going back to Tetris.
The software is a bit odd in that Tetris appears to be a complete finished game with sounds and a test mode. Poker doesn't have sounds or test mode and doesn't even appear to be payout unless it's supposed to be attendant collect.

I wasn't aware it was possible to do conditional inputs, I'll have a dig around for an example.

Thanks

For examples, you can grep for the PORT_CONDITION macro.

Thanks, got it. Will update the driver and sort a PR.

Was hoping to find schematics for the board to check something but doesn't seem to be any

So things are never straight forward

There is a way for the player to select the poker game so looks like it's back to long horrible descriptions