Just to clarify for everyone: when the dips are identified on the
PlayChoice games (and I've been informed that one of the dips
controls coin time), there will indeed be a vote to determine how many
ticks are allowed. As chad also suggested, you are quite welcome to
use as many credits as you wish in your recording, but only count up
to the end of the first one.
<p>
I will also post a vote in October (among a few other isues) as to
whether we should archive PlayChoice games or not. There are a few
reasons why I see this as an advantage. 1) As Brian pointed out, they
are a part of MAME, and thus a part of MARP, so banning them certainly
doesn't make sense--noone is threatening to. 2) As several other
players have pointed out, these are CONSOLE GAMES, and 1 or 2
exceedingly minor cosmetic changes (which I still have not seen
evidence of) do no alter this fact. These were not games that were
designed to play better or even equal to their console port under an
arcade design. 3) Regulation MARP always has, and always will be,
about one credit. I do agree that limiting PC games to one credit
restricts gameplay, which is why I am suggesting they be put into the
archives, where competition is more open-ended. 4) The vs. driver
which should be out before long is superior in terms of both quality
of games emulated and arcade design.
<p>
But my final point, and the one that decides me personally on the
issue, is the following question: Would you go to an arcade to play
SMB on a machine that charged for time, if you had the NES version at
home? If I had my choice between Atari 2600 Asteroids or Arcade
Asteroids, it's an easy decision. So is Mouse Trap Colecovision vs.
Mouse Trap arcade. The console ports are weaker than the actual game.
This is in direct contrast to the PC games, where I would much rather
be happily chewing up my third gamepad with MegaMan3--not at Wizards'
Castle looking like a NES addict who had to get his lunchtime fix.
<p>
Something to think about for next month's vote.
<p>
I realize the points may be important to some players, but I don't
think they're THAT important in this situation, especially when the
vs. games come out. I think if players carefully consider this, they
will agree. They may be MARP games, but these are by no means arcade
games.
<p>
Q.T.Quazar, MARP Rules Coordinator
--
qan@home.com