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The Help pages read:

"Note that it is important that you remove (or rename) the hi\game.hi and cfg\game.cfg files before recoring or playing back a game, since a lot of the games have random number generators which are affected by the contents of memory."

and:

"Note that when making a replay file it is important that you don't have any .hi or .cfg file for the game in question, or the file probably won't play back properly. Your character will follow the correct path on the screen, but the bad guys probably won't, and you'll end up bumping into them."


And yet many games require specific dip switch settings for TG. These dip switch settings are stored in the cfg. files.

So which is it?

Thanks,
Allan

default dip switches for games are expected unless otherwise specified in the special rules, which means you should remove the cfg files to keep an assumed default dip switch setting. Usually cfg and hi files don't affect playback on most games like they used to, so: For a generic recomendation, It's still better to keep in the habit of removing the all volitile files mame uses nvram,cfg,hi,diff (primarily the nvram/*nv files) to maintain a good initialization that can be repeated at playback. But, since cfg files usually just store keyboard mappings and don't store dips anymore (like the help page is refering to old mame doing), it's relatively safe to keep cfg files around if you *REALLY* need them.

The bottom line [FOR MARP] is to use default settings (unless different ones are in the special rules), and your inp must playback with NO cfg,nvram,hi,diff files.

Chad wrote:default dip switches for games are expected unless otherwise specified in the special rules, which means you should remove the cfg files to keep an assumed default dip switch setting.

Quite a few of the Twin Galaxies settings call for dip switch settings other than the default.

Chad wrote:Usually cfg and hi files don't affect playback on most games like they used to, so: For a generic recomendation, It's still better to keep in the habit of removing the all volitile files mame uses nvram,cfg,hi,diff (primarily the nvram/*nv files) to maintain a good initialization that can be repeated at playback. But, since cfg files usually just store keyboard mappings and don't store dips anymore (like the help page is refering to old mame doing), it's relatively safe to keep cfg files around if you *REALLY* need them.

I haven't tested regular MAME, but WolfMAME, which is apparently the version of choice for INP files here and at TG, DOES store the dip switch settings in the cfg files.

Allan Edwards wrote:
Quite a few of the Twin Galaxies settings call for dip switch settings other than the default.

Remember that his is MARP, not TG. Feel free to use harder settings than default, TG settings etc. As long as we can playback the recording without using nvram, special cfg files etc, you are ok

And welcome to MARP!

The erasure of cfg files is more of a recommendation. With a fresh cfg as noted above, the settings are all at default...which is what MARP uses for most games.

As also noted you can always use tougher settings and/or TG settings instead.

I save my cfg files. I am not deleting it prior to each new recording. That isn't necessary if you know you have the default or tougher settings for the game.

The only caution for cfg files if is you switch back and forth between quite different mame versions. ie. if you play a game like swimmer with 0.78....and then use the same cfg file to play swimmer with 0.58, the actual settings you are playing at might be different. Thus starting with a fresh cfg in that case would ensure you are playing with the right settings.

I believe for a few games a few gamers have intentionally used older versions knowing the default settings were easier with an older version of mame versus modern versions. I think these should be dq'd but it likely won't happen. ...especially for many top scores using versions earlier than 0.35. In some cases even the game plays differently...slower paced or different timer speed etc. makes the game easier on those old versions like 0.33 or earlier versus modern versions like 0.60 and later.