Troubleshooting MAME High Scores

[alnyden]

On 6/10/2020 at 8:25 AM, Jason Carr said:

You're not on any ban list. Check your debug log?

Debug 2020-06-17 09-34-48 AM.log

Here's my log.  I'm not sure what I'm looking for here.  Some games the scores are recording properly (Asteroids) and others are not (Bezerk, Galaxian).  However, all these games recorded scores in the past, so they stopped working at some point.  Thanks for any help!

[Jason Carr]

On 6/17/2020 at 12:13 PM, alnyden said:

Debug 2020-06-17 09-34-48 AM.log 147.09 kB · 0 downloads

Here's my log.  I'm not sure what I'm looking for here.  Some games the scores are recording properly (Asteroids) and others are not (Bezerk, Galaxian).  However, all these games recorded scores in the past, so they stopped working at some point.  Thanks for any help!

Sorry for the long delay here @alnyden. I don't see anything going wrong with Berzerk or Galaxian, but I do see that no new high scores are being found. Are you sure that you're actually achieving new high scores for those games (and that the game's high scores tables are changing)?

I would check to see if the nvram or hi files for those games are actually being updated after achieving a new high score on the board. If not, that would probably be a MAME issue somehow.

[patrickfx]

On 6/16/2020 at 2:24 PM, Jason Carr said:

Thanks, this should be fixed now.

Please enable debug logs in the LaunchBox options (see the first post of this thread). Then you can look in the log file to see what's happening.

Hello, here the log, just in case it help other...btw, it was bubble bobble not mr.do.  i need now to understand what that mean. start at line 127

Debug 2020-07-02 03-07-16 PM.log

Edited July 2, 2020 by patrickfx

[DerMicha]

Hi,

I just read through the thread, but not really found a solution. Highscrore-collecting works for Moon Patrol. All fine, so I think my MAME is set up correct. BUT: Bubble Bobble does not work (but I think it did just in the beginning (firts 2 or 3 days after launching this feature). The log says:

TRACE: potential file containing hiscore: D:\LaunchBox\Emus\MAME\hi\bublbobl.hi
TRACE: reading a description from file: D:\LaunchBox\ThirdParty\hi2txt\hi2txt.zip, entry bublbobl.xml
TRACE: reading dtd from file: D:\LaunchBox\ThirdParty\hi2txt\hi2txt.zip, entry hi2txt.dtd
TRACE: format auto: hexadecimal_string
TRACE: charset defined: bublbobl
TRACE: charset defined: CS_NUMBER
TRACE: matching structure: hiscore.dat = e654:23:00:48e67b:3:1f:13e64c:3:00:00e5df:1:00:00e5e0:1:00:00e5e4:1:00:00e5e6:1:00:00e5e1:1:00:00e5e2:1:00:00e5e3:1:00:00e5e7:1:00:00e5e8:1:00:00e5e9:1:00:00e5ea:1:00:00e5eb:1:00:00e5f6:1:00:00e5f7:1:00:00e5ee:1:00:00e5ef:1:00:00e5f0:1:00:00e5ec:1:00:00e5ed:1:00:00e5f3:1:00:00e5f4:1:00:00e5d9:1:00:00e5da:1:00:00f457:1:00:00f458:1:00:00e601:1:00:00e602:1:00:00e600:1:00:00e5ff:1:00:00e5fd:1:00:00e5fc:1:00:00e5fb:1:00:00e5fa:1:00:00e5f9:1:00:00e5f8:1:00:00e5fe:1:00:00e604:1:00:00e605:1:00:00e606:1:00:00e607:1:00:00e609:1:00:00e60a:1:00:00e611:1:00:00e60b:2:00:00
TRACE: matching structure: size = 86
TRACE: data taken from file: D:\LaunchBox\Emus\MAME\hi\bublbobl.hi
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=0): SCORE (3 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=0): STAGE (4 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=0): NAME (7 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=1): SCORE (10 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=1): STAGE (11 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=1): NAME (14 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=2): SCORE (17 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=2): STAGE (18 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=2): NAME (21 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=3): SCORE (24 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=3): STAGE (25 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=3): NAME (28 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=4): SCORE (31 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=4): STAGE (32 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure loop elt (index=4): NAME (35 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure simple elt: UNKNOWN (38 bytes read on 86)
TRACE: structure simple elt: TOP SCORE (41 bytes read on 86)
ERROR: Wrong SPECIAL ITEM COUNTERS value (0xCC) encoding detected: it can be due to a temporary corrupted .hi or nvram file
2020-07-06 08:40:42 PM MameHighScores.Parse: No new scores found to upload!

I then deleted the bublbobl.hi and also the config file. So no more references to this game in MAME dir (nvram was not present). Started again... same happens. I added the Highscore file, maybe someone have an idea?

Micha

bublbobl.hi

[Sascha-FFM]

I really love the Highscore feature of MAME in Launchbox. It adds so much fun to the games on my arcade-machine. I recently discovered that you can filter for all highscores of an individual. By that I found out that I would be number one world-wide in "Blasteroids". Well actually it is my 10 year-old son who played it recently.

Obviously this cannot be true. It appears that Blasteroids does not zero the score when you add coins and click continue. The highscore is therefore a bit worthless.
The corresponding name and score is RetroEppstein with a score of 761.238. You can delete this score.

Is there any way to detect that a score has been reached by using continues and automatically block these from making it into the lists? How can I prevent this of happening in the future? I would not want to miss the highscore feature, but would not want to prohibit my son (or myself) using continues. 

[neil9000]

3 hours ago, Sascha-FFM said:

I really love the Highscore feature of MAME in Launchbox. It adds so much fun to the games on my arcade-machine. I recently discovered that you can filter for all highscores of an individual. By that I found out that I would be number one world-wide in "Blasteroids". Well actually it is my 10 year-old son who played it recently.

Obviously this cannot be true. It appears that Blasteroids does not zero the score when you add coins and click continue. The highscore is therefore a bit worthless.
The corresponding name and score is RetroEppstein with a score of 761.238. You can delete this score.

Is there any way to detect that a score has been reached by using continues and automatically block these from making it into the lists? How can I prevent this of happening in the future? I would not want to miss the highscore feature, but would not want to prohibit my son (or myself) using continues. 

If a game allows continues and keeps your score then so be it. Most dont of course, but if they do thats how the original game worked, so its how it works here also.

[Sascha-FFM]

Thanks for responding, Neil. I will let my son know that he officially is number-one Blasteroids player in the world ? 

[angerman]

is there any problems with the high scores servers ??? lots of my games do not have high scores now ???!!!!

[chicoc]

None of my highscores save now, didn't have an issue a couple of days ago

Edit: Actually so far it's Bubble Bobble and Burgertime, some other are saving.

Edited September 21, 2020 by chicoc

[Jason Carr]

23 hours ago, angerman said:

is there any problems with the high scores servers ??? lots of my games do not have high scores now ???!!!!

Most likely this is just some kind of connection issue. I confirmed that nothing is wrong with the server, and everything shows up just fine on my end. However, the high scores won't show up in LaunchBox if it can't connect to the server.

3 hours ago, chicoc said:

None of my highscores save now, didn't have an issue a couple of days ago

Edit: Actually so far it's Bubble Bobble and Burgertime, some other are saving.

Please read the first post of this topic for instructions on how to debug issues. We'll need the log file in order to be able to help.

[Retro Arcader]

Hi Guys,

I just have a question that I can't see an answer to anywhere.

Does setting the difficulty or other dip-switches in games make a difference to uploading?  I'm old and tend to play games on easy.  Also, 1942 defaults to 2 lives but I was always used to playing it with 3 lives in the arcades.  If I have to leave them as default thats fine but just wanted to check if it makes a difference?

Awesome job by the way.

 

Craig

 

[DOS76]

yes it requires that all game be played with the dip switches on the default settings

 

[Retro Arcader]

11 hours ago, DOS76 said:

yes it requires that all game be played with the dip switches on the default settings

 

No problem, I'll reset the DIP switches.  I don't suppose the system is clever enough to recognize when its just a language switch?  On Shinobi for example, the mission text defaults to Japanese unless you change a DIP switch.

 

Also, I have one last question about Community High Scores.  Can I view them in BigBox?  there is a keymapping for "Show High Scores" but when I press it, BigBox crashes out to desktop.

[Jason Carr]

On 10/4/2020 at 1:18 AM, CavemanUK said:

No problem, I'll reset the DIP switches.  I don't suppose the system is clever enough to recognize when its just a language switch?  On Shinobi for example, the mission text defaults to Japanese unless you change a DIP switch.

Unfortunately no, all dip switches have to be at the default settings in order for high scores to work.

On 10/4/2020 at 1:18 AM, CavemanUK said:

Also, I have one last question about Community High Scores.  Can I view them in BigBox?  there is a keymapping for "Show High Scores" but when I press it, BigBox crashes out to desktop.

I just tested the high scores key mapping and it seems to be working fine for me, so that should be working. Can you check to make sure that you don't have multiple things mapped to that same key in your key mappings?

You can also get to the high scores by going into the game details and selecting View High Scores.

[Retro Arcader]

8 minutes ago, Jason Carr said:

Unfortunately no, all dip switches have to be at the default settings in order for high scores to work.

I just tested the high scores key mapping and it seems to be working fine for me, so that should be working. Can you check to make sure that you don't have multiple things mapped to that same key in your key mappings?

You can also get to the high scores by going into the game details and selecting View High Scores.

I think it must have been something like that as I deleted the big box config file and went back to defaults.  High scores then worked fine. 

[Rombo Deadfish]

I am using Mame .220.  My system isn't uploading High Scores and I am get this message in the log file: "Aborting MameHighScores.Parse: MAME appears to have cheats enabled."

The issue is that I don't even have the cheats installed, so it is not possible for them to be enabled.

Please Advise on how to resolve this. 

Debug 2020-10-11 04-34-58 PM.log Debug 2020-10-11 02-48-45 PM.log

[neil9000]

2 minutes ago, Rombo Deadfish said:

I am using Mame .220.  My system isn't uploading High Scores and I am get this message in the log file: "Aborting MameHighScores.Parse: MAME appears to have cheats enabled."

The issue is that I don't even have the cheats installed, so it is not possible for them to be enabled.

Please Advise on how to resolve this. 

Debug 2020-10-11 04-34-58 PM.log 11.55 kB · 0 downloads Debug 2020-10-11 02-48-45 PM.log 27.2 kB · 0 downloads

You dont have to have cheats downloaded for them to be enabled. Check your mame.ini and see if there is a 1 after the cheats, 1 is enabled 0 is not enabled.

[Rombo Deadfish]

7 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

You dont have to have cheats downloaded for them to be enabled. Check your mame.ini and see if there is a 1 after the cheats, 1 is enabled 0 is not enabled.

It is set to 0

mame.ini

[Elhora]

I just did a fresh install of Mame, and now, no more high-score are validated.

Whatever the game  i'm playing, no matter the high score i make, nothing is validated. The "Hi" directory in Mame remains empty (but maybe that's normal)  and the Debug always return "no high score found". But the fact is i did.  i made some screen capture for my AirGallet  session. As you can see on the capture, i should at least appear on the weekly ranking with my 308.000, but the only high score where i appear is the one i made last month.

Of course the cheat is not enabled, i joined the Mame file in case maybe something is wrong in it.

 

mame.ini Debug 2020-10-12 12-20-37 AM.log

Edited October 11, 2020 by Elhora

[JoeViking245]

Is hiscore turned on (set to "1") in plugin.ini?