Universe Bios 3.2 released!

aha2940

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Hi

Does the UniBIOS save the high scores both to backup ram and memory card when used on an MVS? if so, can it save only to memory card and only use the backup ram if memory card can't be used (for instance, with NGDev games)? it may sound silly, but it's annoying losing the high scores on NGDev games whenever I play too many different games. My current CMVS does not have a memory card, but I am preparing a 2-slot CMVS with memory card slot, therefore this feature might make sense. Is it possible?

Thanks!!
 

Razoola

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No it does not and what you are suggesting is not possible for a couple of reasons.

1) Unibios NGDEV games are not supported in the unibios memory card saving due to the games locking out the unibios during gameplay.
2) The backup memory is also used for saving DIP settings.

Raz
 

aha2940

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No it does not and what you are suggesting is not possible for a couple of reasons.

1) Unibios NGDEV games are not supported in the unibios memory card saving due to the games locking out the unibios during gameplay.
2) The backup memory is also used for saving DIP settings.

Raz

Thanks Raz

So if I understand correctly, when you say "No it does not" it means the unibios does not save to both, backup ram and memory card, correct? if so, I'd assume it would only save to memory card and leave backup ram unused?

Thanks!
 

Razoola

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It does save to both but not to memory card for games not supported.
 

aha2940

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It does save to both but not to memory card for games not supported.

Ah, I see. Sure, unsupported games like NGDevTeam ones do not save high scores to memory card, I get that. However the feature request is (I think I was not clear the first time): If saving HS to memory card, do not save them to backup RAM too. However if not saving HS to memory card (for whatever reason), then save HS to backup RAM. What this would achieve (IMHO) is that all the supported games would have their HS saved to the memory card only, and unsupported games (there are a few AFAIK) would have their HS saved only to backup RAM, therefore they would not be overwritten so easily when changing carts.

Thanks!!
 

Razoola

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I answered already the first time. BackRAM must save given it saves more than just Highscores, as I mentioned it saves softdips for example. Its that simple.

As it works already scores should not be lost if you clear backupRAM anyway and the score is already saved on memorycard. Your simply talking about games where it is not possible to save highscores to memory card.

If you want NGDEV games to also keep scores on the memory card on MVS hardware you will need to ask NGDEV to add that.
 

aha2940

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I answered already the first time. BackRAM must save given it saves more than just Highscores, as I mentioned it saves softdips for example. Its that simple.

As it works already scores should not be lost if you clear backupRAM anyway and the score is already saved on memorycard. Your simply talking about games where it is not possible to save highscores to memory card.

If you want NGDEV games to also keep scores on the memory card on MVS hardware you will need to ask NGDEV to add that.

I understand the NGDevTeam games do not support the UniBIOS and I know nothing can be done for that. I am not asking for them to save on the memory card, I know they only save to the backup RAM. What I wanted was that all the supported games saved only to the memory card, so that they do not overwrite the NGDevTeam saves when I play more than 8 different carts, but it's not possible. Just silly question: can't the dip settings be also saved to the memory card instead of backup RAM? :P

Regards and thanks Raz :)
 

Razoola

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Yes they can but it still won't stop games loosing their data once more than 8 games are added. I would suggest if your not going to request the feature from NGDEV that you make a PC2NEO parallel or get the USB version and keep a backup of your backupRAM.

Raz
 

aha2940

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Yes they can but it still won't stop games loosing their data once more than 8 games are added. I would suggest if your not going to request the feature from NGDEV that you make a PC2NEO parallel or get the USB version and keep a backup of your backupRAM.

Raz

It's not hat I'm not going to ask the feature from NGDev, I already asked them about their games supporting the UniBIOS but their reply was that they disabled it on purpose to avoid piracy. If that makes sens or not, I don't know but it's what they told me, so that option seems a no go. I'll research more on the NEO2PC feature, it seems it may be a nice workaround for what I am trying to achieve.

Thanks Raz :)
 

gamerwhat

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Does that mean the 9th game you play will erase the oldest game data on the backupRAM, but not on the memory card?
 

aha2940

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Does that mean the 9th game you play will erase the oldest game data on the backupRAM, but not on the memory card?

If you play original carts, yes. If you use a multicart, it seems they erase the backup RAM every time you change game. At least the 161-in-1 does.

Regards.
 

Razoola

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I can't talk about what those do and do not do as I have no experience. What you say would not surprise me in the least given they way they treat the memory card.
 

PSICODROMO

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I have request for a future updates. Acces to setting mode (Soft Dips) from the Unibios main menu or ingame menu,to avoid having to press the test button whenever you want to change some parameters of the game, like enable the red blood in the Metal Slugs, change the set time in Windjammers... or also add the option to enable the red blood in Metal Slug from the cheats ingame menu.
 

Razoola

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I have request for a future updates. Acces to setting mode (Soft Dips) from the Unibios main menu or ingame menu,to avoid having to press the test button whenever you want to change some parameters of the game, like enable the red blood in the Metal Slugs, change the set time in Windjammers... or also add the option to enable the red blood in Metal Slug from the cheats ingame menu.

Not all the softDIPs work that way. Many games read the softDIPs only once at the game cycle and store vars in other areas or RAM so altering them midgame will not help anything until the game cycles again so there is no gain over pressing the testmode button. In your winjammers example even it what you suggest would work it would not take effect until the next game/round so again I don't see the difference between using the ingame menu when you can simply enter test mode.

Given that softDIPs are saved in backupRAM there is not really much point to touch them once set anyway unless your changing multiple games all the time. The only place it could possibly help is multicarts but then those would be resetting any softDIPs you anyway so again its pointless.

Raz
 

PSICODROMO

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then you could implement an option to enter the settings menu of the board from the main menu of the Unibios?, even if it means a reset. And add the option for the red blood in the cheats menu for the Metal Slug saga?

Psico
 

Razoola

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I have already implemented an option to get into these settings, you can press BCD from the splash screen to get into test mode.

So there are three methods to get to the softDIP settings, a 4th does not make things any easier from a MVS standpoint. You can either use the test mode button after the splash screen has gone, press BCD during the splash screen (to get to test mode) or turn on hardDIP 1 before power on. The bonus of using test mode on top of all of that is you get to change softDIPs for games that are not on the system.

Maybe you did not know about the BCD option and simply don't have a testmode button wired up?
 

PSICODROMO

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oohh! thanks Raz, I didn't know that I could access to the test mode using BCD in the splash screen, this solves all my issues. Now is much more easy control all the settings for each game from the stick.
 

PSICODROMO

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I'm testing a Casio PCMCIA memory card, using a MV2F and Unibios 3.2, correctly name formated ending with "!", and save correctly the games progression in the card, but I have a issue with saving high scores, when the game saves the high score in the card? works in non-hacked games in multigames cartridges? save the high score if you are using cheats like autofire or infinite credits in Metal Slug for example?
 

Razoola

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You cannot use cheats when saving highscores to avoid the table getting scores that are not genuine. Scores are saved after game over and it works on multicarts.

Raz
 

PSICODROMO

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Then this solves all my doubts.

I think that would be better give the option to save using cheats, or at least give the option to enable save using cheats from unibios main menu,

Some times I play with my childrens to Metal Slugs and they want use autofire and infinite credits in AES mode, and then they want do competitions of high scores, and the same for Aero Fighters, or Puzzle Bubble with the help line...

Another question, if I use a memory card then backup ram works for show the high scores of the last 7 games? what have priority?

Think about this for the next unibios update.

Thanks Raz
 

Razoola

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Using cheats will always disable highscore saving, its been done with the intent to keep hiscores under non cheat settings. highscores will still be remembered if you use cheats however until the system is reset.

The memory card highscore has priority over backupRAM.
 

aha2940

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Hi

A quick question: is it possible to put an option to disable the crash handler of the UniBIOS? make it like the original BIOS which just restarts on crash? I believe at this point the UniBIOS is mostly perfect and most crashes are due to dirt in the carts, and (at least for me) is annoying having to power off and on the AES/CMVS when something crashes. I'd rather just have it reboot, and if needed, enable the crash handler manually later.

Thanks!!
 

Razoola

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Yes, you can enable the arcade protect feature to do that. It will limit access to the unibios settings also (you need to press ABC+TESTMODE) to enter the main unibios settings screen.
 
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