Doom networking / UART bug

[Songbird]

You can also press 0 on the number pad to see some debug data printed. It's just a bunch of numbers, no labels, so it's hard to decipher unless you look at the source code. But it does print the contents of the two serial packets on a network error (however it will disappear after the short delay).

 

In previous debug iterations, I had the game freeze permanently on a network error. If the game is freezing on you, and not resetting the level, then either the wrong version got built into the ROM you're using, or there's a bug I introduced into the level reset code.

[+Saturn]

doom_n06_jiffi.rom from here

2x Jaglinks w/ original cable

Co-op

Difficulty mode: I'm a wimp

Area 7

 

Trying to add any pertinent info above.

A bit odd this time. I was able to use the all items and invincibility cheats on the console that my player is on but can't enable them on the other console.

Went directly right in the first hallway from the start position and opened the red door. Took player 2 and got him the blue key then put him back at the start.

Went around the map as usual until I was at the south part of the map and tried to enter a yellow door when it crashed.

Pressing 0 on both controllers did nothing. Player 2 console was frozen again but able to reset with * + #. Reset Player 1 console the same way but it took upwards of 10 seconds to restart the DOOM splash screen. During the 10 seconds the screen was dark like when one of these flat screens has the message 'no signal' on it.

 

Can you check the rom linked above and see if it's the right version? Or, edit and upload another one so that we're all sure it's exactly what's been compiled by your specs?

 

I'm playing again with a map open so I can locate the exact spot of the yellow door in question.

 

Here's a shot of my player 1 with the cheats enabled while looking at player 2

 

 

 

Edit:

Played again, took the shortest path to the exit and completed the level.

 

 

Edit:

Played Areas 8-10 w/ no drop, always leaving player 2 at the start pos. In Area 10 I was miles from p2 at the exit and no prob.

Guess I'll go back to 7, disable cheats and see if I can recreate the crash.

 

 

Edit:

Something else I noticed is there's only audio through player 1's TV while networking. I'll play as p2 and his sounds come through loud and clear but not on the TV the p2 console is connected to at all.

 

 

Edit:

Messed around with the controls and narrowed the enabled cheats ability down to whoever presses B first to connect.

Was playing Area 7 again and this time it crashed after I'd circled the upper portion of the map and was fairly close to the starting point. Loud repetitive "shock" sound and went to Attempting to connect screen on p1 while p2 was frozen. Pressing 0 did nothing.

 

 

Edit:

Just had a perfect game in Area 7. Took about 30 minutes, no cheats, went around the entire map and through the exit with no problem.

[+Saturn]

doom_n06_jiffi.rom from here

2x Jaglinks w/ original cable

Co-op

Difficulty mode: Nightmare!

Area 7

 

 

 

Playing on Nightmare! difficulty and pressed 0 at the start. Network crashed about 5 minutes in with this info on player 2 screen when it happened:

6

838

1775

50

 

470

37

165

229

738

 

450

 

Info on player 1 'attempting to connect' screen has:

FFFFFFFF

00000067

00009E4? (and rising. It started at all 0s and has been counting up for 10 minutes

[+Saturn]

Was playing single campaign in Area 3 with the Jags still linked but the other console running in attract mode.

About 10 minutes in they both froze... anyway

[Songbird]

OK, I'll have to take a look at the code again sometime to confirm that the v6 code I posted matches the latest code I tested. I'll also double-check what values get displayed on the screen. I print some extra information in the case of a serial packet failure, but you should always see the network error screen in that case followed by a level reset. I think the only extra information I print on a player position consistency failure is the number of network errors detected, which could be the rapidly incrementing value if the game got stuck somewhere such that all / many consistency checks were failing.

 

Some of the behaviors, like only one player displaying cheats etc. is not surprising, because the original source code had all cheats disabled. I think I only got it running on one player and didn't bother with the second player.

 

If the code does match, then I'll clean up the print statements and make it so they automatically display some debug variables whenever either error occurs. That way, anyone can try the code and grab a screenshot if they see the numbers show up.

[+Saturn]

Cool, I'll try to dig out my Diamond VCS 500 capturing device and record a game/crash. Put it on YT so it can be paused right at the last second (hopefully).

I have an Elgato plugged in atm but not sure if I still have the RCA/AV to HDMI adapter in reach.

[walter_J64bit]

Saturn is the MAN!

[+Saturn]

Hoping to at least help get this done. I'm having more fun playing DOOM now than ever and the prospect of having a bug free network is making it that much more exciting. I just learned how to compile the source and plan to splice together some of my own ROMs using Carl's work (jagonly.c)

Have yet to test my method of doing it but I don't have the Atari documentation or know enough about ASM to write the few lines of code necessary to drop the doom binary into ram and then have that look for the wad file. Which would help in making a DOOM II. But, I'll see what happens

 

(if anyone cares to help with the ASM code, I'm all ears )

[+Saturn]

Here's the (1st) video of a crash.

 

 

 

Was unique bc when player 1 game froze player 2 game kept going for a minute or two. I switched over to player 2, went to the location player 1 was out in the courtyard and toasted him with several shots from whichever weapon is on keypad #5. The shots didn't 'kill' player 1 but instead sent him sliding to the distance. I'd run up to him and repeat until the player 2 game crashed as well. Took a pic of the screen with my phone lol

 

 

 

 

Edit:

This is about as close as I could get to the end.