Game list not matching choice

[naborneo]

I've been trying to organize my Naomi and Atomiswave, and getting them working with Demul.

I had everything working externally out of GameEX but when I tried to make sure it work in GameEX my selection list doesn't match my choice. But only on some, not all. So if I choice 18 Wheeler I get Alien something, but Marvel vs Capcon, I get Marvel vs Capcon. It's weird, any ideas?

GameEx.ini

log.txt

MAP FILES.rar

[nullPointer]

Just out of curiosity, have you been manually deleting games from your list (i.e. you're navigating your list and pressing the delete key to remove games)? I have had my list get out "out of synch" like you described when I've been removing games in this fashion. Luckily in my case it simply requires that I restart GameEx and everything is peachy again.

[naborneo]

Just out of curiosity, have you been manually deleting games from your list (i.e. you're navigating your list and pressing the delete key to remove games)? I have had my list get out "out of synch" like you described when I've been removing games in this fashion. Luckily in my case it simply requires that I restart GameEx and everything is peachy again.

Nope, i actually disabled that feature.

[naborneo]

Bueller?

[snarls]

I just experienced this too, but in my case it was because I was trying to use xpadder to map my gamepad to certaib keys for adding cheat codes. Are you using Xpadder ? Does your game choice work if you directly use your mouse to click the game?

[nullPointer]

OK there's a lot going on here, so we may have to peel back some layers before we can get to the bottom of it. I'm guessing that this is an issue with either the Naomi database or alternately the map file you're using. The exceedingly strange part is that some of these pictures don't match the map files that you posted. For instance in the first picture of the first post, I see 5 different versions of 18 Wheeler. The map file that's (ostensibly) being used - [Arcade] Naomi FULL.map - only has 3 entries for 18 Wheeler. There are a couple other discrepancies I can see as well.

So first things first, let's try to change some of your filters so we can determine what we're actually seeing here. Try altering the following settings:

• Change Use Database Name to false. This will ensure that the game name we're seeing in GameEx is actually the name listed in the Map file (Or a closer approximation - see Step 2.). So open up GameEx and see if this has helped matters. If everything has magically cleared up, then there's some incorrect name matching going on in the Naomi database. It's not terribly difficult to patch that up, but you'll need a database editor. If not let's move on to step 2.
  
• So everything is still wonky. This is starting to look like an issue with your Map file. First please insure the Map file you think you're using is the map file that you're actually using. Yes? Ok then. Please alter the following settings so we can see game names exactly as they appear in the map file:
  Replace Dashes = false
  Replace Underscores = false
  Remove Text in Brackets = false
  Now open up GameEx and take another look. Compare the list you're seeing in GameEx with your map file. Does everything look the same? Does every line in the Map file correspond to an entry in your GameEx list? Are the videos and whatnot still screwy? If so take a look at your Map file to insure that the proper ROM name corresponds to the right name in the list. Does everything seem to be good? If not let's go to step 3.
  
• Ok go back into the Setup Wizard change the Map File setting to blank (no mapping). Open up GameEx again. Next we're going to compare the list you see in GameEx with your artwork files. It may simply be that your artwork files are misnamed or poorly matched with your ROM set. Take a look at each entry in the list and find the corresponding artwork. Is the artwork named correctly for the ROM it represents? If you get this far you may need to do some renaming of artwork, but luckily the Naomi set is small enough that this shouldn't be a herculean effort.

If none of those steps provide some clue as to what's happening well ... damn ... I may be officially out of ideas. Good luck man!

[naborneo]

As far as MAP files goes, I decided to go the tedious route and add one name at a time from the FULL list. I got about 5 down before it started to flip games on me.

[naborneo]

• Ok go back into the Setup Wizard change the Map File setting to blank (no mapping). Open up GameEx again. Next we're going to compare the list you see in GameEx with your artwork files. It may simply be that your artwork files are misnamed or poorly matched with your ROM set. Take a look at each entry in the list and find the corresponding artwork. Is the artwork named correctly for the ROM it represents? If you get this far you may need to do some renaming of artwork, but luckily the Naomi set is small enough that this shouldn't be a herculean effort.

It opens up the game of the artwork and description not the one that is chosen on the list. That's the first thing I thought.

[naborneo]

OK there's a lot going on here, so we may have to peel back some layers before we can get to the bottom of it. I'm guessing that this is an issue with either the Naomi database or alternately the map file you're using. The exceedingly strange part is that some of these pictures don't match the map files that you posted. For instance in the first picture of the first post, I see 5 different versions of 18 Wheeler. The map file that's (ostensibly) being used - [Arcade] Naomi FULL.map - only has 3 entries for 18 Wheeler. There are a couple other discrepancies I can see as well.

So first things first, let's try to change some of your filters so we can determine what we're actually seeing here. Try altering the following settings:

• Change Use Database Name to false. This will ensure that the game name we're seeing in GameEx is actually the name listed in the Map file (Or a closer approximation - see Step 2.). So open up GameEx and see if this has helped matters. If everything has magically cleared up, then there's some incorrect name matching going on in the Naomi database. It's not terribly difficult to patch that up, but you'll need a database editor. If not let's move on to step 2.

Remind me to take your advice in order next time.

Turing off "Use Database Name" fixed the entire list.

Where is this database that was causing so many issues? How is this different then a MAP file? Also, should I be using the db or can I call it a day?

Thanks null, I owe you one.

[nullPointer]

Glad to hear we're getting to the bottom of it!

Basically if you turn on database mapping it will override the names in your map file. The database does the same thing as a map file in that it maps "regular" game names to ROM names, but it also does a lot more in that it links the game up with most of the metadata you see in GameEx such as the game description, date of publication, developer, publisher, etc.

So you've got a couple options here. You can simply use your map file which is a perfectly valid option ... except you lose out on that cool metadata for your games.

The next option is to simply replace the problematic database. The naughty little bugger at fault can be found in the following directory:

\GameEx\DATA\EMULATORS

And I believe the file name will be [Arcade] Sega Naomi.mdb. Try replacing that file with the database posted here. I'm guessing that will help matters (be sure to follow the additional instructions Flash lists in the linked post).

If that still doesn't do the trick it will come down to making manual updates to the database. If you want to update the mdb you'll pretty much need to use MS Access. Some have reported success editing mdbs with Open Office and/or Libre Office, but I've never had much luck going that route. If there's a db3 file present (with the same file name) you can edit that using one of the editors linked above without too much difficulty (but you'll want to rename the mdb).

[naborneo]

Glad to hear we're getting to the bottom of it!

Basically if you turn on database mapping it will override the names in your map file. The database does the same thing as a map file in that it maps "regular" game names to ROM names, but it also does a lot more in that it links the game up with most of the metadata you see in GameEx such as the game description, date of publication, developer, publisher, etc.

So you've got a couple options here. You can simply use your map file which is a perfectly valid option ... except you lose out on that cool metadata for your games.

The next option is to simply replace the problematic database. The naughty little bugger at fault can be found in the following directory:

\GameEx\DATA\EMULATORS

And I believe the file name will be [Arcade] Sega Naomi.mdb. Try replacing that file with the database posted here. I'm guessing that will help matters (be sure to follow the additional instructions Flash lists in the linked post).

If that still doesn't do the trick it will come down to making manual updates to the database. If you want to update the mdb you'll pretty much need to use MS Access. Some have reported success editing mdbs with Open Office and/or Libre Office, but I've never had much luck going that route. If there's a db3 file present (with the same file name) you can edit that using one of the editors linked above without too much difficulty (but you'll want to rename the mdb).

Edited:

With the datebase on and the MAP off, the game list (kinda)shows up correctly with metadata, BUT because my ROMs are all in the MAME folder, it thinks I have 28,546 games, the ones in the database show the full name while the rest show the filename minus ".zip"

With the database off and the MAP on, the game list shows up correctly with no metadata and the correct 175 game list.

With database on and MAP on the game list shows up correctly with some having incorrect metadata with the correct 175 game list. Also the choice of game is based on the metadata that is showing not what is chosen from the list it's self.

I am using Flash's new database

I just find it strange I'm the only one with this issue. My roms are complete to .150 and checked based on ClrMamePro. Owe well, I guess I'll just stick with the MAP file.

[nullPointer]

Just to verify, did you rename the Naomi db3 file when you copied Flash's mdb into the database directory?

So, I would turn off the map file, rename the old db3 file, and add the file I have post here.

[naborneo]

Just to verify, did you rename the Naomi db3 file when you copied Flash's mdb into the database directory?

i reedited my last post, I tried with part success.

[nullPointer]

With database on and MAP on the game list shows up correctly with some having incorrect metadata with the correct 175 game list. Also the choice of game is based on the metadata that is showing not what is chosen from the list it's self.

It sounds like this might be the best solution if we can make it work. When you say the metadata is incorrect, is the issue pretty much a duplicate of the originally reported problem or is any better/worse? If it turns out to be a database issue I might be able to tweak the database a bit to make it work for you.

[naborneo]

It sounds like this might be the best solution if we can make it work. When you say the metadata is incorrect, is the issue pretty much a duplicate of the originally reported problem or is any better/worse? If it turns out to be a database issue I might be able to tweak the database a bit to make it work for you.

Yea, the on/on option is also the original post issue.

I'm not sure if it's because the database is not complete or what. The database internal file names which where their matched the file names of the MAP file, although the MAP was much more complete.

I'm outta troubleshooting ideas.

[snarls]

ok so i was way way off - glad you got it sorted - but it was weird I was experiencing a similar problem but because of xpadder keys - i'd select GTA and Dogs Life would run. It was just based on what keys I mapped that alphabetically selected games. lol nothing to do with your issue at all....

[naborneo]

ok so i was way way off - glad you got it sorted - but it was weird I was experiencing a similar problem but because of xpadder keys - i'd select GTA and Dogs Life would run. It was just based on what keys I mapped that alphabetically selected games. lol nothing to do with your issue at all....

Ive had that issue when xpadder didn't exit properly after exiting an emulator, every movement was jumping around the screen, freaked me out at first haha.