F1/F2 "quick save"/"quick load" often adds phantom tape data
Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 3:11 pm
Loading tapes with F2 has always been a problem for me to the point where I never actually use it, preferring instead to fast-forward through several minutes of tape at each retry, since that actually works consistently. Allowing partial tapes to play through to completion and recording from where they left off is excessively prone to desyncs. Attached is an example you can test with, taken from one of the more notable chokepoints I ran into while optimizing BD2K3 level 39. Rockford has just moved 64 frames right, and the route I eventually settled on was to move an additional 61 frames right, 8 up, 8 right, stand still for 1 frame, and 61 down before passing into the next room. Adding on that sequence after playing the tape to 1:41.36 will work and save without a hitch, but if I load that tape with F2, input the sequence, and save the tape again, it ends up inserting a 04 0C (12 frames up) in between the two chunks of rightward movement in the tape file, for no good reason. Adding to the mystery is that
some sequences (even a few that start with Right) do save properly after a load, but with no way to tell if it's going to work beforehand, I'm just staying away from the feature until I know it's no longer adding bogus input to the tape.
Unlike some other bugs that I've been able to patch away on my local installation, I haven't been able to track down what's causing this, and since a suitable workaround exists (using the normal tape control buttons instead of F1/F2) I'm probably less inclined to look.
some sequences (even a few that start with Right) do save properly after a load, but with no way to tell if it's going to work beforehand, I'm just staying away from the feature until I know it's no longer adding bogus input to the tape.
Unlike some other bugs that I've been able to patch away on my local installation, I haven't been able to track down what's causing this, and since a suitable workaround exists (using the normal tape control buttons instead of F1/F2) I'm probably less inclined to look.