RE Sex and the City "Platnium"

[sccarlso]

Hi,

I saw in another post that while Sex and the City requires an IPC, that there was one version that would play as standalong on AVP 3.0.

I've not been able to find it listed anywhere, does anyone know the game ID for this game?

Not sure if it exists yet, but it was mentioned and no one chimed in saying it was false. 

Thanks!

[Stayouttadabunker]

They were talking about it in this thread...>>>

https://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=24746.0

[sccarlso]

Saw that, but in another thread >  https://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=35125.msg187573#msg187573

Fireball posted

Just an FYI:

SATC: Out on the town = Server required through a UC.
SATC: Platinum = UC  (will run SA)
Beverly Hillbillies = Server required through a UC.

While it's UC, I noticed "will run SA", or standalone.   Or at least that's how I read it. 

If so, was hoping someone might have a game ID for that title!

Thanks

[sccarlso]

Also can't find even a reference in any AVP manual for a "Universal Controller".

Is it named something else?   Looking for any info on a "UC" at all. 

[Tilt]

You probably won't find it in an AVP manual because it's an external piece of equipment.  Fireballjackpot has one for sale here:

https://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=40854.msg215889#msg215889

[sccarlso]

Ah ha.  Go figure!

Alas, more complicated and more expensive than an IPC...<meh>

Still wondering if the mention of "will run SA" means it can run without a UC and just standalone.   Finding par sheets for AVP titles that say if they will or not has been almost impossible.

Thanks for the 411!

[Stayouttadabunker]

Always remember, television and movie titles are nearly impossibe to find out in the wild.

[sccarlso]

So true!

But...   Sometimes you find a few breadcrumbs to follow and ya finally find what you're looking for! 

[FireballJackpot]

SATC Platinum will run stand-alone with a UC (Universal Controller).

The phrase "Stand-Alone" (SA) means that the progressive is "self-contained". Either with the EGM (Electronic Gaming machine (or) Game Cabinet) controlling (counting) the progressive internally OR the progressive controlled by an external device (UC, IPC, etc).

Stand-Alone also means it is not a WAP (Wide Area Progressive) game. WAP requires the casinos main frame (server) to control the progressive (donate to it) because the progressive is linked to other casinos and EGMs across the country. Megajackpots, Quartermania and IGTs ADSC are a few examples of Progressive Servers that link EGMs at different casinos together - Let them communicate with each other to all share the same progressive. Pretty cool thinking a person in Vegas playing a game is donating to the same progressive on a machine in Rhode Island and many other machines across the country. That's how many of those progressives are worth 7 digits.

You can't get access to a casinos server from your house, so WAP games cannot be played in your home.

Hope this helps explain what "SA", "WAP" and SA with controller are all about.

 

[sccarlso]

Appreciate the details Fireball!  Thanks!

Just going through game files, and other documentation and such.

Not everything is outlined clearly even in the PSR sheets!  For example I have a Ghostbusters bonus server, and another Ghostbusters Slime server.  Just for kicks I loaded/enabled it.  The lower monitor came up with the game promo, and looked ready to play, the progressives showed on top with all ?? by them.  But it's a 001 title.  But stopped there as it can't be on a multigame system, and I enabled it with other titles, so it locked up and couldn't do much else as it wouldn't cashout and couldn't ekey disable it because of that.  So might try it again with no credits and only the single title enabled.   Without any specific details, one would think that it runs in the background on a machine and the game itself can be loaded as well, as this "Bonus server" only needs 2GB.  And outlines if you clear nvram on the "server" you must clear it on the "clients".   Only game I've seen as I dig through with this type of setup where it's listed as a "Game", but the title is Ghostbusters Bonus Server".

But I'm guessing it has to point via network to a central casino server or such for most of these really good titles.   Which is a drag! But if a machine runs this "Server", heck, I'd even try to configure it to point to 127.0.0.1 (itself) and see what happens!  lol

I am finding some games where things like a spectrum display or other hardware is "optional".  So unless a PSR specifically states an IPC, or UC is "required", I figure why not give it a shot if it isn't listed as a WAP/IPC/UC game that says it's "required". 

[FireballJackpot]

SATC Platinum is Game: 2QD6. Requires a UC running UCG062A1

Ghostbusters is 2G2G and Requires a UC running 096A1

See photos below.

Hope this helps!

PS: If you want to run with the Big Dogs (Casinos), you have to dig deep or stay on the porch!   

[sccarlso]

lol, No kidding! 

Was wondering what the "Ghostbuster Bonus Server", and have the same for a few other games that need a UC (or IPC) was all about.

Pretty sure I figured it out.   The "Bonus Server" runs on the same architecture as an AVP machine.  But it only drives the main "big" display on top of a bank of machines.
Showing only an attract video, and the current progressives.  Which all show  for the amounts.  (no UC or IPC...)   Actually got it to run on my AVP just to see it running.  Drives the bottom screen with the attract video and progressive data on the top.  But that's all it does.

Machines in the bank get the std "Ghostbusters" software, and along with the IPC, will play, the UPC or UC tracks and passes data to this "Bonus Server" to display.

Interesting design, pretty innovative working within the limits of the machine capabilities to make a big system.

Given that these systems like an IPC or UC are pretty old as far as CPU/GPU power.  With the right code, something like an IPC could probably run on a Raspberry Pi 4B. 
It would be nice if there was a way to just disable progressives..   Like a "fooler" board for IPC's as done for a BB1 Fooler board.  Just so you could play the game standalone without progressives.     But I doubt the "home use" demand is there to drive someone to develop something like that.

Thanks for the detailed info.   I've learned a lot from ya!   

[FireballJackpot]

Ghostbusters "Bonus Server" requires 3) ABSC V2 controllers (V2 UC's). One acts as the Server and sign controller. And the others are 1 for each EGM (Clients).  SEE PHOTO. 

IPC's do not drive video. IPCs are not used with "Bonus Server" games, as they are limited in their abilities.

Any remote Progressive controller is designed to control a bank of machines (LAP or WAP) for security and jurisdictional requirements. Remember, these control peoples money and how much they can win. No room for errors on something like that - especially if an EGM goes off-line while also controlling a bank of machines!!  Your Raspberry would have to have a back-up of a back-up and do a lot of verifying to operate. In additional to the Optic ports and couplers for COMMs. You would be quicker to just rewrite the game code. Or better yet, just buy those PC CD's with IGT Slot Machines on them!        If your TIME is worth anything, just buy an IPC or UC for whatever game you're wanting to run!   

Some jurisdictions require a casino utilize a separate controller so progressive failures are pretty much eliminated. ABSC's even have a back-up HD in them in case of HD failure!. Gaming floor versatility would be another reason, I guess.   

Hope this helps!

[sccarlso]

A lot of large casino system work and money!

Too much for having 5 or so machines at home.
Just really fun games.  PC emulation works.  But it just isn’t the same. 😁

Much larger things have been opened up by a few coders though!

Back in ‘97 when DirecTv put up its first Satellite, a few coders hacked the cards.
So for the geek types.  All we needed was an ISO 7816 card emulator.

Find the right IRC chat, get the .bin file code.  And run a command to unlock all channels.  Good times! 

They shut it down.  Coders corrected for it.

They sent out 30 million new access cards.  Hacked again in 6 months.
But no emulation as the cards had a custom ASIC chip.

But they always found a programming hole to insert code to decrypt all channels.

Then they found a way to kill a card by looping it.  Coders came out with an “unlooper” device to fix it.

So some 8 years later, they issued another 30-40 million access cards that mostly secured it.  But there are still ways to do it.  It’s just a lot more work so it’s too much effort for most now.

But 8 years of free Sat TV that anyone with a computer and a simple device could do sure was neat.

Now the battle is IPTV.  Just a cat and mouse game.  Don’t need a satellite anymore, just hide your true IP address.  Who knows what’s next.  But that’s why myself, and many others just like to figure stuff out.  😁

Just a hobby like building ships in bottles.  lol

Many thanks for all the insight!  👍

[sccarlso]

Hopefully not a dumb follow up question for ya Fireball. 

I've read a LOT of PSR's.   The games, especially for the tall box games I've read the PSR on them, if they won't run standalone, they clearly list an IPC or UC as required in the PSR's.

Since "just for kicks", I had loaded the Ghostbusters Bonus Server on an AVP, and it loaded and ran (seemingly ok), but there's no player "input" for a Bonus server, it just displays an attract screen and the progressive numbers on the other.  However the two screens did display what you would expect for large displays over a linked bank of machines.

I read the PSR's for Ghostbusters, and Dark Knight, as well as the PSR's for their related bonus servers.  And unlike the other game titles that require an IPC or UC, none of these PSR's, even for the Bonus servers, have any mention whatsoever of an IPC or UC controller.  Just the Bonus server is listed as required in the game PSR's.

Is it just assumed that a Bonus server requires a UC? 

My thought is by the lack of mention of any IPC or UC in the PSR's is if you were to load a games Bonus server on one AVP as the only "game" enabled.  And give the Bonus server machine an IP address, and proper network settings.  Connect a network crossover cable from the Bonus server to another AVP.  And on the second AVP, load only the game, and configure it's network settings so it has an IP on the same subnet (thus no default gateway required), and set the AVP running the game itself (which is a client), to point to the IP of the AVP machine running the Bonus server.

Thus the AVP running the game, would be able to communicate with the seperate Bonus server on the network.  Meeting the requirements (at least as defined in the PSR's).

Kind of hacky.  lol    Does the rig you posted a pic of which is acting as the Bonus server just imply that for a Bonus server to actually function it needs a UC as well?   Perhaps just by the fact that it says it's a "MegaJackpot" game in the PSR's implies it's a wide area progressive?   Or can the "MegaJackpot" progressive be limited to just that bank of machines in a specific casino so all "client machines" participate in the progressive tracked on the Bonus server, and don't need to communicate with a wide area progressive unless configured to. And operate as a "local area progressive" if you will.

No need for detail, you've provided plenty!  If what I outlined is silly.   A reply of "won't work" is perfectly acceptable.  lol

Thanks!