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ID Category [?] Severity [?] Reproducibility Date Submitted Last Update
08054 Gameplay Minor Always Aug 16, 2021, 08:59 Aug 17, 2021, 00:02
Tester Wulfaz View Status Public Platform MAME (Official Binary)
Assigned To Resolution No change required OS Windows 10 (64-bit)
Status [?] Closed Driver
Version 0.234 Fixed in Version Build 64-bit
Fixed in Git Commit Github Pull Request #
Summary 08054: rpatrol, rpatrolb, rpatroln: Contact with crocodile doesn't register hit
Description I am new to Mame Testers. I am open to feedback to learn.

In River Patrol and its clones (riverpatrolb, riverpatroln) except Silver Land, whenever the boat hits the crocodile, the loss of life sound plays, but other than that nothing happens (no fuel penalty or someething similar).
Steps To Reproduce Simply go into a crocodile. There are a couple a crocodiles in Stage 1.
Additional Information
Github Commit
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Regression Version
Affected Sets / Systems rpatrol, rpatrolb, rpatroln
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3
User avatar
No.19149
jkburks
Tester
Aug 16, 2021, 10:15
edited on: Aug 16, 2021, 12:14
River Patrol works correctly. There is no fuel meter in this game.

The Water Gage is measuring the rate at which the boat is filling with water. It is stated on the Japanese instruction card that the game is about "maneuvering a patrol boat with a hole in the bottom to the upper reaches of the river before it sinks, using the control lever and propulsion button."

During gameplay the water meter is filling at a set rate. This is effectively the level time-limit. If the water gage fills completely, your patrol boat sinks. You need to pilot the boat to the dam before this happens.

When the game detects a collision with the crocodile, it temporarily increases the water inundation rate for a couple of seconds. It is a DOT (damage over time) effect. So touching the crocodile gives you less time to collect drowning men before you need to reach the dam to complete the level.

Similarly when the vortex / whirlpool grabs the player's boat, the inundation rate increases dramatically. The way you escape the vortex is to press the button exactly when the boat is facing UP on the screen. Once you break free from the vortex the inundation rate returns to normal and that vortex can't be triggered a second time.
User avatar
No.19150
Wulfaz
Tester
Aug 16, 2021, 11:34
I see. I thought Water Gage was some sort of mistranslation for fuel.
So, practically you have a sinking boat and you got to complete your duty before you sink.

Thanks for the info! Then, I guess this thread should be closed.
User avatar
No.19151
jkburks
Tester
Aug 16, 2021, 12:22
Don't let this discourage you from continuing to look for bugs. There are many issues with MAME that remained unreported for decades. All it takes is somebody to show some interest.