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MAME for newbies...info?


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..hmmm, sounds complicated.  Seriously!

Yes configuring MAME is complicated. People who are not patient and proficient enough with computers will have trouble getting it running. At least the user needs to know how to handle compressed files. Those looking to use mame's artwork, other supplemental files, or setting up custom joysticks need to read the docs and be comfortable opening up text files. Auditing your roms falls entirely on the advance side IMO. Knowing to work the command line from Windows dos window also helps.

 

Now I'm sure I'm just being simple-minded here. but I have not a clue what all of you are on about. Not the detailed innards and command-line interfaces of MAME (that I can deal with), but the n00b side of things such as "how do I deal with .zip's" and game auditing. Though I could spend my time searching through MAME manuals for which-switch-does-what I really cannot be bothered when i. I just want to play a game and ii. the people who produced the front-ends have already done this and produced nice shiny GUI's for it. If simple front-ends are not what you're after (i.e. you're specifically after command-line interfaces, etc.) than I'm wrong and ignore me. Otherwise; what are you having trouble with? With EmuLoader, or just about any other front-end for that matter, the games are searched-for much like the media library in WinAmp, starting a game is a simple as double-clicking the entry in the game list, .zip's make not the slightest difference as a decompressor is included and game auditing is a matter of selecting it off the menu (which then returns a report on which are complete and what roms the 'failed' games are missing). Supplement files go in the appropriate directories and configuration is as complicated as telling EmuLoader "use this MAME.exe here". I never need touch command-line stuff.

 

For many guys here this stuff is second nature but there is always someone who isn't exactly a computer nerd.

 

...or I'm just spending too much time infront of a PC these days. Natch.

 

What version of MAME is the best to use?  In my MAME cab, I've been using MAME 32, just because the interface was easy to use. However there are now 20 or so different versions of MAME out there, and I wonder if one of them would be better? 

 

Tempest

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"Best"? Interfaces should be left to front-ends, unless you have a low-powered PC running things. The different versions of MAME are designed with different uses in mind -

 

MAME used to be your basic DOS port but now comes as a WIN32 command-line version.

"MAME 32" is your Pentium/Athlon/+ optimised version with built-in GUI.

I though there used to be a "Cocktail MAME" that included native video orientation switching for games that use it for cocktail-table-style cabinets, though it may have vanished / been absorbed.

"Advance MAME" provides better support and displays on actual arcade monitors (as opposed to PC monitors or generic TVs).

There was also "Laser-MAME", designed for use with special QM2000 laser-display kit - you can play MAME on the under-sides of clouds (no really - http://www.nightlase.com.au/lasermame/)

And various ports to other OS's; *nix, Amiga, BeOS, Etc.

 

Pick the version of MAME suited to your machine, a front-end you like and play. For a standard Windows PC, MAME or MAME 32 should be fine, unless you have special display considerations to deal with. Try http://www.mameworld.net/

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If simple front-ends are not what you're after (i.e. you're specifically after command-line interfaces, etc.) than I'm wrong and ignore me. Otherwise; what are you having trouble with?

Nothing. If you are going to work with a front end, chances are you will need to work with command line strings. Reading the tech docs that comes with an emu, opening up ini files, anything that requires manually setting up a text file in order to get an emulator running to that user's personal preferences are not exactly activities a newbie would do.

 

I never need touch command-line stuff.
If I were to use an emulator in my home computer I use every day, then I would probably never have to touch the command line. Like you said there are plenty of neat software available. It's when you want to run different emulators from a central front end where it becomes a necessity to use the command line. Edited by Dones
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I never need touch command-line stuff.
If I were to use an emulator in my home computer I use every day, then I would probably never have to touch the command line. Like you said there are plenty of neat software available. It's when you want to run different emulators from a central front end where it becomes a necessity to use the command line.

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Fair do's. I think ArcadeOS covers a large number of DOS-based emulators with a single front-end with minimal fuss, if that's the sort of thing you're after (there're a number of 'config' type files available that allow easy use with a fair number of common emulators).

 

Have we gone off at a tangent, though? ...wasn't the original post about getting MAME working at all, let alone in conjunction with multiple other emulators - where did that come in?

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...man, I'm just amazed at the possibilities though. It's really cool, but I'm so damn lazy, I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing it!...I wonder, if somebody here could list a 'to do' list maybe...like, 1...get the computer to run the programs 2...get Mame 32 or something...3..buy the cabinet, here's some choices (or build) 4...get the joysticks and such, from here...

 

..thanks for the info!

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...man, I'm just amazed at the possibilities though.  It's really cool, but I'm so damn lazy, I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing it!...I wonder, if somebody here could list a 'to do' list maybe...like, 1...get the computer to run the programs 2...get Mame 32 or something...3..buy the cabinet, here's some choices (or build) 4...get the joysticks and such, from here...

 

..thanks for the info!

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dreamauthentics has some really nice cabinets & sticks

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Have we gone off at a tangent, though? ...wasn't the original post about getting MAME working at all, let alone in conjunction with multiple other emulators - where did that come in?

Don't know man. You know how these topics rarely stay on track. Someone mentioning how complicated setting up mame sounded or something like that.

 

About ArcadeOS: I wonder how many people actually buy this software, considering everything else out there is for free.

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About ArcadeOS: I wonder how many people actually buy this software, considering everything else out there is for free.

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Que? So far as I knew ArcadeOS itself is free, though to be fair it is meant as an "integral part" of PC2JAMMA ... so it's probably useless without the hardware they sell. Fair call.

 

In that case try our old friend Zophar, though I've yet to build a cabinet or want a 'universal' front-end so you'd have to look through them all yourself for what you want. Maybe you or someone else could come up with a brief summary of them for us all, if you've time; http://www.zophar.net/frontends/universal.html

 

If for some reason you're unaquainted with Zophar, it may be worth a look through the rest of the site; plenty of links (though sometimes outdated) to many emulator projects for many different platforms.

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If you look around some guy released something called a "kaers arcade kit" or something like that. I'll have to look it up when I get home.

 

Basically it is a couple DVD sized bittorents that will automatically set up MAME, a couple other arcade emu's, and several console systems for ya. It's missing a couple williams titles and only works if installed in the default directory.

 

But it sure saves alot of time. Comes with screenshots, roms, and even some arcade songs/sound effects.

 

I was working on something based off of this and some (emumovies) available on another site. Was even creating emu movies for atari 8-bit games. But that kinda got pushed to the side for now.

 

Doesn't maximus arcade need to be bought? I'd try it, but 30 days is not enough time for me to thouroughly test a front end.

Edited by Shannon
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