Questions on MAME (believe it or not?!)

[mcr]

Archived from groups: alt.games.mame (More info?)

1) Is MAME32 just MAME with a frontend. I know the question is quite
ridiculous, but I dont see how MAME32 can give different errors in MAME
on the same driver? I havent seen it myself, but I thought that the
core was the same. Why do they not support MAME32 bug reports (about
games) in mametesters?

2) Is it technicallly possible to remove the front end from MAME32 and
have it so it interracts with an EXE in a folder, and still has the same
functionality? So to upgrade MAME32 0.99u3 to 0.99u4 all I would have
to do is drop the new EXE in the MAME folder. I am not against MAME32
or anything (I use it myself), I am just confused over WHAT differences
there are on a driver level between MAME32 and MAME.

3) Why does Highscore.dat interfere with MAME (or MAME32's for that
matter) drivers in terms of bug reports. If it does interfere, is there
a 'switch' someone can use to turn that DAT on and off?

4) Idea! MAME should have a report a bug key, when you press it, it
informs you of highscore.dat problem, offers to run it without the dat
file (if you run it to retest) and when you are certain it is broken, it
writes a txt file in standard notation like

"GAME: puckman.zip
type of error...
etc..

Write the bug here:"

I know this would require some work, but it would cut down on the stupid
bug reports, and be sure the correct driver is being written about,
rather than some noob say Pacman is broken. (In my example it is the
puckman romset). It would not report drivers that are broken, but would
come up with a reminder that the driver is broken and would refuse to
issue the report!)

5) Have an expert mode.. perhaps a hidden switch. One where the nags
dont come up and the game just runs. (If you try a bug report in a
broken driver and you press the bug report key, then the nag screen
would re-appear telling you that the game is broken!).

If mametesters only took bug reports via the reporting tool, then you
can ensure that you are not getting derirative build errors, by asking
derirative MAME builders to omit the bug report code!

I dont expect these changes! I am not demanding them, just an idea.
--
MCR
MAME(tm) - History In The Making
www.pleasure-dome.org.uk

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.mame (More info?)

Hi,

> So to upgrade MAME32 0.99u3 to 0.99u4 all I would have
> to do is drop the new EXE in the MAME folder.

You can do that.

As long as no major format changes in support files happen
this works fine and those changes would break "regular MAME"
in the same way.

> 3) Why does Highscore.dat interfere with MAME (or MAME32's for that
> matter) drivers in terms of bug reports.

The information in Highscore.dat is used to manipulate the state
of the emulated machine in a way external to what the emulated
chips would do. So almost any malfunction can be caused by entries
in Highscore.dat.

> If it does interfere, is there a 'switch' someone can use to
> turn that DAT on and off?

Dunno. You could always run through batch files that move highscore.dat
away if you dont want to use it.

Ciao, MM
--
Marian Aldenhövel, Rosenhain 23, 53123 Bonn. +49 228 624013.
http://www.marian-aldenhoevel.de
"It's easy to make a small fortune in aviation,
provided you start with a big one"

 

[mcr]

Archived from groups: alt.games.mame (More info?)

Marian Aldenhövel wrote:
> Hi,
>
>> So to upgrade MAME32 0.99u3 to 0.99u4 all I would have to do is drop
>> the new EXE in the MAME folder.
>
>
> You can do that.

Ahh.. I know where your coming from, but I mean if the front end was
seperate from the MAME code.

> As long as no major format changes in support files happen
> this works fine and those changes would break "regular MAME"
> in the same way.
>
>> 3) Why does Highscore.dat interfere with MAME (or MAME32's for that
>> matter) drivers in terms of bug reports.
>
>
> The information in Highscore.dat is used to manipulate the state
> of the emulated machine in a way external to what the emulated
> chips would do. So almost any malfunction can be caused by entries
> in Highscore.dat.

Ah... I dont use hi-score.dat anyways, I was just curious.

>> If it does interfere, is there a 'switch' someone can use to
>
> > turn that DAT on and off?
>
> Dunno. You could always run through batch files that move highscore.dat
> away if you dont want to use it.

Perhaps a DAT switch should/could be added to MAME?

> Ciao, MM

Ciao & Thanks, MCR
--
MAME(tm) - History In The Making
www.pleasure-dome.org.uk