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How to Get Started with MAME in Windows - newbie perspective
benarcade:
I wrote it from a newbie perspective. I'm not exactly a newbie. My first experience with MAME was with the first version back in the 90s - I just haven't been fooling with it for a while. I'm sure most of you guys know way more about it than I do now.
What I did was write up what I would have needed if I just wanted to play a few games as quickly as possible - just the bare minimum - with a few X-Arcade tips thrown in. There's lots more to know and learn, but for many people, they don't care what a ROM is, so long as they can play Pac-Man within 10 minutes of installing MAME32. They can learn all the other stuff later - if they want to.
BTW MAME (from mamedev) is still a command line program (aka DOS to me - but I'm old), although it is now written to run in the Windows DOS command line interpreter (cmd.exe). Saying it's not DOS is really splitting hairs. I didn't see any GUI versions at mamedev.org. I would NOT recommend newbies use the mamedev version as a first go at MAME.
Yenome:
--- Quote from: benarcade on February 08, 2013, 06:17:14 pm ---I wrote it from a newbie perspective. I'm not exactly a newbie. My first experience with MAME was with the first version back in the 90s - I just haven't been fooling with it for a while. I'm sure most of you guys know way more about it than I do now.
What I did was write up what I would have needed if I just wanted to play a few games as quickly as possible - just the bare minimum - with a few X-Arcade tips thrown in. There's lots more to know and learn, but for many people, they don't care what a ROM is, so long as they can play Pac-Man within 10 minutes of installing MAME32. They can learn all the other stuff later - if they want to.
BTW MAME (from mamedev) is still a command line program (aka DOS to me - but I'm old), although it is now written to run in the Windows DOS command line interpreter (cmd.exe). Saying it's not DOS is really splitting hairs. I didn't see any GUI versions at mamedev.org. I would NOT recommend newbies use the mamedev version as a first go at MAME.
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I must say i disagree i say that is exactly what they should do use the real program direct from the people who make it. in my opinion its the best way to learn from the basics. nothing is easier than grabbing mame from mamedev. getting a recent rom to match the mame. put it in the rom folder run mame highlight said rom hit enter enjoy. and yes it is a command line program but it is a windows command line program since dos has been compeletly removed from windows. even if cmd.exe seems dos to some of us old dos users. to prove how easy this way is my son was able to do it when he was 5. he couldnt read but he could go into the hard drive and down the folders to the emu of his choice and load a game up.
PL1:
--- Quote from: RyoriNoTetsujin on February 08, 2013, 04:43:55 pm ---
--- Quote from: Gray_Area on February 08, 2013, 04:31:58 pm ---I see Wiki above this thread......
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This is true, but the information the OP is going for isn't necessarily in the Wiki, at least not in a step-by-step, guide form. This is something that could certainly be put into the Wiki though, at some point - which is why it's worth a look at doing up right.
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Hate to break it to you guys, but nothing's going into the Wiki until either Saint or Sirwoogie fix the Wiki logins.
--- Quote from: saint on August 20, 2012, 08:59:57 am ---There is a problem with the logins related to the upgrade/move. We're (read that as sirwoogie since I just tend to break things when I go behind the scenes) having to rework the Wiki.
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The really bad news -- Sirwoogie hasn't logged in since November 9th and Saint hasn't responded to three PMs expressing concern about Sirwoogie's well being and respectfully asking if he has a backup plan if Sirwoogie doesn't return. :soapbox:
This is getting old, John -- I've been patiently waiting and trying to avoid airing this publicly, but you seem to be ignoring this issue. :timebomb:
Scott
Gray_Area:
--- Quote from: PL1 on February 09, 2013, 06:33:15 am ---The really bad news -- Sirwoogie hasn't logged in since November 9th and Saint hasn't responded to three PMs expressing concern about Sirwoogie's well being and respectfully asking if he has a backup plan if Sirwoogie doesn't return. :soapbox:
This is getting old, John -- I've been patiently waiting and trying to avoid airing this publicly, but you seem to be ignoring this issue. :timebomb:
Scott
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I don't know as John answers or checks PMs. If you have a question or something about the wiki....you can put it in..........WIKI DISCUSSION.
PL1:
--- Quote from: Gray_Area on February 11, 2013, 07:59:46 pm ---I don't know as John answers or checks PMs. If you have a question or something about the wiki....you can put it in..........WIKI DISCUSSION.
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Wiki Discussion -- where the subject has sat either ignored or unanswered since Saint's reply on August 20th, despite four (~monthly) bumps asking how things are going.
I brought it up in this thread because:
1. Other posters suggested adding new info to the Wiki
2. Bumps to the original post in Wiki Discussion and PMs don't appear to have been noticed by Saint and it pretty much sucks being ignored for months on end.
Scott