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FAQ input and feedback request
PL1:
I know that many people don't visit the wiki forum, so I figured I'd post a request here for your input and feedback on revising and updating CitznFish's decade-old, only-available-via-the-Internet-Wayback-Machine FAQ.
Whether you are a new-guy or a long-timer, your perspective can help to round out this revision.
The idea is to compile a basic foundation of information that people need to know in order to plan a build, know keywords for searches, and ask better questions in the forums.
What is needed:
- Topics
- Questions / answers
- Pics (as needed)
- Links to related wiki entries
- Links to related threads
- Corrections to any errors you see in the rough draft
Inputs from this thread will be consolidated into the original post of the wiki forum thread here.
Once the wiki logins are restored, we can transfer the questions, links, and photos to the BYOAC wiki. :cheers:
Scott
BadMouth:
I'd like to see a MAME guide for noobs. If a good one already exists, I'd like to see it linked to or duplicated.
Things they struggle with that they should be made aware of before they start:
>MAMEUI is not MAME. Hyperspin is not MAME. Games are launched in MAME via command line.
>This is what a command line looks like. This is how you enter it. Here are some extra things you can add to it.
>There are different revisions of MAME and roms. This is why. Not all of them work together. Sometimes you need bios or sound board roms also.
>Not all games in MAME work. They are in various states of progress. There should be a message telling you the emulation is incomplete.
>Due to the nature of emulation, even though your PC can run slick looking modern games, it might not be able to run old 3D arcade games.
EDIT: When posting for help, state what OS(especially if it's an unofficial stripped down version) & what revision of MAME you are running.
PL1:
How's this, BadMouth?
7.a.1. - What is an emulator?
A software program that duplicates the hardware, firmware/software, and gameplay of an older game system.
7.a.2. - What is a ROM?
For the original games - Read Only Memory chip(s) on the game board/cartridge that holds the program code for a game/game system.
For emulators - .ZIP file(s) containing a dump of the game/game system code.
7.a.3. - What are the different "flavors" of MAME?
MAME - The command line program that the other variants are based on.
MAME32, MAMEUI, or MAMEUIFX - Graphic User Interface (GUI) versions of MAME.
7.a.4. - Why won't this ROM work with the newer version of that emulator?
The game may not be fully functional yet. (Encryption issues, driver problems, incomplete ROM dumps, etc.)
There may be a more accurate "dump" of that game's ROM used by the newer emulator -- emulator and ROM versions must be compatible.
You may also need other driver files or a .CHD (Compressed Hunks of Data) hard drive image.
7.a.5. - How can I tell if my ROMs and emulator are compatible?
Use your emulator's "Audit" function to check the ROMs.
8. Forum tips for asking questions that get good/faster answers:
- Search first, somebody else has probably encountered this problem before -- don't ask people to retype the same old answers to the same old questions. :angry:
- Take your time editing the post so it is specific, clear, and easy to read.
- Whenever possible, include decent pics/screencaps/diagrams.
- Include software/OS versions if applicable.
- Include your location when asking about parts/vendors or electrical wiring. (different countries use different wire colors and/or voltages)
Scott
BadMouth:
I don't think that would do anything for someone who heard about MAME, googled it, and downloaded something labeled "MAME" from questionablesource.com. All they know is that they have "MAME" and the roms they got from pageofads.net, but it's not working.
The reason game selection was added to the official MAME was to end the complaints that nothing happened when they clicked on the exe.
Telling the person there are different "flavors" isn't going to help. They downloaded "MAME" so that's what they believe they have, even if it's not.
It would be better to have pics. i.e. this is what MAME looks like when you click the exe. If yours doesn't look like this, you don't have MAME.
You have something else, maybe one of the user interface versions.
The reasons given for why a rom won't work seem to address issues pertaining to them actually not being playable.
But this noob wants to play a game everyone else has working and they have seen it working on youtube. It works, so why won't it work for them?
Perhaps it's asking too much, especially since I'm not offering to do the work of writing it myself.
(It's on my "someday" list that I'll probably never get to).
I see noobs having the same issues over and over again and feel less like answering the same questions again as time goes on.
A general overview isn't really going to be much help to them.
Maybe this isn't something for an FAQ, but to be explained as part of a tutorial.
404:
Writing a FAQ is pretty easy IMO and i don't mean that as any disrespect to anyone that writes one.
I do however firmly believe that any FAQ won't be easily readable, findable and sustainable with the current segregation of the main page, forums and wiki.