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Mame Devs Part of BYOAC?
SavannahLion:
--- Quote from: CheffoJeffo on March 28, 2007, 02:06:21 pm ---SL -- who said that we should restrict viewing the forums ?
--- End quote ---
You know, I did get way off point on that one didn't I?
I didn't intend to focus so much on restricting views on forums. I was originally referring to MYX's suggestion to make reading the FAQ mandetory. In retrospect, I did misread the part about not contacting the MAMEDev's but it was too late to take it back after Drew answered. Oh well, I dig my own holes.
You can't really force people to do anything, much less read a FAQ, EULA, or anything of the sort. Coercing people to read the FAQ achieves much better results. BYOAC does it right, in one way, by noting the FAQ has bookmarks of interest. The bookmarks alone saved me a lot of Google time.
To be fair though, I didn't register because of the forums, I registered because of the Wiki. But since the Wiki is oddly restricted at work, I'm left to my own devices here until I get home.
Boz:
Can everyone hear that?
Saint's heavy footsteps are getting louder.
FrizzleFried:
Aaron Giles said...
--- Quote ---* If someone wants to maintain a build of MAME with hiscore.dat support in it, please by all means do it. Just follow the rules and things will be fine. If such a build turns into the "game players'" port of MAME, even better. I'd personally welcome such a derivative, as it would be presumably built by and for people who are interested in the issues that people complain about here.
--- End quote ---
How is that any different than providing a link to the DIFFs? Hell, people are less inclined to compile their own so it would get less exposure. Are the diffs themselves a part of MAME and under the same Terms of Use or are they something 3rd party that then gets compiled in to MAME?
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: MYX on March 28, 2007, 08:11:14 am ---You know, there is a rules of the forum sticky. I think it should be a mandatory read before their membership is accepted. Perhaps a have read and understand the rules of this site. (things like demanding answers on their first post without first searching).
It might be mentioned that newbs not address a MAMEDev until they have some sort of understanding as to what their intentions are with the project. We do get nailed as a whole because a newb starts shooting off about THEIR needs even though it goes totally against the MAME goals.
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Read my explanation again. I am not a newb on MW or certainly on this forum. I was trying to post a link to source changes on a public MW forum, but the changes were somewhat against the spirit of the MAME license, and one of the devs objected and I removed the link. Simple enough, no hard feelings, problem solved.
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: FrizzleFried on March 28, 2007, 03:41:47 pm ---Aaron Giles said...
--- Quote ---* If someone wants to maintain a build of MAME with hiscore.dat support in it, please by all means do it. Just follow the rules and things will be fine. If such a build turns into the "game players'" port of MAME, even better. I'd personally welcome such a derivative, as it would be presumably built by and for people who are interested in the issues that people complain about here.
--- End quote ---
How is that any different than providing a link to the DIFFs? Hell, people are less inclined to compile their own so it would get less exposure. Are the diffs themselves a part of MAME and under the same Terms of Use or are they something 3rd party that then gets compiled in to MAME?
--- End quote ---
I can't speak for Aaron, but I will give my take on this.
Posting a link to the diff's that add high-score support back in would apparently be acceptable to Aaron, and a game players version of MAME is basically what we had with PowerMAME (RIP). Arbee, smf, probably Haze and some of the other devs didn't like it, and therefore, (in retrospect) it probably was not a good idea to post a link to it in a public forum that they frequent - not a violation of the forum (MW) rules, but more of a social faux paux.
Posting a compiled binary with hi-score support added and using MAME in the name (basically what Leezer was doing) or not making a link to the source code changes would require coordination with Aaron over the new MAME trademark and licensing rules.
The source data changes that I posted links to also remove nag screens and change the behaviour of the crosshairs in gun games and some of the inputs. PowerMAME considered just adding a mame.ini option line to turn off the nag screens (leaving them on by default) and was told that the MAME license did not allow it. I'm not sure if the binary could have been released legally with the option to not show the nag screens and the name changed to not reference MAME (MikeQ's emu or BYOAC-ARC-EMU), but you still have issues with re-using the mame code in a non-licensed product. (And bottom line, we don't want to do something that prompts MAMEdev to discontinue public releases of the project, which could ultimately be the result).
AFAIK, modifying the source code and posting source code patches and links to the source code patches is acceptable, but probably best not to do it on basically a MAMEdev forum. I would not have announced it on the MAME\General Serious board, but since it was a MW News Submission topic already dealing with it, I (incorrectly) thought it was appropriate.
Perhaps Aaron will clarify his stance and I would like to hear his views on the subject.