Derivative Mame versions...why?

[rchadd]

(not sure if this is dumb question or not...)

why are the other versions of Mame available - No Name Mame, AdvanceMame, AnalogMame etc....

I can understand having ports for different platforms (dos,w32,linux,mac etc) but why have derivative versions with modified "features".

wouldn't it be better if all the features of the derivative versions were simply added into regular Mame itself?

it seems like an inefficient way to develop because the developers would have to implement the new functionality every time there is a new release of mame. maybe i am wrong?

[Howard_Casto]

It is a dumb question after you do some research....

Mame devs don't approve everything... what features they consider "hacks" other people might still want to use.  

Mame devs don't allow in newer games, gambling games, simulations or homebrew games.  Some builds soley add these back in.  

Answer your question?

[rchadd]

suppose everybody just wants to do it "their way"

BTW: take a chill pill mate!

[abrannan]

BTW: take a chill pill mate!

Again, dumb suggestion if you've read these boards much.  Howard is, well, blunt with questions he feels waste his time.  Many a person has shaved years off of their life due to high blood pressure arguing with Howard over his style.  It ain't worth it, 'cause he ain't gonna change.  

[Howard_Casto]

suppose everybody just wants to do it "their way"

BTW: take a chill pill mate!

What are you talking about?  I wasn't upset at all, you asked if it was a dumb question and I said yes.  You see unlike others out there who will use white lies to make people feel better I tell you the truth.  I've found in life it's better to be honest.  So if telling the truth is being rude, then yes, I'm extremely rude.  

But don't misunderstand, just because I'm straight-forward, doesn't mean I'm sitting on this end steaming mad.  Quite the contrary, I seldom give these posts a second thought.  Rest assured if you upset me you'd know it.  I drove people off of this board when I've felt that they disrespected myself or the community.  

hehe I often find it fascinating that people tell me to "chill" or calm down when they are on the other end all ticked off and I'm wondering why they got so upset.  

[nipsmg]

plus, saying....

(not sure if this is dumb question or not...)

is asking for it.. :-D

[Buddabing]

(not sure if this is dumb question or not...)

why are the other versions of Mame available - No Name Mame, AdvanceMame, AnalogMame etc....

I can understand having ports for different platforms (dos,w32,linux,mac etc) but why have derivative versions with modified "features".

wouldn't it be better if all the features of the derivative versions were simply added into regular Mame itself?

it seems like an inefficient way to develop because the developers would have to implement the new functionality every time there is a new release of mame. maybe i am wrong?

Howard mentioned that people add features that are missing in the normal mame source.

There are also licensing conflicts which prevent certain features from being added into MAME. (MPEG, for example)

Rather than being an "inefficient" way to develop, having derived works is a much more efficient way to develop. Changes are made faster and more easily, and developers don't have to work with the change control that the MAME devs do. Plus, freedom to explore one's own projects is always a good thing.

I wouldn't consider your question dumb. There are much worse, such as "\/\/h3r3 r teh r0mz0rs d00d?"

[Lilwolf]

I think analog+ mame is the ultimate in derivative builds..

it adds the ability to use real arcade equipment with mame as close as possible.

like the 12way SNK rotaries.

the boards themself take 12 inputs for which direction they where pointing.

next, the mame developers added a mouse interface to the front of that... so they / and most people could play with their mouse at their desktop.

The key interface was sitting ontop of the analog interface... so holding down 'L' or "R' will control a fake analog input (mouse) and then control the original 12 inputs.

IE, in mame... to get a keyboard to control Ikari warriors it now goes through 3 levels...   Each removing some of the accuracy.

Then analog+ went in, added a connection directly to the driver level for 12 inputs...  

So if you now have a true 12 way joystick... add analog+ mame... and you are as close as possible.

[Howard_Casto]

If you want to get technical, no name mame is the ultimate derivative....

it has all of analog+, all of sirp's hacks, all of the mame plus features and more.  

It might be overkill, but if you have it then you pretty much don't need another derivative build.  

[rchadd]

is this going to become a my mame is better than your mame conversation?  

[Spaced Invader]

is this going to become a my mame is better than your mame conversation?  

Not from what I see...but it does look like you got a lot of smart answers to your "dumb" question.  

[Lilwolf]

I consider NoName a great build... but he has just/mainly taken a bunch of others changes and put them all together.  

But Analog+ is what I consider the best for defining why you would have derivative builds.