FE Wars - 2005 Edition

[RayB]

OK, I may not be new to this site, these boards or arcade games, but finally, FINALLY, I am treading into the software territory. I may have a cab up and running very soon! So I am new to setting up the optimal software for my needs and specs.

I searched for info on using DOS and FE's. Seems most threads I found argued that DOS was now outdated and unecessary. Some of those threads were as old as 2003. Got me thinking maybe DOS isn't what I want...

My computer specs are: 1 ghz AMD, ASUS mobo, 256 mb RAM, 4x AGP graphics card with 32 mb on it, SB Live for sound.

So... My assumption was that I should install Win 98se booting straight to DOS and stick to DOS mame with a DOS front-end.  Now those threads I read have me doubting my choices. 1ghz isn't slow, but it's not all that fast either.

My goals:
 - Play as many games as possible at full-speed (I have a preference for anything pre-90's, but there are a few cool 90's games I'd like to play too, such as the Metal Slug series and some shooters).
 - Hide all evidence that a PC is running the games
 - Shortest boot time
 - FE which looks cool and is selectable via joystick
 - Full frame rates on Arcade monitor

[Fat_Trucker]

That PC should be pretty good for pretty much all non CHD titles. I was running an almost identical spec PC, AMD 1.1Ghz, 512Mb Ram, 32Mb Radeon 9200 GPU when I first discovered emulation and it was fine. Ran all of the 80's and 90's stuff (that I tried) at full speed without issues. Certainly things like the 2D Capcom fighters and NeoGeo titles including M.Slug were perfectly ok.

Hiding windows is fairly simple. The easiest way to do it without doing a shell replacement is to drop the shortcut for your FE of choice into the start-up folder and simply replace the windows start up screens with something a little more appropriate.

Someone else would be better to take you through the shell replacement process if that's the way you want to go but I use the Start-up folder route as it is easier to navigate from my FE to Windows and back when necessary and there's no chance of borking anything, and it still hides windows perfectly.

I use MameWah. Of the FE's I tried I found it the easiest to get along with and understand, the easiest to modify to look, feel, and sound the way I wanted and the easiest to set up with multiple emu's (I would be classed as barely competent at best where Pc's are concerned and managed to figure it with a minimum of trial and error). Some people do seem to have trouble with it though and get along better with other FE's that I had trouble with so I suppose its a question of trying a few and see what suits you best. AFAIK most of the commonly available FE's support full navigation and selection via Arcade Controls.

The main thing is to get Command Line mame set up properly first. I know a few people who had terrible trouble trying to configure their Fe's only to discover that they hadn't actually set MAME up properly in the first place, which was what was causing all their problems.

Try getting it set up and running on your desktop PC first. I found it easier to do all my trial and error stuff and testing on my desktop first and then doing it on my cab once I had figured how to set it all up.

[RayB]

Thanks for your input.
I think I'll test out both options. Windows Command Line mame and pure DOS mame.

[Minwah]

When I built my 1.4ghz machine, I was going to use DOS...

However when I finished building it, I found I could get best performance in Windows.  Give it a try, you may find the same...

[Howard_Casto]

This isn't a "give it a try" situation in all honesty.  If you system has above a pentium III class processor you'd be a fool to use dos.  I don't pull punches on this.  Dos sucks, it wasn't designed to handle the new hardware out there.  You only use dos if you have to. 

Don't think I'm biased either.  I've used dos on mame cabs before and I probably will continue to in the future.  Of course all those dos cabs have a 300 mhz processor or less in them. 

[RayB]

So in other words, Windows Command Line version?
You sure you're not just trying to pimp Mamewah? ;-) j/k

[RayB]

OH I forgot to mention I'll be running on an arcade monitor.

[Minwah]

So in other words, Windows Command Line version?
You sure you're not just trying to pimp Mamewah? ;-) j/k

Heh, well at the time MAMEWAH didn't exist...

And then a while after I was forced to use Windows, it did 

OH I forgot to mention I'll be running on an arcade monitor.

If you don't have an ArcadeVGA then Windows might be a fair bit more of a headache...

[SirPoonga]

If you don't have an ArcadeVGA then Windows might be a fair bit more of a headache...

If you don't have ArcadeVGA it will be more of a headache anyway   Need DOS or linux, seutp advancemame, setup advancemenu, etc...

[Minwah]

If you don't have ArcadeVGA it will be more of a headache anyway   Need DOS or linux, seutp advancemame, setup advancemenu, etc...

Good point 

[ahmer]

usually Amd proccessors does'nt gives a very good performence in pure dos.

You can try windows command line version.

If you don't have ArcadeVGA it will be more of a headache anyway Smiley  Need DOS or linux, seutp advancemame, setup advancemenu, etc...

There is the best way for setting up a mame cab.(I believe)

[Howard_Casto]

If you don't have an ArcadeVGA then Windows might be a fair bit more of a headache...

If you don't have ArcadeVGA it will be more of a headache anyway

[youki]

Your PC is enough to play in good condition under windows.
Of course not all the most recent game requiring 3d  , but for all classics , it is really good.

If you don't have ArcadeVGA, you can use windows on you arcade monitor using a sofware like PowerStrip.  But it doesn't work with all video card.  But when i works it give good result. Some AtomicFE users use it and there are very happy with.

But i would strongly recommend an ArcadeVGA  to avoid headache due to the configuration of PowerStrip.

To sumarize , if you don't have ArcadeVGA use DOS and the Arcmon.sys driver and Advmame and a FE like ArcadeOs or ADVMenu.

If you have ArcadeVGA , use windows and MAME commande line version. And a FE like MameWah or  AtomicFE (with a non-animated layout on your machine), or others no to much resource consuming FE.

[Howard_Casto]

Actually no..... running your system in dos would be a waste.  Just buy an arcadeVga.  Like I said before.... if it's above a pentium 3 there is absolutaly positively no reason to run dos and several reasons not to.

[WTB]

As far as frontends, I would definitely recommend GameEx; Highly configureable, everything works via arcade controls, and pretty. Has some extended options for using the cab as a MCE-type device. Ie: Play DVD's, full jukebox etc. But it is still a great FE if all you want is the MAME/emulator side of things.

   -Matt