Oh MAME, how you've grown

[DJQuad]

So I haven't messed with MAME since way before 0.162 when MAME and MESS merged, so please be gentle. I have no experience with MESS.

 

I'm now seeing CHDs, Software List CHDs, Software List ROMs, etc.

 

So some questions, and yes I've tried googling for answers

 

1. What are the differences between them?
2. Those are specific to MESS right? It seems like most that use HyperSpin already have emulators set up to handle the games MESS supported. Not only with a MESS version pre 0.162, but RetroArch.
3. Is there a reason why MAMEUI supports MESS but MAMEUIFX doesn't? I'd rather stick with MAME when possible, but I suppose learning RetroArch is pretty inevitable. 
4. It looks like a complete MAME install is 2TB, and that doesn't even contain media. Is that correct?
5. If one gets that complete install, should everything be put in 1 directory? (like H:\ROMS\MAME 0.174)
6. Does the MAME database only have MAME-specific games or the ones MESS also introduced as well?

Sorry for all the questions. I has confusions.

[alcoatjez]

Excellent question! Now for the answers:

 

1. It's the easiest to do this by explaining the 0.162 situation. With MAME and MESS 0.162 you had:

• MAME ROMs, which are the arcade ROMs
• MAME CHDs, which are the arcade DVDs, harddisks, etc.

These were the files used by MAME 0.162.

 

For MESS 0.162 you had:

• MESS BIOSes (or ROMs), which are the BIOSes for the emulated systems that are not arcade. Examples are the Sega 32X BIOS, Commodore Amiga BIOS, Game Boy Advance BIOS, etc. 
• MESS Software Lists ROMS, which are the ROMs for the emulated systems that are not arcade. Examples are the Sega 32X ROMs, Commodore Amiga ROMs, Game Boy Advance ROMs, etc.
• MESS Software Lists CHDs, which are the CDs, DVDs, etc for the emulated systems that are not arcade. Examples are PSX games, Sega Saturn games, etc.

You can see the Software Lists contents here: https://github.com/mamedev/mame/tree/master/hash

 

Now with the latest MAME versions, all of the above can be used. The only thing is that the MESS BIOSes are now included in the MAME ROMs.

 

2. With the latest MAME versions, you can just use it as a replacement for MESS. RetroArch should be fine for most systems without problems.

 

3. It's a choice of the author of MAMEUIFX, Mamesick. This was posted on his website:

"NOTE: MAMEUIFX is compiled with ARCADES ONLY support, MESS part of the project is excluded and not available."

If you compile MAME yourself, you can choose to include the former MESS systems or not.

 

4. If you use a split MAME set (best for HyperSpin), the arcade portion is about 430Gb

If you want to use the non arcade systems, add another 1.4 Tb.

 

5. You can put the ROMs and CHDs in the same directory, so x:\mame roms\blabla\blabla.chd and x:\mame roms\blabla.zip.

Software Lists ROMs and CHDs should go in a seperate directory, with every system as a subfolder, so x:\mame software lists\segacd\blabla.chd and x:\mame software lists\32x\blabla.zip

 

6. The MAME database is just arcade games.

[kylecp1979]

Excellent question and excellent answer. I learned something today .

 

Thanks!!!

[DJQuad]

Thank you alcoatjez!!

 

Are the MAME Extras needed? It seems like most that use HyperSpin don't.

[Metalzoic]

Thank you alcoatjez!!

 

Are the MAME Extras needed? It seems like most that use HyperSpin don't.

 

You definitely need the Sound Samples that come in the MAME Extras download. Without it many games won't have working sound.

It's the only folder I download from that pack.

[DJQuad]

That's cool. history.dat is what HyperSpeech uses as well. Thanks.

[alcoatjez]

Thank you alcoatjez!!

Are the MAME Extras needed? It seems like most that use HyperSpin don't.

You're welcome!

Some of us use the extras for the Pause function in RocketLauncher.

Turranius has made a great proggy to move them to the appropriate folders. I think it's called tur-extras-to-pause or something like that. I can check it later when I'm home.

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[DJQuad]

If I were to add the MESS stuff, where do I get the database from? HyperList only has MAME and no MESS.

 

...or do they assume we use other systems & emulators for the games MESS supported pre version 0.162?