Why is Hyperspin Useless? (In the practical sense)

[Maxxrox]

1) No easily-available setup guide (the silly .doc in the zipfile doesn't count, guys)

2) No comprehensive installer/configuration utility

3) Nigh-on useless default settings (do you honestly have 9 gazillion properly-named ROMs in the directories HS expects..?)

4) Expected functionality is neither baked-in, nor easily usable (Don's whatchacallit utilities? Spread over 5 executables, all with cryptic usage? Just to make existing ROMs [supposedly, it never did] work with the default install?)

5) Poorly-labeled configuration file item/value pairs

6) Signup to download ostensibly free content?

7) Why the hell does HyperHQ require administrative permissions to avoid crashing? (hugely suspect..)


Background:

Was recommended to look into HyperSpin by a really cool cable installation tech.

I'm sure a decent core functionality technically exists, but an overwhelming portion of the target userbase is unwilling to invest days (weeks?) setting up an unconverged solution and chasing down independent break-fixes/workarounds/utilities to reach expected behavior.

My impetus for writing this is based on my personal technical background. I work in the technical/consultative arena of global telehealth - my job is implementation, solutioning and generally making stuff work when it really shouldn't. When I spend a few hours trying to chase down (ridiculously) basic functionality for a product, I move on. It's not ready for prime time. In past emulation experience, the XBMC emulator suite was a) easy to implement, b) didn't require ridiculous amount of configuration to recognize well-known ROM names/formats, c) looked great out of the box.

I'm only bothering to write this because I think HS could be awesome. It's not, currently. The core emulation grouping and UI is decent; focus on making it useful for a wider audience (or for those that don't care to invest time).

[THK]

Because it's basically programmed by close to 1 guy since it's origination. The thought might not've even come across this FE ever would be so popular or go so far, so it's work with what you got or start fresh coding it. We all have real lives, just like artwork/database/etc contributors come and go and those who stick around have leaps of absence and varied time and motivation to work on stuff. As much as I love HS to do anything we wish in the easiest fashion, we work with what we got and it's the choice of what we have and what we might have in the future that might make anyone prefer another FE over HS or the other way around. And things might stay rather the same or change drastically at one point. You can always reevaluate using any FE.

[ninja2bceen]

You probably should check out launchbox/big box if you like xbmc.

[iNTiGOD]

I've been using hyperspin for many years and I feel it has come a long way. Yes it has some issues but nothing that doesn't have a solution.
Have you looked at gigapig's or avar's guides?

Ive used plenty of front ends and they all have their issues.

[thegreatiandi]

5 hours ago, Maxxrox said:

1) No easily-available setup guide (the silly .doc in the zipfile doesn't count, guys)

2) No comprehensive installer/configuration utility

3) Nigh-on useless default settings (do you honestly have 9 gazillion properly-named ROMs in the directories HS expects..?)

4) Expected functionality is neither baked-in, nor easily usable (Don's whatchacallit utilities? Spread over 5 executables, all with cryptic usage? Just to make existing ROMs [supposedly, it never did] work with the default install?)

5) Poorly-labeled configuration file item/value pairs

6) Signup to download ostensibly free content?

7) Why the hell does HyperHQ require administrative permissions to avoid crashing? (hugely suspect..)


Background:

Was recommended to look into HyperSpin by a really cool cable installation tech.

I'm sure a decent core functionality technically exists, but an overwhelming portion of the target userbase is unwilling to invest days (weeks?) setting up an unconverged solution and chasing down independent break-fixes/workarounds/utilities to reach expected behavior.

My impetus for writing this is based on my personal technical background. I work in the technical/consultative arena of global telehealth - my job is implementation, solutioning and generally making stuff work when it really shouldn't. When I spend a few hours trying to chase down (ridiculously) basic functionality for a product, I move on. It's not ready for prime time. In past emulation experience, the XBMC emulator suite was a) easy to implement, didn't require ridiculous amount of configuration to recognize well-known ROM names/formats, c) looked great out of the box.

I'm only bothering to write this because I think HS could be awesome. It's not, currently. The core emulation grouping and UI is decent; focus on making it useful for a wider audience (or for those that don't care to invest time).

I have thought the same thing many times. I've been here for a while now though..and it's hard to look outside of this when you have been around it for years. Having said that though..none of my arcades are completed. And it has nothing to do with the builds...it's the programing. It makes you for sure want to look elsewhere for something more user friendly...and the community can be a bit " it was hard for me so i won't make it any easier for you " sometimes. Austin/Giga are always around to help.....a few others too....but they are not the community as a whole. How many times can you hear, " i have 0 coding experience and i set it up without any issues whatsoever "? 

I can say we all like the look...but most would be more than happy to pay for a complete build over the years and years it takes to get halfway. That is why people shell out $$ for ebay drives that are " pre-setup ". Most times apparently, they won't work though and still need to be configured with Hyperspin lol.  Maximus arcade was always alluring to me for this reason...but i know it's been left to the community to be tech support for years now as well. I don't know the solution..but i feel the issue is just. 

Having said that...my hats off to everyone that has made the program what it is. Im a paying member, and have been for sometime now, so i definitely support the program and the creators. 

Just my opinion... 

[dark13]

Honestly configuring HyperSpin and RocketLauncher is not that difficult. RL is a bit tougher for some system, in other case configuring the emulator is the real problem, take as example consoles with numbers on pad... no enough buttons on a modern pad or arcade controls.

Romset... well, besides mame they are actually a problem (still don't get why goodnames were not used in the first place, maybe flash hating some special char?). Anyway scrapers-based softwares are not "perfect", I've had serious problems with kodi/xbmc with lots of movies...

 

Anyway consider that HS is the most skinnable frontend
 

When you have lots of options setting up is always a bit tricky. For example I released a version of that skin with configurable colors... and setting is a mess (it works out-of the box but customization will rewquire lots of trial and errors)

On the other side HS is the most user-friendly FE when setted up. Some friends of mine tends to get lost in kodi/xbmc but they don't in HS

[Suhrvivor]

I wouldn't call it useless but I agree that is quite complicated to set up properly and can lead to a lot of headaches. But once that is working the feeling you get for getting to see hours and hours, days, months or even years of work turn into this amazing frontend it's priceless.

It's a shame that the development it's so slow (if not stagnated) compared to other frontends, they are catching up to HS and in many cases surpassing it.

[gigapig]

That's emulation folks always painful and Hyperspin is the easy bit.

Not to mention you shouldn't even be using emulation to run commercial ROMS. Naughty Hyperspinners.

[damageinc86]

I have just an intermediate level of know-how in computers, been building my own since i was a teenager, and got into html stuff, and I understand how things work very well generally.  I had a little trouble getting my bearings in the first weeks, but by the end of the month I had the basic framework of my entire setup finished.  The only thing that has taken years is my OCD being activated by this hobby, and adding new systems, or trying out new themes and such.  It's hard to finish something when there's always some fun stuff to add or mess with.   But it really shouldn't be that hard for someone with a professional technical background. 

[thegreatiandi]

On 11/20/2016 at 0:16 AM, gigapig said:

That's emulation folks always painful and Hyperspin is the easy bit.

Not to mention you shouldn't even be using emulation to run commercial ROMS. Naughty Hyperspinners.

You can use Hyperspin for that?! This is the first i've heard of that practice good sir!

[THK]

Why even use roms, we spent all time looking at the themes n artwork anyway

[keltoigael]

With so many options out there for FE's these days I find this post a little insulting. Don't feed the trolls.