I'm trying to create a v0.36 set of roms for use in a cabinet. This cab will play classic arcade games using an old 300 MHz Celeron machine I have laying around, so I want the older MAME version for better performance on the hardware.

I've used clrMAME, a v0.36 dat file and my complete set of v0.77 roms. I use the rebuilder to create the set to a new folder. Once this completes, I run the scanner. I find entries in the results window of missing roms, and roms missing files.

Am I doing something wrong when rebuilding? What's the best way to create a set of roms for an older version of MAME in cases like this? I've scoured this and other sites, the web, newsgroups, etc. and all the information I can find just talks about using the rebuilder with an old dat file.

Any help, suggestions, guidance, etc. is GREATLY appreciated.

> I'm trying to create a v0.36 set of roms for use in a cabinet. This cab will
> play classic arcade games using an old 300 MHz Celeron machine I have laying
> around, so I want the older MAME version for better performance on the hardware.
>
> I've used clrMAME, a v0.36 dat file and my complete set of v0.77 roms. I use
> the rebuilder to create the set to a new folder. Once this completes, I run the
> scanner. I find entries in the results window of missing roms, and roms missing
> files.
>
> Am I doing something wrong when rebuilding? What's the best way to create a set
> of roms for an older version of MAME in cases like this? I've scoured this and
> other sites, the web, newsgroups, etc. and all the information I can find just
> talks about using the rebuilder with an old dat file.
>
> Any help, suggestions, guidance, etc. is GREATLY appreciated.
>


Why shouldn't there be no missing files? If you down or upgrade you will always miss files since for upgrading there were new files added and for downgrading there were a lot of redumps done which replaced old files.
...and the rebuilder only rebuilds valid files...


Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro

> Why shouldn't there be no missing files? If you down or upgrade you will always
> miss files since for upgrading there were new files added and for downgrading
> there were a lot of redumps done which replaced old files.
> ...and the rebuilder only rebuilds valid files...
>
>
> Roman Scherzer
> ClrMamePro


Okay, I think I understand. I thought that newer rom sets had the original files PLUS new stuff. I didn't realize that files were being removed.

Any suggestions on how someone can go backwards like this since most files around are for the newest version.

Oh, and thanks Roman. I have found clrMAME so useful, and am constantly trying to improve my understanding of it.

>
>
> > Why shouldn't there be no missing files? If you down or upgrade you will
> always
> > miss files since for upgrading there were new files added and for downgrading
> > there were a lot of redumps done which replaced old files.
> > ...and the rebuilder only rebuilds valid files...
> >
> >
> > Roman Scherzer
> > ClrMamePro
>
>
> Okay, I think I understand. I thought that newer rom sets had the original
> files PLUS new stuff. I didn't realize that files were being removed.
>
> Any suggestions on how someone can go backwards like this since most files
> around are for the newest version.
>
> Oh, and thanks Roman. I have found clrMAME so useful, and am constantly trying
> to improve my understanding of it.
>


Well...if you ask me there is no reason on earth to use an old mame version ;)

Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro

> Well...if you ask me there is no reason on earth to use an old mame version ;)
>
> Roman Scherzer
> ClrMamePro

Yeah, I know where this conversation starts to go...

It's just that the old machine I have to use won't handle all the new changes in MAME. Based on countless posts and recommendations for what I'm trying to do (80's classics only), the best performance for my hardware will be the old pure DOS build.

Just remember, sometimes an idea becomes an obsession :)

What you need are "RollBack ROM sets"; there are also dats outthere to have a semi-full set of abandoned roms, which will help you in going back from present MAME release to older ones.....

ciao
f205v

> What you need are "RollBack ROM sets"; there are also dats outthere to have a
> semi-full set of abandoned roms, which will help you in going back from present
> MAME release to older ones.....
>
> ciao
> f205v
>

In my searches I talked with someone else about the rollback files. It just so happens that they had recently posted the rollbacks to the alt.binaries.emulators.mame newsgroup. I spent the weekend gathering those up.

With the help of others and those files I was able to complete my v0.36 set of roms.

Now I just need to make sure I burn everything to disk so I won't have to go through this again :)

Thanks to All!

> It's just that the old machine I have to use won't handle all the new changes in
> MAME. Based on countless posts and recommendations for what I'm trying to do
> (80's classics only), the best performance for my hardware will be the old pure
> DOS build.

not to burst your bubble, but if you are only going to play 80's classics, you'll not really find much difference. it could be the difference between running pacman at 170fps or at 180fps. and the new mame versions will have more 80's classics not found in the old 0.36. going back to such an old version is only for terminal hardware like a p100 or something like that.

in any case i would use basically the new version and if i find something which doesn't run so smooth, *then* i'd try 0.36 for that particular game, like let's say outrun.

just my 2 cents.

Pi - Every Precious Dream and Vision Underneath the Stars
Arcade news, emulator archives and gamelists at CAESAR

> > It's just that the old machine I have to use won't handle all the new changes
> in
> > MAME. Based on countless posts and recommendations for what I'm trying to do
> > (80's classics only), the best performance for my hardware will be the old
> pure
> > DOS build.
>
> not to burst your bubble, but if you are only going to play 80's classics,
> you'll not really find much difference. it could be the difference between
> running pacman at 170fps or at 180fps. and the new mame versions will have more
> 80's classics not found in the old 0.36. going back to such an old version is
> only for terminal hardware like a p100 or something like that.
>
> in any case i would use basically the new version and if i find something which
> doesn't run so smooth, *then* i'd try 0.36 for that particular game, like let's
> say outrun.
>
> just my 2 cents.
>
> Pi - Every Precious Dream and Vision Underneath the Stars
> Arcade news, emulator archives and gamelists at CAESAR
>


outrun runs perfectly fine atm ;)

Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro

> outrun runs perfectly fine atm ;)

playability status is ok, but first time i got to the end of outrun was in a p2-300 and it wasn't as smooth as i'd have liked... i was talking about smooth in fps terms.

Pi - Every Precious Dream and Vision Underneath the Stars
Arcade news, emulator archives and gamelists at CAESAR

Nuttman, I'm trying to find a MAME 0.36 dat file. Could you share yours with me? If so, please email to me at rwarnemt@yahoo.com. TIA!

Ron

> Nuttman, I'm trying to find a MAME 0.36 dat file. Could you share yours with me?
> If so, please email to me at rwarnemt@yahoo.com. TIA!
>


Simply download the .36 mame version from mame.net (download s->old version) and use it in clrmamepro)

Roman Scherzer
ClrMamePro