Home Page Forums MAME MAME Is MAME's usability design confusing or just me?

Hello.

I used to use old MAMEUI32 with its nice GUI front end. I recently tried MAME v0.176 with its own internal front end. I like it, but it is sure confusing and buggy especially when it comes to having non-arcade software libraries like from Apple 2s, Texas Instrument 99/4A, Turbo Graphix 16/PC Engine, Commodore 64, etc. Like navigating to them, filtering, starting, configuring, etc. It's like a maze.

Thank you in advance.

We understand the MEWUI-derived built-in FE isn't optimal at present, but if you can identify specific stumbling blocks and enter them as bugs they have been getting addressed.

Well, trying to get to non-arcade games like computer systems that I mentioned was confusing. I had to pick Manufacturers filter, find the specific machine I wanted (even more confusing when there are multiple names of the same name (e.g., 7 Ataris to pick!)), etc. Also, search seems wonky and doesn't always find them, etc.

this seems an ideal application for a faceted search

The MEWUI-derived built-in F/E extends nicely the previous game selection interface but still needs some works to be done.
You can also try alternative F/Es like Negatron or QMC2. As MAMEUI, they're both desktop-styled GUI and currently handle non-arcade systems better than the built-in F/E. I particularly advise you to use Negatron as it's the F/E I'm developing and the link is in my signature

FYI. Maybe my video recording will help to show my issues? http://youtu.be/vCuUSWreYc0

Do you actually have the bios roms for the atari 2600?

because mine looks like this.

Yep, since I was able to play them. I was talking about the usability and design. I just don't like how the non-arcade and arcade games are together. It's confusing too.

Wait, where did you get those system icons from?

If there are no base ROMs they'll appear, just like Pong appears due to using no ROMs (and yes, before the console systems there were people demanding a way to hide Pong because it's not a flashy CPS1 game or whatever)

Decent filters have been talked about before (build your own custom lists that can be imported/exported/saved using by lua based filters that can pull from real critera such as # of coin slots etc.)

Until that is programmed, it is what it is. Once that is done I suspect is the time when the option to build arcade only vanishes altogether as the filters will have completely superseded it.

I disagree the new user interface is fine, simple and effective , and miles better than command line.

just type what you want and double click it....simple.

if it's a computer/console then mame automatically brings up the software for it and you search and double click that....

it shows any number of snaps and your icons.

if it's not flashy enough use any of the front ends around...qmc2 etc.

it works, it's fast and needs very little setting up, well done mame team.