Avoiding the OK or left to right MAME screen

[8trek]

Has anyone come up with a way to avoid the occasional "hit OK" or "move joystick from left to right" on some mame games? Assuming there is someone out there that has done this by creating an ahk script or something and incorporating into GameeX maybe.

[Brian Hoffman]

yes, head over to Byoac, download Headkaze Mame compilier, download MAME SOURCE, download the hiscore- no nag Diff file. This will compile MAME without the screens you are referring to.

[nullPointer]

GameEx also has a Bypass Disclaimer/Warnings setting located on the Advance MAME Settings screen. That would be the first thing I would try, although Tom has noted on at least one occasion that compiling MAME from source might be your best option here. Compiling your own version of MAME does offer several advantages, aside from this functionality.

[DazzleHP]

I second both these replies and will also add that if you are new to MAME compiling Mr Do has a great guide for beginners here:

http://mrdo.mameworld.info/compile.html

Good luck!

[ClassicGMR]

While I can't compile my own versions of MAME I know a few places that do and when they do a "HiScore Patch + No Nag Screens" release to MAME I get it from them.

[8trek]

Thanks folks. It's been a loooong time since I compiled, have been using the same version for a couple years now. You have however got me thinking about something.... the last time i compiled, the 64bit version wasn't available (i don't think). Now that I'm running 64bit win7pro, although my cabinet is still a 32bit machine but hope to upgrade eventually, if i compile using 64bit stuff does that mean it won't work on a 32bit machine or simply mean it just speeds up the compiling but will work on a 32bit xp machine?

[Draco1962]

2 things you will need in place to run a 64-bit version of any software - a 64-bit machine and a 64-bit OS. You cannot run a 64-bit OS on a 32-bit machine. You can, however, run a 32-bit OS on a 64-bit machine, but you will be limited to running 32-bit software only. You can only leverage the additional throughput of a 64-bit application by having a 64-bit OS installed on a 64-bit machine.

[8trek]

Draco... i apprecaite your reply but you only stated the obvious. What i'm asking is when you compile mame using 64bit compiler does it actually configure mame for a 64bit machine (i.e. runnning 64 OS) or is it just a faster way to compile but still runs on a 32bit OS? Based on your reply I'm guessing the answer to my question is answer A.

[Draco1962]

If you are compiling based upon the code from MameUI64, then you are compiling a 64-bit version of MameUI. Pure and simple. It is programmed for 64-bit Windows.

[8trek]

Thanks. Is the 64bit version of Mame significantly faster, better, stable, etc? Curious to know before I do this. Also, if i wanted to maintain both a 32 and 64 machines and wanted to utilize 64bit mame on the 64bit machine, what files would need to be seperated... in other words assume roms do not change and therefore could be used on both machines but what files would i not want to copy over to the 32bit machine?

[Draco1962]

ROMs are not dependent upon the bit version of MAME so you can share between the two. Same goes for snaps, videos, manuals, etc. I find the 64-bit version to be a little less laggy on some of the newer machines being emulated, but not by much.

[nullPointer]

64 bit MAME is supposed to offer optimizations for 64 bit architecture (that’s the word on the street any how). I don’t know that I could elucidate precisely what those optimizations are, but if you have a high degree of interest I’m sure you could turn up some information over at mamedev.org.

Bottom line, it’s stable, it works, and it’s smooth like butter.

In addition to the files Draco mentioned, I would add that catver.ini, history.dat, controls.dat, etc., should carry over just fine (although they are included with GameEx so copying them would likely be superfluous). If we’re talking about files related to the actual functioning of MAME, I wouldn’t copy anything over, particularly where you're compiling. Seems like that would be just asking for weird unexplainable errors, but that may be my paranoia talking. If you’re using a ctrlr file, it could probably carry over just fine.

[STONEDSTONER]

i know its been mentioned but look for mame NoNag , its pretty much essential if you use attract mode