MAME Hi Scores

[GoTheBunnies]

Hi guys,

I know this is a MAME question, but from reading some of the other threads you guys seem to be on top of it, so thought I'd ask the question here. I also know the subject has been done to death, so apologies for going over old ground - but I just don't get it.

I'm running Mame .133 with the Mame32 GUI. It works perfectly and is running great through GameEx. Problem is that not all of my High Scores save. The games that have 'Automatic Save States' enabled save the scores - unfortunately that's obviously not all the games. No Sega games, for example, have Auto Save States.

So from what I've read it seems that I need to compile my own version of Mame. I haven't looked into doing that in too much detail yet, and wanted to ask some questions before I start.

The obvious one I suppose is why is it that what I would consider a basic functionality (saving high scores) is so difficult to achieve? I'm really surpised it doesn't come as part of a basic package? Am I right in saying that some front ends now have this built in - ie they save the scores independently of Mame? Anyway, that aside, if I go ahead with compiling a version myself -

- will it cause any issues with my current set-up (ie will any GameEx config paths need to be changed etc)

- do I need to compile a version of the same one I'm running - ie 0.133?

- I'm guessing that if I do compile the same version it will save any issues with updating roms - they all should still run as they do now?

- what are the risks? Can I stuff anything up that will interfere with my current set up? And once it's done, is that it - never needs to be done again unless I update my Mame version. What about my GUI - will it still work with the compiled version?

That's about it for now I think!

Thanks

[Adultery]

So where to begin?

You will have to compile your own version. Not only will you need to get the 0.133 files, you'll also need the HI for 0.133 (each version is different according to build).

You will not lose any of your current settings since you're generally using the same thing with a few added lines of code. You can update your rom set after you do the compile, I think you'll have to to add in the hi score functionality.

If I could make a recommendation, use Headkaze's MAME Compiler which pretty much automates the whole thing. If you need any more help feel free to ask. There's a bunch of us that compile our own MAME versions.

[GoTheBunnies]

Thanks Adultery. Been doing some reading on the whole hi-score issue, and wondering why it wouldn't be better to download a UI with hi-score support (like MameUIFX) rather than go through the steps of compiling my own version??

I'm sure there must be a good reason (or else everyone would just do that right?), but am curious to know what it is. I assume if I went down the MameUIFX path then all my GameEx config settings would have to change (so there's one negative for starters....).

Cheers

[Adultery]

Yes you would have to change some settings, that's true. I guess for me vanilla MAME is perfect for my setup. Others may disagree though.

[Brian Hoffman]

Well, in older versions of MAME it did save .hi files for games that dont use NVRAM or (Non Volatile Random Access Memory). There are many games that lose the hiscore when they are turned off, thus saving the score in RAM (Random Access Memory) that is cleared upon a reboot.

Since MAME strives for perfection adding a functionality to a game that never had it is not correct emulation or an accurate representation of a particular piece of the hardware the game runs on at the time.

MKCHAMP edits the source and adds that functionality back in, you use a HISCORE.dat file, that contains information about where various ROMS stores the hiscore info. It reads that memory address and creates a file .hi and that file is referenced when you launch a game.

That is why you need to compile your own.

Compiling your own also has other advantages, like optimization toward your processor. This can gain some FPS in games.

I hope that helps.

[GoTheBunnies]

Well, in older versions of MAME it did save .hi files for games that dont use NVRAM or (Non Volatile Random Access Memory). There are many games that lose the hiscore when they are turned off, thus saving the score in RAM (Random Access Memory) that is cleared upon a reboot.

Since MAME strives for perfection adding a functionality to a game that never had it is not correct emulation or an accurate representation of a particular piece of the hardware the game runs on at the time.

MKCHAMP edits the source and adds that functionality back in, you use a HISCORE.dat file, that contains information about where various ROMS stores the hiscore info. It reads that memory address and creates a file .hi and that file is referenced when you launch a game.

That is why you need to compile your own.

Compiling your own also has other advantages, like optimization toward your processor. This can gain some FPS in games.

I hope that helps.

Thanks Brian - that does indeed help.

If I decide to go down the route of using a UI that supports hi-scores (ie MAMEUIFX32), will it create any additional problems for me in GameEx?

[GoTheBunnies]

Ok, seems I'm sillier than I thought - I've had a look at my folders under my Mame_133 directory, and I already have a 'hi' directory populated with files. So I must already have a compiled version right? (all the files were copied onto a hard drive for me, I didn't download, so didn't actually know what I was getting). So if the 'Hi' directory is there, and the hiscore.dat file is in the same directory as mame.exe - I've got everything I need right? So how can I tell if it's actually working for the gmaes supported? Do I need to do anything else?

Next question is GameEx related - take Galage for example, where I know the high scores are being saved - where does GameEx get the scores listed under the menu option 'High Score' (because they're not the same as the real high scores). Do I need to configure this somewhere??

[IMBerzerk]

Ok, seems I'm sillier than I thought - I've had a look at my folders under my Mame_133 directory, and I already have a 'hi' directory populated with files. So I must already have a compiled version right? (all the files were copied onto a hard drive for me, I didn't download, so didn't actually know what I was getting). So if the 'Hi' directory is there, and the hiscore.dat file is in the same directory as mame.exe - I've got everything I need right? So how can I tell if it's actually working for the gmaes supported? Do I need to do anything else?

Next question is GameEx related - take Galage for example, where I know the high scores are being saved - where does GameEx get the scores listed under the menu option 'High Score' (because they're not the same as the real high scores). Do I need to configure this somewhere??

The answer to your MAME question.... unless you compiled MAME, it won't show Hi-Scores on games that do not have NVRAM. Test with 2... Galaxian and Robotron. Robotron uses NVRAM, so you will see the hi-scores on a non-compiled MAME. Galaxian does not, so it will reset once you drop out of the game. If it shows the hi-score when you re-enter, then yes, you somehow have a compiled version with hi-score support.

IMB

[Draco1962]

Another thing to consider is that if the file needs NVRAM, you will need to download NVRAM files to place in the NVRAM folder to "seed" the entry.

Unless you have done so already, you may need to update your ROMs with ClearMAME Pro to ensure that they are current for the MAME build you are using.

[Brian Hoffman]

Next question is GameEx related - take Galage for example, where I know the high scores are being saved - where does GameEx get the scores listed under the menu option 'High Score' (because they're not the same as the real high scores). Do I need to configure this somewhere??

User fyrecrypts at BYOAC made a program that will parse the .hi files and send the info in plain text to frontends that integrate it. Gameex and Hyperspin both do.. However you will need that program and specify to use it in the gameex config.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=83614.0

[Draco1962]

Brian - can you give us a little more info (how it is setup in GameEx, and any path-specific info for using this program)?

[GoTheBunnies]

Another thing to consider is that if the file needs NVRAM, you will need to download NVRAM files to place in the NVRAM folder to "seed" the entry.

Unless you have done so already, you may need to update your ROMs with ClearMAME Pro to ensure that they are current for the MAME build you are using.

So it doesn't automatically create the NVRAM file when the game is played like it does a STA file for example? (this is becoming more complicated...... )

[GoTheBunnies]

If I decide to go down the route of using a UI that supports hi-scores (ie MAMEUIFX32), will it create any additional problems for me in GameEx?

Just wondering if anyone is using anything other than a compiled version of Mame to get their hi-score support (ie another Mame GUI)??

[Adultery]

I'd rather just compile MAME to remove the nag screens. Hi-score support is just a bonus for me as I would have just compiled my own build either way.

[Draco1962]

Yeah GTB, it is a little compicated. But just to get the nag screens to disappear is well worth it. I have to agree with Adultery on this.

[simbamame]

Interesting topic the mame hi-score, mine just worked im using mameuI32 v0.141.0 and hi-scores work in all but a few games, pacman is one that doesn't..also draco1962 whats this clearmamepro? as i have a load of roms that use niomi ( i think ??? ) which isnt supported by mame, will clearmamepro get rid of those?

SM

[Adultery]

ClrMAMEPro is a ROM auditing program. As long as you use a dat for your MAME build it will remove or change (if needed) your existing ROM set based on the list MAME uses. If you use Naomi this could indeed present a problem if Naomi relies on ROMS that MAME has since updated or re-dumped (} don't use that emu so I can't give you a clear answer on this).

The hiscore addition not only retains hi scores but also parses the info to GameEx so you can view hi scores for games from the ROM info screen as opposed to launching the ROM first.

[Draco1962]

You can read about CLRMame Pro here . The introduction (captioned below) pretty much says it all:

"CLRMame Pro is one of the most useful utilities available to the emulation scene. I started using it about November 2000 and now I swear by it. Once I had it sorted I saved myself about 300MB of hard disk space and was completely surprised just how mucked up my rom files were. For avid emulation fans it's one of those "day to day" programs that you always use.

CLRMame is a set of tools that manages your rom filles. Nearly all emulators use rom files to store their games. What CLRMame does is to check all of the individual rom files against a data file to make sure that they have the right information in them. Data files are available for nearly all arcade emulators and also some console games too.

A word of warning though, because this program moves, adds, deletes and renames files it is best to have a backup of any files that you check because the author of CLRMame and myself take no responsibility for any lost files."

You can download CLRMame Pro and the referenced DAT files here. I heartily recommend it's use and reading thoroughly through the documentation and backing-up your files first!

[Adultery]

I run ClrMAMEPro each time I update my MAME build. It's an easy to use proggy, and it does what it does rather well.

[simbamame]

Im learning so much about emulators, gameEx etc... on here, i wished i joined the GameEx community years ago! Anybody got a time machine so i can go back in time and join earlier lol !. Thanks for the info about mameclrpro gonna download read up and then run it .

SM

[Draco1962]

LOL! Um no, If I had a TIme MAchine you would not see me here as I would have absconded with the winning Megamillions numbers and been wealthy enough to pay the neighbor's kid to do all of this for me while sipping Tequila Sunrises in my infinity pool overlooking the Pacific in Maui.

[wubble]

Compiling your own MAME is definately the way to go - optimising, removing the nag and saving high scores for most ROMs. It's pretty easy if you follow headkaze's instructions and use his compiler tool. You don't have to be a smartypants.

[GoTheBunnies]

Compiling your own MAME is definately the way to go - optimising, removing the nag and saving high scores for most ROMs. It's pretty easy if you follow headkaze's instructions and use his compiler tool. You don't have to be a smartypants.

Where are Headkaze's instructions? (found the compiler tool download, but no instructions??).

[GoTheBunnies]

User fyrecrypts at BYOAC made a program that will parse the .hi files and send the info in plain text to frontends that integrate it. Gameex and Hyperspin both do.. However you will need that program and specify to use it in the gameex config.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=83614.0

Brian, following up on Draco's question, can you talk us through the steps of incorporating this into GameEx? According to the download thread, it's already incorporated in GameEx (??), but despite me having hi files, nothing is accurate in the GameEx High Score menu item?

Thanks

[Adultery]

Where are Headkaze's instructions? (found the compiler tool download, but no instructions??).

Over at his site.

Click me!