Launching mame_libretro fails, CLI works?

[BLite]

This may fall under a NOOB question, but I've managed to solve every other issue on my own and been through enough troubleshooting steps with RetroArch/LaunchBox that I feel this might be a legit question for this forum.  Any assistance is appreciated, and please forgive my utter ignorance.

Using Retroarch as my emulator, I have around a dozen and a half systems working and launching A-okay. 

MAME is, of course, the trouble spot.

mame_libretro core is .220
MAME Rom (merged) are .220

Games launch just fine from Retroarch.  When launching from LaunchBox, I will get "Loading Machine (XX%)" (percentage is different each time) and RetroArch stops responding. Forcing a -v as a CLI argument in LaunchBox shows me that it is failing with:

epr-10290 NOT FOUND (tried in afighter afighter)
epr-10291 NOT FOUND (tried in afighter afighter)
epr-10292 NOT FOUND (tried in afighter afighter)
epr-10284.12 NOT FOUND (tried in afighter afighter)
317-0018.key NOT FOUND (tried in afighter afighter)
Fatal error: Required files are missing, the machine cannot be run.

If I launch with something like this (cutting out the extended path names for simplicity here):

C:\retro\retroarch.exe "C:\ROMS\afighter.zip" -L "C:\retro\cores\mame_libretro.dll"

It works just fine. This happens for virtually everything.  The "missing" "epr-XXXX" files (as best I can tell) are part of the rom zipfile, not separate BIOS/ROM files that some games require (and this is borne out by searching for those names on my drive, finding nothing, AND seeing the file actually load just fine in Retroarch).  

I feel like this is a directory or a config file issue, but I'm not sure exactly what LaunchBox is using to launch Retroarch.  I tried adding -v to the libretro_mame - specific flags in LaunchBox and it does not dump the full command line arguments for how retroarch is invoked.

Anyway, that's my sad story. If anyone has some advice, I'd certainly appreciate it.

Thanks,
John

Edited May 20, 2020 by BLite
Spelling.

[neil9000]

6 minutes ago, BLite said:

I feel like this is a directory or a config file issue, but I'm not sure exactly what LaunchBox is using to launch Retroarch.

Its not using anything other than what you told it, so Retroarch location and rom location. How did you import your roms? Is it a fullset?

[BLite]

Imported via the LaunchBox "Import MAME Arcade Full Set" - it's a .220 full merged set (and verified I AM loading the RetroArch .220 core).  I've tried explicitly specifying the core as a command argument to LaunchBox, but that looks no different (results-wise) than just leaving the defaults in place. 

If I launch it at the CLI w/ Retroarch and -v, and then launch with a -v in LaunchBox, the LogConsole windows are virtually identical - same paths appear, same core messages, etc - but the one launched via LaunchBox ultimately fails with the "NOT FOUND" messages appearing.  I don't see any other differences

Thanks,
John

[BLite]

Okay, I figured out what the problem was by finally editing an individual game (thank you for making me consider the import process).  The subdirectory that contains the MAME ROMs is not included in the path.  I'm going to chalk that up to my own stupidity, but man oh man, I swear I have not touched the ROM location at all.  

Is there any chance that the "Import rom set" function scans subdirectories but only uses the top level directory you select as the path?  Doesn't particularly matter, I guess, but boy am I feeling like an idiot.

Thanks,
John

[neil9000]

46 minutes ago, BLite said:

Okay, I figured out what the problem was by finally editing an individual game (thank you for making me consider the import process).  The subdirectory that contains the MAME ROMs is not included in the path.  I'm going to chalk that up to my own stupidity, but man oh man, I swear I have not touched the ROM location at all.  

Is there any chance that the "Import rom set" function scans subdirectories but only uses the top level directory you select as the path?  Doesn't particularly matter, I guess, but boy am I feeling like an idiot.

Thanks,
John

The MAME importer asks you for your rom path, but doesnt actually use it as such. It tells MAME what file name to load, and MAME knows where that file is, as long as you specified it to MAME. Retroarch would be a little different in that it would need the actual file passed to it in order to be loaded. It is a MAME importer for a reason, while you can of course use retroarch ( i wouldnt personally as there is no benefit at all to doing so over the standalone version) im not sure how exactly retroarch expects the files, or if it needs a rompath like standalone does.

[BLite]

Ahhh... duh... I see. Good to know. 
Thank you so much for your time!