Setting up HBMAME with LaunchBox?

[Retro808]

1 hour ago, RpT said:

I could go on forever with these! I'm not sure why you think it's a fixed problem when basically none of them are in the data!!
 

Never stated it was a fixed problem. I even clearly stated I was not 100% on its import accuracy and only advised games I expected to be there from my split set were there. I am not a user who is concerned with 100% of the roms from a set being there. 

1 hour ago, RpT said:

PS please just use the HBMAME.XML file that I created and add these lookups to an HBMAME specific option (I've done the hard work on it now). No credit needed! Users will still need to convert the MERGED set to SPLIT ones as per regular MAME, LB won't show child roms fully unless a split set is imported (and even then based purely on the number of files, a whole bunch is missed)...

What you have done is awesome and sure it will be helpful to other users. So kudos and a big thanks on sharing and posting a video guide. 

Below is my last import showing MK. Matches everything form your screen shot. Also matches the split set I imported. Like I said overall I cannot vouch for complete import accuracy. All the hacks that I want and I would look for got imported without any workaround. Just using what LB offers. 

 

[Retro808]

14 minutes ago, RpT said:

OK so this has worked (at least with a split set) good update! 

I wish this was clearer in the frontend, for example noting that the wizard alternative would actually query the specified EXE rather than the metadata if you drag-and-drop an arcade folder to start with...  As a very long term user I have been burned by the wizards / consolidation on import in the past and had gotten used to avoiding them. 

I'll probably do a similar video soon mentioning this method VS the traditional way, since it's still worth going over the setup of supporting files. Glad to be wrong this time! 

I feel ya on this. It was not about be right or wrong, but about sharing options.

I used to concern myself with accuracy but found the older I got the less I cared and just made sure what I want is there to enjoy so I tend not use a lot of features. I am sure there are things that using the LB standard option will miss, but the team will never know if it is not reported so it does help when users with a more in depth eye can use the features for things like this and report back any issues. Just keep sharing what you find and of course keep shareomg ways to get things to work. 

[RpT]

Yh sorry for the noise - I'm just super happy it's a feature now. I could have saved myself many hours this last week on a different setup if I had been aware on this so the only minor thing is I wish it was a bit better signposted the difference between the 2 methods. 

It's so much more of an elegant solution calling MAME directly rather than using lookup files as it should never be wrong... definitely consider this fixed tho and for ppls reading, go the "Arcade Import Wizard" route and make sure you specify "Manually Configure Mame Emulator" if you are doing HBMAME specifically! 

Edited January 12 by RpT

[Fursphere]

How many HBMAME titles are worth playing at this point?    I was under the impression it was only like a dozen or two at most.  And anything 'worth' playing (subjective, I know) is also included in the FBNEO rom set at this point.  Like Final Fight 30th anniversary 3-player hack (assuming you have a need for a setup that supports 3 players).  Then the Rotary Games to Dual Stick conversion hacks, so you can play those without having a proper rotary stick. 

What I'm getting at is that it might be a lot faster to figure out what games you care about from HBMAME, and just import those specifically.   Because there is a lot of noise in that set. 

 

[RpT]

4 hours ago, Fursphere said:

How many HBMAME titles are worth playing at this point?    I was under the impression it was only like a dozen or two at most.  And anything 'worth' playing (subjective, I know) is also included in the FBNEO rom set at this point.  Like Final Fight 30th anniversary 3-player hack (assuming you have a need for a setup that supports 3 players).  Then the Rotary Games to Dual Stick conversion hacks, so you can play those without having a proper rotary stick. 

What I'm getting at is that it might be a lot faster to figure out what games you care about from HBMAME, and just import those specifically.   Because there is a lot of noise in that set. 

 

IMO it's a good set but the "what is worth doing" question is something that's only ever worth asking yourself! 100% personal preference on what kind of launchbox builder you are. Personally I feel no shame in announcing that I'm a data hoarder and like the option of potentially helping someone find something they need 10 years from now! For a lot of people, yes, you will be a hardcore fan of just one franchise (eg. Mortal Kombat games are a good example, I know the "YourMKArcadeSource" cab builder guy on youtube uses HBMAME) and just care about those few titles.

Especially for people wanting to try something different. A lot of games are community patches of a sort whilst some are more on the wacky end of things. As for sorting the noise, after import I ordered by Genre and (frontend) deleted the system/devices in a chunk which brings down a consolidated set significantly to 691 titles (and more could be deleted if you felt like spending half an hour sifting through).

[Fursphere]

Oh, I'm totally a data horder too.   I just don't import them all in to LB, as I want LB to be somewhat usable.   lol

 

[RpT]

Then my general guide to someone with that preference will be, it's slim compared to regular MAME once you cull the noise. If a snes or genesis full set is not too unwieldly this should be about the same size list, assuming HBMAME is consolidated, and that BIOS chunk deleted. 

Edited January 13 by RpT

[Fursphere]

For MAME, I have a full import platform, then a "All killer No Filler" playlist that I normally use.   I've been thinking about using the AKNF approach to all the platforms, and then just showing playlists primarily.   If you want the full platforms, they're there, but the playlists are the primary source that filter out all the noise. 

Like the 1000+ Nintendo Wii titles with it being like 95% shovel-ware....    lol

[RpT]

AKNF is really a good shout! For MAME I use the ArcadeItalia site to create a custom version to import into frontends with less features than launchbox (batch scripts that remove items from a set) which is definitely needed on things like a small handhold or on my vpin.  With LB specifically, it's not really costing any hard-drive space to have both an AKNF and a full fat list imported and have them both use the same artwork. For me it more comes down to if this is a system I'm going to be setting up for potentially other people to use or not! 

Agree with the wii - that system really was as mainstream as it gets and as such a lot of titles won't interest the "gamer" crowd vs something like Dreamcast!

[damageinc86]

12 hours ago, Fursphere said:

How many HBMAME titles are worth playing at this point?    I was under the impression it was only like a dozen or two at most.  And anything 'worth' playing (subjective, I know) is also included in the FBNEO rom set at this point.  Like Final Fight 30th anniversary 3-player hack (assuming you have a need for a setup that supports 3 players).  Then the Rotary Games to Dual Stick conversion hacks, so you can play those without having a proper rotary stick. 

What I'm getting at is that it might be a lot faster to figure out what games you care about from HBMAME, and just import those specifically.   Because there is a lot of noise in that set. 

 

I have DKII, Ms. Pac Man Crazy Mazes, Ms. Pac Man Renaissance, Pac Man Renaissance, Pac Man Unleashed, and Pac-Man 25 maze hack.  I know there are a crapload more,...but I was only really interested in trying those out at the time I found out about HBMAME.  I have them imported as "Arcade Hacks".