[MAME] Issues with hiscore and ini files location

[exodus_cl]

Hey @Jason Carr There's an issue with hiscores in Launchbox when organizing games' .ini files in the "ini" folder of MAME directory.

By default MAME puts individual .ini files of games in it's root folder and after a while this folder becomes a mess of files so in order to avoid this we can change the following in "mame.ini":

"inipath    ;ini;ini/presets"  to  "inipath   ini;ini/presets" (delete the first semicolon)

This way all .ini files of games go into the "ini" folder:

The problem with this configuration is that Launchbox's hiscores break and the only way to restore functionality is to delete those "Mame\ini\example.ini" files (you can't move or keep them) and restore the default config in MAME  "inipath  ;ini;ini/presets"

Is there any way that Launchbox can use both, the root and the ini folder inside MAME directory as possible .ini location for games?

Thanks in advance!

Edited March 19, 2022 by exodus_cl

[JoeViking245]

I've moved mine to all be in the ini folder only, and high scores get uploaded to LaunchBox fine.

 

Not sure if this is an issue when you were testing, but the default MAME inipath line is 

inipath      .;ini;ini/presets

with a period (dot) in front of the 1st semicolon (which represents the root folder). 

I don't think LaunchBox even looks at the ini files. It may look to see if you have a save state auto loading or cheats enabled. (or actually, probably force those to not load/be enabled).

If you tested with some ini files [still] in both MAME's root folder and the ini folder, and have duplicate the_game.ini files in both, that could be an issue too.

 

Just thinking out loud.

[exodus_cl]

  On 3/19/2022 at 5:51 PM, JoeViking245 said:

I've moved mine to all be in the ini folder only, and high scores get uploaded to LaunchBox fine.

 

Not sure if this is an issue when you were testing, but the default MAME inipath line is 

inipath      .;ini;ini/presets

with a period (dot) in front of the 1st semicolon (which represents the root folder). 

I don't think LaunchBox even looks at the ini files. It may look to see if you have a save state auto loading or cheats enabled. (or actually, probably force those to not load/be enabled).

If you tested with some ini files [still] in both MAME's root folder and the ini folder, and have duplicate the_game.ini files in both, that could be an issue too.

 

Just thinking out loud.

Expand  

Hey!

Thanks for the input, but no matter what I do, if the individual "game-example.ini" files are not in the MAME root folder, the hiscores do not work, they don't even register in MAME (hiscore plugin deactivates).
Important to notice that MAME by itself (outside BigBox) works ok and saves the hiscores without issue so the plugin and MAME config is fine.

I dont have duplicated inis in different paths.

If I use the default ini path (root mame folder) Hiscores in BigBox start working again 🤔

Edited March 23, 2022 by exodus_cl

[JoeViking245]

This just seems odd.  Hmmm...

Since, if you have a game specific ini file in the /ini/ folder and high scores work when running MAME by itself, but not when ran through LB/BB, is there something unique in your emulators Default Command Line Parameters?  What does it look like?

Just trying to work a 'process of elimination'.