> One that I have been noodling around in my head for a long time is breaking > ROM_START/ROM_END into xml files. Could be very interesting on compile times.
Using external XML files for ROM definitions has been suggested every now and then in the past; I recall flirting with the idea myself once. It would also have the advantage of reducing binary size considerably. The major problems that have been raised include users being tempted to update the binary without the support files (which is already a problem with plugins and software lists), and making it much easier to produce hacked versions whose ROM hashes don't match the verified sets.