>But I don't think anyone would actively deny the application of a patch that could add >sample support to a game, it's just something we're trying to get away from.
I can accept external audio sample if it were of a game that is impossible to find logic schematics of (points fingers at various games of 1970s made by Meadows) in this day and age, but my preference is have audio emulated if schematics are readily available.
As for any audio that is run from an arcade game that used an external tape player should really be only ones getting the external audio sample support these days.
btw: I came across an old acquaintance yesterday from my junior high years who was also going to arcades many times during 1970s and 1980s. I used to run into him a lot at one of the arcades during late 1970s because his older brother's friends worked there during late 1970s and he got preferential treatment (extra tokens) that us customers didn't get.
Junior high years aquaintance knows about MAME and DICE and has seen progress over the years.
His comment to me: "I hope I never see Sega's Fonz emulated because I hate that damn game and it always drove me crazy when trying to play the game and I had to play Fonz because my girlfriend always insisted I play that game with her whenever she and I went together to visit my brother's friends at their job. TV show Happy Days sucked, Fonzie sucked, and Sega had to go release an arcade game about Fonz which made it suck more."
Just for that we should double down the effort to find Sega's Fonz even though I didn't like the game either.