> > > I decided that my system would stick with .160 - since I have a frontend that > does > > > everything I want, and the new built-in interface for Mame is pretty poor for > 2016 > > > > You are aware that you never have to interact with the new built-in interface if > you > > don't specifically go for it, right? Launching games from the command line or an > > external FE works exactly like it did beforehand, and you never see the new > > interface. > > > > Of course, if everyone decides the new interface is bad and never files any bugs or > > feature requests on it, then it will never meet their needs. MAMEdev did this as a > > friendly gesture to users; we now need users to reciprocate. > > Well, I'll prepare myself for the inevitable put-downs and insults (not from you, but > you know who), and answer your question, explaining why current Mame won't be > satisfying this particular user any time soon. It's against my better judgment, but > since you're not someone who erm.... looks for the worst in everything, I'll go > ahead. > > There are some things that I find unfathomable with regard to Mame, and some users of > it. One of them is the use of a command-line. Now, I'm old enough (sadly) to have > grown up in a world without GUI's, and therefore used command-line for years - > especially on UNIX boxes. I'm not afraid of using the command-line, nor too stupid to > use it. > > On the other hand, why in the world would I want to? In a typical session with Mame, > I'll play through a bunch of games. Why would I sit there and type in the > command-line with its switches each time? What is gained? My first major exposure to > a GUI was 26 years ago when Windows 3.0 came out. It wasn't the first GUI, but it was > the first I had extensive time with (OS/2 was used too, but not for playing with). > While Windows 3x was very much built on DOS, and you couldn't kindly call it an "OS", > the advantages were obvious and legion. We've come a long way since then. > > I've used various GUI's since then, but it's fair to say Windows is my thing. I still > use the CMD prompt for small things, but 99% of the time I'm in a GUI. I don't see > any good reason for running Mame from a command-line. It just seems..... odd and > needlessly geeky. I see posts from people saying "Hey, just run it with......." and a > command line with six switches and the like, and I get a flashback to 25+ years ago. > It's not how I use computers today, and for good reason. I mean, you can administer > Microsoft networks from the command-line if you really want to punish yourself, but > for day-to-day stuff people tend to use GUI's...... > > Which also applies to the new UI. I am happy that most Mame users seem to like it. I > truly am. But again, it looks and feels to me like something you'd have put together > in the mid-90's. I don't know if you ever used the likes of Wordperfect Office (LOL) > but that's the level the "new" UI is at (and I'm being kind, since WPO was very > configurable, if ugly). The last Mame version I looked at (.173) didn't even have a > scroll bar to scroll through games. The Software-List thing is peculiar, etc. And > aesthetically, it's the ugly sister. > > To be honest I can't be of much help to "fix" or change it, because honestly, it's > not really salvageable, imo. I, and I suggest anyone who feels the same about it, > have simply reverted to earlier versions with better front ends. The one and only way > I can see the UI being "better" is I expect it's more portable (could be wrong, of > course). But for me that's achieved by aiming at the bottom of the barrel. But yes, I > know, the UI was done as a favor to users, we should be happy we were given anything > (an argument that might work if it weren't for the fact that someone can just use an > earlier version when GUI's were in sync). > > And one final note on this, and it's a general comment about both Mame and all of the > GUI's I've tried. Yes I can get them to work, yes I have enough knowledge to know > what most of the features do. But virtually none of them seem to have given any time, > effort, and consideration to usability. Let's just say that the whole human-centric > design concept hasn't been considered (yes, I know, it's a preservation project, not > a consumer-product - but let's face it, everyone knows it's used to play games). The > command-line, and the new UI, look precisely as I would expect an interface to look > if they were conceived, designed, and written by coders locked in a room far, far, > away from the actual people who might want to use the software they're making. > > Now, before I get the usual barrage of abuse, and the sycophants come to tell me to > f-off, let me simply say that shutting off dialog by such antics is precisely what > will a) prevent some growth in GUI's by shutting out all voices; b) Create an > atmosphere where people won't want to share their experiences since it's more trouble > than it's worth. Silence, after all, is considered acceptance. Please accept that the > insults are assumed. > > What I've learned during my time on this board is that - with notable exceptions - is > that there are some people around Mame (either in the team, or very close to the > team) who actively hate, and have contempt, for anyone who uses the software > produced. There's a strange adversarial approach I don't think I've ever seen in a > software development project. It's a shame, because it stops dialog dead time and > time again. Many of the users though are good people - and of course, there are > exceptions in the Mame Team. We all have "moments" we'd rather be able to delete, but > for some it's a constant barrage and clearly no aberration. > > Me - I'm on .160. Some time in the future - maybe with version .190 or something, > I'll download Mame again and see if things are for the better. I don't hold out hope > though, because philosophically we're not on the same train. But in 10 more sprints, > dev cycles, whatever you call them, maybe I'll see the light. > > On the other hand - coming on here calling people c**ts isn't very helpful either. I > fully understand why conversations turn that way, with guilt on both sides, but I see > them as inevitable, sadly.
tl;dr Seriously dude just give us bullet points with concrete things like this (this is just stuff I'm making up as an example):
* Make creating custom filters easier/more user friendly * Add a hotkey to show the ROM files needed for a selected game at select screen * The font is too small * Make the colors brighter
See how that is easy to follow and is specific? That's how you do feature requests, and remember it's a request. If it's rejected, don't take it personally.
You don't need to explain your opinions about UI design or anything. Just state what you want, with maybe a one-line rationale. If the devs want more info as to why you want something changed, they'll ask.
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