MAMEWorld Forums - EmuChat - Is there any way to effectively reduce screen tearing/flickering?

> > > 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.