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Add Option to Prioritize MAME Parent ROMs During Full-Set Import

LaunchBox for Windows

šŸ“‹ Summary

Add an option to the MAME Full Set Importer that lets users prioritize the MAME-defined parent ROM as the default version of a game.

ā— Problem

When importing a MAME full set, LaunchBox currently uses region and variant preferences to help choose the primary version when related parent/clone sets are grouped.

That works well for many users, but some users prefer the default version to match the parent ROM defined by MAME itself, regardless of region or player-count preferences.

šŸ’” Proposal

Add a checkbox or advanced option to the MAME Full Set Importer, such as:

  • Prioritize MAME parent ROMs

  • Prefer parent ROM as default version

When enabled, LaunchBox would use the MAME-defined parent ROM as the main/default version when importing grouped MAME games.

If the parent ROM is unavailable or not working, LaunchBox could fall back to the existing region and variant priority behavior.

šŸ§© Use Cases

  • Keep imported MAME games aligned with MAMEā€™s parent/clone structure

  • Make the parent set the default launch option

  • Avoid a clone becoming the primary version when the user prefers the parent

  • Still allow region/variant preferences as a fallback when needed

šŸ“¦ Benefits

  • Gives users more control over MAME import behavior

  • Better supports users who organize around parent sets

  • Preserves existing region/variant behavior for users who prefer it

  • Reduces manual cleanup after importing full MAME sets

āš ļø Considerations

This should be optional and should not replace the existing region and variant priority options. The current behavior should remain available for users who prefer regional or player-count prioritization.

Posted by dukdukgoos Ā·
Status: Open To Community3 comments

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Comments3

  • AstroBob changed status to Open To Community
    Teamā€¢

    Aug 3

    Pinned

    Hi there!

    Thanks so much for submitting this request and for taking the time to explain your use case ā€” that context is always super helpful.

    Iā€™ve gone ahead and fleshed out the main idea using the info you provided, and Iā€™m opening it up to the community for further discussion and feedback. Please let me know if this fleshed-out version doesnā€™t match your original intended request.

    Feel free to let me know if you have any extra thoughts, examples, or edge cases you think might be relevant!

    Cheers,
    The LaunchBox team

  • dukdukgoos

    ā€¢

    Aug 21

    Another point to add to this: the parent rom often has MAME high scores and achievement features that arenā€™t present when playing one of the clones. This is another reason why taking the parent rom can be preferable.

  • dukdukgoos

    ā€¢

    Aug 3

    MAME Full Set Import: Setting to prioritize parent rom instead of by region/number of players

    Iā€™d like an additional setting on the MAME Full Set Importer to prioritize the parent rom as the default. The current system of using the region and number of players to choose which rom in the default is okay for some people, but Iā€™d prefer to default to whichever rom the MAME exe defines as the parent.

    In the rare case that the parent rom is non-working and a clone is working, then it could fall-back to the region/num players code it currently uses.

    This could be implemented as a simple checkbox: ā€œPrioritize parent romsā€ or something similar, above or below the current region/num players UI.