Additional Features Suggestions

[possiblyneal]

I've created 5 "Retooled" rom lists at this point (PS1 had zero issues for me!) so I wanted to give some feedback on features I think could be helpful.

1. Automatically check for and update clone lists. You would always want the most up to date clone list before processing your DAT so it should just do it for the user on runtime.
2. Check for Retool program updates and have a popup notification if it finds one.
3. An option to keep the individual elements that make up a compilation IF a compilation is chosen. As I understand it now, compilations are kept if they contain a title or titles not available individually. However, this still results in the individual games being obscured by compilations, that may not show up in a search, or browsing a collection. I understand that this is slightly outside of a 1G1R philosophy, but for me it would make my collections a little easier to navigate. Based on some of the previous tickets, I know this has been discussed at length, so I apologize if this suggestion has already been discussed.

Again, Retool is amazing, between this software and BigBox, I've been able to completely nerd out and make some very organized collections. I plan to do at least 10 more systems. Also, you have even inspired me, a non-coder, to build some software that does something very similar for MAME sets!

[unexpectedpanda]

Automatically check for and update clone lists. You would always want the most up to date clone list before processing your DAT so it should just do it for the user on runtime.

I get the incentive, and it's been raised before. It's on my to do list, but it's bundled with a lot of extra work around updates, like this one:

Check for Retool program updates and have a popup notification if it finds one.

I want to go a step further and enable auto-downloading and updating the application, but there's a bit of work there in terms of making it work for all platforms.

The easy path would just be a notification and alerting the user that it's available for them to download, as you've suggested.

Also, you have even inspired me, a non-coder, to build some software that does something very similar for MAME sets!

That's amazingly cool :)

An option to keep the individual elements that make up a compilation IF a compilation is chosen.

Individual titles are in most cases prioritized over compilations, but there are exceptions (the one everyone brings up is Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, which is selected because it contains newer versions of the games than the individual titles). In this case it sounds like you're describing an "always choose individual titles" option.

Compilations are by far the biggest headache to work on in Retool, so I tend to avoid them where I can. However, I have scoped out some potential operating modes:

• Prefer individual titles (how it works now, some compilations might be selected if they contain higher versions or a unique title)
• Prefer compilations (can potentially save on disk space, at the cost of sometimes not knowing what's in the compilation due to the filename)
• Always choose individual titles (if there's an individual title available but it's a lower version than what's in a compilation, still choose the individual title)
• Treat compilations as unique titles (severs the relationship between individual titles and compilations, so you get the best version of both)

This might never happen as just working through all the combinations hurts my brain (especially when you bring in region and language preferences). I think that list encompasses most of the options people would want, though.

[possiblyneal]

I feel you on the compilations, most devs would not even attempt. I was actually trying to describe a fifth option, though I wasn't describing it well. It is similar to always choose individual titles, however when a compilation is available with a title not available individually or contains a higher version that would be treated as a unique title. So Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars, and Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World would ALL be included. However many of the NES compilations would not be included because the the same version of those games all exist individually. For example, for one of the missing compilations I bought up in another post:

Total Funpak (Australia) (Unl):

• Pac-Man (USA) (Tengen)
• Sidewinder (Asia) (En) (72 pin cart) (Unl)
• Othello (Australia) (HES) (Unl)
• Duck Maze (Australia) (Unl)

Total Funpack wouldn't be included, because the same versions of Pac-Man, Sidewinder, Othello, and Duck Maze are available individually. So they would be included instead.

For me, this seems like the right compromise; easy to navigate and find every title I'm looking for and good retro achievements integration, but I still feel like I'm not missing out any gameplay. Though I may be alone on that and I am still very happy with what you have now. Maybe in 5 years once I think I've figured out python, I'll submit a pull request.

[unexpectedpanda]

Okay, noted if I ever go back down that path.

Maybe in 5 years once I think I've figured out python, I'll submit a pull request.

You'd also need to figure out my mad code base. Five years might be about right if you include that 😛