Quickload front end or interface?

RetroArch Windows devices
#1

Right now the standard Ui is kind of a pain to use. First you have to load a core, then content which requires dancing through a directory tree because different ROM paths for different systems aren’t remembered. Then when you select game it asks again for some reason what core to use even though I already picked it in the beginning. Then it asks if I want to browse or something or run. It requires too many unneeded steps to load a game and asks too many dumb questions (why is it asking what core to use again?).

I was wondering if there is a different interface for RA that works as follows: Pick a core, then it immediately and automatically opens the directory where your ROMs are for that core (that you set ONCE) then you pick the ROM and as soon as you pick it it runs without asking more questions. Is there something like this?

#2

you can scan the games into playlists, which will do what you’re describing, or you can try using the desktop interface by hitting F5. Other than that, some people prefer to use launchers like hyperspin or launchbox.

You can also skip loading the core in the first step and just go straight to ‘load content’, and you can unzip your ROMs to avoid the load/browse archive step.

#3

I have games separated now by their own directory such as ROMs/SNES, ROMs/Genesis etc. Is there a way to make each core automatically go to the selected directory? So if I select a SNES core and load a game it will automatically go to the SNES directory without me having to browse to it every time?

Also can I set different graphics options for each core? So if one filter looks good for SNES but a different one looks good for Lynx I can set different ones for each core instead of one that effects every core.

As far as unzipping everything that isn’t practical. Couldn’t there be an option somewhere to shut that off?

#4

No, can’t set a directory by core because the core doesn’t actually load until content is loaded.

Yes, you can set different graphics options using a core override or a core shader preset as the case may be.

The only way we can support zip files is to have the browse/load option, as some cores load zip archives directly (e.g., MAME and FBA, among others) and some you want to browse.

#5

I have used other emulators and none has a question to browse, they just load and run the ROM in the archive. I have never seen this outside of RA and it is just another step to do everytime. I don’t know why there couldn’t be a setting somewhere to turn that off.

As far as setting a directory why can’t I do that? I select the core as a first step, why wouldn’t it at that time know what directory my ROMs are? That doesn’t make sense. Also not sure why it asks me again after all of those steps which core to load when I already picked it at the beginning?

#6

Use the Playlist function. When you learn how to use it correctly, you will not want anything else. Just select the game and press a single button to start playing.

#7

That playlist gets cumbersome with stuff I haven’t tried yet or if I have a lot of games. I might try launch box or something like that. I just don’t care for the long loading times.

I was messing with the RA interface and it is really confusing. I wanted to set different screen and resolution, filters, etc. the way things are in different spots and only appear at certain times etc is unintuitive. I guess that is the issue with having all of these systems in one interface. I prefer standalone emulators for that reason, so much easier to set up and use. The problem is that those aren’t updated anymore for some reason.