There is nothing to "learn" with a new version of Mame.
Everything is pretty much the same. Mame32 barely changes from one version to the next, all that changes is internal, ie: stuff the average gamer
doesn't notice.
The reason to upgrade is that emulation IMPROVES.
That is the games are more ACCURATE to how they were in arcades.
Many games even run better than before. Now some will argue that older emulators that hack games for speed work well for people with slower older computers so they can run these games that they otherwise could not. I can't argue with that, except that even my comp is considered "mid range" and it can run all of the online Multiplayer games that are playable in Mame32 just fine.
I mean what are these people using, pentium II's? And why do they whine when they "have to" download a new mame32k, even one that's almost 10 megs in size? Yet they willingly download the latest KOF2kX, SVC or SSIV hack that's over 40 megs each...? Hypocrites. These folks can't all be stuck with 56k!
These same folks will whine and complain that they "have to" download the latest neogeo.zip for their roms to work or whine when they "have to" download a new copy of some SNK game because the romsets evolved (that's mame for ya). We've all been there man, if you want your arcade game romsets frozen go use Kawaks or Nebula. They only support the games you ever play anyway (CPS/2 & NeoGeo).
These folks who needlessly bash non-.64 mame32k's seem really insecure to me. They are afraid that if they let any new version catch on or be popular that their community will be threatened, that they will be "forced" to (*gasp*) download a new emulator and a couple new roms! Oh the horrors...
On the one hand they say "NOBODY WILL EVER UPGRADE TO YOUR STUPID NEW VERSIONS!" but then they waste their time and energy attacking non-.64 versions everywhich way they can, as if they are desperate... that without their venom and bile being spewed everywhere their .64 elitest community will disappear and they will no longer be able to declare themselves "KING OF FITERZ 2005!!!111" while accusing their opponents of "hacking."
Anyway...
Why ask for help in a thread like this? Try another forum devoted to help or start a new topic specifically. This thread is about people grabbing download links mostly after all. How can you expect somebody to sort through the entire thing and help you with an off-topic problem? Seriously.
If you're asking about the posted t0rr3nt links, fine, but if you're asking for help with the emulator or something, there's better places to ask that question where it has a much greater chance of being seen by somebody who actually cares, much less one who will reply to you with a helpful answer. And people do try to help, it's not our fault that everything we suggest doesn't work for you, sorry...
Incidentally, I think the powers that be would be a bit upset about packaging roms together with an emulator like this (mamedev especially). It doesn't take much to seperate them, but then with the B.T. crowd it's typical to make up a huge multi-gig file and call it "1000 Mame games t0rr3nt" or something.
So anyway, let's just say you assume any risks there yourself... !
As to why people won't upgrade, that's anyone's guess. People are bound and determined to use an outdated and inferior version of mame32k like .64 until doomesday. They whine "I won't upgrade because then I won't be able to play anyone, it will desynch!"
That crappy defeatist attitude, being widespread simply perpetuates the situation. If more people were willing to TRY a new and better version, which actually ADDS multiplayer games (from .64 to .96u1 you have a lot of new games added, multiplayer games even) and improves existing ones.
So yes, if this is a serious question for you, by all means DON'T upgrade. You'll fit in perfectly with the existing herd of ".64 'till I die" fanboys playing their Capcom & KOF Vs. Fighters and bragging about their skillz. You'll be in good company.
Anyway, anytime I want to play I only need to convince a handfull of people to update and I can have a game. Soon the server will be improved and we can start moving on to better things. Maybe then more people will open up to the possibility of upgrading.
Sorry for the rant, but everytime somebody starts whining about upgrading being this ultimate evil I have to step in with some doses of reality. Where were these people when Kaillera was first starting out? If they were around then they'd all still be using version .1.
Set your mojob mame color in display to match your stupid ass desktop color to avoid black screen in netplay, fukaz. t(';'t -TFR, AD 2-20-02