Let's work on an ultimate guide

Hay guys, let's all work on an ultimate guide for newbs! Many of them come here for the first time and don't understand what ROMs are or the like, so let's have a collaboration here in this thread to get a great FAQ and guide for all of them. I'll jot some things down here and then suggestions, comments, questions, or anything can be added below. I will update this frequently until eventually we beg for a sticky in the introductions thread ;) (Just kidding, I don't think we're allowed to petition a sticky)Ok, let's get started.~~~~~~~~~~First of all, welcome to RomUlation.net! Seph, Loonylion, Anandjones, Born2killx, Cahos Rahne Veloza, Almo, Solus, Patton, Winterreise, Reider, and all of the other members as well as myself welcome you to this forum!-=Important info=-
*Don't be afraid to ask questions! Admins and members are happy to help, just make sure you try search first!
*The site is 100% free! You don't have to pay for anything! Donations are appreciated to help with the 1,800 USD server cost a month, though.
*Just post on the stuff YOU care about! You don't get a cookie for posting a lot of spam.Ok, now, let's go over the basics. If you stumbled here on accident, this is the section for you. Otherwise, feel free to skip it.
RomUlation is named after the internet phenomenon of downloading ROMs. ROM, which stands for Read Only Memory, is a dump or exact digital copy of a physical cartridge for many things such as Game Boy Advance, DS, or SNES. However, just because a system dosen't use a cartage doesn't mean that it can't have a digital copy. A ISO is an exact digital copy of a disk, like PSX or Dreamcast games. Let's say you had a NES game and wanted to play the same game on your computer. First, you would have to downloaded an Emu, or Emulator, from a site. A quick google of NES Emulator should pop up with some BAD results. Most of the sites surrounding rom and iso sites are infested with viruses and spyware. While I won't try to get you to stay away from other sites, RomU is a great, virus free site for all of your ROM/ISO needs. After you acquire an emulator, you can head to the downloads section of RomU (found on the Romulation.net homepage!) and search for the particular ROM you would like to play. Download it and follow this guide here ( https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,3880.0.html ) to get the game and possible emulator to a working format. After all of that is done, simply run the emulator and open the ROM or ISO file with it and you're ready to go!
Don't worry, it may LOOK like a lot, but it's really not. After once or twice of doing this, you'll be pro and playing all of your old favorite games in no time.-=NOTE: For Emulators, RomU suggests : https://www.romulation.org/forum/index.php/topic,1535.0.html =-

*But why would I want to?!?*
Ah, good questions. If you already have the original cartage, why would you want to play the digital copy on your computer? Well, numerous advantages are presented with this. First of all, your games not take up a little harddisk space and instead of taking up a closet they now take up a folder in your computer. Secondly, saves, loads, cheating, and all of that may be done inside the computer instead of with annoying secondary hardware. Thirdly, you may create or download ROM hacks, in which the game can be transformed into nearly anything. Lastly, the main idea of what RomU thinks of themselves as: You can try before you buy expensive DS and GBA games If you have a game you would like to try, but not purchase, then you can use RomU to download it, try it, and decide if you would like to buy the full game.

*I have a ROM for a DS game... Now what?*
Unfortunately, DS emulators haven't masters the craft yet, so until they do you should look into a DS flash card. A DS flash card goes into your DS, but has a micro SD card in the back. From there, you can play games, music, home brew (hand made by amateurs) games, and more! Personally, after a problem I had with mine, my DS has 70 games on it, 30 songs on it, 5 10 minute movies on it, and isn't half full!
(((((SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME A LINK TO ONE OF THE GOOD DS FLASHCART BREAKDOWN THREADS)))))Ok, then, guys. I'm tired. Make suggestions, sections, or redo the entire thing! Let's get to it :D

first thing, a correction. Our server costs are currently $1,800 a month (may be going up a bit soon as we have another server upgrade in the pipeline). $4,000 a month is a rough estimate of what it would cost us if we didn't have the point system. Also, you forgot to mention Reider as a mod, I'd correct that before he notices. :P

Why'd I think it was 4K? Hm... must have been some other site...

4k is the figure we give when justifying the points system. It's really just an estimated cost if we didn't have the point system.

Oh, ok then :D.
So... do you approve of the idea?

I honestly don't expect many people to read it, just like they don't read any of the stickies or our existing tutorials.

Replying to #6

You may very well be right... but it will help some smart people and, hay, I read the stickies :D Well, as long as the admins arn't shooting down the idea, I might as well make the guide! :D

This is actually a good idea to implement not only here on the forum, but on the main site as well.Here's my take on this:Say you are a new member right, & you've just registered on RomUlation. Now you validate your account & activate it. Right after the validation confirmation, instead of re-directing you to the "Home" page you get directed to this new member's guide you (Deathbreak911) were thinking off, so you can get the 411 (basic information of what RomUlation is, the tech lingo & such) on what the whole deal is. Now if the new member is too lazy enough to not read the information being spoon fed to him then it's his own fault.

I was thinking something like that (to be requested after a good guide was made) but I couldn't think of a good time. Your idea is perfect, though, Cahos :D

And basing things on the results of the RomUlation initiated survey, since a majority of the people who join RomUlation are parents looking for games for their children, this Guide would be more helpful if it was located on the main site then it being placed here, since the guys who do go here (excluding us regulars) only ever come to ask for help.

Very true. Well, regulars have to start somewhere.Maybe, and I'll shut up after this suggestion, wait.. I have two suggestions. TO THE SUGGESTION SUBFORUM! AWAY!!!!!!!!Anyway, I didn't know that. Perhaps a detailed break down of the ROMs and what to do with them is necessary. :D

Deathbreak911First of all, welcome to RomUlation.net! Seph, Loonylion, Anandjones, Born2killx, Cahos Rahne Veloza, Almo, Solus, Patton, Winterreise, Reider, all of the other admins/moderators as well as myself and many other users welcome you to this forum!

You somehow forgot Loony too.Also, not all flashcarts use MicroSD for storage, and the coders for homebrew are considered hobbyists. I wouldn't expect this to be read as well.

Crap, I did! I was copying the "Admin for this thread" every time I saw a new one. I'll add the internal memory and hobbyists part tomarrow :D

Replying to #13

Dude, how could you forget me!?

Replying to #14

Who are you again? :PI'm cool with not being mentioned in the welcoming there since I don't welcome people. I'm all cold-blooded and cruel and stuff after all.Also, Girogex and adrelith aren't staff members, they just have their own little sections on the forums that we're renting out to them.

Replying to #15

They're actually mods of their own little sections :)I think that that is worth the title "Staff Member"

Replying to #16

Not really, they aren't romulation staff, they're staff of their own projects.

Great catch... I just went to the "moderator for this forum" thing D: T_T Updating now.

If this does Succeed... Then It would be advisory to send a pm to all members and the new joiners would get an auto-mail telling them to go here for the stuff.

How about adding a Glossary of common Emulation scene terms to help total beginners understand the things we take for granted, like what are .sav files, what is a patch file, what are firmware etcetera.