General Update and Roadmap

General
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Even though the GoLEm project has been kind of silent in the past months, I’ve been all but inactive. Here’s a few updates of things that are, and a little share of the roadmap:

  • GoLEm itself has been rebuilt and improved a lot, but it is a “one step back for two steps forward” kind of deal where a lot of time was lost so it could be faster to add new features.

    • The core loop has been largely improve and runs now in about 70,000 fps. Sending inputs to the core now is instant.
    • It’s been split into multiple frontends, and there is a new frontend (TASer) which uses the GoLEm library and automate sending gamepad and keystrokes to the core.
    • The whole user experience is now written in JavaScript / TypeScript, a language that is much more popular than Rust or C++. I’m hopeful that this rewrite will help other people add features and plugins in the short future.
    • This means that we can completely script shortcuts and UI.

  • There is a plan moving forward to implement a different MENU core allowing for full color main menu.

  • There is a clear path forward for an online database of all retro software, hardware and their metadata, assets and files verification.

  • I’ve now deprecated retronomicon in favor of 1retro and 1fpga. I’m in the process of rebuilding the retronomicon schema with a simpler and more adaptable one. This will take time but I will focus on this once I’m satisfied with where GoLEm is.

  • 1retro will also include a cloud feature to preserve saves, savestates, screenshots and more. Connecting with the library, you may also keep a list of games you played, and various info about it (how long, when, etc). Keep track and sync your retro games between software, FPGA and console (where possible).

Then the big reveal in the roadmap I guess.

  • I’m slowly building a non-profit organization (actual 501(c)(3) if you know what that means), named 1retro. This is to be a charity with the goal to help preserving and conserving vintage hardware and software. This would be different from https://gamehistory.org as it would focus on both hardware and software preservation, including building or helping build cores to support preserving those systems. FPGA or not.
  • GoLEm (name to change to 1fpga in the future) will be ONE OF the efforts taken by the charity. Its goal will be a kind of RetroARCH for FPGA; one frontend built for multiple hardware, with support for multiple backends (think MiSTer, MARS, even Analogue cores if possible). There are some hurdles to overcome but that’s the direction I’m aiming at.
  • The charity will also be in charge of cataloging and categorizing vintage (anything before 2010) hardware and software.
  • Hopefully we can also spend resources fighting for legalizing possession of unavailable hardware and software in digital formats. Essentially, I think it makes sense that after X years the software hasn’t been able to be purchased legally new, it should be legal to own it in a digital format (ROM) and distribute. Currently this is a gray area that is leaning illegal unless you also possess a hardware copy.
  • This will give us hopefully some money and resources to spend on these efforts, while keeping the community safe in the knowledge that this is non-profit and their money will not line up anyone’s pockets.

I will be spending the next few weeks/months part time looking for donors and funding and presenting these ideas. GoLEm is still very much alive. And Retronomicon will also be migrated to being a cloud version.

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