Savestate sharing suggestion

[Yukemi-ZWY]

Hi,
I remember back when I started playing shmups I used savestates heavily, I had them all set for each Bosses and tricky parts of my favorite games. I stopped playing for a while, got back into it, and my hatred for savestates started.
I really likened them to cheating and stopped using them altogether, however I'm starting to practice with their help once again and I have to admit how powerful they can be.
So I did a few savestates here and there but honestly, it is quite a boring process (setting them accurately, not overwriting the one you just done... nothing hard, it's just a pain), so I thought of the following,
if these are easy to copy from one MAME version to another (they are after all simple config files from what I know) why not share a nice set of savestates for each games, for example on the stratgy thread of that game ?
Think about it, you're maybe not a savestate user and are stuck somewhere, or you're trying to practice a part you rarely reach, just take a visit to the strategy thread, download a savestate file made by someone else, copy it to your mame folder, start the game and by pressing a few keys you're there, ready to grind that stupid boss.
Not really super helpfull, but pretty convenient.

Thoughts ?

[Erppo]

The problem is you'd need everyone using the same (or at least close enough) mame version.

While this might be nice for some situations (like trying out something with a different ship in games that don't let you swap by continuing), normally just making a bunch of saves for a game you're practicing shouldn't be any extra trouble since you need to make your way through the game anyway to practice it.

[ProjectAKo]

My savestate strat is (game specific of course) keyboard rows

1 through -> 0, one savestate for each level.
Q through -> P, one for each boss (corresponds to numbers above)
A -> K one for each level on second loop
Z-> M same for each second loop boss

Since you don't need a state for all of these, like level 1, or first boss, since its so easy usually, you can use some for other general purposes. Not really what you asked but I thought I'd share my idea.

[PAPER/ARTILLERY]

My savestate strat is (game specific of course) keyboard rows

1 through -> 0, one savestate for each level.
Q through -> P, one for each boss (corresponds to numbers above)
A -> K one for each level on second loop
Z-> M same for each second loop boss

I use a similar system, though the second line is usually reserved for mid-bosses where necessary, third line for bosses. I don't often see second loops...

[Yukemi-ZWY]

The problem is you'd need everyone using the same (or at least close enough) mame version.

Ah, I remember the savestates as basic text files, so I didn't think there would be any compatibility issues. Makes it totally ineffective then.
What I had in mind was for example a very skilled player sharing his own savestates, with specific rank or loops so as to help other players getting a better understanding of more advanced stuff. It may not have been as useful as I imagined, but I still think I, personally, would find that helpful, so I guess maybe other would too

If I was more skilled in programming I would try and create a custom MAME version with support for major Cave games and pre-recorded replays and savestates, with a few additional features I think it could be pretty nice. Oh, and custom artwork ! Maybe it's useless, I don't know, I still like the idea