Why is Roms-path needed in both Attract-Mode and Emulator settings?

[EZL]

So I've started to dabble in setting up emulators and Attract Mode. First of is M.A.M.E.
I got things to work with the last version of MAME 0.221, but then installed the new version 0.222 and suddenly I couldn't start my games anymore.

After a bit of troubleshooting i realized it was due to my new install olf MAME 0.222 didn't have the mame.ini where I point out my special path to my roms (instead of just the default [workingdir]\roms folder MAME has).
So now I got it working.

What I don't understand is why I had to do that change in mame.ini and not just in Attract Mode under the Emulators Roms-setting?
If Attract Mode doesn't parse along the rom-path to MAME, so it can find the ROMs to run. . . then why even bother to set a Roms-path in Attract Mode? What does that setting do?

TLDR;
What is the Roms-path setting in Attract Mode for? (since it obviously isn't parsing it along to MAME and MAME instead reads ROMS from only paths in mame.ini)

[zpaolo11x]

rom path in mame is needed so mame knows where roms are and can launch games etc, rom path in attract mode is used to generate romlists of the games you have, to use in attract mode latouts. you need both because the two systems dont really talk to each other

[rand0m]

AM launches the emulator and directs it to the location of rom file to load, like run snes and instruct it to load a specific rom (name+romext) in specific location (rompath). MAME is a special case, it needs rompath for its own usage. Almost every other emulator would work with AM rompath alone.

[EZL]

Thanks for the answers! 
But also. . . sigh. . .  Why is MAME different? 

I looked at the last_run.log and it had it's entry like this:
*** Running: mame64.exe robotron
Is there any good reason for Attract Mode not being able to just send the rompath along when launching the game and thus giving the below example line in the log instead?
*** Running: mame64.exe -rompath C:\Roms\Arcade\MAME_0.222\ robotron
(Where I would have set rompath in Attract Mode = C:\Roms\Arcade\MAME_0.222 and NOT having edited/changed the default roms path of the MAME distribution.)

[akafox]

zpaolo11x is correct

You need to put the paths in BOTH...Attract mode has NOTHING to do with mame. That is Attract Mode and MAME (or any emulator for that matter) are different software that meet or solves different needs/reasons.

MAME needs to know the path so it knows where to look to find the rom to load it so you can run it.

Attract mode on the other paw only needs it to build a list. After that it does not matter.

Mame is different because that is just how it is written. It is a pain but you'll get use to it...even though it's STILL a pain 

Once you setup your mame.ini path for mame you never have to change it again..unless you update or move them ect. Same with attract mode.

Again Attract mode has NOTHING to do with any emulator. All front ends do is pass info to the command line so that you don't have to type anything ans s o it looks good..PERIOD. And yes Windows is a front end like Attract Mode (well almost..that is debatable on who you ask)..and the goes for any other GUI you run on ANY computer/smartphone.