| Posted By
Csabo
on 2003-01-19
|  New Fields for Database
Almost all the items from my previously promised to-do list are done, so I'm bringing up yet another issue that I want your feedback on. I'm planning a database structure update, and since these are usually such a pain to implement, I want to make sure that we put in everything this time.
I'm planning to add the following fields to the Software (Programs) record:
- VersionOf / RelatedTo : can't settle on a really good name for this, but it would contain a program id. If a software has this, then this would link to the other software specified by the id. What's the point? To link together different versions of the same software. For a really long time now this has been a troublesome issue in the database: if we have two different cracks of Auf Wiedersehen Monty, plus one original, who are the creators? The cracks were made by different guys, and maybe even a different year, and those are "freeware" releases (versus the original counts as commercial). I've discussed this with quite a few of you in private emails. The *absolute best* solution would be to have an extra layer in between Software and Release (e.g. Auf Monty would be a software record, and it would have three related Release record). However, that would make things *very* complicated, and it would be difficult to pull off. So for now we've been just doing something inconsistent. In some cases we opened a new record for a different versions of the same game, in some cases it's linked them together in one record. Well, this new field would solve that. The good example for this field: Burger House would link to Pizza Pete, because Burger House is a "VersionOf" Pizza Pete. Same thing for all those HG level cracks (Mr Puniverses, Magicians Curses, etc). Wheh, are y'all getting this? 
- Translated Title (or just Translation): This was suggested by SVS, and it's a pretty good idea. For any software where the title is not in English, we would enter the English translation in this field. It would show up on listing pages.
- Adult : This would be a flag that we would set for any software that has adult pictures or text. Members who view one of those records would see it right away, regular visitors would get a warning, and would have to click Agree to claiming to be an adult, etc. No one has complained about this yet, but I think it would be a good idea.
- Original Product Code (or just Product Code): We already have a bunch of these (do a search on product code). It would contain the company's original id number for their software. Right now it's just stored under notes, but it would be nice to have a field for this.
- Written in: Okay, I need a good suggestion for a field name here too. This field would be a multiple choice (like Runs on PAL/NTSC, or Distribution Freeware/Commercial). The choices would be Basic / Basic + Asm / AustroSpeed / Asm. It would give us an idea of what kind of program it is. Or one could do a search for Basic games only, etc. Makes sense?
Also, I think for the Groups/Company record we could have two more fields: Established and Closed (or something). Both would be dates.
Any more suggestions?
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Posted By
MIK
on 2003-01-19
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We should not add into the data base anything related to WHO cracked a game or program.
1. Its sucks
2. I would rather respect the original coders and software houses only.
The reason for C16/Plus4 ClassiX was to bring the best, thats now something I have lost track off. Me and Attila spent many an hour making new cracks, alot out there and still available are nasty. As I've said before with BMX Racers and the like we have the final full correct version as a crack, bug free (or near on perfect as possible) but we still point people to the bad stuff. I don't want any credit for what I did in the past and yet you will not find my name on anything I did just because original rulez. Im just pleased to have a game running on an emu the way it was ment to be seen. I wish we could do this with all games from the past but one things for sure most that have been redone are to be found here 
Sure in the past I also gave credit to those who helped bring alot of this stuff to the web. Ati's work on Icicle Works was amazing, some thing I won't for get, but we thank him and many others at the time of going to press I think it best we left it at that and get onto the important things of finding out who created all these wonderfull things in the first place
Csabo you have fixed Oblido (awesone) and would agree there is a home for this in the database. This sort of thing is unique. And again for stuff like Icicle Works 5 and so on... Sure the code has been hacked around from the original game, but yeah I think here we could respect those who did some good out of some one elses work.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2003-01-19
| Re: Cracks
You raise a lot of good points. However, I think we have two separate issues here related to cracks.
First of all let me state, that I'm not fond of cracks. However, we have them, they exist. Even I did them (they didn't spread that much, but there's even one in the D64 Recall disks ) It's part of the C16/Plus4 history.
1) There are old, already existing cracked versions of software. Example: Bandits+++. I love the original too, but Dan sent me his version. His "work" on the plussy is mostly cracked/trained games. Same goes for tons of TTC programs. Those guys releases "+++" versions of lots of games.
- Should we ignore the fact that those existed?
- Should we just delete all those files?
- Should we keep and catalog those files with the original versions?
I think all of those are bad choices. We should acknowledge those files, but clearly mark them as cracks (this is already done in most cases). I want to take this even one step further: introduce that first field I was talking about, so if you see a record that is NOT an original, you will get a link to the original.
2) Then there are "new" cracks. E.g if you "cracked" a game, and saved it. If you didn't modify it, it's just as good as the original. We don't need to link somebody's name there to show who "cracked" it. (By the way, even those "suck". A true researcher/archiver would only deal with perfect original images, that is TAPs or D64 images.)
The fact that I was the one who found out how to fix Oblido (in my opinion) is completely irrelevant, no-one cares. The point is the fact, that by changing that byte the program works as expected. If I released an "Oblido +", and changed the original, well, that would be a separate release with a different year/person/distribution, etc. But I won't.
I too, am more interested in finding out the original creators of games. Don't forget how many times you and I looked for Udo I would love to know who wrote Oblido, for example. (My guess is Vakis Paraskeva, but there is no way to confirm that.)
All I'm saying is we *have* those old cracks. I'm not defending them. It's just that we have to deal with them too. No?
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2003-01-20
| Re: New Fields
I just remembered one more. Good thing, because I almost forgot... Anyway, I will also add an "ImageURL" field. This will be like ThumbURL. Games that have a 'big' screenshots will have this field entered, and this is the image that will show up on the details page (not the thumbnail, that will be kept for listing). After adding this field, all I'm gonna have to do is take 3000 screenshots and upload them  D'oh
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Posted By
MIK
on 2003-01-21
| yeah
Full size screen grabs was something I talked about some time ago and in the way you say In my old covers archive there is over 100+ that could be used. Its a shame because all the small grabs came from full size images and I never kept any of them 
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2003-02-11
| Re: Database change
After about two weeks of preparations, I did the database change today. The programs table has 9(!) new fields, although not all of them are operational yet. Go see how nice and detailed Oblido is, for example! If there are any weird things showing up on any of the pages, let me know.
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Posted By
MIK
on 2003-02-11
| yeah cool :-)
First thing that comes to mind is the loading screen grab Although not as cool as C64 one's this is still very, very cool to see.
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