Jump to content
LaunchBox Community Forums

LonestarK

Members
  • Posts

    41
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by LonestarK

  1. Thank you for your contribution but I believe it is muddying the point. 

    These games were not duplicate entries on separate platforms; these games were completely deleted from the database. And the image files are now completely lost. 

    Changing the platform field in the games entry from any one OS to PICO-8 is a forgivable mistake, completely deleting an entire game entry rather than correct that one field is vandalization of the database. 

    • Like 4
  2. The following games have been deleted from the database.  Who submitted the deletions? What reasons were provided?  Who approved the deletions?  There is a very limited set of valid reasons to delete anything from the database.

     

    Games List:

    Brutal Pico Race
    Freezing Knights
    Frog King
    Get Out of This Dungeon
    Ghost Detective
    Gifts on Venus
    Golf Sunday
    Into Ruins
    Just One Boss
    Kalikan
    Low Mem Sky
    Marballs
    Marballs 2
    Motion REC
    Mot's 8 Ball Pool
    Ozelotl
    Rocket to the Top
    Snow
    The Adventures of Jelpi
    The Merciless Deep

     

    The games were released via lexaloffle.com for the PICO-8 platform and released via itch.io for the Windows, OS X, and Linux platforms.  The LaunchBox database had these games under the Linux platform just a few weeks ago.  I checked to see if the entries had simply been moved to the PICO-8 platform, newly implemented to the database, by someone who mistakenly believes that the game was only released to just the PICO-8 platform;  This is not the case, these entries have been completely deleted.

     

  3. 14 minutes ago, Thanatos_Prime said:

    The ones linked above, where one is now deleted had different developers. And the Scuba Diver and Sea Hunt 2600 games where Scuba Diver is currently on the chopping block have two different developers. I again am voting NOT to merge the two for this reason.

    They have different publishers, Froggo, John Sands, Panda, Zellers, & Tang's. The developer is the same: Sancho. And every title screen from each of these different regions/re-releases features Sancho's copyright.

  4. I haven't come across one of your requests in the queue, but I can think of a few reasons why you might get a rejection, just looking at the links you posted above;

    let's use this one as an example:  Guitar Hero On Tour: https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/games/images/6517-guitar-hero-on-tour

    Original:

    932a9851-2683-43a8-8382-a2990cc3a01e.thumb.jpg.08a43f4a29e77a1b424a786ea6fd9b43.jpg

    New Submission:

    6813d03e-b904-48a8-b2e5-1907e0df7db5.thumb.png.c3f10323841cdf1aaa5454effdc6006a.png

    Possible Rejection Reasons:

    1. Adding an extra cart image with no real variation / Adding a Duplicate Image (Should be a replacement of original image)

    2. New Submission has smaller dimensions than original

    3. New Submission's sticker is slightly out of focus / lower quality than original

     

    The original image isn't great, so I think an argument can be made for replacement.  The original has a color palette that needs correction, it shows physical damage, and the sticker placement is slightly askew.  The new submission having smaller dimensions isn't a dealbreaker for me, but being out of focus is.

    Personally I don't care if the cart image is an actual photograph or just someone's photoshop, as long as it's accurate and it looks good.

    And as far as "why not both?", I think some would argue it inflates bandwidth, storage size, and potentially inconveniences the end user to sort through multiple cart images.  I think this inconvenience can be avoided with a new cart recon image type.  JereBear's solution may be the best until that gets implemented.

  5. Please add J2ME to the list of platforms.

    There's over 1000 games that could be added to the database under the Java 2 Micro Edition platform.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Platform%2C_Micro_Edition

    https://www.mobygames.com/platform/j2me/

    I'd like to add some art assets to the db that are unique to Vivendi Games's version of Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail released on the J2ME platform in 2007.

    1696191321431984fixedresizedhalf.jpg

  6. Pretty sure multiple users in multiple threads have said that your issue with retroachievements would be resolved if you added the subset title as an alternate name to the base game. 

  7. I don't quite understand.  It sounds like you haven't tried adding the name as an alternate name on the original game entry in the database;  on the basis that you don't want to litter the database with alternate names, but you're okay littering the database with duplicate game entries.

    It's my understanding that RA loads trophy sets based on the hash value of the rom/iso, not the name of the rom/iso.  Sounds like there's an issue with the playlist you're trying to share.

  8. These merges have only started in the last few weeks, and have now spread to the attempted merging of completely different games that share nothing in common other than having the same name in different regions. 

    Multiple users have voiced legitimate concerns and gave examples of the negative consequences that merging has on the database. Consequences that include the inability to differentiate which information is for which of the different games contained within the single entry (information like release dates, developers, publishers, and even game type, in cases such as Edd the Duck, an unreleased but leaked game); the inability to provide unique videoURLs for each of the different games showing the different gameplay/graphics or provide unique descriptions/overviews for each game's story and history; the increased burden on LaunchBox's end users to sort through the jumbled entry to determine which portion of the overview, which images, and other information applies to which game; as well as other concerns and consequences touched upon in this thread alone.

    These concerns and consequences have been dismissed out of hand by a single user, with the misconception that we just always merge games around here, always have and always will.  Said user, as a means of blocking further discussion, makes blanket statements insinuating that these matters have long ago been settled, but without actually referencing any specific discussion, link any topic, show any kind of statement from anyone with authority, or even quote an official guideline or rule. He uses a "just because" fallacy to protect his own misguided status quo bias, one that might not even be based on an accurate interpretation of the status quo. All of this is incredibly poor form when discussing any matter, and does not foster cooperation or debate.  This user then proceeded to merge even more games together when other users illustrated that his reasoning was flawed and provided examples where different games of similar circumstances were not merged.  Said user has a mistaken understanding of the concepts of "same" and "different", as well as a misunderstanding of the moderator guidelines and contributor rules.

    Rule 3 states:

    Quote

    A game should only have 1 entry per platform.

    • Multiple Disc games don't get entries per disc. Still 1 entry.
    • Special Editions only get a unique entry on the Database if the game is significantly different than the already existing entry. I.e. Fallout 3 and Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition would be two separate entries.

    Rule 3 was created to merge multi-disc games which previously had an entry for each disc, and greatest hits/platinum type games which were just re-releases of their base game, but with an exception for special editions that were different from their base games and would thus maintain their own entry.   It was not created for merging different games.

    One of the keystones of LaunchBox's core mission statement is to make your games beautiful, another is to provide the end user with an easy-to-use frontend to easily organize without being forced to customize. The added burden to the end user as a result of this user's merges are in violation of both of these tenets.  Furthermore, said user's own "merge it all" policy is inconsistent, and leads to an inconsistent experience for the end user.  Why, under said user's policy, are we to ration and jumble official entries or even some unreleased prototype entries, but provide a much better service for romhacks?

    I ask that all moderators stop participating in the merging of these games, as it has clear negative effects on the database and its end users, it violates the core principles of the LaunchBox frontend, and it has no basis in the moderator guidelines and contributor rules.

    • Thanks 2
    • The Cake is a Lie 1
  9. We're Back was regionalized as We're Back in Italy, Bamse in Sweden, Baby T-Rex in Germany, and was to be regionalized in the UK as Edd the Duck, but the UK version wasn't officially released.  Three regionalizations for three different regions.  There was no crossover on these.  You're relying on the ambiguity that these different regions are all on the same continent.

  10. 2 hours ago, Freestate said:

    Kung fu kid entry triggers some error when you try to modidy of delete names (it happens with alternates some times, also with images) it's some kind of bug of the database, like the delete bug.

    polluted nation is not an official release name, if somebody regionalized it with north-america region, launchbox gives priority to regionalized alternates using your configuration of region order. i've checked entries and at least IN THAT MOMENT are complete, all name data, all regions.

    It's not a matter of d*** it's related that your examples are like mine in favour of keeping merged entries, they we're unadressed, when somebody merge them it was aproved. The main point is why if in dozens of equal scenarios people merge games into one entry, we are going to make and excepcion with some brazilian games?

    No way.  Same scenario, same resolution.

    Except it's not the same scenario. In none of your examples were the games released twice within a single region, once in its unmodified form and then again in a modified form.

  11. 40 minutes ago, Kjetter said:

    In fairness, those were released on different platforms. Doki Doki was on Famicom Disc System, and Super Mario USA was on Famicom/NES.

    Exactly.  It's unprecedented.  Doki Doki/Super Mario USA is the closest analogy of releasing a regionalized version and an unaltered version within the same region, and even that was only released for the Famicon disc add-on.

  12. One of the sticking points for me on why I can't consider these titles just regionalizations is that the regions in question (Brazil & Portugal), released the base games in their unaltered forms and then released the modified games years later. 

    This is similar to Japan releasing Yume Koujou Doki Doki Panic in 1987 then Super Mario USA in 1992.

    • Like 1
  13. I didn't moderate your particular change request, but I would have rejected it as well for the following reasons:

    1. It's attempting to overwrite a different fanart background.  Fanart can be exactly that: fan art; Official artwork from official sources is fine in this category, but by no means a requirement or even a priority.  If you want this particular fanart background deleted, you'll have a better chance by submitting a separate deletion request and provide your reasoning that the artwork doesn't represent the game or even make the argument that the one guy's shirt contains text.

    2. Text or logos containing text is not allowed in fanart backgrounds because it interferes with clear logos that are overlayed on the backgrounds in launchbox.

    Having said that, had I seen this change request come in, after rejecting it, I probably would have re-uploaded your image without the text myself because it would have only taken me 2 seconds to photoshop the logo text out of the image since it's just a solid color behind the text.  But this is going beyond what a moderator is expected to do.

     

    I appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention though, since it highlights that moderation can be inconsistent sometimes.  We can definitely strive to be better.

  14. If you're unsure how to handle any change request, (not just those related to this Sapo Xule fiasco), rather than approve or reject, click the skip button and allow one of the other moderators to handle the request.

  15. 2 hours ago, alissongamer said:

    On the issue of RA you don't need a separate entry, because if you look at this point then each region of the same game should have a separate entry. LaunchBox gives you the option to select the version you want to run of the same game, just choose the correct one for the RA.

    It allows you to select the version or the region?  Because with the merge, there are two versions for Brazil, and two versions for Europe (Portugal).

  16. And you're ignoring the fact that two different versions were officially released in the same region. 

    I think we've both made our points.  Let's hear if anyone else wants to weigh in.  My reason for creating this thread is to help our moderators make a more informed decision on the changes we've seen ramrodded through the queue as of late.  And I hate to see that those change requests have escalated to threats written in game titles and overview entries.

    Ultimately it's up to all of the moderators to draw the lines on what constitutes a significant enough difference to keep separate entries, and not the tirades of a few contributors going back and forth in an edit war.

×
×
  • Create New...