How can we contribute to the Launchbox Games Database? Beta & Moderator Signups!

[CADScott]

I have started getting some moderation requests for images now, and I just wanted to check on what is happening before I go too much further. Is the database allowing multiple images for such things as front and back box images, or will there be a single approved image for all. The front image for the one I was looking at (Alone in the Dark for 3DO) was very different to the one that is currently in the database, and I don't want to accept it and overwrite what is currently a pretty good quality image. If multiple images are being allowed for these images, is there any sort of check to stop people uploading many multiples that are just slightly different?

[SentaiBrad]

Multiple front images are allowed for regions, but it should specify the region. That said, if someone found a higher quality or official piece of front art then just use judgement. We offer resolution comparing to make sure that we are improving quality. It's going to really be what you think is better at the end of the day, but it's also why there needs to be 3 votes in either direction for a verdict.

[SentaiBrad]

I created a basic Moderation Guideline for the moderators. Look it over, see if there is anything else we need to add, something we need to change. I went over this post and what I was thinking of and created it. Jason's already taken a look at it and likes it. You can comment on the Doc but feel free to comment directly here. When we are ready to create a Database Subforum for the forums, this will go in a stickied thread there. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wB80CH3zecXccfQ4Et8NxYa-G1bQuo7eo1YHvkYQ728/edit?usp=sharing

[CADScott]

Thanks for the Moderation Guide Brad, that looks good! I am actually unable to moderate at the moment, the site appears to be crashing when I click on the moderation link under my account, and I get this error. This occurs on two different machines which are connected to the net through different connections, so I don't think it is my end.

[SentaiBrad]

It just went to my moderation queue on my end... I'll let Jason know.

[Jason Carr]

Thanks guys, that error should be fixed now. It was showing the error when you were at the end of your queue. :)

[CADScott]

Yep all working now, thanks Jason!

[Cebion]

SentaiBrad said I created a basic Moderation Guideline for the moderators. Look it over, see if there is anything else we need to add, something we need to change. I went over this post and what I was thinking of and created it. Jason's already taken a look at it and likes it. You can comment on the Doc but feel free to comment directly here. When we are ready to create a Database Subforum for the forums, this will go in a stickied thread there. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wB80CH3zecXccfQ4Et8NxYa-G1bQuo7eo1YHvkYQ728/edit?usp=sharing

Looks very good. Don't forget the German USK. About the nudity part. I agree with you about Screenshots. We can always take those wihtout Nudity in it. But with the covers I disagree with you. If we manipulate the covers they're not original anymore and we destroy our whole policy of good quality submissions.

[CADScott]

Cebion said

SentaiBrad said I created a basic Moderation Guideline for the moderators. Look it over, see if there is anything else we need to add, something we need to change. I went over this post and what I was thinking of and created it. Jason's already taken a look at it and likes it. You can comment on the Doc but feel free to comment directly here. When we are ready to create a Database Subforum for the forums, this will go in a stickied thread there. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wB80CH3zecXccfQ4Et8NxYa-G1bQuo7eo1YHvkYQ728/edit?usp=sharing

Looks very good. Don't forget the German USK. About the nudity part. I agree with you about Screenshots. We can always take those wihtout Nudity in it. But with the covers I disagree with you. If we manipulate the covers they're not original anymore and we destroy our whole policy of good quality submissions.

Not that it is something that will ever effect me, as I don't have any adult games in my collection, but I agree with @Cebion on this one. If we modify the artwork in any way, we are destroying the integrity of the database. Also, even if the images are censored, many covers and names are very suggestive and should probably kept away from kids prying eyes! Perhaps all adult games should be hidden from searches by default, and only enabled manually in the users control panel. That we there is no danger of people accidentally finding anything offensive.

[CriticalCid]

Cebion said

SentaiBrad said I created a basic Moderation Guideline for the moderators. Look it over, see if there is anything else we need to add, something we need to change. I went over this post and what I was thinking of and created it. Jason's already taken a look at it and likes it. You can comment on the Doc but feel free to comment directly here. When we are ready to create a Database Subforum for the forums, this will go in a stickied thread there. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wB80CH3zecXccfQ4Et8NxYa-G1bQuo7eo1YHvkYQ728/edit?usp=sharing

Looks very good. Don't forget the German USK. About the nudity part. I agree with you about Screenshots. We can always take those wihtout Nudity in it. But with the covers I disagree with you. If we manipulate the covers they're not original anymore and we destroy our whole policy of good quality submissions.

I completely agree with that. @Jason Now that the Database allows cover for multiple regions I hope that means you will finally tackle on this ticket? :) #314: Differentiate between (and scrape metadata for) separate region releases of the same game About the guideline: If I understand it correctly we should be go strictly by the name on the box? For example we should prefer “David Crane’s A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia” over “A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia”? Maybe the guidelines should be linked in the moderation panel too. So if a difficult entry comes up we moderators could take a quick look on the guidelines if we should accept it or not.

[FistyDollars]

I thought that if there was any confusion about what the official name of a game should be, we would go with whatever Wikipedia had it listed as. Case in point, A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobonia doesn't have the "David Crane's" prefix to it on the official Wiki entry here, whereas Sid Meier's Pirates! does.

[SentaiBrad]

As per the nudity, that's why we're discussing it first. As per the names, I don't think Wikipedia was ever the go-to source, but it gets tricky. I say we go by the box art and have alternate name fields. I did say in the draft of the rules that the way the Developers spell it / say it / what ever they do with it should override what people think it should be. Video game content can be subjective, a title is not subjective. It does get weird with the David Crane portion, I agree, but that is what the Box says. We should find it any other sites on the list spell it this way and what the developers spell it as (if they even have a website anymore).

[SentaiBrad]

I think it gets more weird when you look at the AD&D games on DOS. I edited those names and knew that they were Dungeons and Dragons and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, but I abbreviated them because that is acceptable by TSR (now TSI!!!) and Wizards of the Coast (now, they didn't own D&D back then).

[CADScott]

I think the idea of alternative name fields is a really good one. We could have the Box Name, which would be exactly what is on the box (“David Crane’s A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia”), and if required, another field for scraped / sorted name (“A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia”). Even better would be if we were able to choose the one that we wanted to display in LaunchBox / BigBox. This is very similar to how Kodi handles metadata for movies and TV, the scraper program I use has the original title and the sort title. This works really well for overseas titles where the names are in another language, but there is an equivalent western title.

[Jason Carr]

Just fixed a few bugs with the moderation, so if anyone was getting an error in their moderation queue, that is fixed now and moderation should work again. We've had a ton of great contributions in the last day or so, so the moderation queue could use some love. :) Thanks all!

[hubz]

I second alternative names if at all possible. Wikipedia isn't always correct, really no one source is. So having that would help alleviate that problem. I've been contributing to the NES the past few days and finding out the true developers on games is proving to be quite a challenge! Publisher is much easier luckily. But lots of conflicting information out there on developers. I've also just been putting the back of box descriptions for NES games but didn't know if that was what was the goal? Should it be that and then a synopsis of the gameplay? Lastly I don't think JPEG's should be allowed for screenshots if we have a clean PNG. On NES etc. PNG's are clean and have no degradation and on top of that are smaller file size wise.

[Jason Carr]

Hi @hubz, I've been seeing your changes come through and wanted to thank you for all the quality contributions. I am in agreement that PNG screenshots are much preferred over JPEGs. The only thing I would say, just based on how the moderation system works, is that if you're going to delete an image and replace it with a better one, use the Replace Image functionality when editing the image instead of deleting it and adding a new one. Reason is it helps to make the moderation process much more clear. We probably need to better clarify that when you make the changes. I do like back of box descriptions on the games, yes. Additional details can certainly be appended to the end. I don't necessary want to say we want only back of box descriptions, or even primarily back of box descriptions, but I do like them where we have them. :)

[Jason Carr]

Alright guys, some big new additions. I just put up a "Changes Status" page that will show you all of your changes that have been approved, rejected, or are still pending. There's also a rough new My Account home page that will show you how many changes you've made, how many have been approved, how many moderations you've made, etc. I plan to flesh this out much more in the future but this should work well until after we get the rest of the contribution features implemented. The other thing I went ahead and implemented is automatic promotion to moderator status. Once your Total Approved Changes becomes 25 greater than your Total Rejected Changes, you're automatically promoted. This means that you have to submit at least 25 quality changes before you prove yourself as a legitimate moderator, and every rejected change counts against that 25. Thank you everyone, let's get contributing and moderating! :)

[Jason Carr]

I'm noticing that someone is submitting European box art images (with PEGI ratings) as replacements for North American box art images (with ESRB ratings). Just to clarify, we shouldn't be replacing North American box art with European box art. Instead, we should be adding additional images and keeping both of them. Image replacements should only be used if you're upgrading the quality of an existing image.

[retrtokid]

I've a question to ask about moderating, how do you go about changing / or suggesting that the platform is wrong? Your not able to edit the platform of a game within the database. I'm trying to help moderate the BBC / Electron games, noticed that the few games that are in the Electron platform were not in fact ever released on that platform.