Local Metadata

[Bil]

Now that we have a way to use local images, would it also be possible to use local metadata? I know we have the local metadata scraped from TheGamesDB, but I have these synopsis .txt files which I would like to use also. These txt files are named after each gamename, or alternatively as a single synopsis.txt which contains all the games. The format is like this, as an example:

Spoiler

Psycho Fox Platform: Sega Master System Region: USA, Europe Media: Cartridge Controller: Master System Controller Genre: Platformer Gametype: Licensed Release Year: 1989 Developer: SEGA Publisher: SEGA Players: 1 _________________________ Psycho Fox is a Sega Master System game developed by VIC Tokai and published by Sega in 1989. It is a platform game, starring Psycho Fox who must rid the land of an evil god named Madfox Daimyojin. VIC Tokai also released this game as Kid Kool on the Nintendo Entertainment System, with various graphical changes. Both Psycho Fox and Kid Kool are often seen as prequels to Decap Attack, due to the similar style of gameplay. Due to a typo, some European cartridges as labeled "Psyco Fox". Psycho Fox is a platform game where you play a fox and you must get through seven worlds, consisting of three areas each. At the end of each world, there are one of seven bosses waiting to destroy you, but some of the later bosses are exactly the same as the earlier ones. The title is a bit misleading because you can also play as three other characters including Hippo, Leopard, and Monkey Boy. Each character has their own disadvantages. For example, Hippo is much slower than the other three. However, all the characters share one thing in common: they can use their fists and punch enemies as they approach them. They can also jump on them and keep knocking them in the ground until they disappear off the face of the earth. If they don't make them disappear, they will pop back out again and set out for revenge. Obstacles are scattered through each area, including spikes, cannonballs, esculators, fireballs, and steam. You start the game with three lives. Once you touch an enemy, you lose a life. Lose any of your lives, and the game is over. If the game is over, you can continue where you left off. There are several items to find, and these can help you on your quest, and one of these items are eggs. If you break any of these eggs, either the "switch" item or the invincibility item is revealed. If you're lucky enough, a white bag is also revealed, but more often than not, one of your enemies can pop out from inside the egg. One egg will reveal a bird which you can carry for the rest of the game. This bird may be nothing but a pest, as it hinders your progress, but you can throw it at enemies to knock them out. It can also be used as a backup, meaning that you can have enemies touching you, but it is the bird that is killed, not you. There is little chance that you'll find a white bag inside an egg, unless you go up into a secret area, which can often be found if you jump on springs that are scattered throughout the level. These white bags are useless, until you get to the bonus areas, which are at the end of each area. In these bonus stages, you can place a number of foxes on a path depending on how much white bags you've collected throughout each area. When you complete Psycho Fox, you are treated to a funny ending.

For more information - http://www.emuxtras.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=176&t=2610

[SentaiBrad]

Bil said Now that we have a way to use local images, would it also be possible to use local metadata? I know we have the local metadata scraped from TheGamesDB, but I have these synopsis .txt files which I would like to use also. These txt files are named after each gamename, or alternatively as a single synopsis.txt which contains all the games. The format is like this, as an example:

Spoiler

Psycho Fox Platform: Sega Master System Region: USA, Europe Media: Cartridge Controller: Master System Controller Genre: Platformer Gametype: Licensed Release Year: 1989 Developer: SEGA Publisher: SEGA Players: 1 _________________________ Psycho Fox is a Sega Master System game developed by VIC Tokai and published by Sega in 1989. It is a platform game, starring Psycho Fox who must rid the land of an evil god named Madfox Daimyojin. VIC Tokai also released this game as Kid Kool on the Nintendo Entertainment System, with various graphical changes. Both Psycho Fox and Kid Kool are often seen as prequels to Decap Attack, due to the similar style of gameplay. Due to a typo, some European cartridges as labeled "Psyco Fox". Psycho Fox is a platform game where you play a fox and you must get through seven worlds, consisting of three areas each. At the end of each world, there are one of seven bosses waiting to destroy you, but some of the later bosses are exactly the same as the earlier ones. The title is a bit misleading because you can also play as three other characters including Hippo, Leopard, and Monkey Boy. Each character has their own disadvantages. For example, Hippo is much slower than the other three. However, all the characters share one thing in common: they can use their fists and punch enemies as they approach them. They can also jump on them and keep knocking them in the ground until they disappear off the face of the earth. If they don't make them disappear, they will pop back out again and set out for revenge. Obstacles are scattered through each area, including spikes, cannonballs, esculators, fireballs, and steam. You start the game with three lives. Once you touch an enemy, you lose a life. Lose any of your lives, and the game is over. If the game is over, you can continue where you left off. There are several items to find, and these can help you on your quest, and one of these items are eggs. If you break any of these eggs, either the "switch" item or the invincibility item is revealed. If you're lucky enough, a white bag is also revealed, but more often than not, one of your enemies can pop out from inside the egg. One egg will reveal a bird which you can carry for the rest of the game. This bird may be nothing but a pest, as it hinders your progress, but you can throw it at enemies to knock them out. It can also be used as a backup, meaning that you can have enemies touching you, but it is the bird that is killed, not you. There is little chance that you'll find a white bag inside an egg, unless you go up into a secret area, which can often be found if you jump on springs that are scattered throughout the level. These white bags are useless, until you get to the bonus areas, which are at the end of each area. In these bonus stages, you can place a number of foxes on a path depending on how much white bags you've collected throughout each area. When you complete Psycho Fox, you are treated to a funny ending.

For more information - http://www.emuxtras.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=176&t=2610

So if I recall, Jason also has plans for this, but I still think a LB Database is still priority.

[Bil]

I have seen some posts mentioning this database... is there more information about it?

[SentaiBrad]

As of right now no, because it will be probably the biggest project to date. Bigger than Big Box Mode. Essentially what this will be though, we wont need the help of any outside website for metadata. All of the metadata a user wants can be downloaded from a LB database instead. What this will allow us to do, is let users upload data from inside of LB. This will be a huge feature for us. In the start, we'll have data from TheGamesDB. Since they offer it up for completely free, we can and do have a copy of the entire data on the site and will upload that. Make some changes, LIKE ALL DOS GAMES WILL BE LABELED DOS NOT PC. Sorry... that is a sore subject for me. DOS is not a PC, its a platform. :P Either way, say for example, I have a ton of JRPGs that GamesDB doesn't have. I tried creating entries for them but its cumbersome. Instead I plug that data easily in to LB and hit upload. This will require Jason and myself to moderate the Database frequently but I still think its the best path we can take. If there is no info for a game a user who dedicates them selves to a certain genre or style of game can upload the data they have obtained for everyone else. Functionally, it will be extremely similar to the GamesDB, except for a lot of key areas. Including listening to the users... which is something Jason does very well. I would say I do to, but I don't actually code LB. So what do you think? If there was a Database in place, our own database, would you still want to import Local Metadata? Oh, also. The "local" portion of the scraper now is very similar to what we would have except not local. That is all the data downloaded from TheGamesDB except for images. It's the text data and Jason updates that every so often. Then it just downloads the images if they exist from GamesDB.

[Bil]

It all sounds good, and is very similar to what is being done over at EmuXtras, although the metadata + images + videos can not be scraped. The synopsis can be easily exported using the export tool, but to download the images requires a user to be an active contributor. (no user costs involved) I keep trying to get other sites to use it, but to no avail. Anyway, in the short term I would still like to use these synopsis .txts if possible (specifically for a large C64 collection I recently added), but if not, I look forward to seeing the progress of the LaunchBox database.

[Jason Carr]

Hi @Bil, thanks for that info. I still feel pretty in the dark about the possibilities for local metadata parsing, so that helps. What system do you have that generates those text files? I assume they would be stored in a separate folder, per platform, like the images are now? Depending on the final solution, we may implement this with the new database, or we may wait until afterwards. Not sure how it will all play out.

[Bil]

Here is the export tool... it downloads as a zip file containing all the txt files. If you would like to check out the synopsis editor as a visitor, which has editing restrictions (but you can see what it's like) http://www.emuxtras.net/syn3/ Username: visitor Password: syn3

I assume they would be stored in a separate folder, per platform, like the images are now?

Yes, that would be ideal.

Depending on the final solution, we may implement this with the new database, or we may wait until afterwards. Not sure how it will all play out.

Thank you Jason, very good of you to consider it.

[billyc999]

I know it's a first post. but I came across craigandersons setup so I thought id join up here to have a gander here is a link to some csv/xml files on my git. feel free to use and contribute if you want. I'm sure they would be of use for what bil is asking. https://github.com/billyc999/Game-database-info

[Jason Carr]

Thank you @billyc999. The metadata all looks great; got your email as well. I should be able to merge the data into the LaunchBox Games Database.

[billyc999]

No problem, ill be carrying on with these in a short while I have a few nearly done including ms dos which is around 60% done including game descriptions

[knewlife]

So as I undertand there is no way to import any kind of data automatically from a file in launch is right? I spend hour last night trying to get the data from some of my Hyperspin databases for a special system I have that is just Doom mods... And the mods are not in the LBGDB obviously. Made an Autoit script... Read all the data but finally have so many problems trying to update the values in launchbox.xml that I give up at 2 am :/ . The update function works for the title but not for the rest of data... Can't for the light of my eyes found why. So I desided to try doing the same in .net hope I can make it work. EDIT: never mind make the autoit work, is a real messi code and is not efficient but works :) if someone wanths to import Hyperspin metadata to your launcbox collection let me know.