FistyDollars Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 Every other platform in the Database has an actual model of hardware associated with it, but ScummVM is strictly an emulator of certain DOS/Windows games (the vast majority of which have their own LaunchBox GamesDB entries), and has no games created just for it (that I'm aware of.) Should we consider removing it from the database? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I could see why you would. Like you said the games are actually MS-DOS or Windows games which already have their own entries so the whole practice is actually making duplicate entries for the same game in different sections of the DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I guess the only concern would be with how this would impact ScummVM as a platform in Launchbox, because it absolutely needs to remain a dedicated platform there - most ScummVM format games aren't natively run in DOS; many don't have a dedicated .exe and are just a collection of data files that are really only readable via ScummVM. DOS and ScummVM generally aren't interchangeable when it comes to playing the games themselves. In general you can't just take a ScummVM formated game and just boot it up in DOSBox. In some cases you can use the DOS version in ScummVM but not the other direction. It could be that the ScummVM platform in Launchbox could just be setup natively to "Scrape As" DOS and then the separate ScummVM section in the DB could be eliminated. That could probably work. Basically, I just don't want to do anything that makes ScummVM importing into Launchbox more difficult/time-consuming than it already is, because it's in dire need of an overhaul/streamline as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Yeah I don't use ScummVM personally but I would never want to take away any other users usability it would definitely need to not break the function of how the game would be scrapped. As to the scraping as DOS as default are all the support games for DOS? If so that would be an easy solution if not though you could maybe add something to the DOS section of the DB that would allow games to be marked as playable in ScummVM and then LB would pass that through when scraping while also working on any games of different platforms in their section. For some reason I thought I read before that some of the games are Windows 95 era but I may be mistaken about that. Which of course would make this whole inane rambling a moot point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FistyDollars Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 Zombeaver said I guess the only concern would be with how this would impact ScummVM as a platform in Launchbox, because it absolutely needs to remain a dedicated platform there - most ScummVM format games aren't natively run in DOS; many don't have a dedicated .exe and are just a collection of data files that are really only readable via ScummVM. DOS and ScummVM generally aren't interchangeable when it comes to playing the games themselves. In general you can't just take a ScummVM formated game and just boot it up in DOSBox. In some cases you can use the DOS version in ScummVM but not the other direction. It could be that the ScummVM platform in Launchbox could just be setup natively to "Scrape As" DOS and then the separate ScummVM section in the DB could be eliminated. That could probably work. Basically, I just don't want to do anything that makes ScummVM importing into Launchbox more difficult/time-consuming than it already is, because it's in dire need of an overhaul/streamline as it is. Yeah, that's basically what I was thinking. It just doesn't seem to make sense to have an emulator listed as a platform in what is ostensibly just a games database. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carr Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 I agree, we should remove the ScummVM platform entirely from the games database. I think that's just a relic from TheGamesDB.net. ScummVM indeed is not a platform at all. Thankfully, removing the ScummVM platform won't do anything to prevent games from playing in LaunchBox. ScummVM is currently always manually configured (there is currently no ScummVM import process), so there's nothing to worry about there. Ideally we would change the platform for anything in the ScummVM platform to the correct one, and then I can delete the platform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 DOS76 said As to the scraping as DOS as default are all the support games for DOS? The vast majority of games covered under ScummVM were DOS. As I said, the files themselves for the ScummVM versions aren't directly usable in DOSBox but most are from that era. Space Quest file comparison: SpoilerSpace Quest - ScummVM files: Space Quest - DOS files: I don't think that that's actually 100% of the games though - I think there's probably a mix of W95 stuff based on their compatibility list. The Backyard Baseball series, for example, were W95 games. DOS76 said For some reason I thought I read before that some of the games are Windows 95 era but I may be mistaken about that. Some of them appear to be, yeah. I'd have to look game by game but there's at least some that are W95 games. But it's probably further complicated by the existence of something called ResidualVM that covers some 95-era stuff as well. It currently only covers Escape from Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, and Myst III. I think the distinction is that these required specific hardware accelerators to function. FistyDollars said Yeah, that's basically what I was thinking. It just doesn't seem to make sense to have an emulator listed as a platform in what is ostensibly just a games database. Yeah, I get what you're saying. As long as it doesn't negatively impact ScummVM importing into Launchbox, I'm fine with it. The actual metadata itself should be identical to preexisting data for DOS and evidently some Windows. Jason Carr said Thankfully, removing the ScummVM platform won't do anything to prevent games from playing in LaunchBox. ScummVM is currently always manually configured (there is currently no ScummVM import process), so there's nothing to worry about there. I guess you have a point there. It's all setup/scraped manually anyway during the "import". I don't know if it's the best method but this is the way I've done it thus far for adding games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carr Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 I tried to remove the ScummVM platform earlier in the live stream this morning but the community raised a big stink about it lol. So it's still there for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 What was the concern raised? As has been said, the games are either already part of something else (DOS/Windows) or they should be. Removing them from the DB shouldn't actually have any impact on importing itself at all. You'll still be picking your game from a list. And once you do you're still going to be scraping by everything with that name (which will presumably be something either DOS or Windows). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Yeah I missed the stream today had to get my kitty some emergency dental work. Did they have any valid reasons not to remove it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rincewind Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Does seem odd to have a program that essentially is used to run old dos / windows games as a platform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carr Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Basically the hesitation was surrounding the need for a way to identify ScummVM-supported games. People just wanted to be able to keep them separate in their collections. I still don't fully agree, but didn't want to start a war at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordmonkus Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Just my thoughts on it and keep in mind I really don't care one way or the other since I do not use ScummVM at all and only use DOSbox a very small amount. I say keep it. It is an emulator platform that some people know and use for what ever reason they have. Many of us have specific emulation and platform choices just because we want to use those emulators and platforms. Is it really that much of a burden to have a platform section for ScummVM ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carr Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 The only problem is we end up with lots of duplicate games, really. Other than that there really is no issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Yeah I mean it's a bit like having a platform for some emulator's compatibility list. It doesn't have any impact on the actual import at all and it's not a real console/platform, and this is coming from someone who does use ScummVM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordmonkus Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Well if it's already in the database then I don't see any reason to remove it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FistyDollars Posted August 16, 2016 Author Share Posted August 16, 2016 But Jason didn't make the decision to add it, it was carried over from TheGamesDB, if I recall correctly. Why should we have a ghost platform that doesn't fit with any of the other ones just because someone else made that decision at another site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordmonkus Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Well again keep in mind I don't have a preference one way or they other but if I were to decide to get into the whole ScummVM side of things I would want to have it setup as its own platform and have all of those games under it. And having a platform for it in the DB just makes things that little bit simpler on imports. If it were a case of should we add it as a platform and go through that work then I could see an argument against it but since there is no work to leaving it and no downside from having it then I see no reason to go through the effort of removing it. Now if I am missing something here then please point it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 5 minutes ago, lordmonkus said: Well again keep in mind I don't have a preference one way or they other but if I were to decide to get into the whole ScummVM side of things I would want to have it setup as its own platform and have all of those games under it. Literally nothing is stopping you from doing that if it were to be removed. It can still be a platform (in your library) like anything at else. Again, this is like have a "Retroarch" platform. 5 minutes ago, lordmonkus said: And having a platform for it in the DB just makes things that little bit simpler on imports. No, it seriously doesn't in any way. If you actually try adding ScummVM games you'll understand why haha. It has nothing to do with it whatsoever. You pick the game from a drop-down list in the scummvm tab in the game entry. The DB has no impact on that whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordmonkus Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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