Open - Notes scraping reads corrupted text - Issue #263

[Eirulan]

Hi all,

so some texts for the notes are corrupted. I do not know if this is an issue with the database (I suppose it is) or the frontend, so I'm posting this in the db section.

I also have NO idea how I should update this when (if) this get's corrected in the db - delete the note and re-update metadata and images..?

For example Redout (PC)

NEXT GENERATION AG RACING IS HERE!
Redout is a tribute to the old racing monsters such as F-Zero, WipeOut, Rollcage, and POD. It is designed to be an uncompromising, fast, tough and satisfying driving experience, soaked in that vertigo that stands at the core of the arcade racing genre. The floating system and driving models are based on physics: each turn, slope, hard braking, acceleration, each turn and twist of the track will apply a unique force to the ship. A sharp low-polygon style blends meshes and terrains with the latest state-of-the-art shading and lighting effects provided by the Unreal Engine 4, creating beautiful and instantly recognisable aesthetics. Breezy coastlines, eerie frozen landscapes, vast desert plains: the melancholic, dystopian atmosphere of a semi abandoned Earth is the background for the most high-speed, tense and beautiful futuristic racing clashes.
Features

    Online multiplayer - match against 12 players around the world for a real challenge
    Optional VR Support - Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or OSVR.
    Career mode - 75+ events to race, experience, level up and upgrade your ship
    A Diverse World - 20 tracks scattered around 4 locations on a post-apocalyptic Earth, plus boss circuits
    Never bored - 7 event types, from classic Race to innovative Arena Race and Score-Based Endurance
    Create your story - 6 racing teams, each requiring a different driving approach, and 4 increasingly fast racing classes
    Powerup - 10+ racing-focused, upgradable powerups: additional turbo, shields, self-repair drone, advanced grip system, slipstream enhancers, and more
    Music for your ears - full 5.1 support and a dynamic soundtrack that will drop sicker and sicker beats the faster you go! 

Speed
Redout is the fastest game ever made. If you can handle it. It's not about the numbers you see on screen, it's about the vibrations, the landscape and buildings flying by, the high-speed collisions, the effects, the sounds, the immersion: everything is meant to feel like you're going FAST.
Online Multiplayer
Challenge up to 12 players from all over the world and find out who's the best Redout pilot in history! Do you think you have got what it takes? Prove it. True glory is a flame lighted at the skies.
Immersive VR
We have been working hard to give you the best VR game yet. Get inside your HMD to experience 3D and distances like never before, you'll know exactly where the apex is and feel a whole new level of control. VR support is optional.
Handling
Control is the most important feeling when you are racing at 800km/h. Redout features believable physics derived from quad-copters controllers and real magnetic forces. We came up with the next generation in AG handling. There's always a way to face a corner without braking, but you have to prepare for it and use everything you've got. Steer, strafe and turbo out of a corner are the basics: upgrades and powerups will grant you even more control on your ship's behaviour. You'll need to dominate your ship before you face the advanced tracks.
A Rich Context
AD 2560. Earth stripped of its natural resources. Global warming caused the melting of the northern polar ice cap, tropical storms ravage all areas that didn’t suffer from desertification.
Pockets of humans are crawling their lives away in a few slums, descendants of those who were left behind or refused to leave. Others created huge conurbations, based upon some of the most populous cities once on Earth. Most of humanity, though, has moved on the Moon, Mars, Titan, and other Jupiter’s moons. Earth is often used as a location for entertainment events like hi-speed races, futuristic amusement parks and zoo parks, which allows local communities to work and profit in a harsh environment.
One of the most popular sports is the SRRL, or Solar Redout Racing League: the fastest racing league ever created, where humanity's best pilots drive high speed anti-gravity ships on magnetic tracks, risking their lives at each and every corner, in exchange for neverending glory.

[Jason Carr]

Hi @Eirulan, this is really just an issue with the data that came over from thegamesdb.net for that particular game. Yes, if it gets fixed in the database, emptying out the notes field should fetch the new notes using the update metadata wizard.

[Zombeaver]

Are you sure that's the only cause? The reason I ask is I've actually run into this with a few games that I added to the DB that were new entries. I copied the notes text from Mobygames and it looked normal in the DB, but when the notes actually downloaded in LB itself they had that weird corruption that seems to be caused by line breaks. I meant to post something about it when I saw it but I forgot about it until I saw this post.

I believe Chicago 30's was an example of this, though it's been a while. I'll try it again tonight to verify.

I'm not sure if it's significant, but one thing I notice is that when you're looking at it on the DB page itself there are no breaks in the text, but when you click on the edit button for it there are. It was copied over from this page.

[Jason Carr]

Ah, good to know @Zombeaver. Looks like we may have another issue for the amazing @Vlansix to look at.

[Vlansix]

Hi guys,

a fix has been implemented for this yesterday. The corrupt data will filter itself out as people submit change requests to the impacted games. At least, I hope. If, after editing a db entry, having it go through moderation, updating the DB xml file in launchbox, it still happens, let me know!

[Jason Carr]

Ha, way ahead of me, as usual.

[Vlansix]

Real quick, just so everyone gets it, corrupt characters are... well, corrupt. Currently, they're going to cause some weirdness. If you see any, make sure to go and submit a change request for that game. (even if it's empty, the system will notice the corruption and fix it.)

Thanks!

[Zombeaver]

How will we know what needs to be fixed though (based on browsing the DB I mean)? Like I said, the issue that I encountered only presented itself on LB's side when it scraped the game for metadata - the DB page itself looked fine.

[Vlansix]

Hi Zombeaver, 

Aye, everything will look fine on the DB side. That's part of the fix. Basically, if you notice corruption or weirdness on the LB side, just look up that game on the DB and send it in for moderation. Sadly, i can't fix it on my end without removing all the formatting from most fields on the database, so this is the simplest way to fix it without just making everything look ugly. The good news is that eventually all of it will be removed organically as people use the database.

[Zombeaver]

Okay, understood. I went ahead and submitted one for the game I mentioned above.

Are other moderators aware of this? I feel like there's going to be a lot of people scratching their heads about what's prompting these change requests otherwise.

Actually... when I go to the change request status page it actually does show the corruption there which is good since that's what'll show up in the moderation queue.

[Vlansix]

Yup. If you're ever wondering about what's happening with the DB, check the dev thread in the DB features forums :).

[Vlansix]

This is potentially still happening. Will advise once I've looked into it. Also, check the tracker for updates