LaunchBox doesn't find C64 Archer (Pinhead Games) in DB, is the workaround with developer names in brackets not working anymore?

[Z3R0B4NG]

C64 has 2 games named Archer, so as usual the names have been changed to include developer names in brackets as a workaround, that is the default approach for C64 (tons of homebrew stuff with identical names).

Name	Archer (John Van Ryzin)
Alternate Name	Archer

https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/games/details/87383

Name	Archer (Pinhead Games)
Alternate Name	Archer

https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/games/details/131404

 

when searching in Launchbox for just "Archer" both entries should show up in the drop down menu because of the Alternate name, but they should both show up with their full names 

But instead only one "Archer" shows up and it is the John Van Ryzin version... i'm trying to connect to the Pinhead Games version.  
Even when i change the name in my LaunchBox to include (Pinhead Games) in the name it still won't find the entry... it does find the correct DB entry, but also just says "Archer".

I know those entries have been changed months ago, so it is not a matter of having to wait for a metadata update.  

Edited December 24, 2020 by Z3R0B4NG

[Zombeaver]

Hmm, I had this exact same issue with a couple other games - Planetfall / Planetfall and Jaws / Jaws. In that case it was fixed after I changed it in the DB to include the publisher names in parenthesis and later got the updated metadata package (though I don't recall if I just searched for the game names without parenthesis afterwards or included that in the search). I too am only getting the John Van Ryzin version though when I try to scrape if I only search for "Archer". If I search for "Archer (Pinhead Games)" it finds the correct one. It should really list them both if you just search for "Archer" but it doesn't seem to.

[Z3R0B4NG]

1 hour ago, Zombeaver said:

If I search for "Archer (Pinhead Games)" it finds the correct one.

right, same for me. It still just says "Archer" though.  

I also get just one result when i search for Jaws, exact same behavior.  
It isn't a database bug then but something with the LB Client has changed in one of the updates... that is inconvenient to say the least.  

hmm... i'll try removing the Alternate Archer names so that only the ones with developer names are available, lets see what happens then.

[kurzih]

On 12/24/2020 at 11:52 PM, Z3R0B4NG said:

hmm... i'll try removing the Alternate Archer names so that only the ones with developer names are available, lets see what happens then.

Nice, looks like that did the trick!  I got both of them listed on the search list:

As of that result I'd say not even Alternative names (on the same platform) can be identical... or maybe even necessary anymore for this workaround to function. Good job!
 

Edited December 26, 2020 by kurzih

[Z3R0B4NG]

Hooray! ...and also OH NOES, now we can go over the entire Database again and educate the moderators about this change...

[Z3R0B4NG]

@Zombeaver hold off on the duplicate entries for now, i'm going through the C64 DB now updating those entries so they show up properly, pages 1-20 of 97 are done for now and awaiting moderation... give me a day or three

Edited December 26, 2020 by Z3R0B4NG

[Thanatos_Prime]

Oh good, new information. It would have been really smart to have linked this Forum post when making the changes instead of just hammering the DB with them. Not everyone reads the forums over the holidays. 

 

That said, glad this is now working without all the extra alt names.

Edited December 26, 2020 by Thanatos_Prime
Removed redundancy.

[Z3R0B4NG]

9 minutes ago, Thanatos_Prime said:

It would have been really smart to have linked this Forum post when making the changes instead of just hammering the DB with them.

*cries* i did include the link ... some people are just resistant to reading the description it seems

[Thanatos_Prime]

You included the link in one or two of the posts. Out of hundreds.

And I'm only assuming you did it in 2, as I only saw one. And that was after moderating over 100 of them.

Edited December 26, 2020 by Thanatos_Prime

[Z3R0B4NG]

[Thanatos_Prime]

...and new changes of this type are still coming in without a link.

After your last entry I got to a notification that there were no more moderations needed (Good Jorb!) and then I started getting more all without a link or info. If you are using some scripted or automated method of making these changes then your script\automation needs to be adjusted. If you are making changes manually I would really appreciate if you add a link as it will get people just jumping into the moderation stream to better understand our new paradigm. 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Thanatos_Prime

[Z3R0B4NG]

i'm literally copy pasting this text in almost all of them (the ones that apply anyway)

> removing duplicate alt names to fix discoverability in LB which has changed in one of the recent updates, the previous workaround is now breaking discoverability ...and PLEASE stop fighting the changes, read the thread that i am linking all day long! h*t*t*p*s://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/58926-launchbox-doesnt-find-c64-archer-pinhead-games-in-db-is-the-workaround-with-developer-names-in-brackets-not-working-anymore/

yesterday i was pasting the link to the direct comment...  
i skipped maybe a FEW but not hundreds. 

and not all changes i make are this type of change.

i've also seen somebody else started making the same type of changes for Pinball and Arcade... that's not me.

Edited December 26, 2020 by Z3R0B4NG

[Thanatos_Prime]

This one in C64 just came through:

Edited December 26, 2020 by Thanatos_Prime
spelling error

[Thanatos_Prime]

And more... are these you?

[Z3R0B4NG]

... yes pretty sure i pasted that text in there, 

i just did Jack and the Beanstalk (Victory Software) and Jackal (North American) if the text doesn't show up there either i'm going mad lol  

i guess its possible that it blocks it because there is an url in there? or maybe its too long? ... but why am i not getting an error message then... 

[Thanatos_Prime]

Mad as a hatter then as it is not there. I use URLs all the time and have never had an issue, however I don't see my own moderations so it could be that we are all having issues with the Reason area not working properly. It would be really hard to know. If this is the case I can see you being really frustrated lately. Might want to check AV and scriptblocking as it may be getting blocked by one of those on your browsers side. Some more testing may be in order.

[Z3R0B4NG]

[Thanatos_Prime]

Lol! Mood.

 

[Z3R0B4NG]

ok next: "Jump" 

only text

"removing duplicate alt names to fix new discoverability issue, see forum troubleshooting section thread by Z3R0B4NG"

maybe it will show without URL?

//edit:

and "Jumpman"

only the URL

h*t*t*p*s://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/58926-launchbox-doesnt-find-c64-archer-pinhead-games-in-db-is-the-workaround-with-developer-names-in-brackets-not-working-anymore/

(without the ****)

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Z3R0B4NG

[Thanatos_Prime]

I saw another batch come through recently, only one had a message but it was not *that* message, so perhaps it was from another submitter. Currently, I am all caught up again. We need to get a third party commenting on this. I did check my settings and opened moderation from another rarely used browser and with my AV disabled just to be sure the issue wasn't on my end. Then did it from another computer but there were no more moderations of this kind.

Edited December 26, 2020 by Thanatos_Prime