Sense check my idea for having every game on some platforms?

[Johnny T]

Hi all,

I'm re-doing my BB software from scratch. My existing software has the standard categories like

-> Arcade / Computers / Consoles / etc which break down again to 

-> Sega M2 / Atari 2600 etc etc...

I'm a hoarder and would love to collect EVERY game on each platform. I realise this would become very unwieldy to actually play through so I'm wondering about this approach....

A main category called "Kitchen Sink" and in there all the systems Atari 2600 / Sega M2 etc with EVERY game...

Then just playlists named after the System and with platform privileges that would be the best/favourite 25 or so games.

So the menu would be Kitchen Sink / Atari 2600 / Sega M2  etc... all the systems are on the top level but they're all playlists based on the full platform which is inside Kitchen Sink ?

Anyone got any thoughts on whether that would work? Or would I run into trouble further down the track? Anyone got any better/alternative ways to do this?

 

[C-Beats]

Step AWAY from the LaunchBox this instant! lol

Import your games to the PROPER platform. This will make managing your library a million times easier then trying to micro manage everything under a single platform. If you want that hierarchy just use platform category view and create an "All Games" (or "Kitchen Sink" playlist at the top). You can even just use Platform view and add that all games playlist to the platform list. There are FAR more sensible options available to you then trying to import all games to the same platform...

[christhed]

I don't see why it wouldn't work but a lot of convenient features are platform based. If everything is in "Kitchen Sink", wouldn't you need to set the emulator manually for each game? I also see the issue of two different games of two different platforms sharing the same name for media assignment. 

I'm pretty sure it is doable but my lazy ass wouldn't do it

[JoeViking245]

Wouldn't "Kitchen Sink" be the same as [the built-in] "All"?  Pretty sure it's enabled by default.  If not, Tools - Options - Visuals - Filters Side Bar. Check the box Show "All" Item.  Heck, you could even rename it to "Kitchen Sink" if you wanted.  

"EVERY game on each platform" at this point [of the planning] is insignificant.  You may want to start by jotting down what all platforms you'll be importing since that's the 1st thing that has to be done before you can organize it all.  

[Eventually] you'll be using the View Platform Categories.  So think about what makes the most sense to YOU as to how you categorize the platforms and organize your setup.  To me, what makes sense is something like how you have it currently.  And add in some subcategories.  

Just don't overthink it and break it down TOO far.  Enough, is enough.

 

• Arcade (Category)
  • Arcade (Platform)
  • Sega Model 2 (Platform)
  • Sega Model 3 (Platform)
• Computers (Category)
  • Windows (Platform)
  • Steam (Platform)
• Consoles (Category)
  • Atari (Category)
    • Atari 2600 (Platform)
    • Atari 7800 (Platform)
    • Atari Jaguar (Platform)
  • Nintendo (Category)
    • Nintendo 64 (Platform)
    • Nintendo Entertainment System (Platform)
  • Sega (Category)
    • Sega Dreamcast (Platform)
• Handhelds (Category)
  • Nintendo HH (Category)
    • Nintendo 3DS(Platform)
    • Nintendo DS(Platform)
  • Sony HH (Category)
    • Sony PSP
• Pinball (Category)
  • Pinball FX2 (Platform)
  • Pinball FX3 (Platform)
  • Visual Pinball X (Platform)

[Johnny T]

1 hour ago, JoeViking245 said:

Wouldn't "Kitchen Sink" be the same as [the built-in] "All"?  Pretty sure it's enabled by default.  If not, Tools - Options - Visuals - Filters Side Bar. Check the box Show "All" Item.  Heck, you could even rename it to "Kitchen Sink" if you wanted.  

"EVERY game on each platform" at this point [of the planning] is insignificant.  You may want to start by jotting down what all platforms you'll be importing since that's the 1st thing that has to be done before you can organize it all.  

[Eventually] you'll be using the View Platform Categories.  So think about what makes the most sense to YOU as to how you categorize the platforms and organize your setup.  To me, what makes sense is something like how you have it currently.  And add in some subcategories.  

Just don't overthink it and break it down TOO far.  Enough, is enough.

 

• Arcade (Category)
  • Arcade (Platform)
  • Sega Model 2 (Platform)
  • Sega Model 3 (Platform)
• Computers (Category)
  • Windows (Platform)
  • Steam (Platform)
• Consoles (Category)
  • Atari (Category)
    • Atari 2600 (Platform)
    • Atari 7800 (Platform)
    • Atari Jaguar (Platform)
  • Nintendo (Category)
    • Nintendo 64 (Platform)
    • Nintendo Entertainment System (Platform)
  • Sega (Category)
    • Sega Dreamcast (Platform)
• Handhelds (Category)
  • Nintendo HH (Category)
    • Nintendo 3DS(Platform)
    • Nintendo DS(Platform)
  • Sony HH (Category)
    • Sony PSP
• Pinball (Category)
  • Pinball FX2 (Platform)
  • Pinball FX3 (Platform)
  • Visual Pinball X (Platform)

Thanks for that Joe. I wasn't going to have overarching categories but maybe that would be better.

I maybe didn't explain myself very well. I was thinking like this...

• Kitchen Sink (category)
  • Atari 2600 (category) with every game
  • Atari 7800 (category) with every game
• Atari 2600 (playlist but showing at top tier like a category) with the top 20 games etc
• Atari 7800 (playlist but showing at top tier like a category) with the top 20 games etc

Those were my thoughts on how to have easy access to my favourite/best games but also be able to add/cycle games in and out of the playlists when I want to try other games?

What do you think to that approach? Can you see any issues?

Thanks

 

2 hours ago, C-Beats said:

Step AWAY from the LaunchBox this instant! lol

Import your games to the PROPER platform. This will make managing your library a million times easier then trying to micro manage everything under a single platform. If you want that hierarchy just use platform category view and create an "All Games" (or "Kitchen Sink" playlist at the top). You can even just use Platform view and add that all games playlist to the platform list. There are FAR more sensible options available to you then trying to import all games to the same platform...

Thanks for that - see my response to Joe above - I don't think I explained myself very well with my original question.

 

2 hours ago, christhed said:

I don't see why it wouldn't work but a lot of convenient features are platform based. If everything is in "Kitchen Sink", wouldn't you need to set the emulator manually for each game? I also see the issue of two different games of two different platforms sharing the same name for media assignment. 

I'm pretty sure it is doable but my lazy ass wouldn't do it

Thank you for the comment - please see my response to Joe above - I wasn't clear enough with my original post - my apologies

 

Edited June 16 by Johnny T

[JoeViking245]

41 minutes ago, Johnny T said:

Thanks for that Joe. I wasn't going to have overarching categories but maybe that would be better.

I maybe didn't explain myself very well. I was thinking like this...

• Kitchen Sink (category)
  • Atari 2600 (category) with every game
  • Atari 7800 (category) with every game
• Atari 2600 (playlist but showing at top tier like a category) with the top 20 games etc
• Atari 7800 (playlist but showing at top tier like a category) with the top 20 games etc

With what you're showing, the 2 Atari (category)'s I think would actually be (Platform)'s.  (As in, you can't import games into a 'Category'.)

 

55 minutes ago, Johnny T said:

What do you think to that approach? Can you see any issues?

You can put the Playlists under Root, like you depict.  (again, this is just me...)  When you expand 'Kitchen Sink', you might have upwards of 40 Platforms.  I think under "Kitchen Sink" you'd want to have the 'sub' Categories i.e. Arcade, Computers, Consoles, Handhelds, Pinball.. and then 'sub-sub' Categories i.e. [under Consoles] Atari, Nintendo, Sega.  And then Platforms under those. Respectively.

 

If it's Playlists you mostly prefer, (which myself, I only look at then maybe a couple times a year. Just to remind myself they're there. lol) you can do like you show. Then if, you have a hankerin' to play something/anything in i.e. Wii, you can expand the Kitchen Sink.

Alternatively, have the Playlist view your default View.  Then, easily enough, switch to Platform Category View.  I believe in BigBox, you can set a button (button-combo) to switch directly form one View to the Other.

 

No matter how you go about it, you'll need to do some manual editing on the Platform/Category/Playlist 'Parents' tab to get the hierarchy the way you want.  But that's the beauty of it all.  The feature to be able to do is there.  And if after a while Plan "A" isn't to your liking, it's easiest enough to make changes and go to Plan "B".  And the number of 'plans' are endless. 

Ya, it may be construed as "A lot of work".  But with 'high expectations' come great responsibility.   But in the end you'll have something beautiful to look at.  And then maybe even play some/several/many/all of those 'EVERY game on each platform'. 😎

[Johnny T]

That's great Joe - yes, you are correct, I was muddling up 'category' with 'platform'. But it's a good idea about having sub categories under Kitchen Sink.

I think I'll have a play around with it based on your advice and then go from there. As you say, it's easy enough to change in the future and half the pleasure for me is tinkering anyway   

 

Thanks again.