The site includes a Games database where games that are published to the site are automatically added. This database can be edited using the Game List or individual game pages.
We switched TASVideos navigation from centered around systems to being centered around individual games. Items in the Game selection drop-down menu on Userfiles and the catalog page linked from each submission are directly taken from the available game entries. Playground runs will also go on game pages when the functionality is built. There are other planned features as well.
This page is to explain how to navigate the games list, how the individual pages are structured, and how to maintain the database.
Table of contents
Games list
At the top of the page is a search bar, which uses the same search engine as the regular search at the top of every page (For more information, see the postgres text parsing documentation). Next to the search bar is a dropdown list of systems so one can narrow down searches to what system a game is for, or view all games that have entries for said system.
If one has the privileges to edit game pages, there is a "Create" button that allows one to create a new game entry.
Below that is the list of games, with four columns:
- Id: Each game entry, whether individually released or part of a multicart, has its own numerical ID that can be used to link them and is used in the URL for that specific entry. For example, Super Mario 64 is Super Mario 64, Super Mario All-Stars: SMB3 is Super Mario All-Stars: Super Mario Bros. 3 and Quattro Adventure: Treasure Island Dizzy is Quattro Adventure: Treasure Island Dizzy. The number is based on when that specific entry was created.
- Name
- Actions, which has:
- Edit: Only appears if one has the privileges to edit game entries, and allows one to edit said entry
- Versions
Game entries
When several independent games on the same system have the same title, they warrant separate game entries, and the main thing that distinguishes between them is added in parentheses, usually the publisher. Examples: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Taito) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (UBI Soft).
If several games look like slightly tweaked variations of the same game, to the point when their movies can obsolete one another, they need to be in the same game entry.
When different episodes or level sets of the same game come on different mediums, and can't be selected from the same menu, they warrant separate game entries.
Structure of Game Pages
Description
Describes the game.
This section follows the same Text Formatting Rules as a regular wiki page.
Details
Lists
- Platforms the game was released on. This is pulled from the list of game versions.
- An abbreviation for the game name
- Limited to 24 characters
- Use lowercase only, use dashes to separate words, no spaces or underscores
- Must be unique
- Abbreviations were previously limited to 8 characters and required for all games. Therefore many existing games have unhelpful or confusing abbreviations.
- Display Name, the name of the game that will be listed on the site. See PublisherGuidelines#GameName.
- Link to Game Resources Page if it exists
- Formatted as GameResources/SystemCode/GameName
- Discussions: Forum threads discussing the game. This is set through the Catalog option on the forum thread.
- Game Groups: groups of relevant games. This is currently for series/franchises and derivatives of specific games. More information can be found in the relevant section.
- Aliases: alternative names or search terms, separated by commas. What to add:
- Commonly used abbreviations, e.g. SMB3 for Super Mario Bros 3.
- Arabic numerals if the game has roman numerals, e.g. Ikari Warriors 2 for Ikari Warriors II.
- Other titles, e.g. Kage (Japanese title) and Blue Shadow (European title) for Shadow of the Ninja (US title).
- If you know the writing system of the original release (often Japanese), add that. E.g. 悪魔城ドラキュラ for Castlevania.
- Removed punctuation and alternative spellings. E.g. RC ProAm for R.C. Pro-Am, Megaman for Mega Man.
- Genres: Game Genre Guidelines describes how to choose genres.
Additional details that are not shown on the actual page but are able to be edited through this section:
- Screenshot Url: by default the screenshot of the game pulls from the baseline branch, but otherwise it could be manually set here.
Publications
All publications are shown here and can be selected by branch. Clicking the title takes you to the publication page. Playground TASes should eventually be listed below this.
Below the publications, there is an alternative list of publications linked, a linked publication history of the game, a link of all submissions tied to this game entry, and all userfiles that are tied to this game entry.
Game Versions
In this section is a list of versions of this game and info about them including
- System the version is for
- Name: The file name of the game's ROM/executable. If different game versions have the same filename, specify the version in parentheses.
- If the file you're cataloging as the definitive one for this version has an extension, it needs to be included.
- MD5 and SHA1 hashes
- It is not recommended to use bizhawk to obtain these as it can display the incorrect hash
- Type: Basic information about the status of the version used.
- Use Good" for a file that appears in some game presentation database as a good dump.
- Use Bad for images that existing databases mark as a bad dump.
- Use Hack if it's a hack of an existing original game (or a hack of a hack of an original game).
- For unofficial games use the appropriate release type
- If there's no info on what this version comes from, use Unknown.
- Title Override: when different game versions were published with the same goal thanks to version differences, this field allows to indicate which is which.
- If official game titles for those versions are the same, a region or a numeric revision should be appended in parentheses after the game name. Example: Tenchu: Stealth Assassins.
- For different official titles, English or Romanic titles are preferred. Example: Tetris Attack.
- Version (number)
- Region: U, E, J, etc.
- W is worldwide, if regions are not applicable
- Source DB: Game presentation database that has a matching entry for this version.
- Notes: And informal additional info that matters for this version. If the game consists of multiple files, this is the place to list them all together with their hashsums (Dacicus made a very useful drag'n'drop script for this).
Game Groups
Game groups are sets of games that are related in some way. Currently there are two different uses of game groups. The first are for linking various franchises or series together. The other is for documenting derivative games such as hacks, level packs, etc. If a group of derivative games exists, it should be linked in the description of the original game.
The full list of groups can be found at GameGroups/List. Additional game groups can also be created there if one has the proper privileges.
Combining/Removing entries
Combining entries can be done through rewiring. This is a higher level access privilege that can be reached through Games/List. This will move over all relevant versions, publications, submissions, and userfiles from one entry to another. This leaves behind a now orphaned entry.
Rewiring should be done when cross obsoletion is likely to occur or if two versions of a game are similar enough that somebody searching is likely to want to see both.
Deleting entries can be done through the Edit button in the Details section if nothing is attached to that entry. Note that deleting currently does not automatically remove genres and game groups, so make sure to remove those first in a separate edit.