Cody's Top Ten Amiga Database Mistakes

CodyJarrett · 30 August 2003, 22:43

Here are my top ten mistakes in Amiga game databases:

1. Crediting An External Company As Directly Related To An Amiga Game
e.g. Escape From Colditz shows 'Gibsons Games' on the titlescreen, which suggests that it developed the game. However, Gibsons Games is a board game manufacturer and a creator of the board game that the Amiga game is based on.

2. Using Copyright Dates As Amiga Release Years
e.g. Often an Amiga game shows the original copyright date on the titlescreen, which can be the release date on another platform - Monkey Island 1 & 2 list the PC version release dates on the Amiga version (1990 and 1991 instead of 1991 and 1992).

3. Assuming That If A Company Is Mentioned In An Amiga Game, Then It must Relate To The Amiga
e.g. in the Amiga version of Erben Der Erde, The Dreamers Guild and New World Computing logos are displayed before the game, with a date of 1994. The Amiga version was actually released in 1995 by ReaLogic and Softgold.

4. Listing A Single Game With Two Names As Two Entries
e.g. Blue Max and Aces Of The Great War as separate games.

5. Crediting A Developer That Did No Amiga Programming As An Amiga Giant
e.g. lauding Sid Meier as Amiga programmer of Pirates!, Railroad Tycoon, Civilization etc. when other developers actually did the Amiga conversions (Sid probably never touched an Amiga in his life).

6. Misreading Evidence
e.g. suggesting that there is an Apidya II, because the titlescreen of Apidya shows a 'II', and thus propagating a rumour that there is a sequel (when there isn't).

7. Listing Unreleased Amiga Games As Released On The Amiga
e.g. Magic Carpet or a fake such as Buck Rogers II: Matrix Cubed on the Amiga.

8. Misspelling Names
e.g. 'Millenium' instead of 'Millennium', 'Akklaim' instead of 'Acclaim', 'Leathernecks' instead of Leatherneck.

9. Listing Games On A Hardware That Were Released Years Before The Actual Hardware
e.g. Listing AGA games in 1987 (yes, it's happened).

10. Listing Definite And Indefinite Articles Before A Game Name
e.g. 'A Mind Forever Voyaging' instead of 'Mind Forever Voyaging, A' or 'La Aventura Espacial' instead of 'Aventura Espacial, La'.

Codetapper · 30 August 2003, 23:35

Adding to #6:
Adding entries for BMX Simulator 2 because there was a compilation consisting of 2 disks which happened to have BMX Simulator on the second disk!

11. Misreading words as developers
Misreading the Polish text in a game and adding a developer for a word like "presented by"

CodyJarrett · 30 August 2003, 23:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Codetapper
11. Misreading words as developers
Misreading the Polish text in a game and adding a developer for a word like "presented by"

Guilty as charged!

Twistin'Ghost · 31 August 2003, 05:15

Maybe it's just me, but I think the only subject discussed about HOL anymore seems to be data entry mistakes. Can everyone please just get it all out of your system so we can move on?

IFW · 31 August 2003, 09:55

http://hol.abime.net/?id=2588

Entering wrong number of disks, even when a disk scan is clearly saying 1 of 4

fiath · 31 August 2003, 11:05

Hmm, some of those could be really tricky. Like copyright dates. Maybe we should leave this information for HOL to do... IFW?

I do have one to add though, but you probably won't agree...

12) Calling OCS games ECS (yes I know why

)

CodyJarrett · 31 August 2003, 13:30

Quote:

Originally posted by IFW
http://hol.abime.net/?id=2588

Entering wrong number of disks, even when a disk scan is clearly saying 1 of 4

Cheers - fixed!

Galahad/FLT · 31 August 2003, 13:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Twistin'Ghost
Maybe it's just me, but I think the only subject discussed about HOL anymore seems to be data entry mistakes. Can everyone please just get it all out of your system so we can move on?

Is the whole point?

For HOL to be seen as an accurate chronology of all things Amiga games, the information contained within it must be accurate.

I mean, otherwise, why don't you guys just copy other websites (with all their glaring errors) which will then utterly negate the point of HOL.

HOL (I assume) strives to be as informative as is possible, duplicating the slack editing of other 'lesser' sites makes the whole idea of HOL redundant.

Just a thought.

Dizzy · 31 August 2003, 14:43

Mayby we should send the correction to the members of HOL instead of making threads out of it.

Ian · 31 August 2003, 15:19

They (The HOL team) create a forum entitled:

HOL Bugs and Problems

Surely if they wanted what you suggest, then that forum wouldn't exsist would it?

CodyJarrett · 31 August 2003, 16:11

Corrections are welcome in any form, but the forum is useful for public discussion. More eyes on an issue are beneficial, as there may be someone who knows a vital piece of information.

7-Zark-7 · 31 August 2003, 16:31

Just my two cents worth, but possibly Twist was merely referring to the manner in how it might be posted. How long do the postings regarding incorrect info listings last? (Are they like Off-topic & get automatically deleted after a certain time?)

Having a whole group of postings (sometimes only a few postings long,eg:mistake blah blah,response, Entry updated etc),listed can appear a little nit-picky. Obviously,easier than one gigantic thread, to manage & as Cody said, the more outsider info the better.

But would it be more productive to limit the time such postings are listed if the listing/info issue is resolved? (Not to mention better use of EAB) A game that has 4 disks isn't going to change again is it?

CodyJarrett · 31 August 2003, 16:35

Twistin' has been a little misinterpreted. Data integrity has been discussed to a great extent recently by the HOL team, so he's referring to that and is not suggesting that data updating and error correction shouldn't be a continual process...

31 August 2003, 21:42

Quote:

7. Listing Unreleased Amiga Games As Released On The Amiga

I think, that including "interpreted" games (for example - Day Of The Tentacle) is either silly or inconsequent. There is a lot of stuff, that can be run in that way - for example nearly all classic adventure games - Sierra games, Adventuresoft games, Lucasarts games, Infocom games. Not to mention EMULATION. Metroid on Amiga? No problem!
It's only my private oppinion, of course.

BTW, Cody: you but you haven't fixed these entries:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10825

CodyJarrett · 31 August 2003, 21:53

Interpreted games are included in the HOL, as they can be natively played on the Amiga. The list of interpreted games is reasonably small, as the Amiga did get proper releases of a great deal of the Infocom, Lucasarts and Sierra games.

Emulated games are definitely not included and are considered completely separate to interpreted games.

I forgot about those other fixes - I'll do them soon!

Twistin'Ghost · 02 September 2003, 00:43

Cody is right. I'm not really sure of any Sierra game that can be interpreted that is not already available in an official Amiga release. With Infocom, there is only one non-Amiga release (Border Zone) that is interpretable. That leaves Adventuresoft and the small number of SCUMM games.

30 August 2003, 22:43	#1
CodyJarrett Global Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: UK Age: 35 Posts: 5,440	Cody's Top Ten Amiga Database Mistakes Here are my top ten mistakes in Amiga game databases: 1. Crediting An External Company As Directly Related To An Amiga Game e.g. Escape From Colditz shows 'Gibsons Games' on the titlescreen, which suggests that it developed the game. However, Gibsons Games is a board game manufacturer and a creator of the board game that the Amiga game is based on. 2. Using Copyright Dates As Amiga Release Years e.g. Often an Amiga game shows the original copyright date on the titlescreen, which can be the release date on another platform - Monkey Island 1 & 2 list the PC version release dates on the Amiga version (1990 and 1991 instead of 1991 and 1992). 3. Assuming That If A Company Is Mentioned In An Amiga Game, Then It must Relate To The Amiga e.g. in the Amiga version of Erben Der Erde, The Dreamers Guild and New World Computing logos are displayed before the game, with a date of 1994. The Amiga version was actually released in 1995 by ReaLogic and Softgold. 4. Listing A Single Game With Two Names As Two Entries e.g. Blue Max and Aces Of The Great War as separate games. 5. Crediting A Developer That Did No Amiga Programming As An Amiga Giant e.g. lauding Sid Meier as Amiga programmer of Pirates!, Railroad Tycoon, Civilization etc. when other developers actually did the Amiga conversions (Sid probably never touched an Amiga in his life). 6. Misreading Evidence e.g. suggesting that there is an Apidya II, because the titlescreen of Apidya shows a 'II', and thus propagating a rumour that there is a sequel (when there isn't). 7. Listing Unreleased Amiga Games As Released On The Amiga e.g. Magic Carpet or a fake such as Buck Rogers II: Matrix Cubed on the Amiga. 8. Misspelling Names e.g. 'Millenium' instead of 'Millennium', 'Akklaim' instead of 'Acclaim', 'Leathernecks' instead of Leatherneck. 9. Listing Games On A Hardware That Were Released Years Before The Actual Hardware e.g. Listing AGA games in 1987 (yes, it's happened). 10. Listing Definite And Indefinite Articles Before A Game Name e.g. 'A Mind Forever Voyaging' instead of 'Mind Forever Voyaging, A' or 'La Aventura Espacial' instead of 'Aventura Espacial, La'.

30 August 2003, 23:35	#2
Codetapper Moderator Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Age: 38 Posts: 2,461	A few more! Adding to #6: Adding entries for BMX Simulator 2 because there was a compilation consisting of 2 disks which happened to have BMX Simulator on the second disk! 11. Misreading words as developers Misreading the Polish text in a game and adding a developer for a word like "presented by"

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31 August 2003, 05:15	#4
Twistin'Ghost Give up the ghost Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: U$A Age: 22 Posts: 4,662	Maybe it's just me, but I think the only subject discussed about HOL anymore seems to be data entry mistakes. Can everyone please just get it all out of your system so we can move on?

31 August 2003, 09:55	#5
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 41 Posts: 1,680	http://hol.abime.net/?id=2588 Entering wrong number of disks, even when a disk scan is clearly saying 1 of 4

31 August 2003, 11:05	#6
fiath Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: South East / UK Age: 35 Posts: 1,925	Hmm, some of those could be really tricky. Like copyright dates. Maybe we should leave this information for HOL to do... IFW? I do have one to add though, but you probably won't agree... 12) Calling OCS games ECS (yes I know why ) __________________ S.P.S. - The Software Preservation Society http://www.softpres.org

31 August 2003, 14:43	#9
Dizzy DEAD Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: . Posts: 3,399	Mayby we should send the correction to the members of HOL instead of making threads out of it.

31 August 2003, 15:19	#10
Ian HIGH FIVE!! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Derby Age: 35 Posts: 1,745	They (The HOL team) create a forum entitled: HOL Bugs and Problems Surely if they wanted what you suggest, then that forum wouldn't exsist would it?

31 August 2003, 16:11	#11
CodyJarrett Global Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: UK Age: 35 Posts: 5,440	Corrections are welcome in any form, but the forum is useful for public discussion. More eyes on an issue are beneficial, as there may be someone who knows a vital piece of information.

31 August 2003, 16:31	#12
7-Zark-7 Zone Friend Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Brisbane/Australia Posts: 1,237	Just my two cents worth, but possibly Twist was merely referring to the manner in how it might be posted. How long do the postings regarding incorrect info listings last? (Are they like Off-topic & get automatically deleted after a certain time?) Having a whole group of postings (sometimes only a few postings long,eg:mistake blah blah,response, Entry updated etc),listed can appear a little nit-picky. Obviously,easier than one gigantic thread, to manage & as Cody said, the more outsider info the better. But would it be more productive to limit the time such postings are listed if the listing/info issue is resolved? (Not to mention better use of EAB) A game that has 4 disks isn't going to change again is it?

31 August 2003, 16:35	#13
CodyJarrett Global Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: UK Age: 35 Posts: 5,440	Twistin' has been a little misinterpreted. Data integrity has been discussed to a great extent recently by the HOL team, so he's referring to that and is not suggesting that data updating and error correction shouldn't be a continual process...

31 August 2003, 21:53	#15
CodyJarrett Global Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: UK Age: 35 Posts: 5,440	Interpreted games are included in the HOL, as they can be natively played on the Amiga. The list of interpreted games is reasonably small, as the Amiga did get proper releases of a great deal of the Infocom, Lucasarts and Sierra games. Emulated games are definitely not included and are considered completely separate to interpreted games. I forgot about those other fixes - I'll do them soon!

02 September 2003, 00:43	#16
Twistin'Ghost Give up the ghost Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: U$A Age: 22 Posts: 4,662	Cody is right. I'm not really sure of any Sierra game that can be interpreted that is not already available in an official Amiga release. With Infocom, there is only one non-Amiga release (Border Zone) that is interpretable. That leaves Adventuresoft and the small number of SCUMM games.

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