The Edits

[Andre Leao]

3 new games for the Spectrum from John Wilson...



https://planetasinclair.blogspot.com/20 ... edits.html

[Juan F. Ramirez]

"The Director's Cut" is a very original subtitle for a Spectrum game!

[JasonUK]

I'm a bit confused.. are these different to the original Behind Closed Doors text adventures 1-3 (Original, Sequel & Revenge of the Ants) or do they just have new titles apart from the one difference highlighted for BCD3?

[8BitAG]

They're extended and remixed versions that John did of his Quilled games using Adventuron, an 8-bit style online text adventure creator.

He's now ported those extended and remixed versions BACK to the Spectrum, using the Adventuron to PAW converter.

So basically, these are longer versions.

[JasonUK]

Thanks for clarification. I assumed it was something like that but wasn't 100%!

[R-Tape]

They're extended and remixed versions that John did of his Quilled games using Adventuron, an 8-bit style online text adventure creator.

He's now ported those extended and remixed versions BACK to the Spectrum, using the Adventuron to PAW converter.

So basically, these are longer versions.

I'm catching up on new software updates after a break. Gareth: Do you think these are different enough to have new ZXDB IDs? Or more appropriate to add them to BCD 1,2,3?

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5998
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5999
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=6000

[8BitAG]

I'm catching up on new software updates after a break. Gareth: Do you think these are different enough to have new ZXDB IDs? Or more appropriate to add them to BCD 1,2,3?

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5998
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5999
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=6000

I have been trying to get some clarity on this sort of thing, in terms of when games deserve separate ZXDB entries, for some time now. There is no consistency with the way things were dealt with in the original WOS database.

In many ways they are just extended versions of the existing games. But they were produced thirty years after the fact. They've been first ported to a completely different adventure writing system on a totally different platform. Then they were expanded. Then they were ported back to the Spectrum to run on another, different adventure writing system. On a code level they are really different. On an actual content & gameplay level, probably not so much.

Without some clear rules in place it would be hard to say what to do with the files. I guess it would make sense to have them on the existing pages, as long as they're clearly identified as expanded, later versions. But I'd be much happier if the archive had some clearly defined rules that were followed by all genres of games... Arcade-style games seem a lot more likely to get separate entries for just minor graphical upgrades or tweaks.

[R-Tape]

But I'd be much happier if the archive had some clearly defined rules that were followed by all genres of games... Arcade-style games seem a lot more likely to get separate entries for just minor graphical upgrades or tweaks.

It's not for me to make them, but I can't see how we could easily make rock solid rules that would cut through all the uncertainty between one case and another. I know this doesn't sound great, but I think a lot of the time we'll have go on what feels right.

What kind of rules do you think would solve this kind of thing?

I can only speak for what I add now, but minor graphical adjustments usually don't warrant a different ID. For example, Tea Leaf Ted has separate versions with different player sprites, but only one ID. Even if 5 levels were added a year later, I would suggest it should have the same ID (unless the author calls it a sequel).

In terms of playing and the story, I don't know how extended these BCD games actually are. If it plays pretty much the same, and doesn't have lots of differences in the story element (how would that be quantified in a rule?) then I'd say keep the same ID. If it has a different ending and lot of different puzzles, then I'd say there's a case for separate IDs.

[8BitAG]

Well, I couldn't argue against listing them under the same IDs in this case, really.

[R-Tape]

We decided in the end to give these new IDs. If we lump them in with the old BCH games they won't stand out enough.

I think these fall into the hard to categorize grey areas. IMO, technically they should have the same ID - the author calls it an update and the game is just extended, but 'it just doesn't feel right'. It's an update many years later of a Zenobi classic.