ZXDB Groups discussion

[ketmar]

here it is. it contants only 3 CRL titles related to game creation tools. dunno what the intentded name for that group was, but i think it should be either merged with something, or at least renamed to "CRL Game Design Tools".

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[druellan]

Interesting. Could be something the old WOS was using for another feature. Not sure if worth to keep it, the relation between the games is very anecdotic. [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention] ?

[PeterJ]

Hi, click on the help button on the homepage then scroll down to unknown groups.

These are indeed unknown groups carried over from WoS. I've helped clear some, but others need fixing, merging or removing. Volunteers welcome.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/help.php

[8BitAG]

Gilsoft Adventure Systems
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=132

This is the GAC and its demo game... not sure it needs a group...
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=143
The demo game https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6 ... ngs_Ransom
was published on the GAC game tape so would be better connected via a compilation rather than a group.

These are the Gladys Officer and Gerry Officer Quilled adventures... [Probably don't need a separate group as, iirc, they are unrelated in terms of story/theme]
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=238

Central Solutions Double-Siders [I don't think they had an official title, but a review uses the term double-siders which is quite fitting given the cassette inlays]
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=317

Tartan Split-Window Adventures [or Split-Screen... although that's confusing as lots of games are split-screen horizontally; perhaps 'Tartan Vertical Split-Screen Adventures']
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=237

These are the Level 9 trilogies... Not sure if they need a group?
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=377

Compass 'Digi-Scan' adventures...
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=454
were mentioned in magazine news pieces and neither of the games were published under those names...
The Smeagol game was, I believe, what became The Blood of Bogmole (which was also billed as a Digiscan game)
I think Night Walker morphed into the (unreleased) Night of the Demons.

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[ketmar]

Hi, click on the help button on the homepage then scroll down to unknown groups.

oh. that's what you get for never bothering to read something that contains the word "help" in it... ;-)

[8BitAG]

These are the Freescape games...
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=350
...or rather compilations of Freescape games as individual games haven't been added to the group.

There seems little point to this group containing Compass Software double game tapes?
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=322

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[PeterJ]

Moving this to ZXDB Fixes.

[druellan]

Let's see
g112, there is little relation between the tools more than the publisher, removed.
g132 - Gilsoft Adventure Systems - I think it has its value, specially to tie-up tools like The Illustrator and The Patch. Renamed.
g238 - removed, since we can't convert this into a "series" group, and we already can list the games by author(s). Removed.
g454 - removed

was published on the GAC game tape so would be better connected via a compilation rather than a group.

Both are tie-up on the comments. Really not sure about this one. "Compilation" is also not strictly correct. I'll leave the group for now, renamed as "The Graphic Adventure Creator Package". I'm also adding a quick comment.

And, reading GAC's comments, seem that a "The Adventure Writers Handbook" was available as part of a promotion. I don't see this handbook as an entry on the database, I wonder if we should add it (in case there is more info available).

These are the Level 9 trilogies... Not sure if they need a group?

Each trilogy has their own group, so, a group to group the trilogies, looks kind of redundant. Removed.

Central Solutions Double-Siders [I don't think they had an official title, but a review uses the term double-siders which is quite fitting given the cassette inlays]

Might be interesting to have this into a "series" of sort, but we lack some information on the database, for example, if all the covers where similar.

Tartan Split-Window Adventures [or Split-Screen... although that's confusing as lots of games are split-screen horizontally; perhaps 'Tartan Vertical Split-Screen Adventures']

I'd like to keep this, since the games are so visually similar and the mechanics pretty unique. Let's call it "Tartan Split-Screen Adventures'", (I think there is no need to go more specific). I'm also going to add this comment: "Tartan software and Tom D. Frost produced a series of text adventures featuring an unique double-text area, allowing the player to control two characters at the same time."

[druellan]

These are the Freescape games...
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=350
...or rather compilations of Freescape games as individual games haven't been added to the group.

There is a Freescape group already. I don't see much value to have this one, specially because one of the compilations is by Domark and kind of unrelated.

There seems little point to this group containing Compass Software double game tapes?
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... oup_id=322

Yeah, sadly we don't have much information about those, and the publication year seems to be very sparse.

[8BitAG]

And, reading GAC's comments, seem that a "The Adventure Writers Handbook" was available as part of a promotion. I don't see this handbook as an entry on the database, I wonder if we should add it (in case there is more info available).

The handbook *does* need its own entry. It wasn't just available as part of a promotion it was available as a separate product, as noted in the news pieces and the advert linked to. It's also featured in several adverts in Adventure Probe. What other info are you after? We have the date of publication and other information from the actual copy of the handbook that is on the site already.

Tartan Split-Window Adventures [or Split-Screen... although that's confusing as lots of games are split-screen horizontally; perhaps 'Tartan Vertical Split-Screen Adventures']

I'd like to keep this, since the games are so visually similar and the mechanics pretty unique. Let's call it "Tartan Split-Screen Adventures'", (I think there is no need to go more specific). I'm also going to add this comment: "Tartan software and Tom D. Frost produced a series of text adventures featuring an unique double-text area, allowing the player to control two characters at the same time."

No, that wouldn't be an accurate comment... as the games don't always involve you controlling two characters at the same time. Or even two characters.

[druellan]

The handbook *does* need its own entry. It wasn't just available as part of a promotion it was available as a separate product, as noted in the news pieces and the advert linked to. It's also featured in several adverts in Adventure Probe. What other info are you after? We have the date of publication and other information from the actual copy of the handbook that is on the site already.

Nothing then, didn't check the adverts!

No, that wouldn't be an accurate comment... as the games don't always involve you controlling two characters at the same time. Or even two characters.

Gotcha! Removing that part then!

Thanks!

[8BitAG]

Nothing then, didn't check the adverts!

I think Stu and I were discussing the handbook in another Little Bugs thread which is maybe why you might not have seen the references we've dug up to it being available outside the promotion.

Edit: see... viewtopic.php?p=42961#p42961

[druellan]

I think Stu and I were discussing the handbook in another Little Bugs thread which is maybe why you might not have seen the references we've dug up to it being available outside the promotion.

Yeah, I need to get up in speed on those, I'm looking right now.

[druellan]

Also removing the group g281, that seems to group board games from Oxford Computer Publishing

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?group_id=281

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[druellan]

Found another interesting one, group g377 https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?group_id=377 grouping Level 9 compilations together.

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