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Forums > MobyGames > Compilations in gamegroups

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Cantillon (77031) on 10/2/2009 1:50 PM · Permalink · Report

I told someone (can't remember who) that compilations could not go in gamegroups if not all the games are part of the group. After a new discussion, Corn Popper made a final statement: "If a compilation contains a game that belongs in the group then the comp goes in."

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Alaka (106097) on 10/2/2009 3:01 PM · Permalink · Report

It's better this way. It makes it possible to see if a game is in a compilation as there's not a direct way to do a search to find a game in a compilation. A flaw that should hopefully eventually be addressed.

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Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 10/7/2009 4:33 PM · Permalink · Report

Including all the games present in a comp as alt titles for that comp would make the comp at least turn up in a search.

A system that tracked referral links would also help with this -- entry x points back here to this game entry because it is a compilation that also contains this game.

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Xoleras (66141) on 10/8/2009 12:26 AM · Permalink · Report

Or, as I've brainstormed in the approver forum, going with compilation specific game groups.

The overview of a compilation contains the games in it. The corresponding game group could contain a link to the compilation in its overview and all the games in it in the games listed section. The corresponding game entries would then list the compilations, where it is included, in the game group section.

So you could jump back and forth, finding all compilations that contain the game in question, and all the other games besides the specific game in that compilation.

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Foxhack (32100) on 10/8/2009 12:39 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

That would leave us without a way to track each compilation's game covers, product codes, compilation-related trivia, and any compilation-exclusive credits, which may exist. Several of these compilations also include content unavailable elsewhere, such as videos or bonus levels which may also have their own credits. Not to mention that there's cases where a compilation may include a game that was never released anywhere else.

I would like it if we could link credits and screenshots to compilation entries. But keep everything else as it is.

Know what would happen if we deleted compilations for good? We wouldn't have a way to properly document the NES' most common title. And that's just one example.

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Xoleras (66141) on 10/8/2009 12:54 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

Where did I said we should scrap all compilation game entries? :)

It might not be well explained what I meant, but try this:

Play the Games Vol. 1: Der 10 Spiele Super-Pack -- the compilation with a link to "itself" (looks a bit redundant, but needed for jumping around)

Compilation: Play the Games Vol. 1: Der 10 Spiele Super-Pack -- the compilation game group, containing all the games and the compilation itself (to finding the way back to the compilation game entry)

Imperium Romanum -- one of the games included, allows jumping to the compilation where it is included

Note: I've temporarily re-used a group which is in the process of complete overhaul, for demonstration purpose. Will find it's final use in a few days. Means, we don't actually support that in that way. Again, it's just brainstorming - just with an practical example. :)

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PolloDiablo (16852) on 10/10/2009 2:31 PM · Permalink · Report

Now that is exactly the way I would want to see it, from a player/collector's perspective. Say I want to play game X, but can't find it anywhere in a shop or ebay. Then when I look up the game on Mobygames, it tells me, Oh, but you could also buy Compilation Y or Z as they contain game X. Perfect!

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Foxhack (32100) on 10/10/2009 6:30 PM · Permalink · Report

I guess this works too.

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Xoleras (66141) on 10/10/2009 10:30 PM · Permalink · Report

IMHO it works much better, particularly because of Rob's response in the approver forum. (Currently only games with prequels, sequels, or various editions can have compilations listed, as those are the games that have a series/games/universe/whatever game groups in the first place. "just because a single game is a single game and is in a compilation doesn't mean that a group itself has to be made just to group them together")

From my example above, a compilation containing Imperium Romanum would not be tracked, as it's a single game.

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Foxhack (32100) on 10/10/2009 10:53 PM · Permalink · Report

I'm sorry if I seem less than enthusiastic about this. I wasn't entirely sure what you meant when you first posted that proposal... it just seems very complicated for new users (and a lot of older ones) to adopt. shrugs

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Alaka (106097) on 10/11/2009 12:48 AM · Permalink · Report

Xoleras, I like your idea of tracking compilations this way. It would allow you to see for example, a game like Joust is on the Williams Arcade Classics for the PSX at just a glance. If I only owned a PSX I would now know that I'm able to play Joust by getting that compilation.

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MZ per X (3017) on 10/2/2009 9:04 PM · Permalink · Report

This is one of my major gripes with MobyGames, the way that compilations and special editions are handled as normal game entries. IMHO these are just bloating the database and make browsing the site harder than it should be.

I don't have suggestions for improvements right now, though.

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vedder (70796) on 10/4/2009 1:06 AM · Permalink · Report

I agree with Erkenbrand. If it were up to me all compilations and special editions would be mere trivia items :) But I guess from a collectors point of view, they are of use...

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Ace of Sevens (4479) on 10/4/2009 1:12 AM · Permalink · Report

I don't see why we can't just show them as an alternate cover unless the actual game is changed.

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MZ per X (3017) on 10/4/2009 11:29 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Ace of Sevens wrote--]I don't see why we can't just show them as an alternate cover unless the actual game is changed. [/Q --end Ace of Sevens wrote--]This would apply to special editions. But compilations? If we could add the cover(s) to a game group somehow, we'd have the perfect place for them.

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Luis Silva (13443) on 10/6/2009 3:56 AM · Permalink · Report

I agree. I think I've mentioned this before, but I'd like if MG had some similarities with Discogs in some ways. Treating special editions as a "child" entry, compilations entered in a way that we could know in which compilations a game is easily, and so on.

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Indra was here (20755) on 10/14/2009 9:44 PM · Permalink · Report

[Q --start Luis Silva wrote--]Treating special editions as a "child" entry. [/Q --end Luis Silva wrote--]Now here's something possibly worth brainstorming for future reference.