Game template

[Octoate]

Hi,
after I used the C64-Wiki a bit to find some old games, I saw that they have a very nice template for games, which shall be added to the C64-Wiki. So I decided to add something similar to the CPC Wiki, too and just finished a first version of it. You can have a look at it in the "Games:EmptyArticle" article. The idea is that you can copy this template to your new game page and fill in the texts to describe the game. After using it, we can have a more uniform looking Wiki. Please have a look at it and tell me if there is anything missing and, of course, your thoughts about it.

Btw, I know that the gallery overlaps the infobox on the right, but this won't happen if a description is added to the article.

[MacDeath]

Sweet.

I recently added stuffs for the GX4000 games, yet I know it was done quite unprofessionally.

Is this template ready to use or does it need more fixes ?


Pehapps we may add an extra "coding" chapter, as some games were modified or cracked or whatever...

Such chapter would include technical considerations, as some games made special use of some tricks or some stuff may be well known or documented on those.

[Octoate]

Well, this template is just a skeleton for a game article, so you can add other chapters for each article of course. I guess you can already use this template, but I wanted to wait until some of the other users had a look at it, too. Maybe it would be nice to see how a game article will look with this new template.

[Devilmarkus]

I added: Link to CPC-Power.com (Really cool database for CPC-games)

[Octoate]

Ok, I usually forget about it. The idea with the links is to provide additional info to the game and on CPC Power you can directly play it. That's great .

[MacDeath]

BTW, there are not that many decent games database available, and they often include all games...


What we have :

CPC-Power : they changed their site recently so old links may be broken, also it's in french, but hey, they are good...


CPCgamesreviews.com

they are quite good to as they include a lot of games and download, yet they lack proper version, also tests and texts are a bit short or simple, yet it is in english. Also not a lot of picturess (one per game mostly)

What else ?

tacgr.emuunlim.com also...

Do you know more like those ?

There must be perhaps 1-2 other sites max with such a complete list.

And most of them having their own browser/navigation options, it would be great to put basic links into the template, then when editing the page we may easily put the right direct link to the proper pages for each game, if possible..


Also :
{{EN}} {{FR}} {{DE}} {{ES}} {{GR}}

I knew such thing existed in wikis, yet I didn't took time to look at it further.

It's good to have such miniflags...I'll use them more.




but honestly, the cpcwiki lacks the proper "howtowiki" pages.

Yes there are some basic stuff concerning paragraphs, but it's not complete and lacks links to stuff with better explanations.


BTW, i'll apply this template to the games page that are "important" (GX4000 cartridges games to start) but I won't have the time this week as I prepare my trip to RetroMadrid (Fiestas y cervezas y CPC!!!).

But i'll do it properly soon.

I already recently edited most Cartridges games pages.
I put a "lot" of pictures, yet unprofessionnaly, those were mostly taken from CPC-Powers...(I'll credit them perhaps)
Also added Video when available (I often credit whose video are those...when I have time).

Also I put a chapter on CPC (old) version when the game do have one, in order to compare... It also enable to not start many pages for the same game just because a cartridge exists...(yet with only 25 commercial releases...not a great deal...)

When games do exist on both computers (PLUS and CPC...) it's good to put all on the same page (maybe a few "redirects" then) as it is basically the same game (Barbarian 2 or Batman or Klax or Mystical...lol).


Not a big deal as we know only 25 cartridges were actually released, and perhaps less than 10 real PLUS games (or with PLUS version).

Also some of them had only Cartridges versions :
Robocop 2, Navy Seal, Pang, Plotting, Copter 271, Burnin' Rubber (yet a remake of Wec le Mans), World of sport (yet includes many stuff from california games and summer games or those kind of games) the Phazer games too...

So it will be easy to get proper pages for all of those.

On the other hand, would be nice to tell, concerning CPC games, if compatibility issues exist (Barbarian per exemple...) or if PLUS patches exist (Rick Dangerous had a PLUS patch with new colour palette before rick 128+...)

Also for the few games with 128Ko Ram management (Dragoninja per exemple)...

So yeah, a "Versions" chapter is to add.


And as you know me, I like to put a "speccy port" chapter when needed.

[Octoate]

Also :
{{EN}} {{FR}} {{DE}} {{ES}} {{GR}}

I knew such thing existed in wikis, yet I didn't took time to look at it further.

It's good to have such miniflags...I'll use them more.

If you need other country flags, I can add them easily as I used a CC iconset. If we definitivly decide to use those icons, I will inform the author, that they will be used in the CPC Wiki.

but honestly, the cpcwiki lacks the proper "howtowiki" pages.

Absolutely. Maybe we should begin to write some howto pages and link them to the "Contribute" article.

BTW, i'll apply this template to the games page that are "important" (GX4000 cartridges games to start) but I won't have the time this week as I prepare my trip to RetroMadrid (Fiestas y cervezas y CPC!!!).

I currently only had time to create the template, but during the next weeks I am very busy here, so I won't have much time to help with converting older articles to the new template.

When games do exist on both computers (PLUS and CPC...) it's good to put all on the same page (maybe a few "redirects" then) as it is basically the same game (Barbarian 2 or Batman or Klax or Mystical...lol).

I totally agree. In my opinion it also would make sense to include the sequels into one article about the game, too and redirect the other pages directly to the sequel inside the main article.

Btw, I recently changed the links in the template, to use templates, too. E.g. instead of linking directly to Wikipedia, you now can use {{WikipediaEN|Amstrad_CPC|Amstrad CPC}} or for TACGR {{Tacgr|1234|Name the game}}. If the URL changes, you just have to edit the template .

[MacDeath]

I totally agree. In my opinion it also would make sense to include the sequels into one article about the game, too and redirect the other pages directly to the sequel inside the main article.

I did it a bit with Barbarian and Robocop series...Rick Dangerous too perhaps, yet all ot those have their own pages, each page has a link to prequel/sequel.

[Devilmarkus]

This reminds me to the "world of spectrum" links in cpczone...
And also to lemon64.com? Don't remember well.
Shouldn't we also add these links, too? (Similar game available for different platforms)

[Octoate]

I think that it is a good idea to link to descriptions for other platforms, too. I will add templates for Lemon64 and WorldOfSpectrum, too. Overall it will be more work to start a new game article, but we will have a lot of interesting information right from the beginning.
Any other opinions on what to add ?

[Ritchardo]

Had a little fiddle and put on a game as a test case:  http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/3D_Boxing

The only real change I made was to add a table to the Ratings section purely as I think it's more asthetically pleasing but if it's not popular then I can easily remove it.

I also put in a link to the Amstrad Action issue from CPC Oxygen.

One other thing that came to mind though - how about a section for Compilations?  "This game appeared on the following compilations:" which could then link to the compilation in question - useful for casaul browsers who may remember the odd game from a compilation and want to know what else was on it.

Overall I like the layout though, excellent work.

[Octoate]

Hmm, I am not sure how to add the compilations to the template. I guess a full chapter is too much for mentioning compilations. Maybe this can be added in the description chapter!?

[Ritchardo]

Hmm, I am not sure how to add the compilations to the template. I guess a full chapter is too much for mentioning compilations. Maybe this can be added in the description chapter!?

Fair point - how about re-releases?

[MacDeath]

A "Releases" chapter perhaps ?

Explaining if the game was available in compilations, tapes, disk or cartridges and so on...

[Gryzor]

Heeeeey this is a great thread. I really like the template, I'll see if I can beautify it a bit, but it's great as it is

-I would add a link to the file itself, dsk or cdt or what have you. This would presuppose that, ideally, we upload all the games to the wiki server, but it's not difficult. In any case, a link to the file is a must.
-Another rating is needed with our very own judgment of the game!
-I hear you about the wikihow. However, given that there are guides alla round, perhaps you could tell me what you need and I could just compile a list of mini-guides?
-"other platforms" would be really cool. A couple of words on them would be even better, but maybe this is asking for too much.
-The table used in the 3D boxing ratings is nice
-Compilations would be nice to have, too, as would other releases (for instance, budget re-releases).

Yay!
Gryzor

[Bryce]

Maybe a section for maps too? AA and other magazines often published maps of entire games such as Jetset Willy / Gauntlet etc. which should really be included on the page.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Maybe a section for maps too? AA and other magazines often published maps of entire games such as Jetset Willy / Gauntlet etc. which should really be included on the page.

Bryce.

Well, there's the "solution" section for that...

[TFM]

Please have a look at it and tell me if there is anything missing and, of course, your thoughts about it.

Very wonderful great idea! Now since you have asked. One thing is missing: The OS....

OS: AMSDOS, BOS, CP/M, FutureOS, SymbOS (and others if games exist...)


Bye the way BOS it the "OS" used by Bollaware to release Black Land f.e. I don't know how much it is a real OS, but this finally doesn't matter.

[TFM]

Oh, and something else is missing:

System: CPC464, CPC664, CPC6128, CPC Plus, GX4000

[MacDeath]

Also :
Platform : IBM PC & Compatible...

More seriously, this seems quite enough, after all.

And stuff may be added from case to case if needed.

[Octoate]

I guess, that the template is ready to be used now. As it is just a simple template which shall help to begin a game article I don't want to overload it with information because that would raise the bar for a beginner and gives him less flexibility.

Btw, Ritchardo already created a new article with the new game layout: "3D Boxing article".

[Gryzor]

Yes, I think we have covered it all.

Only thing missing, now, so that we can begin, is to fix the categories (see the older discussion)...

[TFM]

... I don't want to overload it with information because that would raise the bar for a beginner and gives him less flexibility.

Well, Company and Publisher is basicly the same. You should delete one, for the reaseons provided before (see quote).

[Gryzor]

Company AND Publisher doesn't make any sense. Developer and Publisher is another issue...

[Octoate]

Company AND Publisher doesn't make any sense. Developer and Publisher is another issue...

I guess you misunderstand the meaning of those fields:
- Company means the company which developed the game
- Publisher is the company which brought the game into the market
and
- Developer are the developers who programmed the game.

If one of the field is not needed, leave it blank and it won't be shown in the Infobox (templates are great, aren't they ?). I know that in most cases, the publisher and company are the same, but if they are different we would have a problem with the template.

@TFM: It is not possible to just add a new field to the Infobox without adding it to the Infobox template, too. So I added your OS field to the Infobox template.