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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
DemoBase 64
Optic and me talked about a demobase project on IRC.
I think it's time now, while disks are still working.
Let's assemble a team, and divide the work, and get crackin'! :-)
?
There is a lot of collectors, and I heard Graham has a big one.
Join!!
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WVL
Registered: Mar 2002
Posts: 889 |
Quote: Optic and me talked about a demobase project on IRC.
I think it's time now, while disks are still working.
Let's assemble a team, and divide the work, and get crackin'! :-)
?
There is a lot of collectors, and I heard Graham has a big one.
Join!!
a big one ;)
LOL...
sorry, i just couldn't help myself :)
anyway, I think the idea is good, but don't underestimate the work.. |
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
Gamebase and HVSC was not made in 1 day - we just have to do it as it does itself.
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Jazzcat
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1044 |
Not to forget mags.c64.org neither... a big job, but many hands make light work.. |
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Slator
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 273 |
rambo jones, you better try contacting some ppl out there like graham, steppe, acidchild, iopop to just name a few.
there could be no need to reinvent the wheel for the 1000th time....
maybe something positive can be achieved ;-D
@wvl: well, we all know that graham has got the biggest
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Steppe
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 1510 |
Hey wait! I suggest you all get in touch with wreg. He's presently building up a database of all c64 productions. All you have to do is run Clearmamepro on your harddisk with his database file and it will eliminate all productions that he already has. You zip up the rest and send it over, easy.
He approached me recently and I was a little hesitant as I had no intention on spending hours on yet another project, but it was a quick 30 minute job.
And of course, I think he would be glad if somebody would team up with him. :-) |
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Steppe
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 1510 |
Erm, I just found out wreg is not in CSDb... bugger.
He can be found among the usual suspects on #c-64 almost daily, though. |
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iopop
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 317 |
isnt this somewhat an demo data base already? or did I miss the point completely? |
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Steppe
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 1510 |
Stop kidding around, iopop... ;-) |
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blackdroid
Account closed
Registered: Mar 2002
Posts: 84 |
as iopop I also wonder what the goal is, we already have www.c64.ch and csdb, is the goal to just produce a zip, with regular updates or ? |
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Steppe
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 1510 |
Don't get me wrong, c64.ch and csdb are nice things, but they're growing too slowly. And there are too many entries without a download link or any other info here. And sometimes I'm asking myself: How can people add releases here, complete with screenshot and everything, but then they don't add a download link. Argh... :-/
A pure filecollections, sorted by group, would be built up 10 times quicker than the file-aspect of CSDb only. Remember, CSDb covers the whole scene.
I can also understand why the collectors out there don't publish their well sorted collections in one piece. I have now sorted 20% of my own collection and it took ages... Put it all online so that some leecher can get it in 2 minutes? No! Share what I have upon friendly request? Anytime! |
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
Blackdroid: The goal seems to me, that we put everything into one place, from where it can be sent to a C64 and/or launched in an emulator.
Gamebase, and some other frontends can do that.
Collecting is a matter of sending all stuff to one place.
For those who don't want a big collection, they can get stuff here at CSDB.
I'm sure some script injections into the database can effectively do things very fast, once the credits+screenshots have been made.
Wvl said last night that he had gotten a copy of Graham's stuff.
Also last night, Cyberbrain and I both downloaded 731 disks from www.theoldcomputer.com - I already found many things that weren't in any of my many CD collections.
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Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
i dont think a demo database in the way of csdb is very useful. there's thousands of demos out and it sucks to click madly around just to download one of them. i go for a cd based database because all demos are instantly available there and every demo is max. two mouseclicks away, no internet connection needed. |
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Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
rambones wrote:
"Blackdroid: The goal seems to me, that we put everything into one place, from where it can be sent to a C64 and/or launched in an emulator. Gamebase, and some other frontends can do that."
i have done such a frontend already. there's more than 3200 demos available, all tested etc. |
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
That sounds good Graham, and it's also the best to have it on disk/CD. |
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iopop
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 317 |
My question was all serious and now when Rambones described what he wanted, a frontend, it sounds like something similar to what Graham have done.
I still think CSDb with the combination of a auto sorted ftp, depending on the state of the database, is the way I want it. The usual collections problem, everybody has their own system. The discussion about having a organized collectors group have been up here before.
But then again, I mostly find the story behind the demos more interesting than the demos themself. So, just ignore me... |
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
My last reply was totally irrelevant, so i deleted it.
So is anyone interrested in this or not ? |
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Optic
Account closed
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 28 |
Heh, can't believe i've missed this one :D Although i never expected to find it in a forum-section dedicated to CSDB-matters...
Yes the original idea jan and i talked about was to have a Gamebase64-esque type of deal...
A CD or a DVD containing atleast the following:
a modified Gamebase64 database file.. this would contain the demo-specific information (Who did it, Screenshots, how many parts, date/year of release etc...)
The Collection (ie. demos which are in the database) this would contain tested and fully working versions of the demos.. since the internet is full of stuff that is corrupted completely of half-working.. and to gather a collection which isn't plagued by duplicates for example (what's the fucking point in having the same demo/intro in 6 differently packed filesets sfx/zipcoded/lynxed/whatever, when you only need to use .d64 in 99.9% of the stuff.. it works and preserves the original filenames and directory-arts for example..)
Since Gamebase64 has possibility of using HVSC.. you could listen to the tunes used in the demos with.. say sidplay2/w forexample with a click of a mouse, and launch the demo in your preferred emulator with another..
We never planned it to make it as a CSDB-replacement or even a compliment, far from it... just a project to make the lives of the people who love the demos and intros of the trusty old C64 a bit more pleasant and easier... a handy collection of demos on a disc to be used wherever you are.. regardless of internet connection..
What i'm trying to do here(and hopefully a few others :D) is to summarize the fruits of the individual collectors labour out there into a single, comprehensive and uniform package for all to enjoy
ok, it's 2 o'clock in the night and i'm tired, rambling on and my brain is stuck in a loop, so i'll shut up now.. but if there are questions that still bother you... don't hesitate to ask :) |
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Matt
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 597 |
am I interested?
fuck man yes I am!!
one request though, please sort the demos by groupname and not by demoname, cos that drives me nuts! 8) |
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Optic
Account closed
Registered: May 2002
Posts: 28 |
Matt:
I thought of arranging the demos/intros to individual folders by groupname, so don't worry... I hate the demoname first approach too.. |
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SIDWAVE
Account closed
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2238 |
The biggest problem with this, is that people work on their own, different schemes. We have talked and talked, and people are still building their own private collections, instead of doing it together. There has been arguments, how to name files etc.
That is ALL up to the task-group who will finally do it.
I feel since some month the whole thing has stalled.
It's a combination of lack of time, and unwillingness to get to an agreement how to make it.
Step 1 should be to discuss, which fields should the database have.
There's no reason to go anywhere before this is nailed down.
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Jazzcat
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1044 |
This is a ridiculous discussion.
Not that having a C64 Demo/Legal collection archive online is ridiculous. But the arguments about file structure and other petty things.
Don't forget the essential point of what an archive is. Filenaming is almost a fashion. Format should be emulator friendly. Not much else to say here.
As for all these people building their own collections. Some try and help here and there. They would all find there missing wares by working together (but that will never happen). I'm hoping someone just goes it alone (or with one or two SERIOUS people) and puts the damn thing online.
I did it with mags.c64.org - once you plant the seed, the tree grows from there. Don't try make a tree grow so much when you haven't even thought where to plant the seed.
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Matt
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 597 |
well I just wanted to state, as a demo collector that is :8 that going through somebody's collection is pretty hard when you have to search by demoname and not by groupname.
don't think it is that rediculous my man ;)
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Jazzcat
Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1044 |
Matt: Have it so you have title/group. Have it so you can search either title or by group. Is it that hard? :)
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Matt
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 597 |
for example; yu know your collection from let's say group X isn't complete. you miss some demos but you don't know which ones. well, u look into the directory, search for group X and you know which demos that r missing in yer collection
simple as that
8) |
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Earthshaker
Registered: Sep 2002
Posts: 118 |
I myself use the following:
group name - (year-month-day) - demo name
<example>
Silicon Limited - (1992-04-23) - Spoiled Rotten.d64
I convert everything to D64 files because they are easiest to use. The complete dates are optional, if i don't know the date i use (19xx) and no more.
Maybe we can work out some standard first. |
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Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
i myself do the following: d0000.zip to d9999.zip. unpacking and content handling is done by a database frontend. i hate clicking through directories and stuff, especially with packed d64 files.
Earthshaker wrote:
"group name - (year-month-day) - demo name"
what if a demo was released by more than one group? |
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Earthshaker
Registered: Sep 2002
Posts: 118 |
Quote: i myself do the following: d0000.zip to d9999.zip. unpacking and content handling is done by a database frontend. i hate clicking through directories and stuff, especially with packed d64 files.
Earthshaker wrote:
"group name - (year-month-day) - demo name"
what if a demo was released by more than one group?
Well then it would be something like:
<example>
Genesis Project + Fire Eagle + Contex - (1989) - Aachen Meeting.d64
I also sort the demos in folders by group. So if, like in this case, there are 3 groups who produced the demo, i put the demo in every folder. |
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Matt
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 597 |
doing the same like earthshaker
one (silly) question though, how do you get a directory of ALL your demofiles? is there any way to do that, cause I wanna have a printed list of my collection. |
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Earthshaker
Registered: Sep 2002
Posts: 118 |
Quote: doing the same like earthshaker
one (silly) question though, how do you get a directory of ALL your demofiles? is there any way to do that, cause I wanna have a printed list of my collection.
I use Clearmame Pro, don't know for sure, but it should be possible to make one with it. |
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
Quote: i myself do the following: d0000.zip to d9999.zip. unpacking and content handling is done by a database frontend. i hate clicking through directories and stuff, especially with packed d64 files.
Earthshaker wrote:
"group name - (year-month-day) - demo name"
what if a demo was released by more than one group?
Did you build that db front-end yourself, and to what kind of db is it connected (mysql)? |
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Matt
Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 597 |
thanks earthshaker,
but being a technical worldwonder I wonder how this proggy works? 8) yup I really need some help here
cheers mate
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Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
Quote: Did you build that db front-end yourself, and to what kind of db is it connected (mysql)?
I build it myself. You can't expect everyone to install a SQL server, and i also don't see the advantage of it. SQL is a horrible language... |
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Graham
Account closed
Registered: Dec 2002
Posts: 990 |
Quote: Well then it would be something like:
<example>
Genesis Project + Fire Eagle + Contex - (1989) - Aachen Meeting.d64
I also sort the demos in folders by group. So if, like in this case, there are 3 groups who produced the demo, i put the demo in every folder.
You ARE aware that most filesystems have restrictions concerning file length? What about the DOTY demos? |
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TDJ
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1879 |
Quote: I build it myself. You can't expect everyone to install a SQL server, and i also don't see the advantage of it. SQL is a horrible language...
Feh, I have Oracle 8i running on a machine here ;)
I've been thinking about building something similair before, but decided against it, as I want my collection to be transferable. Still, it would solve a lot of problems .. |
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Earthshaker
Registered: Sep 2002
Posts: 118 |
Quote: You ARE aware that most filesystems have restrictions concerning file length? What about the DOTY demos?
I am aware of it. But i am not as handy as you concerning programming my own db, not handy at all.
The DOTY productions are something else, i have them in a seperate folder, still working on finding a good solution to that problem. ;) |
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Earthshaker
Registered: Sep 2002
Posts: 118 |
Quote: thanks earthshaker,
but being a technical worldwonder I wonder how this proggy works? 8) yup I really need some help here
cheers mate
If you fire up the program you click away the begin (profiler) screen and go to 'about'. In there there's a button 'dir2dat'. With that you can create you're own datfile from your already sorted collection.
If you need any help, please contact me through my email. We could even exchange datfiles. |
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Jakuchu
Account closed
Registered: May 2005
Posts: 3 |
I've been also thinking about idea similar to this one.. GameBase offers a good frontend for playing Commodore games, so why not create a DemoBase too. I just don't have a huge collection of demos yet, so... |
