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[gilles9999]

Hello xbox fans (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

We have discussed some months (years?) ago about adding a "game synopsis option"
into our always more fantastic emulators for xbox
Yes i think xbox is the perfect old system museum ever (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pop.gif)
I explain what it is(example of mameox128 plus):
when you are in the gameselect screen and push "start" you can choose "view history info of the game"
here you see the game genre,release date,developper, and a synopsis of the game
excellent and really cool (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) , because you learn some things you didn't even know about pacman and final fight and all the mame games (244 pac gums in each labyrinth, excellent!)mameox128 plus is matching the crc of the roms if it match the crc of the game synopsis; but for colecovision (and other xports emus) i suggest the emu to check if the rom name is matching the rom name in the synopsis.txt file

Here is an example, i'm in the mednafen x nes gameselect screen, i'm in front of the legend of Zelda and i'm clicking the right thumbstick(only unused button in the xport gameselect screen), it would be fantastic to see this:(try to push the black or white button while in the rombrowser to see what i mean, the emu recall the popup screen)
(IMG:http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/10/8/f_fsynopsisnem_83ff3c6.jpg)
Or,i'm in the adamx gameselect screen, i'm in front of antactic adventure and i'm clicking the right thumbstick, it would be fantastic to see this:
(IMG:http://img28.picoodle.com/img/img28/3/10/8/f_fsynopsism7m_5174bd8.jpg)

1)Perhaps the best solution would be to say the emu to check if the rom is matching the crc
I hope our masterjedi Xport (or a great coder out of here)will read this thread and just say (from a coder view point) what should be the easiest solution;perheaps have a "400 max widht text" and a "font of 8" in the system synopsis.txt?Madmab,what's your opinion here?

2)I would like a coder opinion before continuing this synopsis.txt:
See, for the moment i'm working like this(my sources are gamefaqs.com,mobygames.com, and digital press)
is the format ok for any future coder who wish to introduce this new feature?
*
2010 (1984) (Coleco)
size 32768 crc c575a831
name: 2010 - The Graphic Action Game
Genre: Genre: Action > General
Release Data: 1984      US
Developer: Coleco

This is a game based on the movie, 2010: The Year We Made Contact.
You are an astronaut aboard the Discovery and need to repair its systems before it crashes into Jupiter's moon, Io. Time is limited so do not dawdle or the Discovery will be destroyed.
*

*
Alcazar (1985) (Activision)
size 16384 crc 9cc3fabc
name: Alcazar - The Forgotten Fortress
Genre: Action > General
Release Data: 1985      US
Developer: Telegames, Inc.

In this adventure game you control an explorer who's on his way to fortress Alcazar. To reach Alcazar you are travelling through a countryside of fortresses and you need to collect several items that you can find along the way. Once you enter the Alcazar fortress you have to search for the crown.
*

*
Alphabet Zoo (1984) (Spinnaker)
size 16384 crc 4ffb4e8c
name: Alphabet Zoo
Genre: Action > General
Release Data: 1983      US
Developer: Spinnaker Software

Alphabet Zoo is a top-view game where the player races around a maze, avoiding enemy creatures. The twist however is that each maze has a graphic representation of an object in the middle... and it is up to the player to collect the letters scattered around the maze, in the correct order, to spell the name of the object. Difficulty can be adjusted to focus on consonants, vowels or the entire alphabet.
*

3)the colecovision synopsis is an easy one, perhaps we should first try with this one?
I mean, i'll make the desired system synopsis, it's just to say, the files are here

This post has been edited by gilles9999: Oct 8 2008, 11:08 PM

[ressurectionx]

You know I like the idea  

[Cospefogo]

I like the idea too...
I like it very much - however I am one of those perfectionists persons - or have it
running for ALL ROMS in ALL SYSTEMS or I prefer to not have.

Yeah... It's a hell of a idea, but it's too much work to create descriptions
for all FAMICOM games for example. There are so many obscure games that
we will never find a review or a simple paragraph speaking of.

Morevoer, it will be soooo much work to construct the TXT/Database files,
it will take a long time.

Please, don't understand me badly - this is not a rude post - it's just
my opinion (English is not my born language).

I really wish you luck on this project!
Cospefogo.

PS. Other day, while I was modding my xTV skin, I did think how nice
could be to have some kind of Library for the emulators section.
Some kind of script who works like the Movie Scraper - instead of
connecting to IMDB you could connect to some videogame database
website and get info about selected roms, consoles, companies, etc.

In the end we fall in the same trap... such database does no exist (as
long as I know) and it could take a whole life to be constructed by
one, two or three persons.

Peace, comrades!
"Cospe-Fogo", which means "Spit-Fire".

[ressurectionx]

I feel the same way about the videos and artwork and testing and de-duping, and that is taking a ton of time.  Until recently, I was doing all that work on my own (for the last few years), but now I have some help with it.  

This can be done, but we need help from other people.  I don't think your post is rude copsefogo, but it's not very constructive.  Perhaps you'd like to help out with the project instead.  

Together we can get this tackled from all angles.  

~Rx

[gilles9999]

No, seriously i'don't think it's "real hard" to make
it's "just copy/paste"  from gamefaqs
some months ago i have created the actionreplay.txt for zsnexbox and it's a huge system too,
it didn't take me so much long time(just one complete copy/paste night (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) )
forget the internet idea, imagine the web site change it's structure and it's dead
a system synopsis.txt will be there forever
even the pc emus front end should use it;that's why i'll need your help for just one letter "A" for the nes system for example in the future.i will pm you if the idea grows
I just need a coder opinion about what should be the best structure for the synopsis.txt (like in my first post?)

[nes6502]

QUOTE(gilles9999 @ Oct 9 2008, 03:03 PM)

I just need a coder opinion about what should be the best structure for the synopsis.txt (like in my first post?)

Well, if I was the coder, I would say this:

Start symbol
CRC
Title
Number of description lines
Description Line 1
Description Line 2
etc...
Number of detail lines
Detail Line 1
Detail Line 2
etc...
End Symbol

An example:

-
c575a831
The Legend of Zelda
3
Genre: Action Adventure > Fantasy
Developer: Nintendo
Release Data: 8/22/87 US - 11/15/87 EU
10
Welcome to the Legend of Zelda. Where the only sound you'll hear
is your own heart pounding as you race through forests, lakes,
mountains and dungeonous mazes in an attempt to restore peace
to the land of Hyrule. Along the way you'll be challenged by
Tektites, Wizzrobes and an endless array of ruthless creatures
who'll stop at nothing to prevent you from finding the lost
fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom. But don't despair. With a little
luck and a lot of courage, you'll conquer your adversaries, unite
the Triforce fragments and unravel the mystery of the Legend of
Zelda.
-

[gilles9999]

Thanks nes6502 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
So i'll work like this, unless madmab say me another way to go
(i think nes6502 is right and it's better to match the game crc?like this, no name problem,
if the rom name is "The Legend of Zelda" or"The Legend of Zelda (U)", no problem, it's the same crc and the emu will display the game synopsis
mameox128plus is looking at the rom crc before displaying the synopsis right?

[competes2win]

QUOTE

PS. Other day, while I was modding my xTV skin, I did think how nice
could be to have some kind of Library for the emulators section.
Some kind of script who works like the Movie Scraper - instead of
connecting to IMDB you could connect to some videogame database
website and get info about selected roms, consoles, companies, etc.

In the end we fall in the same trap... such database does no exist (as
long as I know) and it could take a whole life to be constructed by
one, two or three persons.

As far as xbmc and its emulator section. This would be a lot faster to accomplish than the information for every rom thing. For example I have ten emulators that I use and I have taken information for those emulators (save for 2 that I havent got to yet) and edited the skin to display the text. Like You I edited xtv to my liking, making a separate "arcade window" rather than actually just editing the existing programs section. It didn't take too long.  you can find my original post HERE.

[ressurectionx]

Wouldn't the CRC be a problem gilles since there's a ton of different versions of the rom?  I guess I don't understand CRC's very well.

I'm just worried if you use a certain CRC and the rom that I choose to put in the datfile is a different CRC.  Could that happen?

[gilles9999]

QUOTE(competes2win @ Oct 9 2008, 08:42 PM)

As far as xbmc and its emulator section. This would be a lot faster to accomplish than the information for every rom thing. For example I have ten emulators that I use and I have taken information for those emulators (save for 2 that I havent got to yet) and edited the skin to display the text. Like You I edited xtv to my liking, making a separate "arcade window" rather than actually just editing the existing programs section. It didn't take too long.

yeah i know, i remember your thread, you have done a good job (even neverwill liked it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) )
but you have done "synopsis" for the systems, as far as i'm concerned i'm working into synopsis for
all the games for one system(i know it's a boring copy/paste task)
BUT: good databases exists and covers all the games (gamefaqs.com is the largest videogames database; but there is also mobygames.com or digitall press.com for the most obscure games (obscure colecovision ones (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) )
The "usable" system synopsis for one system simply doesn't exist in any web site, sadly

I think the crc is the way to go (so, no need to the user to rename his roms)
the crc is a number,different in each rom, read by the emulator
concerning the multiple versions of the roms,it's not the case for all the systems
but for the nes for example i will make something like this:

-
c575a831_crc1
_crc2
_crc3
etc...
The Legend of Zelda
3
Genre: Action Adventure > Fantasy
Developer: Nintendo
Release Data: 8/22/87 US - 11/15/87 EU
10
Welcome to the Legend of Zelda. Where the only sound you'll hear
is your own heart pounding as you race through forests, lakes,
mountains and dungeonous mazes in an attempt to restore peace
to the land of Hyrule. Along the way you'll be challenged by
Tektites, Wizzrobes and an endless array of ruthless creatures
who'll stop at nothing to prevent you from finding the lost
fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom. But don't despair. With a little
luck and a lot of courage, you'll conquer your adversaries, unite
the Triforce fragments and unravel the mystery of the Legend of
Zelda.
-

the colecovision synopsis.txt is near to be completed
it is a "plus"
i will give it to madmab (or any coder, or even to a pc front end creator?)
and he will do what he want with it (don't throw it to the garbage  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )

This post has been edited by gilles9999: Oct 9 2008, 08:36 PM

[guybird]

I've begged and begged for something similar to this for years now, and its great to see it picking up momentum.  I still believe 100% that every Xport emulator (and ZSNES) should have CRC based lookups for EVERY rom.  Why?  Well look at MAME or Surreal.  No funky looking names after FATX corrections, no having to name every piece of artwork/screenshot/rumble to someone's rom collection (whether based on Rev's new Dat's, the NoIntro dat's, or the old GOOD dats), and best of all, it allows for game boxart based icons to select games from.  I still think Surreal's box art selection is the best way to go for all emulators.  Think about it, if it was done that way, that would eliminate one of the preview shots needed to be displayed, and could leave us with a video preview on the top right, and the synopsis right below it.  Plain and simple, but yet flashy for us emu geeks, and even easier for kids/family to pick up and know what they're doing.  So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE madmab/nes, do whatever it takes to implement the CRC coding into the emulators!  Yes it will make for a bit of work for Rev and his crew to redo the naming on some of the packs, but pasting a CRC as the file name seems easier than the current setup.  Hell I'd be up for helping out on that angle if needed just to get this done.

[ressurectionx]

I'm the only crew renaming.

I won't be renaming any more packs after I've done my work.  Sorry man.  

If you can make it work around my schedule, great.

~Rx

[gilles9999]

Yes,I'm agree with guybird:The crc is the best solution
BUT:
       -too fews emulators are using the crc for the screenshots/boxarts display-sadly- (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (perhaps in the future, the emulators will allow the 2 solutions for displaying them:by matching the rom name, or by matching it's crc, i hope so)
       -Concerning the synopsis,I don't know if it is harder for a emu to display the synopsis by matching the rom name or by matching the roms CRC's

that's why i'm working like this (like nes6502 suggested,plus i added the rom name bottom of the crc; so a coder can choose what he prefer) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

*
c575a831
2010 (1984) (Coleco).col
2010 - The Graphic Action Game
3
Genre: Genre: Action > General
Release Data: 1984      US
Developer: Coleco
4
This is a game based on the movie, 2010: The Year We Made Contact.
You are an astronaut aboard the Discovery and need to repair its systems
before it crashes into Jupiter's moon, Io. Time is limited so do not dawdle
or the Discovery will be destroyed.
*

*
9cc3fabc
Alcazar (1985) (Activision).col
Alcazar - The Forgotten Fortress
3
Genre: Action > General
Release Data: 1985      US
Developer: Telegames, Inc.
5
In this adventure game you control an explorer who's on his way to
fortress Alcazar.To reach Alcazar you are travelling through a
countryside of fortresses and you need to collect several items that you
can find along the way. Once you enter the Alcazar fortress you have
to search for the crown.
*

like this, even a pc front end will be able to use my "system synopsis.txt"
p.s.:from a coder view point,is it possible to say to the emu:display the full name, but don't display the rom name if it matches the crc? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

This post has been edited by gilles9999: Oct 9 2008, 09:48 PM

[gilles9999]

COLECOVISION_synopsis_A-E_by_Gilou9999

Can I continue?Is this work easy to implant in a new emu?(lot of really interesting infos about the colecovision games,totally collector )it would be a dream to see this for nes and genesis
it would be easy to make the synopsis for systems like LYNX for example, there isn't that much games on this system it is an easy "extra" addition for the systems with few games

[madmab]

Just use the format Nes6502 recommended.  I was kinda leaning in that direction anyways but I wanted to look thru the text functions X-port uses to see what kinda flexibility it has.

As for CRC32's..  All of my releases so far have relied on CRC32's, so you don't have to worry about that Guybird.

Gilles9999 for the CRC32 line we can just seperate the difference CRC32's (for dup rom's) with a comma.

I'll be looking into this eventually.  But I spent the last two days..

a) making it so screenshots will be sorted alphabetically
B) re-arranging the menu's (lots of gruntwork).
c) letting the user change the position of the game screenshot in the pause menu.

eventually I need to add some type of .jpg viewing functionality (ala zsnesxbox).

This post has been edited by madmab: Oct 10 2008, 12:52 AM