...
- If a R features a different (core) genre classification, it requires a new G entry.
- If a R is on a new gaming environment (platform), it requires (at least) a new RG entry.
With these two out of the way, let's first take a look at some the criteria which shall not that matter for any of the decisions to be made, because either they found their place elsewhere in our data model or they are just irrelevant.
Time of release
...
License
...
Localization
...
Patches / Addons
Only playable R's can be compared with one another. Patches or add-ons released later will get their own G entry in our database, thus are irrelevant for the original R they add to.
As one can probably figure out by reverse conclusion when reading the descriptions above, we obviously our decision making. Oregami is mainly a database about games, so obviously game play is the core thing that matters for our decisions, and things that don't make a difference within game play don't matter. Thus, we are looking for criteria that "affect game play" to base our decisions on. And every
Every of the following six criteria does affect game play in one way or another in our humble opinion. Furthermore, we defined a weak case (W) and a strong case (S) for every criterion. The Why will be explained below.
Different visuals
W: The graphics were updated / improved.
S: The graphics were exchanged / remade / ported to a new engine, or video sequences were added.- Different sound
W: The sound effects or music were enhanced / improved.
S: The sound effects or music were exchanged / remade / newly recorded, or digital speech was added. - Different story line
W: The story line was enhanced / improved at certain points, but stayed the same at its core.
S: An alternate story line was implemented. - Different user interface
W: The user interface was improved / enhanced
S: The user interface was exchanged / reinvented / remade. - Different game play elements
W: Some minor game play elements were changed.
S: At least one significant game play element was added / changed, but without a change in the genre classification. - Different game content
W: Some minor game content was added / changed / removed.
S: Some major game content was added / changed / removed.
Having identified the criteria which we shall base our decisions on, let's now take a look at some criteria which shall not matter for any of the decisions to be made, because either they found their place elsewhere in our data model or they are just irrelevant for game play.
Time of release
It does not matter if a new R of a game was released 6 months after the original, or 6 years after it.
License
It does not matter if the new R was released under the same official license as its predecessor or not. This information doesn't affect game play and will be covered elsewhere.
- Company setup
A change of the publishing / developing company may be seen in different packaging, missing printed manual, or whatever external stuff you can think of. But for the game play it's irrelevant. - Special releases
A new RG or even a new G entry into Oregami's database won't be due to a fancy new box, a voluptuous manual, additional goodies, or other stuff.
Localization
A release adapted to a different country / language doesn't matter as these information are documented elsewhere in our data model. A notable exception to that would be censorship that affects game play.
Patches / Addons
Only playable R's can be compared with one another. Patches or add-ons released later will get their own G entry in our database, thus are irrelevant for the original R they add to.
With six relevant and six irrelevant criteria named, we're still facing the problem that some of the relevant criteria are more important for specific genres than others. Exemplary, if a new R of an Adventure game features an alternate story line, this alone might be enough for a new G entry. But if a new R of a shooter does so, would that even be enough for a new RG?
To solve this problem, we should define one or two primary criteria (P) for every core genre of our database. If a new R meets the weak or strong case of one of its genre's primary criteria, chances will go up it requires a new G entry or a new RG.
Decisions, decisions - and when to make them
Let's assume that we compared a new R to one of its predecessors, and found the answers to all of the six criteria decisions above, what then?
As I wrote above, we will need to make two decisions based on the outcome: First decide if the new R deserves a new G entry, and if no, decide if a new RG under the existing G entry is needed. Both decisions shall be based on the W or S criteria the release has met, and on the primary criteria for its genre.
For the new G decision, I would suggest the following criteria combinations to have been met:
- One primary criterion with S
- Two primary criteria with W
- One primary criterion with W and one non-primary criterion with S
- Two non-primary criteria with S.
For the new RG decision, I would suggest the following criteria combinations to have been met:
- One primary criterion with W
- One non-primary criterion with S
- Two non-primary criteria with W.
But comparing two R's takes quite some time, so we can't possibly require that for every new R that a contributor wants to put into Oregami's database, can we?
Of course we can't, but there will be certain occasions where we might do it. Let's outline some:
a) We know that two or more main versions of a game exist, and we want to settle once and for all their treatment inside the database. An example here would be The Witcher and its Enhanced Edition. We would compare the original R's of both main versions to decide, if different RG's might be enough to separate them or if separate G entries are needed.
b) A game features a confusing maze of R's on different platforms and by different companies with no sufficient information to be found elsewhere, and we feel the need to finally bite the bullet and clearly document and preserve its R history. This might apply to Tetris.
c) A contributor asks for it, or claims the data for a game to be erroneous.
d) We introduce the concept of finalized database entries to Oregami. A "finalized" G entry might mean that every R is contributed with its main data, and the distribution of all the R's among the different RG's is documented by comparison. Changes to such entries after their finalization will follow special supervision.
Extro
Having outlined the basics of a possible different game concept for Oregami, we now need to actually compare some releases of known difficult cases as a next step, to see how such a system would behave in the real world.
While doing this, the concept needs to get much more thought and research. Are the six basic criteria relevant for all games out there? What are the primary criteria for the main genres? Are the criteria combinations given above suitable to find the "middle ground" between one game entry per genre and too many game entries? What happens if a successor to a game features the exact same game play as its predecessor?
Many interesting questions will need to be answered on the way, many interesting cases will need to be evaluated. And we will see if the concept outlined above will survive all this. And as always, if you wanna dive in just let us know.
...