First VIC-20 Software-Database !

Stefan67 · Post by **Stefan67** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:22 pm

This is just to announce that a few people started this weekend with the First VIC-20 Software-Database.

All the necessary work (database and homepage programming, collecting and entering data) is in the very beginning. The first tests and trials are at http://www.cbmhardware.de/vc20files/ but will move within the next days to a different test location, finally there will be a own domain on a reliable and fast server, hosted in Germany.

We just announce this, to prevent others from doing the same without knowing each other. Duplicate work would be an waste of energy and time, that's something we all don't really have.

We are thinking about a Forum too, especially for those who (like to) work on and contribute to this project. But it's currently not clear if we really need it or just use this place (and for "german only" readers/writers it would be there: http://www.forum-64.de/wbb2/thread.php?threadid=9888 )

Please keep in mind that we just started and it will take a few weeks or even years, until we achieve the results we would like to have.

Regards
Stefan

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:38 pm

What differentiates this from GameBase20, Cafe VIC, The Denial home page, etc?

Stefan67 · Post by **Stefan67** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:54 pm

GameBase20: is located where?
Cafe VIC: http://www3.sympatico.ca/clarke-santin/ ... /main.html
Denial home page: http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/

We think more about something similar for the C64 like:

http://www.c64games.de/
or
http://www.gb64.com/ = www.Gamebase64.com/
or
http://www.lemon64.com/
or maybe
http://www.gamebox64.com/

I don't see something similar anywhere (search functionality, download, Screenshots, program information). If so, just tell us and we will stop the development.

Centallica · Post by **Centallica** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 5:20 pm

Download one of their TAPS called Tom Thumb and you'll find Arma's Notepad inside the Zip that reads "This .tap file was obtained from Armas archive. To help preserve more old vic software, if you have any more vic 20 tapes not shown in the archive, drop me a line and i will try to convert them for you. One day the tapes will stop working at all then it will be lost forever unless its archived. Arma."

Nice start just pull from someone elses sight and claim the glory (I hope you have gotten permission from Arma to "host" his work and put credit on his sight if you took TAP's from his site

Nice start dudes,
Brian

Post by **Jeff-20** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:04 pm

cbmhardware · Post by **cbmhardware** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:07 pm

I've borrowed the five tapes for testing the database-scripts.
I'm the coder and don't own any VC-20 tape. They will be removed next time.

We will contact Arma and inform him about the VIC-database.

regards,
Michael

Stefan67 · Post by **Stefan67** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:08 pm

As far as I know, all the 5 entrys have been taken from Armas site, we used this for testing purposes only, don't expect that there is any real or correct content during development! It may be DOS / Windows or whatsoever software and pictures. We currently test and discuss the features of the database. That's all.

What we wanna do is a big effort, just for fun. We don't claim the glory nor are we interested in doing so. The idea is, that we contribute our work to the interested audience. Your comment sounds more disheartening than it helps for the project. But thinking about it, it would be better to limit the access to that website for a handful members, in order to get rid of any troubles.

Anyway, we will remove/replace the current database entries as soon as possible (It's after midnight here, can't do it right now).

Thanks dude!
Stefan

6502dude · Post by **6502dude** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:28 pm

Wasn't there another newbie, about a year ago, posting messages in the forum to promote their site?

Arma has the most comprehensive TAP site on the net and Denial has grown to be of the best gathering spots for Vic-20 enthusiasts.

Why try to re-invent the wheel?

Centallica · Post by **Centallica** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:21 pm

Stefan67 wrote:As far as I know, all the 5 entrys have been taken from Armas site, we used this for testing purposes only, don't expect that there is any real or correct content during development!

All I'm saying is ask and give due credit where deservered as Arma spent a lot of hours doing a spectacular job and all of a sudden some guys come along and launch a rehash of what's been done using what someone else has.

Stefan67 wrote:The idea is, that we contribute our work to the interested audience.

I'm looking forward to seeing "your work" and will be the first to give full praise for originality.

Stefan67 wrote:Your comment sounds more disheartening than it helps for the project.

Truth hurts eh.

Stefan67 wrote:But thinking about it, it would be better to limit the access to that website for a handful members, in order to get rid of any troubles.

Best to keep things amongst your group before anouncing a launch of your website consisting of 100% of someone else's work and not giving due credit on a forum that admire's Arma's efforts.

I'm not trying to discourage your efforts and I give you guys huge cudos for your entusiasm for the Vic-20 and the promotion of a great product to the world and when you guys get your original product up and it leaves the same impact that Arma's site does on a hobbist like myself and someone comes along here to "borrow" your stuff without giving due credit, I'll have your back as well guys

The set-up so far looks great! I like how everything seems central for each game. Screenshot and covers seem easy to access and like I said "organized". Cover scans are clear and well done! Are they actual size so if one wants to print and insert into the cast it fits perfectly?

Brian

Mikam73 · Post by **Mikam73** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 3:12 am

Page like Limon64 for Vic20 would be so cool..

I just like the way they show/list games there

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 6:52 am

Stefan67 wrote:GameBase20: is located where?

On my hard drive currently

I'm currently in the process of building v2 to release to the community following the hard efforts of... erm... can never remember his name heh... sjakie43 here

Current database has 1050 entries, but I've probably got at least another 50 or more to put in when I've done first run through, plus splitting all the compilations present into individual game entries too (mmm yum).

Sadly real life has impinged on my progress... it'll get done eventually. Maybe this is the spark I need to devote some more time to it

Stefan67 · Post by **Stefan67** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:56 am

Mayhem: On my hard drive currently

Oh, I thought it's somewhere here: http://home.wanadoo.nl/dirkhuppelde/
If you have a database already on your hard drive, Michael doesn't need to waste his time.

Does Sjakie 43(dirk) have an eMail adress? Couldn't find anything at this website.

There are sleeping so many goodies on several harddrives, and we just want to bring them up, and give them a place.

Sadly real life has impinged on my progress...

I guess that counts for all of us, that's why we asked here, before we continue to do more than 1000 screenshots, scans, .prg-files (for using with a real diskdrive) and so on. All what is done already ...

6502dude: Why try to re-invent the wheel?

... shouldn't be done twice. I fully agree here.

But how can I know, if the programs and additional informations (converted taps, diskimages, .crt-files) are already public, if there is no database to look for it. And no place to contribute them?

6502dude: and Denial has grown to be of the best gathering spots for Vic-20 enthusiasts.

So why not host the frontend for the database on this site? Wouldn't it be the right place?

Centallica: Cover scans are clear and well done! Are they actual size so if one wants to print and insert into the cast it fits perfectly?

I haven't seen them yet, but this is something we should consider. Thanks for the input.

Actually we don't mind who is doing what, just let us do it in a friendly and amicably way, by communicating with each other. This will not only save a lot of time, but also bring us all the enjoyment we want to have with this old little machine.

With kind regards
Stefan

6502dude · Post by **6502dude** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:35 am

But how can I know, if the programs and additional informations (converted taps, diskimages, .crt-files) are already public, if there is no database to look for it. And no place to contribute them?

Before your project, you can find out what is available by; reading forum posts, Google searches, asking.

One may quite easily contribute to Arma's site. I have in the past, and will continue to do so.

So why not host the frontend for the database on this site? Wouldn't it be the right place?

So perhaps your front end should be a bunch of page links to Arma's site for TAPs, Bo's site for CRT dumps, etc.

I believe if you have spare time, resources would be better utilized assisting with GB2 project rather than another initiative

cbmhardware · Post by **cbmhardware** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:48 am

Centallica wrote: All I'm saying is ask and give due credit where deservered as Arma spent a lot of hours doing a spectacular job and all of a sudden some guys come along and launch a rehash of what's been done using what someone else has.

I've removed the copyrighted archives from the test-database. There are only left some scans and a link to Arma's site. He had done a great job and don't understand me wrong, but scans and files are secondarily. The really valuable part may be one day the additional informations.
In a few years the last download-links are down and all is lost. Today is the time to collect any information about the glory days of the vic-20.

This is only possible with a workling very public and handy database.

The C64-scene shows you : Lemon64, Gamebase64 or german c64games.de .

Michael

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 12:49 pm

Only v1 is on Dirk's site currently. v2 is only on his and my HD, and I'm the one doing all the adding to it currently. That's getting all the screenshots, making sure all the program files work etc. Mucho effort. I'll get there sooner or later

Anything missing my end when I'm done, anyone is free to send me stuff to add to it...