RF Generation Message Board

Looking at the Playstation database I noticed some things aren't always done the same way. Maybe it's no big deal, but one of the things I like about the RFG database is it's clean and arranged look. If we can make some things standard, I think this will make the database even look better. Here are some examples.

Playstation part#'s: with or without the - mark?
Examples from the database:
* SLES-00001
* SLES 00001
* SLES00001

Multiple part#'s(for games with more than one game disc): only list the first, list all, and how?
Examples from the database:
* SCES-82011
* SCES-82011; SCES-82012
* SCES-82011, SCES-82012
* SCES-82011 / SCES-82012
* SCES-82011 + SCES-82012

Publisher / Developer names: full name or short (or both)
Examples from the database:
* SCEE
* Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
* Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE)

Players: for more than 2 players you always need one or two multitaps, but is it necessary to mention?
Examples from the database:
* 1-2 players
* 1 or 2
* 1-4
* 1-4 (multitap)
* 1-8
* 1-8 (2x multitap)

There may be more things that could be made standard, but these I run into quite often. Any ideas?

Perhaps we should follow the Japanese standard on Part #s? They already have a standard for multiple Part #s on disks.
Also, we have to have a standard on the Publisher/Developer names if possible. I was the one switching the SCEE stuff over.

Not sure about players, but it shouldn't have the word players in it.

These aren't just standards for Playstation, there are many others. Defined standards for fields would be nice.

I also wonder if instead of a text entry field for Players if there could just be a drop down with choices. I would think that it would only need 1-16, and then probably a MMO option. I know there are a few non-MMO games that support online play up to around 64 players, but once we pass a reasonable number I don't see the value in listing it.

Maybe this thread should be merged with: http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=9389.msg138304

Nah. That thread would fill up really quickly with anything like that. It's mostly just for bringing up things that are broken or feature requests - individual threads are more for discussion.

My general rule of thumb is to add things to the DB as they are on the game and/or the case.

From what I've seen, the - is included on the case/disc 99% of the time, so I've put it in even if it isn't included on the game/case.

Separating them with a / seems to the easiest to read and the most common I see already being used in the DB.


The full name is the way to go, putting the abbreviation in parentheses is OK, but not really necessary.
The word "players" should never be included, and it shouldn't be "1 or 2" or "1 and 2" or anything like that. Saying (multitap) isn't necessary because it should be obvious that if the console only supported 2 players, you'll need the multitap to support more than 2 players. If its an online and offline game, I like when people do something like 1-2 (2-32 online).

The only problem with that is there would be so many options for players, and its kind of a pain to add new options to fields like that.

For multi-disc Playstation games I like the way the Japanese market games are labeled: SCES-82011~12. I've been following that standard.

Also sometimes there is a sub-part number, Konami likes to do this ( VXxxx-J1) and then they put the Sony part number in parantheses. I normally put the parantheses around the sub-part number and take the Sony part number out of parantheses, like this:

http://www.rfgeneration.com/cgi-bin/getinfo.pl?ID=J-061-S-01590-A

(Highlight mine)

That is the way it should be. The reason why the "-" is sometimes forgotten is because on PS2 spines, the part number is layed out on two lines, like:
SLES
00001
which would make one think the - shouldn't be there. But the - should always be there.