Genre & Subgenre Guide

[tactical_nuke]

Now I'd like to pose the question: Rail Shooters, Classic or Regular?

I'm afraid I don't understand the question.

I have Rail Shooters currently listed as Classic Shooters. Should they be left under the regular Shooter genre? I can honestly see them as either.

[Duke.Togo]

I wouldn’t say that Rail Shooters constituted a genre on its own.

[tactical_nuke]

That's not really what I'm implying. I'm asking if it should be Classic Shooter or Shooter.

[Duke.Togo]

Now I get it... you have to speak slowly to your elders sometimes.

I'd put it under Shooter, as I don't think it fits with the idea of classic scrolling shooters.

[Raidou]

Question:

Do the Blood Bowl games count as "Sport", "Strategy" or "Game Simulator"?

People tend top categorise it as Sport, but it's based on the miniature board game by Games Workshop.

[tactical_nuke]

That's a good question. The "Game Sim" genre is specific to our site, as far as I know. It basically exists to easily categorize a number of games that have analog equivalents. (which I find useful and am definitely for keeping around) There are however many instances of these games fitting into better defined genres. e.g.: D&D to RPG, Risk to Strategy. Keeping that in mind, I'd put Blood Bowl down as a Strategy game; especially since typical sports games are generally more geared towards action/simulation of a real-world sport.

[Raidou]

Suggestion:

The "Tube"  subgenre should be renamed to something like "Planar" or "Fixed Plane 3D".  "Tube" is used to describe Tempest, however, there are a few games that use this gameplay style but often on a flat plane.  For example, Hyper Void and Polybius do have tube sections but a lot of the action is on a flat plane.

[Schlibby]

Why is "Demo" a genre? We already have demo as a release type and it gets added as a variant title. Surely the genre would always be either compilation for a multi game demo or the genre of the game its demoing for one game.

[Duke.Togo]

Why is "Demo" a genre? We already have demo as a release type and it gets added as a variant title. Surely the genre would always be either compilation for a multi game demo or the genre of the game its demoing for one game.

Some software is literally just demonstrations - no gameplay. I can't think of any for a console, but can for computers.

[Schlibby]

Why is "Demo" a genre? We already have demo as a release type and it gets added as a variant title. Surely the genre would always be either compilation for a multi game demo or the genre of the game its demoing for one game.

Some software is literally just demonstrations - no gameplay. I can't think of any for a console, but can for computers.

Wouldn’t the genre in that case then be non-game. And video demo (or similar) as sub genre

[tactical_nuke]

I've always thought it was excessive to have Demo as a Genre, Release Type and Variation Title. I think we'd be fine getting rid of the Demo genre, as we'd still track which is which internally via release type and through the search bar via variation title. Genre is supposed to indicate gameplay, after all.

[Raidou]

This guide is pretty good, but I think it would be improved by including more examples for major series, as people get confused which category a game series falls under.  Yes, that includes myself at times. 

For example, submitters will categorise Mega Man games as "Platformer (2d)", "Action (Run n Gun)" or "Shooter".

[Duke.Togo]

I've always thought it was excessive to have Demo as a Genre, Release Type and Variation Title. I think we'd be fine getting rid of the Demo genre, as we'd still track which is which internally via release type and through the search bar via variation title. Genre is supposed to indicate gameplay, after all.

I'm fine with getting rid of the Demo genre as long as the edits are made to switch the release type if appropriate.

This guide is pretty good, but I think it would be improved by including more examples for major series, as people get confused which category a game series falls under.  Yes, that includes myself at times. 

For example, submitters will categorise Mega Man games as "Platformer (2d)", "Action (Run n Gun)" or "Shooter".

I always think this is helpful. Feel free to add them to the wiki.

[Schlibby]

Ok. I’ll look to getting rid of the demo genre on all entries currently using it. Then it can be deleted as a genre.

Might take a while though. But of a long term goal

[tactical_nuke]

Going back to the Rail Shooters shouldn't be Classic Shooters question, there's a bit of vagueness to be addressed. First of all, many light gun shooters (still under classic) use a on-rails gameplay, especially later arcade ports like House of the Dead. I think leaving light gun games out of Classic would be the least messiest option. I know Duck Hunt is classic by all means but we're going to have to draw lines somewhere. Come to think of it, we have Starfox defined as a classic shooter, yet it's basically on rails, albeit primarily 3rd person. (I still think we should have gone with Shmup and put only scrolling/top down shooters there but whatever.) Anyone care to weigh in on this?