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indie_games2024-04-27 09:42 am
elf) wrote in indie_games2024-04-27 09:42 am
Game Bundle database plans
I'm working on a database for the itch.io megabundles and other bundles I've bought. I have a spreadsheet! I have Google sheets! I have lists! I have something like 10,000 games I have acquired through bundles.
...I need help figuring out how to collect all the info into useful database categories.
I would love to brainstorm with someone(s) who
1. Has something like database experience
2. Has some understanding of video games
3. Has played some TTRPGs; has some idea of the TTRPG industry/hobby area
4. Ideally, has bought at least one bundle and browsed the contents.
(If you haven't, I can suggest the currently-active Palestinian Relief Bundle, 373 items for $8, or TTRPGs for Trans Rights - West Virginia, 529 items for $5.)
Notes & more details:
1. I am doing this in MS Access. There's a vague idea of porting to MySQL later, but I don't speak SQL and couldn't figure out how to get started with it. (I can only work with Access because it mostly looks like Excel. I am not a database person.) A couple of decades ago, I had some basic training with Access queries; I am somewhat aware of types of data fields but it's very very beginner. I do not need a database expert but I need help figuring out how to set up the many-to-many tables.
2. Probably everyone here has enough video game experience. My main focus for this is the TTRPGs; I might like to eventually expand the "video game" category into things like RPGMaker, Visual Novel, Action Platformer, etc. but that's all distant and vague; I just need someone who knows the difference between "this is a video game" and "this is fun software" (e.g. Electric Zine Maker) so I can make the labels accurate.
I do not need someone(s) to sort through the games and figure out which is which - I need help establishing categories and noting what the edge cases are. Help figuring out exclusive video game categories would also be awesome.
3. TTRPGs are the reason I'm making this, with a strong sub-focus on solo TTRPGs. I can figure out how to deal with the games - it's the "not actually a game but definitely TTRPG content" I'm having trouble with.
Should adventure modules be tagged as TTRPGs? What about classes or playsheets? System-agnostic lists of monsters? And so on.
4. It'd help if people had acquired a bundle or two and then tried to find out "what the hell did I just purchase? What is all this stuff?" so they'd understand the scope of the problem. (Multiply by about 40; I have purchased 42 bundles to date.) (Okay, let's call it 35; some of those are basically "developer put their 4 games on sale together.")
I would love to chat, either in comments here (although that's very slow) or on Discord where I can screenshare and say "this is the main spreadsheet... here's my 350 edge cases which are too many..."
...I need help figuring out how to collect all the info into useful database categories.
I would love to brainstorm with someone(s) who
1. Has something like database experience
2. Has some understanding of video games
3. Has played some TTRPGs; has some idea of the TTRPG industry/hobby area
4. Ideally, has bought at least one bundle and browsed the contents.
(If you haven't, I can suggest the currently-active Palestinian Relief Bundle, 373 items for $8, or TTRPGs for Trans Rights - West Virginia, 529 items for $5.)
Notes & more details:
1. I am doing this in MS Access. There's a vague idea of porting to MySQL later, but I don't speak SQL and couldn't figure out how to get started with it. (I can only work with Access because it mostly looks like Excel. I am not a database person.) A couple of decades ago, I had some basic training with Access queries; I am somewhat aware of types of data fields but it's very very beginner. I do not need a database expert but I need help figuring out how to set up the many-to-many tables.
2. Probably everyone here has enough video game experience. My main focus for this is the TTRPGs; I might like to eventually expand the "video game" category into things like RPGMaker, Visual Novel, Action Platformer, etc. but that's all distant and vague; I just need someone who knows the difference between "this is a video game" and "this is fun software" (e.g. Electric Zine Maker) so I can make the labels accurate.
I do not need someone(s) to sort through the games and figure out which is which - I need help establishing categories and noting what the edge cases are. Help figuring out exclusive video game categories would also be awesome.
3. TTRPGs are the reason I'm making this, with a strong sub-focus on solo TTRPGs. I can figure out how to deal with the games - it's the "not actually a game but definitely TTRPG content" I'm having trouble with.
Should adventure modules be tagged as TTRPGs? What about classes or playsheets? System-agnostic lists of monsters? And so on.
4. It'd help if people had acquired a bundle or two and then tried to find out "what the hell did I just purchase? What is all this stuff?" so they'd understand the scope of the problem. (Multiply by about 40; I have purchased 42 bundles to date.) (Okay, let's call it 35; some of those are basically "developer put their 4 games on sale together.")
I would love to chat, either in comments here (although that's very slow) or on Discord where I can screenshare and say "this is the main spreadsheet... here's my 350 edge cases which are too many..."
no subject
I am debating if that's the same field as the video games' "game engine," which will have options like Unity, Godot, RPGMaker, etc. It kinda breaks my brain to put those in the same field, but... they're mutually exclusive and have the same label. So maybe.
(However: TTRPGs can have more than one of them. A TTRPG can grab elements from 2 or more engines; video games don't work that way.)
URLs will be included; upkeep/corrections are a far distant issue.
Tools for the TTRPGs is part of the fields only used for those games. I assume all TTRPGs expect writing materials of some sort. (Some don't but those are so rare I can just throw that in a "notes" field.)
Common tools are
* Dice (I will need a whole separate subtable for "what kinds and how many") (may include "coin to flip" as a d2)
* Cards, playing
* Cards, Tarot
* Block tower
* Meeple
* Tokens
* Graph or hex paper
* Game-specific printables (need this map; need this tracking sheet, etc.)
* Other (a specific soundtrack, candles & a lighter, envelopes & stamps, a Discord with specific channels, etc.)
...I will need to do something with the "other" category because I want to search for "games that require fire." But that might just mean a sub-field of "Other" so I can add a list.
I plan to add "number of players" fields. Discussions with database people has established the best/simplest way to do this is a "GM Y/N" field (lots of gmless TTRPGS), and "min players" and "Max players" fields. I may wind up using "99 max" as a way to say "this is for a GM and as many people as want to play."