What we need -> Sprite & Map Database

[hellrazor]

Well, it has come to my utmost attention, that tracking down all kind of sprites and maps a modder uses in his mods, is kinda hard.
Sometimes you take Sprites and AMps from another mod, which does not have a proper Ressource information about the original creator.

Then information probably gets lost and the original maker of the mod, sprite or map do not get the credits he deserves. It is also a matter
of keeping track of all the different Versions of Sprites and Maps.

My proposal, as mentioned in a few other threads would be to create a database, mainly for sprites and Maps (maybe include sound also).
A quick reference to see which sprite/map has which original author and the different Versions of it.

Let's see if some else has to contribute this idea :>

[Hobbes]

This will involve a huge pile of work since you're talking about thousands of entries/images for the map sprites. I once started organizing just the PCK images for the Area 51 but I gave up because of the amount of work involved and it was just easier to remember the PCK file where the image was located.

[hellrazor]

This will involve a huge pile of work since you're talking about thousands of entries/images for the map sprites. I once started organizing just the PCK images for the Area 51 but I gave up because of the amount of work involved and it was just easier to remember the PCK file where the image was located.

Well my first thought was about Sprites used for Items and units and such. These numbers are also big, but i think handleable, as long as not 1 person alone needs to do this.

I do not think it is neccessary to track the sprites used in each map, this really would be a big project and way too much work, as you already mentioned. But the Maps/Terrain files itself could be tracked and some Information attached, like original Author or Authors, existing Versions and so forth. That would at least give some overview.

[davide]

In my opinion  there is an other option:

There are some big mods that contains same content but in different release

I mean that Redux, FMP and Hardmod and Piratez too, contains Hobbes's terrain and Luke's Ufo as example.
but Hellrazor add/correct  new Ufos and Alien base maps
Solarious collect more maps from all souces
XOps is making a very original mod
and so on.

I wish a community resource mod (or better a family of such  mods) that collects
all terrains
all ufos
all alien races
all crafts
all weapons
and so on

Specific mod has to be depends of this resources mods
and add ruleset that describe Authors's vision and storyboard

I get this idea reading this link
https://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Community_Expansion_Pack

obviously Authors have to agree this projects ...
I think as first  author group to Hobbes, Solarious, Hellrazor, Dioxine, XOps that are all active in this moment
and them declared to agree to exchange mod fragments.
without forget Robin, Luke, Civilian when them eventualy come back to modding
and if I forget someone I apologize for that.
Indeee the project should be open for all contributions.

I repeat that resources mod have to contain resources, tileset , maps and minimal ruleset.

Authors's mod should add complete ruleset that cover proper mod storyboard using only what the Author need/want/like into his mod.

resource mod source files could be public on a git project thet should be amministrate by a team of authors

[Solarius Scorch]

I am also sceptical about this project:
1) It's very time-consuming.
2) The results may be hard to use.
3) The rules are fuzzy at best, considering that many items have different variants made by various people.

I think the current system of crediting people is good enough. If you don't know who made something, you can always ask. If nobody else knows, oh well - just make a note that the author is unknown, and change it if the person is identified later.

[davide]

Without a collector there are always a lot of questions such as

What ufo maps there are in Redux ?

Does FMP contains the last fix about UFOs map by Hellrazor ?

Which Ufos of FMP are missing in Hardmod

and so on ...

[hellrazor]

I am also sceptical about this project:
1) It's very time-consuming.
2) The results may be hard to use.
3) The rules are fuzzy at best, considering that many items have different variants made by various people.

I think the current system of crediting people is good enough. If you don't know who made something, you can always ask. If nobody else knows, oh well - just make a note that the author is unknown, and change it if the person is identified later.

Well in essence i wanted to have a real database, starting with sprites only.
Collect information in which mods they are used, who the original designer was etc..
Then later on expand this for Maps.
Best would be a web interface with SQL Database (or whatever fits the need).
I agree that davides option suggestion would be very time consuming indeed and in essence is not what i had orginally in mind.

Without a collector there are always a lot of questions such as

What ufo maps there are in Redux ?

Does FMP contains the last fix about UFOs map by Hellrazor ?

Which Ufos of FMP are missing in Hardmod

and so on ...

We do have a different naming convention for UFO Maps,
Solarius and also Hobbes (presume Dioxine also) uses the naming System from Lukes Extra UFO's
I decided to make my own one building upon the vanilla Map names.
In essence i wanted a database, were people can search for sprites and maybe Maps, as a reference.
So you can find stuff faster.

[Dioxine]

Now the problem is exactly that people use different naming conventions, and there is a lot of divergence. Imagine spending days on improving some map only to learn it has been done before... It's not like the database doesn't exist - it does, several ones, carried in modder's heads. That's terribly inefficient.

[davide]

Now the problem is exactly that people use different naming conventions, and there is a lot of divergence. Imagine spending days on improving some map only to learn it has been done before... It's not like the database doesn't exist - it does, several ones, carried in modder's heads. That's terribly inefficient.

exact

[Solarius Scorch]

Well, I'm all for cataloguing things, I'm just sceptical about the possibility of it.

Still, apparently there's much enthusiasm about it, so maybe it'll work out.

[XOps]

A sprite database sounds like a neat idea.
A community resource pack sounds like a neat idea.
However, both of those are huge undertakings nearly as big as the megamods themselves. I'm fine with anyone using my spritework so long as I get mentioned in their credits list. But, I would be hesitant to involve my efforts beyond that though. I couldn't really help the community organize its sprites when I'm struggling to organize my own.

[hellrazor]

Shall i draw some mysql database tables for some initial start?
A Webinterface would be required thou.

[davide]

Shall i draw some mysql database tables for some initial start?
A Webinterface would be required thou.

Ufo maps ...

I am interesting about Ufo maps differences between Hardmod and FMP and Redux

Thanks (in any case)