Adding cabinet styles to KLOV DB, VAPS, etc.

[mjenison]

Thoughts?

From a programmer/database standpoint, how about having the data for the game drive the choices?

Here's your real dilemma; give people enough choices to be able to enter their game, BUT have the entries be accurate.

You don't want people entering Pac-Man as a deluxe sitdown with motion, though someone with a Pac-Man cocktail where the Pac-Man moves might consider it so .

And, you also want to increase the quality of the data in KLOV, including image quality (which is sorely lacking).

1) For the entries KLOV does have, start tying images to cabinet styles. For entries lacking any cabinet pictures at all, put a generic cabinet image (just a shadow outline with a question mark on it).

2) When someone wants to add a game to VAPS and it comes to cabinet style selection, you can show actual cabinets for that game (including the generic cabinet images), and let the person select from just that set of cabinet styles (we're talking AJAX technology now). If they have a cabinet that doesn't match, they choose OTHER, THEN you give them the entire list of cabinets to choose from, AND the ability to submit an image of it.

3) For submitted images, they go through the normal review process. If it's truly a new cabinet style, you update the game record with that photo/cabinet style. Now, next time someone submits an entry for that game, that entry will be available as main selection choices.

4) Since they are selecting based on photos, you can have multiple of a type and people won't be confused on which to enter. Showing them the two different styles of Centipede cocktail, they can easily/accurately select which one they have, instead of trying to describe it via a comment.

Now your cabinet types are specific to a game, your entry of the game is much more accurate, less error prone and more user friendly, you've got a place for people to upload cabinet types, people can quickly see if their game needs a photo submitted for a particular cabinet style ("Oh, I didn't realize they didn't have an upright photo for Car Hunt...I'll submit mine!"). Plus, you can show actual thumbnails of the images when browsing through vaps lists, so people can visit lists and see a nice visual representation of what a person owns. Having the photos show up on their actual lists will prompt them to submit better quality photos ("That picture of Forgotten Worlds has someone's arms in it! I can submit a better photo of mine.").

Anyway, that's my thoughts.

 

[mclemore]

Mark,

Some of this was already part of the plan, some (like making it easier for VAPS users to pick the correct cabinet from a photo is new and interesting.

What my plan was currently is to have set cab types (cocktail, upright) so we can run stats, but allow a modifier on each one. Certain game types won't be able to select different cab types (ie: cockpit won't be available for pinballs). VAPS entries will be limited to types listed in the main game record.


Originally I figured a couple small cab type fields in the main game table would suffice. As it is at the moment, I'm up to a separate type just for game types that can go to a specific record, and 21 fields in the cabs table. oh well.

 

[mclemore]

...

2) When someone wants to add a game to VAPS and it comes to cabinet style selection, you can show actual cabinets for that game (including the generic cabinet images), and let the person select from just that set of cabinet styles (we're talking AJAX technology now). If they have a cabinet that doesn't match, they choose OTHER, THEN you give them the entire list of cabinets to choose from, AND the ability to submit an image of it....

Do you happen to be volunteering?

 

[mjenison]

Do you happen to be volunteering?

PM me and we can discuss.