Xerxes

User:Xerxes (view source)

Revision as of 04:28, 20 November 2017

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→‎Where do I find IDs?

Xerxes

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 === Where do I find IDs? ===
-Now, where do you actually find IDs at? There's five(ish) separate sources for GameID that are out there, so first we'll continue with an overview of these sources, their pros and cons, and then close out with my typical workflow that I've found the most convenient. I will list the sources in order of reliability.
+The following is a list of publicly available sources for obtaining both GameCube and Wii IDs, in order of reliability.
-==== Source #1: Your own dump ====
+==== Source #1: A personal dump ====
-The only complete, 100% valid and verifiable source of GameIDs in existence. Maybe a no brainer, but if you have a dump of a game's release then you know for a fact that the ID Dolphin gives you in game preferences is correct. When all else fails, this may be the only place you can turn. The negative here is you actually have to have a copy of the game and dump it yourself.
+Since the wiki's IDs are used for functionality in Dolphin, the database here has to align to what Dolphin gives for different games (given that the dump is valid). Therefore, the perfect source of IDs for the wiki is by obtaining them through Dolphin itself. However, this requires owning a copy of the game and being capable of dumping it and viewing its properties within Dolphin.
 ==== Source #2: The game's cover/disc ====
-On the back of all GameCube and Wii games (besides Asian releases where it's on the front), near the barcode, the Game's ID will actually be printed out. So, searching for a scan of the game's cover is always a good idea when confirming IDs. The ID is also printed directly on the disc as well, in the little text along the bottom. This is a perfectly reliable source like having your own dump, but the problem is that the ID on the cover uses a different format to those used on the wiki; namely, it will only give you the first four characters, leaving out the publisher code. You can piece together the publisher code using the publisher information on the cover, separate sources like GameTDB and the [[GameIDs]] page if need be, but at the very least you know with 100% certainty the ID prefix. The other problem that can crop up is that some games just don't have good scans on the internet, so even if you find the cover, you may not actually be able to read the ID on the back, and there's not a whole lot you can do about it in that situation.
+On the back of all GameCube and Wii games (besides Asian releases where it's on the front), near the barcode, the Game's ID will actually be printed out. This makes searching for a scan of the game's cover a viable means of confirming IDs. The ID is also printed directly on the disc as well, in the little subscript text along the edge. This can be considered a perfectly reliable source, however the ID on the cover uses a different format from those used on the wiki; namely, it will only give you the first four characters, leaving out the publisher code. The publisher code can be pieced together using the publisher information on the cover, separate sources like GameTDB, and the [[GameIDs]] page if need be, however complete reliance on these sources is not recommended.
-If you can't find a back cover scan for a game using the normal sources (GameFAQs, GameTDB, [https://www.mobygames.com/ MobyGames], etc.), the next best place to look is actually [http://www.ebay.com/ eBay]. A lot of listings use high resolutions pictures of both sides of the game's box or the disc, from which you can read off the ID prefix rather easily. If you know what region the ID was released in, you can even use region-specific eBays to narrow the search; for example, there's an [http://www.ebay.com.au Australian eBay], a [http://www.ebay.co.uk/ British eBay], a [http://www.ebay.de/ German eBay], and even a [http://www.tradera.com/ Swedish eBay called Tradera]. Of course, since these aren't databases, listings will come and go and your results will vary. However, they shouldn't be underestimated as a source; for Wii games, you'll be relying on these a lot more than you'd expect. So much so, that below is a convenient chart of all the different online auction sites that you can use while looking for cover pictures. Note that for the best results it's better to use the title in the language of the region, which can be obtained from GameTDB.
+While this may theoretically be a good source of IDs, in many cases certain games just might not have high quality cover scans publicly available. If a cover scan for a game cannot be acquired using normal sources (GameFAQs, GameTDB, [https://www.mobygames.com/ MobyGames], etc.), [http://www.ebay.com/ eBay] is another possible option. A lot of listings use high resolutions pictures of both sides of the game's box or the disc, from which the ID prefix can be obtained. By knowing the regions of a game's release, region-specific eBays can be used to further narrow the search; for example, there's an [http://www.ebay.com.au Australian eBay], a [http://www.ebay.co.uk/ British eBay], a [http://www.ebay.de/ German eBay], and a [http://www.tradera.com/ Swedish eBay called Tradera], among others. Since these aren't databases, keep in mind listings will come and go and results may vary, so results may be hit or miss. Note also that for the best results it's more effective to use the title of the game in the language of the region, which can be obtained from GameTDB or Redump. Below is a chart listing online auction sites for various reasons for convenience.
 ===== List of online auction sites by region =====