Editing Guidelines
From DOS Games Compatibility Wiki
This page contains basic guidelines for structure and text for all entries in the wiki.
Contents |
Scope
The scope of this wiki is limited to providing instructions to make DOS games play in a number of environments. Entries should not contain reviews, opinions or commentary, which are subjective. Links to downloads, patches, mods, screenshots, cheats, documentation, or any external information about the games should not be provided. I maintain a seperate website for downloads at Classic DOS Games, as well as a discussion forum. I have researched the legality of distribution of all games on my own website, but can't vouch for any external website.
Layout
Each entry should use the following hierarchy:
Operating system/emulator: (in bold) Playability status, noting types of issues or special configuration requirements (on the same line in regular text).
Issues: (In italics, below) Detailed explanation of issues (on the same line in regular text)
Operating system/emulator
At the highest level, every entry has compatibility settings listed alphabetically by operating system, followed by OS-specific software solutions, followed by OS-independant or multi-OS software solutions. The structure of a complete page might look like this:
Linux: Compatibility settings for the Linux operating system.
Wine: A Windows emulator for Linux.
Mac OS X: Compatibility settings for the Mac OS X operating system.
Windows 95/98/ME: Compatibility settings for the Windows 95/98/ME operating systems.
Windows XP: Compatibility settings for the Windows XP operating system.
VDMSound: A SoundBlaster emulator for Windows XP.
DOSBox: A DOS emulator for multiple operating systems.
ScummVM: A multi-game compiler for multiple operating systems.
The above is only an example, since many operating system won't run DOS games at all. OS-specific software solutions should not be mentioned if the host operating system runs the game perfectly.
Playability status
Every game is categorized as perfectly playable, playable but with issues, playable with specific configuration or command line settings, or unplayable. The following are the standard texts for each status.
Perfectly playable:
Windows XP: This game plays perfectly in Windows XP.
DOSBox: Standard settings run this game perfectly. No parameters are necessary.
Playable with issues:
All environments: This game is playable, but has [issue classification] issues.
Playable with configuration or command line settings:
Windows XP: This game is playable, but requires special Compatibility settings.
All environments: This game is playable, but requires command line arguments.
Unplayable:
Windows XP: There are currently no known Compatibility settings that will allow this game to be played in Windows XP.
VDMSound: There are currently no known setup options that will allow this game to be played with VDMSound.
DOSBox: There are currently no known setup options that will allow this game to be played in DOSBox.
Types of issues
Games that are unplayble, or are playable but don't play perfectly, are categorized with the following issues, which should be listed below the game status.
Audio issues affect any aspect of sound, including both sound effects and music.
If a game plays neither sound effects, nor music, then "no sound" indicates that neither can be heard. If sound effects can be heard, but music cannot, then specify "no music". If music can be heard, but sound effects cannot, specifiy "no sound effects." If audio issues relate to specific audio settings, such as PC speaker, Adlib or SoundBlaster, specify which settings are affected.
Gameplay issues prevent a game from being played properly.
A game with gameplay issues may not respond correctly in a given situation. An item may be impossible to collect or use. The game may crash in a specific situation, or be unfinishable.
Input issues prevent a game from being played because keys used during gameplay will generate an action from the operating system.
System clock issues affect the system clock.
Timing issues affect the speed of gameplay.
This can include games that lag, skip, run too quickly or too slowly.
Video issues affect any aspect of the appearance of games.
Video issues could be problems with flashing, layers, artifacts, or scrolling. If video issues relate to specific video settings, such as CGA, EGA, VGA or SVGA, specify which settings are affected.
The precise nature of all issues should be listed on a separate line titled "Issues". Issues should still be listed even if a game is classified as unplayable, such as a gameplay issue that causes a game to crash before the game can be played.
Only things that are not working should be mentioned. For example, if the "PC speaker" setting works, but "SoundBlaster" doesn't, it's only necessary to mention that the SoundBlaster setting doesn't work. Descriptions of issues should be clinical and concise. Below are some examples of how to explain some of the specific issues.
Special configuration
If special compatibility settings are required, list them under "compatibility settings", such as:
Compatibility settings: Allocate 4096 kb of EMS to enable all sounds.
If parameters should be specified at the command prompt, list them with a "command line example", such as:
Command line example: goodgame.exe /f
If special configuration settings are required in a game's setup screen, list them under "configuration settings", such as:
Configuration settings: Set SoundBlaster to IRQ 7.
Standardization of text
The "standard text" should be used for every game, at every level of the hierarchy. Conformity may be boring, but it's the games that are supposed to be entertaining. Using the same terminology for every game ensures that the reader knows what to expect when playing each game, especially if they have played another game that had the same status or issues. This is especially important for visitors for whom English is not their first language. A clear, concise, standardized text for every situation will make the DOS Games Compatibility Wiki the most accessible to the largest number of people.
