The compatibility list has 3865 dos games, is this the definitive list of dos games?
Also in the statistics it says games supported are 835 (90.66%), doesn't seem right.
wrote:is this the definitive list of dos games?
There is nothing at all "definitive" about the DOSBox compatibility list, as it is built entirely from user submissions.
Considering just about anyone back in the day could throw together a shareware pile of crap and get it distributed, there will probably never be any kind of truly "definitive" list.
Is there any estimate? 4000? 8000?
I've being playing around with the filters in mobygames database, but could'nt find a way to get rid of the compilations and stuff like that, so the numbers are far from accurate.
Has there ever been an important effort to the task of having the full list of ms-dos games?
It would be like counting grains of sand on a beach. Did you ever use DOS back in the day? Have you ever seen a CD completely filled with shareware and freeware programs?
I should add that you'd quickly start running into problems about counting compilations (as you have noticed), counting different releases of a game (including different international releases), or counting releases that include both a Windows version and a DOS version. And then there's the issue of what constitutes a "game".
I should also add that the DOSBox compatibility list almost certainly includes numerous games that only run in DOSBox if Windows 3.x is installed.
Yes, like Gemini's shovelware diggers series. Still I don't feel like giving up... what if I concentrate in just one year?
Giving the amount of work, counting compilations would be waste of time. Different releases the same. Not sure about that windows/dos situation its tricky.
There is the eXoDOS Collection which goal is to attempt to catalogue, obtain, and make playable every game developed for the DOS and PC Booter platforms.
Yup, but's not legal..
Nevertheless might be a good source for the list itself (wich is not illegal). Thanks, will take a look.
Regarding the DOSBox compatibility list, is it safe to assume that DOSBox is currently compatible with all of the major ms-dos games , the "mainstream" ones? Or maybe the problematic games, despite reported, don't go to the list?
Ok, so we are talking about more than 5000 games... it is not impossible to make this list, because it is finite, but still is crazy.
DOSBox compatibility list is near the 75% treshold for a 5202 games list.
wrote:Nevertheless might be a good source for the list itself (wich is not illegal). Thanks, will take a look.
Not only is eXoDOS illegal, it is worthless for the compatibility list. Many of the games are old warez releases that often have been heavily modified. They would give no indication about how a legitimate copy runs in DOSBox.
wrote:Regarding the DOSBox compatibility list, is it safe to assume that DOSBox is currently compatible with all of the major ms-dos games , the "mainstream" ones? Or maybe the problematic games, despite reported, don't go to the list?
How can you begin to define "mainstream" ?
I'm sure if you look hard enough you can find something that won't run in DOSBox for one reason or another, but it is questionable whether you would have any particular desire to play it anyway. Some such programs probably never worked well on authentic PC hardware either.
wrote:Ok, so we are talking about more than 5000 games... it is not impossible to make this list, because it is finite, but still is crazy.
Except that list cannot possibly be "complete" by any definition of the word.
DOSBox compatibility list is near the 75% treshold for a 5202 games list.
As I said, that list is derived from user submissions and is probably brimming with inaccuracies.
Don't feet him, he's trolling or something like that..
This is actually something I was thinking of doing, but Jorpho is right, this is just a wish I had. If I was trolling I would do much better than this, and I will be doing it somewhere else, vogons.org is no place for trolling, unless your some kind of ungrateful bastard. Anyway, thanks for your feedback. Bye.
wrote:Not only is eXoDOS illegal, it is worthless for the compatibility list. Many of the games are old warez releases that often have been heavily modified. They would give no indication about how a legitimate copy runs in DOSBox.
Oh please. The DOSBox compatibility list is chock-full of titles that DOSBox only runs in modified "cracked" form, as the original "legitimate" versions use keydisk copy protection schemes that DOSBox does not and never will emulate.
As you well know it wasn't just copy protection that was changed with those games. His point still stands.
It might be worth it to add a field to the compatibility list for verification of an original copy but that doesn't sound like fun.
