FR: QoL/General Use Ideas

[Elite-Alien]

I've been using Drop for some time now and have setup family members and close friends to use my ever growing Library. In doing thousands of games setting up by hand specially the Ith.io games. I've come up with some ideas that I figured I could bunch up in one big feature request instead of just bombing Drop-OSS with tons of them. I tried to search for some of these and couldn't find them. Hopefully nothing missed due to different wording or anything like that, but if so sorry. Also, some of these might be already in the works, behind the scenes, but nonetheless here it goes.

1. A revamp to the store page. The store page could show a new game, coming soon games that don't have versions set, & popular titles added to libraries of users. These could be either in a left to right style bar with arrows showing about 12 games total of scrolling with a "Show All" type button to list out like a total of 20 games on a sub page or extended scroll for the next ones within say that month or all time. Then the store could show random games below these blocks of like say 10 games and if you scroll down a button like "---Show All Games---" could be at the bottom bringing you to a sub menu to show every game in the library. This could crack down on large library load times and make browsing the store much easier.
2. Store page ordering based on user settings. Where a user can decide if they see "New games", "Popular", et cetera categories based on user settings.
3. If a "Show All Games is added or if it's just a section below the others. The game listed on the page could be slowly loaded in instead of bombing the user loading all the games at once. Perhaps a load in more upon scrolling, load more button, or page numbers could all be options and be given to the user based on user settings. Allowing the user to faster scroll the store.
4. All games search filter for newest added and popular library added games. To see what others are playing and just filter out a lot of the noise of loading all the games at once. If you wanted all the games in a search.
5. System Requirements section on a store page. You can add the information already in the game description, but it would be nice to have a more comprehensive way to show it. Specially when a game has multiple OS's. Where you could switch it around say similar to Steam with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Saving the users from having to scroll down a long "Minimum" and "Recommended" section in the about the game text area.
6. Store page alphabetical/numerical order filter.
7. A way to hide new imported games that don't have a version from users. Perhaps a permission based thing set to a user to not see a new entry until the game page is setup with a version. This way if there is ever a ESRB, PEGI, et cetera system implemented to parental controls this could be an extra step to prevent random listing that may have things people should not be seeing, show up for them.
8. Game Series Collections on store game pages. Allow the game pages to have a collection group to list all the games in a game set. Like if a game has multiple chapters but is stand-alone versions, you could group them so the user could jump to the next page or add the whole game series to their library with one click.
9. Game icon assigned from games Image Library instead of needing to upload twice. A option to add image as the game icon similar to banners & et cetera when you hover.
10. Game page backgrounds. Banners already show up for the background, but not all banners look good for both the banner and a background. If we could have a background option on say a screenshot in the image library upon hovering that would be great. Then if say a background is not set, then the default background of using the banner is what is shown.
11. Ability to edit the developer and publisher manually on the game page. As of current it doesn't seem to be possible, unless I've missed something. If so I think a revamp of how you edit it in the game page could be useful. The games developers can be modified via the company's page. Though, a option inside the game editor page would be a nice addition.
12. Language listings for a game. To show the languages it has so a user can avoid games they can't understand.
13. A language filter system and/or user settings for preferred language settings. To filter out games they can't understand.
14. A controls table. If the game has strange controls on a keyboard and can't be binded. Like say a arcade like game or fighter where the keys are "iop" then "zxc" and other things just thrown in there. Well you could have a table like system on the side of the page listing all the controls.
15. Controller and VR required icon for game pages. For a game that requires a controller to play and no keyboard and mouse or the game requires VR with no flat-screen version. Perhaps a boolean value or something in the game page editor can be checked off to show the icon on the games store icon and page.
16. Platform specific images. Like you would add "banner" or "cover" to an image. Though this would be hovering over images you added as screenshots. Any hovering over a screenshot in the game page editor, a new hover option can appear to specify the platform. If the future Android client comes out it can remove all the Windows/Linux/Mac specific images and the Linux PC and Windows PC/Mac client can filter out the Android labeled images.
17. Add new metadata tags in game page editor. Perhaps one could type something not listed in your metadata tags drop down box, and press enter to auto add it to the tags. No more jumping to the Metadata tab and editing tags button to add something new.
18. Metadata Tag Editing of current tags to store wide change them without needed to remove tags and start again. If you typo'ed or just wanted to change a tag that came in from an import. You could edit it instead of having to delete it and have to re-tag all the games associated with the tag.
19. User Generated tags that are separate from Metadata tags that can also be filtered for games with user generated tags.
20. Merge metadata tags and/or potential user generated tags. Let's say and import happens and you get a case sensitive result like "Arcade" and "arcade" or something the same but worded different "Pixel Art" and "Pixel Graphics". You can merge the tags as one with your preferred one. Then any future imports or tags added the users generate will auto be unified. No duplicate tags and no thousands of the same tag but with different casings and other stuff made by users.
21. Import without metadata or import jump to game profile button once import is finished. When you import not in bulk you only see a "Return to Tasks" button. Though if you had this button to jump into the game profile it would speed up editing, making less clicks to finish an import in your library.
22. Bulk edit system. Let's say you imported tons of games now you have "Import version" and you've got a huge library of games already. Well the bulk edit, once in the games editor page a button could be at the top & bottom of the page to go to the next game with "Import" on the game. This way you will not need to jump back to the "Library" tab each time and can just get right to editing your games in bulk. Though in the Library a similar bar to say "Import" could be added but for games without versions as well. It would jump you into the say first game listed via ordering structure and you would go from there via the game page editor.
23. Games added to your Library get a icon on them in the game store showing you have them in your library already.
24. Hide games in library store filter. This can be left off by default and toggled via the filter or user based setting to always start with it on. Then be able to remove the toggle via the filter for a one time removal, but upon refresh it is added back.
25. Torrent/p2p style downloading. Allow users to opt in for others to download pieces of game chunks off them. To speed up downloads and take stress off the server. P2P Downloading planned. Though perhaps a opt in and out option can be planned on this.
26. Game Downloading remotely on games added to library. Since you link a client, when you add a game to library the arrow next to it could have an option in it to "Add to library and queue for download" option. If the client is online it automatically starts downloading and if not online it adds it to a queue list and waits for the Drop client to start to start downloading the queued games.
27. A user blacklist and whitelist system for tags. If a user doesn't like say RTS games, they could blacklist some tags in a user settings and the games with this tags are auto hidden. Then a whitelist tag would pull the specific tags up to the top of the list automatically and/or have a sort of icon placed on the games to let the user see it's their preference.
28. Reference scraper. If IGDB, PCWiki, GameBomb, et cetera works or fails but lacks key information and/or images. You can use an external link via the games admin page to scrape data from a page. So if you used GOG, Itch.io, Steam, a random webpage, or even a games official website it could download the images and scrape the information into the store game page. Then the admin is left to clean up any of the oddities of the scrape, but it will setup the game page as best as it can based on the order it scraped the link. (Perhaps screen reader stuff for a little of this).
29. Delete all notifications. There is a mark as read option, but it doesn't clear them all out. I've had to manually hit the delete button on thousands of these. If one button could be there that would be wonderful.
30. Notifications on new versions added for users. If a game is in their library they can get a notification that a newer version was added that wasn't previously there based on the platform they installed. I figure this is server side mostly, but client side as well since you would need an option to maybe patch or replace as well.
31. Bulk Game Version Imports. If a game has multiple versions, you can jump to the next version from within the import page of another import of that same game.
32. Modify existing game versions. Renaming, select a new executable, select a new folder location if moved, et cetera. Let's say you bought the game on say Itch.io or Humble and the version works, but the developer stopped supporting it there, and you're forced to buy on GOG to get a updated version. The old versions still work and have a feature the new version removed or nerfed. Well you could rename the versions or let's say rename the folders in your file system and match them with existing version entries. To then have something like v1 Itch and v1 GOG.
33. Support Linux .x86 format files. I have a few Linux games that end in .x86 I got from Itch and Humble Bundle and Drop does not see them as executable files to add as a version. I know not all distro's support x86 anymore, but having a game that doesn't have x86_64 and that is the only version you have it kind of stinks Drop can't add them.
34. Support Linux/Windows .arm and .arm_64 formats. Not the most common used thing, but any tablets and Arm based Linux systems do have games made for them. This is something I think should be added overtime, maybe not right away. Though, being as games are made, sold, et cetera for Linux Arm and Windows Arm on some places like Itch.io and other places. Maybe start with Linux first as there are company out there that sell Arm based desktops, and slowly go to Windows as Arm is not fully adapted just yet.
35. Game Features section. To list if a game has split-screen, lan, and other specific features.
36. Assign ID's and/or links of the metadata providers to a game. These links can be listed on the game page as small icons if people wish to search the game externally. They can also be used for metadata pulls.
37. A Refresh and find missing metadata option using 36's links. This will search all metadata providers be it IGDB, PCWiki, Gaintbomb, et cetera and fill in missing information that isn't provided in a field. Then a button could be placed in three locations. The three locations would be, inside the game admin library page at the top, three dots on a squares of the games in the library page that open a drop down menu to select one of these options, and a button in the admin game editor. The Refresh option would basically wipe the previous metadata for new and the "Find Missing" would check for missing metadata fields and fill them based on all the provided metadata providers.
38. SteamDB & GOGDB icon & cover scrapes. This could search the game and scrape the covers and game icons for games in your full library or individually per game. Because sometimes these tend to be better than provided images from most of the metadata sources currently. Then with an option to just scrape for SteamDB and GOGDB this would be useful for games that you purchased on Itch.io, Humble Bundle, et cetera that later got added to Steam or GOG. You could scrape just the icons and covers. Making it easier to update your library. Specially as it grows, you can simplify the management of it.
39. Linux uninstall & keep prefix option. A uninstall option to keep the umu prefix so you can not lose data inside of it.
40. Version downgrade option if not a "Setup only" game. This could look at the chunked files and only remove what is downloaded and then download and replace it with the other version in its place. If on Linux the prefix would remain and if a new one is placed due to say a different "Umu-Number" assigned to it, it could use "CP or Rsync" recursively to copy the contents inside the one prefix to the other in the background. This could move data and get you back to playing with your potential save.
41. Serial Key section with permissions per user. If a game requires a CD/Serial key to access specific multiplayer functions or just the game itself. A part on the page would be useful and maybe on the client as well. Though if this key is limited to a one user per account kind of system for a multiplayer system in the game. It would be nice to have a permissions system to limit access to this key to specific users. This way your key could not end up being banned or something by multiple IP's, or just not wanting a select person to have access to the multiplayer functions of the game.
42. Admin Game Library pages. After getting a large library it takes forever to load all the games. If this could be paged off and only a handful of games per page this could speed it up a lot. Then the search could bring you to specific games faster too. As currently you can't even search while it's loading.
43. Newly imported games tab in the "Admin Game Library" to filter out only new imports. This could speed up finding the games you just imported in large libraries.
44. Admin Avatar collection. Since accounts have avatar style images and places like GOG do provide avatars with a handful of games in zipped up files. It would be nice to be able to have a admin avatar section to upload avatars where the users could select them for their accounts. This could prevent allow the admin to control what avatars are displayed instead of a user upload. Allowing for a parental control of sorts as well since what could be seen is limited by the admin. (Being as multiplayer feature is planned for the future via P2P. I would imagine a user interface to interact with that use would be a thing so the avatar would be shown there).

It's a huge list now sorry, lol. Though I wanted it to be like this than making a request per thing and bombing you with feature requests. If you want me to break it up I can, let me know.

I think a lot of this would be great for QoL reasons and just overall general use reasons for both the users and admins of the hosted instances. I might end up putting a bounty on some of these and fund them later on for contributors. As I want this project to be successful and grow so, I think having as many QoL style changes could make it more appealing for others to use this project. Because as it stands, it's a good project and it works, but there is some tedious things you have to do to add in all your games.

[DecDuck]

Just to touch on a few of them:

• I've thought about having an automatic benchmarking tool built into the client that can do a decent-ish job of saying whether or not your computer meets the requirements. I haven't found an open database so maybe we'd have to start one?
• P2P downloading has been on the wishlist since day one, so we're definitely going to implement that.
• You have to go into the companies page on the meta tab to edit developers/publishers. It's a little intuitive so it's a good idea to have a link that takes you there.
• I think you can quick-add metadata tags already? That might only be on nightly though.
• Tags already merge automatically with Postgres' text matching, but we could definitely implement a manual tool

These are all great ideas, but it's really a question of man-hours on when they're implemented.

[Elite-Alien]

• There are a few OSS projects out there that do that. Like https://github.com/YuvalAnteby/Can-I-Run-It. So there are ways to pull from an API. I just never used these so I can't comment on it. I guess it could be kind of cool is you had a way to enter the specs for a game and it also pulls them if it can find it. Then tell you if you can run the game based on system specs. It would for sure be a extra step I wasn't even thinking about, as I was just thinking about text, but if this could be done that could be neat.

If a database was setup like let's say a user contributed one. Like say a MusicBrainz style thing but for video games. I would happily supply lots of entries. If you ever went down a create your own path. Though I guess this could also be less complex as well. perhaps the entries could even be text files similar to umu stuff. You pull a number and it loads a text document on like a github entry. Then it can parse the file and then poll the results from say a wget to grab the file. Then imports the data from that file in say the games directory for metadata.

I am not an export when it comes to Github and all, so perhaps I am making it seem more simple than it really is. Though, if any of this is made I would happily contribute to it to better advance this by doing the painful collection of data and entering it to something.

• Oh the P2P also is for downloading. I guess I misunderstood or got lost in the P2P headscalez stuff instead. I thought the idea for the P2P was just for VPN access and potential P2P lan tunneling of games. I will cross that one out of the list then.

• You have to have the company added first? Then go into the company page and manually add them from there. Ah, okay, I will get that a go. That to me is a bit confusing because I was expecting to see a button in the games editor page. I will keep this on my list and add a little change to it then, just hinting at a extra button then.

• I am not on the nightly. Though if this works on non-nightly builds. I look forward to it. Because currently the games store page doesn't do this for me. Unless I go to the metadata tab and do it that way.

• When you say merging I am not sure if we're on the same page. Because I guess I kind of used maybe the wrong terminology. As I was sort of hinting at the merging of tags would let you pick the prefered one as the admin, and anything that is tried to be created after would fail. It would say it was already there and maybe a hint at "Use Name-Here Tag" and/or an auto complete of the other tag even though you wrote the different tag. Technically I guess this would be kind of a merge, but not as it would be kind of like a tag replacement list.

So when you say they merge, I assume you mean any tag with similar names just merges together?

---

"These are all great ideas, but it's really a question of man-hours on when they're implemented."
Yes I figured this much and appreciate the work you do and time you spend on this. As I wasn't expecting it right away, and thought maybe in time some of these could come to life by your hand. Then for things the main team couldn't finish, this is where I thought maybe I could eventually make a sort of bounty to fund them by other contributers later on. X money to the contributor for their work on say 5 of the things from the list. Be it a filter and the filter system is already there it could be a lower bounty. As they could sort of piggy back of the current system. Then, for harder stuff greater bounty rewards for completion. Even if it's on a temparary fork that could later be mainlined, once it's all golden and approaved.

I would like to in time, do something like this to drive interest into development of this project. Not right away as I fund a few OSS stuff here and there and I just dropped 100USD just recently into Drop-OSS as a whole. I wish I could just give endless money, but perhaps in a few months. I can try and get this happening? If there is any interest. I don't know, but I think it's worth a shot. Even if it ends up being a pipe dream I guess, I can't say I didn't try at that point though.

[DecDuck]

• the open database would be automatic thankfully, we'd automatically upload benchmark scores & FPS counts for games, but there's still a lot to figure out (and even if it's worth it)
• the P2P is for both downloading and multiplayer functionality, using the headscale network
• nightly means it'll make it into the next release so 0.4.0 or 0.3.X (if we decide to have it) should have it

You're welcome to offer your own bug bounties but I'm considering the idea of using the OC money for it, not sure yet. I'm discussing it with other maintainers of this and other projects.

[Elite-Alien]

You're welcome to offer your own bug bounties but I'm considering the idea of using the OC money for it, not sure yet. I'm discussing it with other maintainers of this and other projects.

Well sent out a 20 this time around. I see the goal post increased too on operation costs. Wish I could do more but holiday seasons wiped me a bit. Traveling and other stuff. On that note, hope yours was good if you celebrated anything and had a good new year.

• the P2P is for both downloading and multiplayer functionality, using the headscale network
  Is this going to be modular and able to be ran outside of the existing hosted Drop instance? Like I could run it on a VPS and have Drop point at it through a setting and the clients just connect to it, not have the whole WM network connect to it?

Because, I was thinking about this a bit after reading it here again. Otherwise it might cause a problem for some setups with existing VPN's. If it could basically trigger off this and piggy back off the existing VPN if detected that could work too I guess. Because each of my Docker containers for big things that I host and share I put them on their own VM's and VPN to a VPS or VPS's which sits behind a reverse proxy. For extra security and what not.