User blog comment:Rastislav TrainStation/Information sources about TrainStation game/@comment-15636815-20131109224829

Rastislav,

I've been working for a while on updating this Wikia's pages on extensions, buildings, and other information. I found the TrainStation Extension Database (TSED) more than a week ago. At frirst, I was excited. I thought I had everything I needed to update those pages on the Wikia. My excitement didn`t last long, though. It took about 30 seconds for me to realise that the databse contains no XP iniformation for gold & materials, and no information at all for gems.

Hey, I thought, at least I have a starting point. I can fill in the holes later. And off I went.

I tend to be very meticulous with my data, especially when I`m presenting it to other people. Because I had no experrience with the group or the TSED, I wanted to test the database's accuracy. I compared the TSED with the game itself where I could. Where I could not, I relied on trusted friends to give me accurate information.

I verified that a large amount of that information is correct. I saw a few minor errors here and there, but that's to be expected with a database of that size. And then it happened. I found a major error. Major, as in, none of the information about a particular extension matched what I knew to be correct. I checked the next line, and it was completely wrong, too. After I found several more known errors--in a database that udates daily from as many sources as possible--I realised that I cannot trust that database. Yes, it's right most of the time, and that's it's biggest problem. I have no way of knowing whether a large section of data I'm getting from them is right or wrong. Apparently, the people maintaining the database don't, either.

Until some recent game updates, this Wiki was the most complete source of that data outside of the game itself. After the updates made huge portions of our obsolete, the TSED became the most complete source, despite the fact that it refuses to report more than half of the available data, and the fact that significant portions of its data are in error.

I do not know exactly where I will find all of the data we need to make the Wikia current and accurate. I do know that I won't be using the TrainStation Extension Database.