The new loot from BC does not seem to be linking anymore, the last items received for example show up as white. Is its thottbot causing this problem or?

Simply click the little Refresh icon next to each item that shows up white and the site will try to get a new version of the item from thottbot.

Or click on the link to see if thottbot even has the item. If it doesn't, then, well, then it doesn't.

I'm in the process of trying to use a different item database because I realize that thottbot always lags a bit.

yes i am aware what the refresh icon is for.

My point was everything that was working now just shows as a white item showing no stats. All of the items did link on thottbot now nothing seems to.

Yeah, it seems that every item on your "Recently Received" list is not found in Thottbot at all.

It looks like thottbot's Lagging is reaching a critical mass and it's time for a new setup. Perhaps I'll rewrite the item database tracking stuff this week.

Hey Chops, just a note about this.

I did a little "research", and it's not that Thottbot doesn't have these items in their DB... it's that it doesn't have those items with their modifiers.

Fro example If you search Lazuli Ring of Spirit you get nada mucho. However, just searching for Lazuli Ring works.

"Great, I KNOW it's a ring... what's it DO for me?"

The problem? Almost every item has a random modifier, and the "base" info of these items isn't helpful at all, unless it's an armor item and all you care about is the armor value.

I think it's definitely time to change DBs. Truthfully, you could probably start you own with the number of peeps that regularly use your services. Just have everyone import their Item cache. You could very quickly support your own item lookup. Heck, you aren't using the Item Image textures anyway, so the item cache so be plenty for you.

**On a side note. I've already begun designing (almost finished) an item DB in MS SQL 2000. Did it back when I was making my own Guild site, before I swtiched guilds. I could send you my Erwin database modeler diagram if you desire. Could take some of the work outta the development for you. (Of course, you'd be free to modify it as you see fit). On the other hand, another alternative is that I can open up my DB to the web, and you can just use mine. It's empty of data, but I could basically make it FOR you according to your needs, and then we could work out a DKPSystem import functionality for the itemcache files. Unlike thottbot or Allakhazam, this would really only be used by you. The difference being that they have an established item list (though clearly Thottbot is problematic ATM).


[EDIT]: Now even Lazuli Ring doesn't work... but it did awhile ago. Hmm... their system is wacked.

I personally like wowhead.com but I can totally see how random enchants is going to be a bear to deal with. I forget though, does blizz frown on scraping the cache? Or is it just the mpq files.

I too am a fan of WoWHead and that's the one I'm planning on using.

As for Blizzard, them itemcache is just fine, as it's only items you've seen. The MPQ files they are opposed to scraping.

Also to add to the annoyance, and this is something I cant think of an example for off hand, but "Of the whatever" types, at least pre BC, you would sometimes have split stats; like

+8 Agility
+12 Strength

That you could have the same item be +8 Str/+12 Agl.