Keep a creator claim separate from an editor's conclusion
A directory entry often combines three kinds of writing: what a creator says, what a visible source shows, and what an editor concludes. Those layers can be useful together, but readers need to know where one ends. A confident sentence should not hide an inference inside a creator attribution.
This is a proposed documentation method for game crossover research. It is not a report of compatibility tests or a claim that every entry already uses the method.
Record the smallest claim that the source supports
Suppose a project page offers a download. That supports a statement that the author provides a download at that address. It does not, by itself, establish that an editor installed it, that the file works on every listed system, or that a trailer shows the same release.
Write the narrow claim first. Keep the source URL, the date checked and the relevant release identifier nearby. If the page lacks a release identifier, preserve that absence. Adding a plausible version number creates a more precise looking record with less reliable information.
Use separate fields for observation and interpretation
A research record can use these fields without copying an entire article or video transcript:
| Field | What belongs here |
|---|---|
| Source observation | A short factual description of what the linked page supplies |
| Creator attribution | Who makes the claim, using the name shown by the source |
| Editorial interpretation | The directory's explanation, explicitly labelled as interpretation |
| Unresolved question | The missing detail that would change a reader's decision |
For example, an observation might say that a source includes a gameplay demonstration but no installation instructions. An interpretation might say that the footage appears to combine two familiar game settings. The unresolved question remains whether a public build exists. None of those sentences should be silently rewritten as a verified playable release.
Make a correction easy to evaluate
When a reader provides a newer source, compare the specific claim rather than replacing the whole entry with stronger language. Record what changed, which source establishes it and which questions remain open. An editor can correct an author link without upgrading the play status.
Merging Games is a game crossover directory with creator sources and distinct availability labels. This method gives readers a way to inspect the reasoning behind those labels. It also makes future corrections less dependent on remembering why an earlier editor chose a particular phrase.