Host other than idgames being used?

[Enjay]

I have noticed recently that quite a few people are uploading files to locations other than the idgames archive (e.g. Mediafire). In recent weeks/months, I've probably downloaded more files from "other" hosts than I have idgames. Even some of the Cacoward projects came from elsewhere.

Is anyone else noticing this? If so, is anyone able to suggest a reason for this? Is it a problem?

[Ed]

The idgames uploading procedure is antiquated and slow. Most internet users just want a place to put their files to be downloaded immediately and not screened in and indexed into an archive they don't have any control over. Also, not many people use FTP software and would probably only do so exclusively to get their files on idgames. Perhaps a web based uploading interface would draw more users to use it instead of finding out how to do so through the DW forum FAQ.

[Gez]

Enjay said:

is anyone able to suggest a reason for this?

I might.

It's fixed now though.

[kristus]

In my brief stint as reviewer over at Skulltag I had to struggle to get people to even want their stuff on Idgames. Even Metalhead or whatever her nick was didn't think they needed to use Idgames and instead suggested her own FTP (which has since become defunct). So, lots of people whos projects and maps get lost because they can't be bothered uploading to the one reliable host we got for all things Doom.

[Gez]

In Skulltag's case, I think it's more a result of the multiplayer communities' tendency for insularity. Maybe it's because the DWANGO wads will never be accepted on the /idgames archives so they always had to use their own wad hosts...

[Memfis]

I stopped uploading to /idgames for several reasons:
- I'm mostly making short lazy crap maps and maybe flooding the archive with them would look kinda arrogant.
- The archive is full of troll wads, which makes it a less pleasant place. I just don't feel like uploading stuff to some troll playground. So maybe it's a boycott in a sense: get rid of the troll crap, then I'll start uploading again.
- Too lazy to write TXTs and to upload, sometimes getting "too many connections" problem. If I wanted to upload all my stuff there I would have to fill like 20-25 textfiles. Man, I don't even want to think about that.

And ye, it is definitely a problem because a lot of non-idgames stuff will be lost or at least will be a lot harder to find in some years. History should be preserved, which is why ideally every wad in the world should be uploaded to /idgames.

[Vorpal]

I tend to rip assets from Hexen/Heretic, or certain other community wads. So to avoid some later headache for the administrator(s) I just host myself, things I want to share.

Also I tend to go back and continually make changes to maps of mine that I consider "done". And doing the /incoming process over and over is a headache.

[Phml]

- I'm mostly making short lazy crap maps and maybe flooding the archive with them would look kinda arrogant.

What Ed said plus this, for me. Well, I don't think my maps are short, lazy or crap (ego!), but it does feel arrogant to say "hey guys, *I* decided my stuff is good enough to be archived forever". I mean, to me. Not judging anyone who uploads stuff to the archive, more power to you.

[Chris Hansen]

I always upload my finished and worthy levels to the archives because:

a) I refuse to be influenced in any way at all by those so called trolls.
b) I think it serves the community best if we try and keep finished projects in one place, no matter how good or bad.
c) There is nothing arrogant in being proud of your work and wanting to share it with fellowminded people. It's arrogant not to give a shit and be lazy!
d) After the server update, I have never had a faster connection to the archives servers! It runs like a greased up deaf guy on drugs!

[Bloodshedder]

Memfis said:

- I'm mostly making short lazy crap maps and maybe flooding the archive with them would look kinda arrogant.

So package them up into monthly or semi-monthly collections of WADs in one ZIP file.

- The archive is full of troll wads, which makes it a less pleasant place. I just don't feel like uploading stuff to some troll playground. So maybe it's a boycott in a sense: get rid of the troll crap, then I'll start uploading again.

Nonsense. I've been looking at every file uploaded for almost a year. Maybe 1 in 30 uploaded is a crappy Terrywad. There were none in the most recent batch of uploads since the server went back online. Their number pales in comparison to the tens of thousands of files already on the archive.

- Too lazy to write TXTs and to upload, sometimes getting "too many connections" problem. If I wanted to upload all my stuff there I would have to fill like 20-25 textfiles. Man, I don't even want to think about that.

Good thing the database also includes a handy text file generator, and with combining your maps it shouldn't be a problem.

And since the server upgrade, like Chris has said, it is much faster, and there is no longer a message like "You are user N of X allowed".

[Snakes]

/idgames being down certainly was a factor in the recent slew of files from other hosts; however, a lot of authors (including myself) have taken to doing an initial release on another host as a means of quality-checking the wad before uploading it to the archives. Once it's there, it feels kind of 'official' as a final version and that should be the very last release in a wad's lifespan. Then there are some authors who might just... uh, forget to upload after their work is complete.

It seems as though there's a good trend in /idgames going on at the moment in that I've noticed a reduced amount of troll wads as well as troll comments. The new system is making a difference in my eyes.

[Pure Hellspawn]

the thing about mediafire is that those files expire after 30 days or so.

i understand the temporary /idgames being down issue, but once the expiration expires then how will we be able to play the wad?

[Ribbiks]

Pure Hellspawn said:

the thing about mediafire is that those files expire after 30 days or so.

false. I have mediafire links from more than a year ago that are still active. I'm not sure when it decides to kill them but I think if you have an account with them or whatever they'll keep em around until you go over some storage or bandwidth limit or something. I know a lot of other filehosting sites do delete it after a pretty short amount of time though.

That being said in general yes the advantage of /idgames is permanence.

[GreyGhost]

Pure Hellspawn said:

the thing about mediafire is that those files expire after 30 days or so.

That may be so for files that are uploaded anonymously, if they're linked to a user account they should be available until the uploader deletes them or their account is deemed to be abandoned (no account activity in last 12 months) and closed. I've been posting stuff there for nearly 6 years and have only lose 1 or 2 files.

The community's official archive is obviously the best long term file storage choice, despite also being the highest visibility target for trolls. What with all the official and personal mirrors it's also likely to be harder to kill than many of the commercial file sharing sites.

[myk]

Gez said:
In Skulltag's case, I think it's more a result of the multiplayer communities' tendency for insularity.

Maybe that plays in, but multiplayer communities are large enough and have the organization and dedication to host stuff independently, especially when they tend to upload multiple versions, unauthorized modifications or custom resource files.

Memfis said:
- The archive is full of troll wads, which makes it a less pleasant place. I just don't feel like uploading stuff to some troll playground. So maybe it's a boycott in a sense: get rid of the troll crap, then I'll start uploading again.

Hey you that one that kill all! You upload to idgames or we attack! You no leave with life! You upload to idgames and give back WADs. You give, you go!

[dg93]

To my knowledge, since the beginning of November, the idgames archive was in Read-Only Mode, meaning that users were unable to upload files to the FTP site. Fortunately, the problem is resolved now. The last wad that was uploaded right before the server crashed was a shitty terrywad.

I use mediafire to upload certain wads that I don't want to make public, or work in progress (WIP) wads for projects.

Other than that, I'm glad idgames is back up and running. I recently uploaded three new wads to the database:
-RELENTLESS: http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=17421
-Space Station!: http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=17422
-Soccor CTF: http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=17423

Feel free to check em out.

-DG93

[Enjay]

So, judging by the comments here, for some people it's less of a move away from idgames and more of a case of people not putting a mod on idgames until they have a "release version" ready. If so, I wonder why that has become more common - or perhaps I'm imagining it. Could be the proliferation of hosting sites and dropbox accounts and so on.

There do still seem to be some mods intentionally not hosted on idgames though.