OT: Old Games Gone Forever

Atrocities · #1 March 26th, 2006, 04:02 PM

It really saddens me these days when I try to find material, downloads, maps, scripts, etc for older games like Tribes, Tribes 2, BOTF, and many more. What was once an abundant source of material is now virtually extinct.

I am really kicking myself in my *** for not having downloaded all that I could and stored it on disk when I had the chance. Sure it was time consuming, but at least I would have had the material.

It really is a sad thing to know that there was SO MUCH cool stuff out for Tribes and Tribes 2, but now, now there is only the stock stuff available.

All that work, all those files, all of the things that were ever made for that game are now gone.

As site after site after site link to dead pages, and 404 errors are abundant galor, things have become almost as rare as the truth at a liars convention.

With Tribes and Tribes 2 as an example, I fear the day that this happens to SEIV. Granted SEIV has been going fairly strong now for nearly six years, far longer than the run for Tribes 2, and there are a huge array of downloadable material currently available for SEIV, one day, sooner than many of us would want, will come a time when a player won't be able to find crap for the game. No mods, no extra ship sets, nothing.

I honestly thought that files for Tribes and Tribes 2 would be around for decades, well I was wrong, they were around for about five years and are now simply gone.

Even file planets, a source for many of these files, has dropped a significant number of them. A quick search of file planet does not yeild any files for SEIV.

I have considered submitting a couple of mods and a complete ship set companion to Gamespot and file planet, but I really do not know how to go about doing so.

Who knows what the future holds, in five years SEIV could be a long forgotten memory, or it could still be one of the best, most played, 4x games. One thing for certain, preserving the files we have should be a top priority.

Fyron · #2 March 26th, 2006, 04:11 PM

As long as there is another SE looming on the horizon, SEnet will remain!

Atrocities · #3 March 26th, 2006, 04:25 PM

Well that is certainly good news.

I remember when the guys working under me were all scared that they were going to be laid off. I assured them, that as long as I was still working, they would not be laid off. The very next day I was gone.

Daynarr · #4 March 26th, 2006, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Atrocities said:
Well that is certainly good news.

I remember when the guys working under me were all scared that they were going to be laid off. I assured them, that as long as I was still working, they would not be laid off. The very next day I was gone.

ROFLMAO!

Daynarr · #5 March 26th, 2006, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Atrocities said:
Who knows what the future holds, in five years SEIV could be a long forgotten memory, or it could still be one of the best, most played, 4x games. One thing for certain, preserving the files we have should be a top priority.

I share the same sentiment.
A little more then year ago I lost all SE4 content I had due to the hard drive failure that caused me to lose about 80GB of data altogether (not all SE4 data of course). Ever since I see backing up files on other media like CD's or DVD's in completely different light. Making a collection of all mods and other stuff related to SE4 and then backing them up in a safe place sounds like really reasonable idea.

leo1434 · #6 March 27th, 2006, 01:44 PM

Take the name "leo 1434" in mind if you need something SE4 related...

It IS a very time-consuming task, but I try to download AND back up everything about one of my favourites strategy Games ever. Currently I have 3 CDs full of data: mods, races, documents... and some inconcluse own modding projects also!

Anyone wanting to recover something, please call!

PvK · #7 March 27th, 2006, 06:10 PM

Yes, be sure to keep good stuff.

On the bright side, a lot of good old stuff for far older games is still around and being played, preserved, worked on, offered free on web sites, even re-sold.

There are still communities for Atari 2600 games, people making new ones... so... Se4 isn't going to evaporate in 5 years. I know I'll keep my stuff, just like I keep my Atari 2600, 5200, 8-bit computer, and ST stuff, my Intellivision stuff, my DOS stuff, etc.

None if it will survive an EMP hit though, I don't expect. Only the stuff I have source code printouts for.

PvK

narf poit chez BOOM · #8 March 27th, 2006, 08:28 PM

I've got a book of vic20 programs.

Suicide Junkie · #9 March 27th, 2006, 10:26 PM

CDs and other nonmagnetic storage media are good for that, PVK. Depending on how powerful, the trick might be getting replacement hardware.

PvK · #10 March 27th, 2006, 10:59 PM

Oh, that's a good point, SJ - I hadn't thought that through. That's nice.

PvK