I know that Data had some plan for repacking all the game archives on the site. My suggestion is that the files can be self-extracting 7-Zip archives. This would decrease download size (maybe not too dramatically on the smaller games, but always), cut down the trouble regarding people not having the neccesary software for their unpacking AND, finally, make the extraction much simpler for those utter computer noobies that pop around from time to time. :ok:

What do you think?

well I don't think self-extracting 7zip archiches run under linux and we got quite a few linux users here.

Well so far everything is zipped with winzip (if somebody doesn't have it - they really should, you can get endless trial versions all over the net).

About the compete noobs who don't know what to do with a game archive... Let them learn! It's not that hard and if they can't figure this out - how are they going to start the game in DOSBox?
If we start making things too easy even this low level of computer knowladge the average computer (ab)user has will disapeare.

It's easy enough, just type in any search engine Winzip or even just the word `extract`, after looking through a few results they'll find what they're after. And if they run Winxp, like most computer newbies, they could just try and run the file inside the folder and winxp shoves a big sign in ur face tellin u to extract anyway. It's not stupidity, it's laziness. :Tom:

well, if you all allow me to make a small comment, i' ve just read something about winzip (i' m not going to leave the link because the article is in portuguese and none of you would understand it :whistle: ):

it appears winzip was purchased by a company called Vector Capital, and they intend to change "the rules for using it". in other words, they want users to start paying for it. in that case, self extracting files could be one solution.

wow, i' m a "nerd" now :w00t:

Can't you extract zip files with other programs (like WinRar) as well?

You sure can (even WinXP has an extracting option - just right click on the file and it will give you an option to extract).

Yes. And Winrar will bother you with the evaluation copy thing but will never stop working, and it extracts .zip files too.

Lies!

I think we also have some dos users(that browse the site using arachne).And i don't see these SFX archives could work in dos

ok, i warned you :sneaky:
here it is :whistle:

I pity them. Actually I pity every software programmer. Don't they ever heard of cracks? :angel:

As said: there are more programs then WinZIP that can open a ZIP archive. 7-zip, Freezip, XP has it's own. Linux users can also handle these, the self-executables would post a problem for them.

In Conclusion: I am against self-extacting archives!

The self-extracting archives can be renamed to their native ZIP/RAR/7Z extension and from there opened with an extraction program by the user.

No one ever mentions the Mac Users ...

I know that ZIP normally works with a MAC aswell but the EXE renamed to ZIP wouldn't be too clear for every user to know ...

So keep them as ZIP and all's well ... Those files are most compatible.

I'm a noobie I guess, cause zips drive me insane! I hate them!

self-extracting zips sounds like an awesome idea (would save me 7 hours of work a week)

But I know how much work Data would have to put in to do that......maybe we should start a repacking team.

To be quite honest, I don't really see what's so complicated about zip files. If you're running XP, you even have a built-in zip program - which isn't too good, but you can always get something like WinRar. If self-extracting archives would only cause additional work and might cause problems for those people who don't use Windows, why have them? If it's working, don't fix it, right?:unsure:

I agree. Even the most retarded PC user should be able to figure out how to unzip an archive, and if he doesn't... well, he shouldn't be sitting in front of a computer to begin with.

I know how to unzip an archive, geez. Its just that all the games that come with this site have several zips within the zips which is really annoying. The files inside are confusing.

The files look like this:

SR2_Install
SR2_Start
SR2_Play Game
SR2_copywrite1989

You see? arg!

So you have to sort of experiment by sticking random files inside of dosbox. Before I do that, I have to go gallavanting inside my c:/ drive for half an hour looking for dosbox, because if I put a shorcut on my desktop it doesnt work.

Then when I stick the files inside dosbox, I get some kind of phony installation routine which claims that "installation is done" and so forth.

I then go to the "play game" screen. The option screen comes up. I fiddle with the sound for an hour or two, trying to see what will be compatible with this game. When I finally get the options right, I click playgame and the game says "blablablaerrorerrorcouldnt work blablabla call microsoft if you need any help"
or the game just freezes.

AND I AM SICK OF MOVING AROUND STUPID ZIP FILES AND SO FORTH!
When I open my zip program, I am bombarded by about 6 advertisements and update alerts, which I kindly but firmly decline. It takes forever to do anything on my computer! :ranting:

Now stop calling me a retarded because I can't play any of the friggin games on this website! My computer is too complicated to support them. This isnt just for dos games, its also for pretty much every other program I download.

So thats why I want simple, easy, no fuss self extracting archives!

Nobody called you retarded, Indi. You tend to take offence far too easily, if I may say so...
So far I've never encountered an archive which contained several other archives, but maybe I've just been downloading the wrong games. Anyway, why would you need to move zip files around? Simply unzipping them to the right folder should do the trick, right?:huh:

Uhm... excuse me? What do you mean with "every game is in several zips"?! :blink:

That should not be the case on any of our games. If you have found some archives like that, please let me know.

well, I'll pm you about it.

I think you mistaken the game you downloaded from HOTU with the one on Abandonia. I saw HOTU having zips-within-zips a few times.

No he didn't. He referred to a single game he had gotten from our server to review, and whoever uploaded it had created a zip with dozens of zips in it.

Which is bad, obviously.

My opinion is that there is no need to change the packing format. If someone can't extract .zip file he/she propably can't play the game that's compressed either. And as far as I know there is somekind of program that can extract .zip files for every commonly used OS. And recompressing every .zip in this site to .7z would be not-too-pleasant-job-for-any-human-being.