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[Doink]

Or even better put the download button back and when it is clicked on an explanation similar to what david86 suggested should be displayed... Only bigger M U C H B I G G E R

[The Fifth Horseman]

prehaps the new button could be a link to an explanation of the ESA rules.

Been there, done that, didn't help one jot. Some idiots actually started referring to it as "the ESA error".

[Dave]

Ok, seriously, what about this simple message?
"Not Available at the moment"

[dosraider]

OMG, I love this kind of topics, really.

Done that on another AW site.
Following post is real:
plenty of :When will it be available again?????? I want that game, I'm desperate !!!!!!!.

No joking. ALAS.

Whatever message or explaination they get, they GONNA post.

[Dave]

Do you have any proposal then?
I mean, did you solve the problem in your AW site or not?

[Eagle of Fire]

I don't mind those kind of people who are desperate and absolutely want a game . I've seen it too, plenty of times. Those are passionates who usually are only looking for one game in particular are in no way related to the current problem.

Did you try to find the related ESA article in the FAQ? Unless it been changed recently, it's well hidden (unfortunately alike many other functions on this forum :notrust and doesn't explain too well what the deal is all about.

Frankly, what can you answer back when someone ask you "What is No 90!?" when the icon do look like it's written exactly that? Can you really blame people from asking those questions when they expect to have a download link which will change their cursor when they hover the mouse above it? For all what we know, they might just think it's some kind of ad and they don't even bother to look at it...

If we had a good page explaining the situation, we could answer back "read the faq" and we would not waste too much time. Right now, however, it is not the case and it's obvious that there is a problem and that it is growing. The main difference in volume, I think, is that the chatbox is now used by those who would not bother otherwise to make a post about their problem.

Also, I would not expect an answer from Dosraider if I were you David. From experience of another thread, he's not really into open discussions... He thinks he's right and he'll stick to his opinion no matter what. Pretty much like me. :amused:

[dosraider]

It wasn't 'my' AW site, I simply was active there, first as mod and later as admin, and it's defunct

Proposals? Enough, you can of course try all that's been said here, it will all have the same result: none.

They will post the same questions, over and over again.
You can link explainations, post stickies, special icons, won't help.
Even not allowing 'guest' posters won't help.

Aslong as there are sheets with reviews about games that can't be downed, they will ask. And retrieve those ones and they still will post such questions.
Nothing will change that.

Look at the bright side of it, always good for a laugh.
:laugh:

It's the same as with dosbox, howtos allover the net, stickied or not, it doesn't help, they ask the same things over and over.

[Edit]
Did YOU ever asked what the 'no 90' means EOF? Don't think so.
See, idiots will be idiots, whatever you put up there.

And I'm always in for changing my opinion about something.
But now I'm right :amused:

[Incappucciato d'Ombra]

Originally Posted by David86

did you solve the problem in your AW site or not?

To this kind of problems there can be only a solution...

1) take the guy apart
2) format C: on his brain
3) reinstall a better brain (no windows based please... obviously:nuts

Other then that nothing can be done

This because internet is filled with all kinds of guys (nerds, newbies and so on) ... and most of them are always in sycopantic research of the easy way/solution... they will never alt to read or think and they will always ask for this "easy way" and never try nor think to try to solve the problem in other ways :mad:

[Eagle of Fire]

Thing is DosRaider, you're right... If the subject of this thread is "what can we do to prevent newbies from asking why they can't download ESA protected games ever"...

Which unfortunatly is not the case.

Edit: it is a little slower now at job, so I have time to think about this more.

IMHO, the best suggestion so far been given by Doink. If you guys are looking for suggestion, I'd suggest myself that a new page would be created on the site only to answer this very specific question and all other related questions. However, it should be made so that the question "why can't I download ESA protected games" is up top and very visible. It's the question most users want to see answered and they don't often care for anything else, or a long explanation either for that mater. Followed closely by something like "Then why do you still have the review of that game up if you have no intention of allowing me to download it?". Then the page would continue with all the other related questions, and I guess it would be easy to link that page to the already existing FAQ we have on site.

The most important change however would need to be the ESA icon itself. It need to be changed to something more visible if possible, but I'd suggest making it pretty alike the current download button but with a big red X or something like that barring the image and a small space saying something like "if you want to know why you can't download this game, click here.".

The whole idea is, of course, to give a chance for people who do want to know and do read first to get to the new page I was talking about, hopefully giving them the insight they need and are looking for. This site always been about quality over quantity, and I think this suggestion go in that direction.

[gufu1992]

Well, we can go the evil way and give them empty .rar to download...


Maybe it is possible to note somethng like that:
Protected by ESA foundation/corporation/blah!