Broken image links

[AGA]

My entire entry for Troopers Tech Demo can be deleted, neither me nor anybody I know has the game anymore, there is no image either and it's 7-8 years old and way outdated anyways.

The first entry (2 Dennis, 1 Bug) can be deleted as well. According to the MAGS thread of dec 2011, there's never been a successful release of this (controversial) game.

According to this thread, 'Gerald Radcliff I' probably never saw the internet either.

Perhaps it'd be best if you would handle all the deletion requests, AGA?

(From some posts prior: I think it goes without saying that we don't edit "AGS Panel Review" entries! )

AGS Panel Review
"File downloads, but is corrupt. Marking download as broken."

The 'AGS Panel Review' comment might have to be adjusted?

The above was intended exclusively as info for the AGS Panel that the entry about that corrupt download was outdated. 

Done also.

[Tramponline]

OK, I uploaded the two versions of "Tales of Chickenry" from Leon and placed them according to the author's info in those entries.
They're both installer versions, perhaps they need to be extracted & recompressed at some point - my priority for now was to make them available again: [edit: Ah, just saw Peder uploaded the keyboard-controlled version to AGSarchives.com already.]

Differences between those two versions:

"Tales of Chickenry Chapter I" Download: http://205.196.123.196/omuj0jpm4dvg/u50636nmooc0zph/Tales+of+Chickenry+Installer%28all+voices+are+done+by+Yotam+Elal%29.exe

- Additional point & click mouse mode for walking.

- Mouse-over tooltip

- All characters & narrator voiced by Yotam Elal.

[This version's entry won't accept a different screenshot. Wanted to show the 'walk mode mouse cursor' to exemplify the difference to the other version. This time it doesn't seem to be the browser cache - but not that important anyway.]


"Tales of Chickenry" Download: http://205.196.121.43/ouzs0p3aojng/6cuwaifww4c2wc1/Tales_of_Chickenry_Installer.exe

- Keyboard-controlled character movement

- Characters voiced by various actors/ No narrator

Thought I post those if anyone wants to grab those for their database and such...

[AGA]

It is important, since it's behaving a way it shouldn't!

Could you upload the image you wanted to apply, so I can work out why it isn't working?

[Tramponline]

Nevermind, you meant uploading uploading, not in the database - I'm a bit thick today as it seems...

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4048/talesofchickchapter1.png

Spoiler

[close]

edit: I always do screenshot filenames in CamelCase - but stupid imageshack.us just changes those to plain lower case. Not sure if that matters at all for your testing thing though.

[AGA]

Weird.  I just deleted the original on the server, and it worked.  No obvious reason why!

[BlueAngel]

Hello, fixed my game Rufus, the download should now work. (https://www.dropbox.com/s/dqe6zsme0kiv2tp/Rufus_1.3.rar)
Thanks for letting me know!
/BlueAngel

[Narushima]

AGA, now that we've basically fixed all the games which could be more or less easily found online, maybe you should create a new thread (or change this one's first post) with a link in the forum header, as it is now, giving the list of games with broken downloads and explicitly asking players and programmers if they've got a copy?

[Tramponline]

Basically that's a good idea. We need to combine the "Broken Image Link list" and the "Broken Download Link" list (some overlap) and post it somewhere.
(I compiled a list, minus the duplicates, in LibreOffice Calc, but it doesn't make much sense to post it here, as the list won't contain the respective links.)

However, most of these games (not all!) are in the 'hardcore' unavailable category - Arj0n posted almost the exact same list of games for the AGS Archives a while ago.

Some were found or sorted out, but most of them are still gone.

It'd be invaluable IMO to have the authors' names/usernames included in this list, as there seems to be no other option than to contact them directly. (Would this be possible with some of your database trickery, AGA?)
I'm refering more to e-mail rather than PM, as most of these people haven't been around for quite a while.
This way we'd be able to ask those who do answer, but who don't have a copy anymore, whether it makes sense to deactivate certain entries (from public view)? 

Most of these authors don't seem to have an e-mail-link in their profiles - that means only longterm members, who are still in contact (or have been) with those game creators can reach them.

Just some thoughts, very much open for discussion.

Ahh, what the heck, I post 'em anyway:

MISSING GAMES LIST

Spoiler

A walk in da tomb: Final       "Normal" version in database. might be considered for deletion?
A.L.I.
Abstract
AGS Background Editor v1.4
Aliens Inc. (demo)
All Hallows' Eve
All the magical things
An Egypt Adventure
Awakening - Part 1: Escape
Battle Warriors DEMO 3.0
Block PAD
Cacho Quest
Clash of Forces - Episode 2
Connect 4
Connect 4 v.2.1
Count Spatula, Volume 1 :: The Seafood Years
Crap Quest                        by LGM, contacted, he ain't got it!
Crazy Mansion / Maniac Mansion 3
D.Jones: Deceased
Day of School
Deflus Technical Demo
Desktop Adventures: The 11 Minute Game                 by LGM, contacted, he ain't got it!
Domestic Conspiracy Demo    ..Vince's game, will ask him once he's back from his vacation
drugs and aliens
Everlight Forest Demo v1.1
Everlot-Demo
Fractal Creator
Fribbeldib
FSi's SymDefecation          ...Cat contacted FSi++, he doesn't have them ATM (more games missing from him)
Gil: The Trillion Dollar Journey DEMO
Harrys Strange Day
Hell's Satans
Horror Hospital Incomplete Demo
I Need A Wee!
Indy y la Abadia de Effel
It ain't easy
Kill Davy Jones (demo)                      by FSi++
Kiselyova Unleashed!                        by FSi++
Klaus Kerner and the Fate of Atlantis
Legend of Rovendale 2 Mystic Island
Lorry Len
Lost In The Nightmare - Demo
Matt and James Amazing Game For Everyone
Meaning Quest DEMO
Mimis the rat
Mittens Mystery Extravaganza
My 40 bullets (v1.1)
N.orth E.ast W.est S.outh
New frontier                       ...by RaGG, contacted, hasn't signed back in yet...
Nightmare Demo
No Traveller Returns (DEMO)
Oldman's Quest
Once Upon a Time in Keel
Princess leaves the tower            ...by RaGG, contacted, hasn't signed back in yet...
pSyCHo!@!                              ...Leon, you had that one, when Arj0n asked last time?
Quikstrike89's Stupid Test Game
Revenge of a guy derogatorily referred to as the n-word!
Ringo's Big Adventure
Roger's Lame Adventure
Sam&Moos and the treasure of grandpa
Season Greetings 2002 - ITA
Secret Santa Generator
Shooting Gallery
Simpsons Adventure Game
Simpsons Adventure Game
SkyTower Rescue Demo
SL vs AUS O7
Slime Quest 2 Demo
Smile or Die Nonplayable Demo
Soldier of Misforune
Soldier: Demonstartion
Space Madness
Stickman RPG
SWEET NIGHTMARE
Sweet_Nightmare
T.I.T
Tempus Fugit
The Alien and the Hick        by LGM, contacted, he ain't got it! Anyone?
The Case (Demo)
The Death of Luke Simpson
The Holocaust Museum               by LGM, contacted, he ain't got it!
The Legacy of Taft Demo
the lord of the bytes
The Quest for my Raincoat (aka DickBoy)        ...sent Layabout a PM, though he didn't answer yet.
The Strange Day
Time-Space Escape
Totaskalan
Who Killed Who?
William in the USA

[close]

Some more people have been contacted, but didn't answer yet.

[LimpingFish]

I think, to extrapolate on something AGA said earlier, these entries should simply be hidden from the general database user, until (if ever!) working links are found. Having a dedicated thread, to allow people to continue working on the task at hand, along with keeping the database entries hidden, will result in a leaner database and negates the need for tinkering until updates are ready.

By the way, that's a substantial list!

[AGA]

So before I disable all the games that have either a broken image or a broken download link, can I just check that still having a broken image link means the download link is also broken (so nobody was able to download it and create their own screenshot)?

I've edited the imagecheck and downloadcheck pages to include a link to PM the author on the forums, or to email them.  This obviously only applies where someone has been credited for the game, which isn't always the case.  I also added http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/bothcheck/, which only shows games where BOTH image and download links are marked as broken.  All these pages are now only accessible by games pages updaters, since there's private email addresses included.

[Tramponline]

So before I disable all the games that have either a broken image or a broken download link, can I just check that still having a broken image link means the download link is also broken (so nobody was able to download it and create their own screenshot)?

Yes, I went through those once more and re-checked. Provided of course, no one reported 'new' broken images - but as far as I can see, those have been fixed as well.

I'm sorry, but I'm just not quite sure about the disabling thing yet: There're still some requests and messages to game creators (that still frequent the forums now!) in limbo and we're awaiting their responses. I suppose they should still be able to edit their entries (maybe I'm misunderstanding something).
RaGG and Layabout for example and others. 

[Ryan Timothy B]

Yes. The entries become disabled to the general visitor or member but the creators can still enable/edit.

[cat]

Some of the games have a panel rating, so I guess someone of the panel might have one of them?

[Leon]

Just for my information, how are these broken download links detected? I've tried for instance The Paramecium Complex and it leads to a broken link, although it's not in your list. Besides, how are you going to keep track of these in the future for new games? When the download link refers to a html page instead of a direct download, the broken link won't be noticed until you go to that page and click the download link there, to find it's not available.

Like I said in a previous reply, the only way to overcome this is to make sure all downloads, after being put up by the author, are redirected to your own (backup)server. Then all you have to do is check which links don't point to your own server and correct them, including a copy of the download. A positive side effect is that the game will always be available and the links won't die in the future (unless the server crashes of course).

[Tramponline]

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/downloadcheck/.  This only shows games where the download has been reported as broken though.  Automatically checking all the links the way I did the images would take far too long.

The broken download links list contains only reports from users/members as far as I know. In each entry the link 'If the download link or mirror link doesn't work, please report it.' --> then confirm broken link.
I'd suggest let's fix as many as we can for now and then discuss how that might be avoided in the future. (e.g. Some kind of automated e-mail posting system once screenshot links and download links are reported as broken and confirmed(!) to be broken or something similar. Storing them locally etc. and so on and so forth)

On a kind of related note, I got 5-6 wrongly reported broken download links - the download sites just took a while to load the file and/or you had to click a button or enter captcha and such.

edit: Though I do agree with you Leon. In order to make this effort seem lesser like "Sisyphus playing ball with the rock" , it'd be very, very usefull if someone would be able to update the AGSarchives storage database alongside. Especially, for the 'long lost' games section - some games people were able to recover (now & before), but files on outside servers will continue to expire, those games will disappear again and we can start all over again. (Please, don't get me wrong Peder, I know you're updating the database and I know nothing about the 'background logistics', it just seems like a Herculean task (OK, OK, enough with that Greek stuff already!! ).

[AGA]

There are plans for local storage, and AGS Archives integration.  That will be no small task though, so don't hold your breath!

[Peder 🚀]

Though I do agree with you Leon. In order to make this effort seem lesser like "Sisyphus playing ball with the rock" , it'd be very, very usefull if someone would be able to update the AGSarchives storage database alongside. Especially, for the 'long lost' games section - some games people were able to recover (now & before), but files on outside servers will continue to expire, those games will disappear again and we can start all over again. (Please, don't get me wrong Peder, I know you're updating the database and I know nothing about the 'background logistics', it just seems like a Herculean task (OK, OK, enough with that Greek stuff already!! ).

You are right Tramponline, it IS a Herculean task. But like AGA mentioned, there are plans of integrations hence I'd actually like to prioritize getting the user side of the new AGSA build done first so we can start on the integration. Then I'll be able to set up a similar system to what AGA has done on the AGS site and anyone interested in helping out can start uploading games/screens where they are either missing or broken in the db.

[Radiant]

The broken download links list contains only reports from users/members as far as I know. In each entry the link 'If the download link or mirror link doesn't work, please report it.' --> then confirm broken link.

Would it be possible to automate this? For instance, a script could automatically open all URLs and see which ones (1) return either a 404 or a Domain Not Found error, (2) go directly to an EXE file, which is assumed to be the valid download, or (3) show a webpage presumably containing a download link. The latter category would still have to be checked manually eventually, but this could be a big timesaver for categories 1 and 2.   

[Tramponline]

Got three more games from the 'unavailable' list, by courtesy of 'sthomannch':

No Traveller Returns (Demo) - ...another working link(!) was in the game's "Completed Games Announcements" thread - first post!!! (hosted by SSH)

Underwater Adventures

Wolf Country (DEMO)

[arj0n]

I dug these 16 games up from my pile-o-agsgames:
(prefix nr = db-id)

0105.Nicholas Wolfe part I - Framed [Cinematic Non-Interactive Demo]
0240.Underwater Adventure
0452.Artifact Demo
0517.Wolf Country
0546.Simpsons Adventure Game Template [Demo]
0654.A Walk In Da Tomb
0655.AS Racing Manager
0748.No Traveller Returns DEMO
1351.Forgetten Death [Demo] (Turkish only)
1352.Awakening - Part 1 - Escape
1354.Stranger in Stickworld
1356.Frankenpooper
1362.Call Me George - Chapter 1 - Prophecy v2.0 [LUniqueDan][MAGS]
1392.Oceanspirit Dennis 2 v2.0.rar
1409.Game Quest
1412.Shadowgate Remake

Edit:
uploading now...
Uploaded the 16 files HERE