DOS Games Discussion

Greetings.

I hope to begin the first step towards DOS Games 2.0 (or DOS Games the Next Generation, or whatever it may be called)!

If this project doesn't take off, it can be un-stickied later.

Let's start off tiny (all we have so far is this thread) and we can brainstorm and stuff.

I know emmzee attempted to redo the site at one point, but that got shafted, so let's start from scratch, and work slowly but surely.

My ideas so far (subject to addition, deletion, and/or change):

- A comprehensive compatibility database
- A new theme
- A Meta-site, with a giant list of DOS games and which site to get them (DOS Games.com, DOS Games Online, DOS Games Archive, File Library, etc.)
- A cleaner, leaner forum
- Full forum biography
- Better ergonomics
- DOS history itself
- A problem-solving database based on the numerous thread of Get Games to Work
- More comprehensive info on each game
- More comprehensive info on companies
- Cheat codes/Hints/Walkthroughs
- A gaming bootdisk based on FreeDOS (with NTFS support files for some XP users)

Note: this may not work out like we hope, but it's worth thinking about. It might even bring some fresh new excitement to this relatively lackluster site/forum.

Even if this version 2.0 never exists, something cool/innovative/exciting might come out of it.

Sounds like a lot of work.

The most important thing is probably to attach common 'get games to work' solutions to the games they relate.

It would also be good if DOSgames became the 'one stop shop' for DOS games: even the games that cannot be downloaded legally. Give links to online stores that sell them, or link to underdogs. Maybe you could even get some advertising money from the stores you link to

Out of interest, has Emmzee finished every game featured on his site?

Dosser wrote:Out of interest, has Emmzee finished every game featured on his site?

Uhh, yeah, that's right ... Actually no, in fact for some of them I only played them long enuff to get a feel for the game and grab a screenshot. After all I don't enjoy all game genres, so you won't find me playing many strategy/war games or 1st person dungeon RPGs for very long.

As per the suggestions, all are great ... of course, such sweeping changes would take a LOT of work. (ie by me, since I won't let anyone else work on this site, its kinda my baby)

The sort of things suggested are definitely the stuff I wanted to include back during the last 'redesign' period. The bulk of the work would be the transfer of all of the hardcoded (and fairly non-standardized, mind you) game listings into the database. That, and adding all of the new features, testing to make sure the new site doesn't bog down the server, etc.

We'll see over the next two months what I can get done before skool starts again in Sept (going for my Masters, if anyones interested heh) but thanks for starting this thread to help get me motivated again

PS. Please, it's "emmzee" not "Emmzee"

In that case every game should have a -long- review (ugh*me*ugh) and a link to hints, that would mean the forums would get less guest questions...

Right-o Dr. Hewer.

The best way to go about this is to concentrate on one thing at a time.

What shall we start with first?

How about the main design... like structure... can't do without that you know... And then a database. But don't mind me, I don't know what I'm talking about.

Another idea just popped into my head:

- For the game downloads that are linked to outside of our DOSGames local server, have a backup link to the game file directly on this server (make the offsite link front and center, then have the local server link in fine print like "If the above link is broken, click here to download")

A little thing but what about a swap/buy & sell forum for members to get/get rid of computer stuff for building Dos machines? I have 486 proc. and motherboards that I can't stand to throw out but might like to trade for some dinky hard drives for instance.

There was a trade old games forum.. but it wasn't used much and was deleted a week ago or so.

Elign wrote:The best way to go about this is to concentrate on one thing at a time.

What shall we start with first?

What's this "we" you speak of?

WishboneDawn: We had one up until a couple days ago, but it was deleted out of lack of interest. Now, if you want to sell a game, post here in GDG. If you want to sell hardware, use the hardware forum.

"We" being the DOSGAMES.COM team, if one exists.

I think we all know there's only one person in the 'dosgames.com team', and asking what 'we' should do first is only disgruntling him and invoking his fiery wrath.

WishboneDawn: We had one up until a couple days ago, but it was deleted out of lack of interest. Now, if you want to sell a game, post here in GDG. If you want to sell hardware, use the hardware forum.

LOL I'm late as always!

LOL don't worry

I'm not sure if any successful deals were actually made through that forum, it mostly seemed to be people bragging about what they have.

I guess if you said you had a bunch of assorted computer junk on Ebay you might get something for it (someone might want one part and be willing to buy it all off you)

Dosser wrote:LOL don't worry

I'm not sure if any successful deals were actually made through that forum, it mostly seemed to be people bragging about what they have.

I guess if you said you had a bunch of assorted computer junk on Ebay you might get something for it (someone might want one part and be willing to buy it all off you)

There were about ten deals made a year back, but after that I can't remember any. We just don't attract a big enough community to make it profitable, it seems...

Still, if you have some games you want to sell, and stick around and press it hard enough, you'll probably get them sold.

Dosser wrote:I think we all know there's only one person in the 'dosgames.com team', and asking what 'we' should do first is only disgruntling him and invoking his fiery wrath.

Yes. The Great emmzee . But what I had in mind would be to make prototypes, and submit them to emmzee, and he can reject/change/add/etc. to them.

We all know this idea wil be rejected... after a long and painful proces of thingies! I wouldn't even bother.

Perhaps it will, but it won't be from lack of trying.

I thought it would be worth one more shot. If it fails, it fails. We can then live and let be.

But this might be our big break! Ya never know!

I could assist with putting everything into a MySQL database and getting a search script going.