Idgames archive

The idgames archive (or /idgames archive) is the largest online archive of levels, modifications, tools and other material for Doom engine games. It was originally maintained by Frans P. de Vries and is currently maintained by Ty Halderman.

The archive started on the FTP services of Indiana University and was later for many years hosted at the FTP site on cdrom.com. In 2001 it was forced to move, as cdrom.com would no longer host such archives. The archive can now be found on the FTP site of gamers.org. To alleviate bandwidth usage, the archive is mirrored on various alternative FTP sites around the world that are recommended for downloads.

The /idgames archive is one of three sister FTP archives for game add-ons, also including a Quake engine archive (/idgames2) and an Unreal archive (/unreal). Of the three, only the idgames archive accepts new uploads, while the other two are closed.

Content management
The archive accepts submissions freely but includes several restrictions and requirements on what may be uploaded, either due to copyright reasons or to keep a certain standard in the quality of the files collected, which are described in a document in the main directory of the FTP entitled README.INCOMING. Uploaded files that are rejected for any reason are listed on another file named REJECTS that notes the reasons the file was not accepted. Uploads are packaged in the ZIP format and require an accompanying text file based on the standard Doom file template, UPLTEMPL.TXT, which must be uploaded separately, as well as in the ZIP file.

The archive has a demos section (/lmps), but it has been closed for years, which has given rise to alternative demo recording archives, notably the competn FTP, which hosts the files for the DSDA and Compet-n.

For easy browsing of the archive, the Doomworld website provides a database of the archive with searching, user commenting and ratings, and download links to official mirrors.

Reviews
Despite the age of the Doom games, numerous WAD files are still submitted to the archive each week. These are reviewed in The /newstuff Chronicles regularly on Doomworld. This is named after the /newstuff directory, where the latest submissions to the archive can be found. Several community reviewers post reviews of the latest levels, typically including screen shots.