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Idgames archive

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:idgames archive}}
[[File:Gamers.org Logo.gif|right|thumb|132x40px|Gamers.org logo]]
The '''idgames archive''' (or ''/idgames archive'') is the largest online archive of levels, modifications, tools and other material for [[Doom engine]] games. The archive was founded in {{timeline|1994}} by Barry Bloom, and is currently hosted on the FTP site of [[gamers.org]], where it has been housed since {{timeline|2001}}. To alleviate bandwidth usage and ensure that data will not be lost, the archive is mirrored on various alternative FTP sites around the world which are recommended for downloads.
The /idgames archive is one of three sister FTP archives for game add-ons, also including a [[Quake]] & Quake II engine archive (''/idgames2'') and an [[Wikipedia:{{wp|Unreal(video game series)|Unreal]] }} archive (''/unreal''). Of the three, only the idgames archive accepts new uploads, while the other two are closed.
== Content management ==
== History ==
The archive was preceded by an informal set of disjoint archives on various university [[Wikipedia:File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] servers, including wuarchive.wustl.edu and ftp.uwp.edu, beginning in December 1993 with the release of Doom. <ref name="odsm">[[Frans P. de Vries|Vries, Frans P. de]] (23 June 1996) [http://www.gamers.org/pub/idgames/docs/misc/milestone.txt "One DOOMed Space Marine, and the Terror He Spawned"]. rec.games.computer.doom.announce et al.</ref> The need to have a centralized and moderated location where all files could be uploaded and then mirrored from led Barry Bloom to create an authoritative ''/doom'' archive at ocf.unt.edu in March 1994. {{cite web|author=Bloom, Barry|title=***OCF.UNT.EDU NEWS***|url=https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.games.doom/Wjp0gf-zBf8/YIYsTQyD9F4J|publication=alt.games.doom|publishdate=7 April 1994}} However, administrators eventually disapproved of the use of resources, forcing a move of the primary archive to a new server at infant2.sphs.indiana.edu, at [[Wikipedia:Indiana University|Indiana University]], administered primarily by Jim Pitts beginning in May 1994.{{cite web|author=Pitts, Jim|title=infant2.sphs.indiana.edu ready to rock-n-roll|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.games.doom/HPqfnwdTTUQ/RRtVnFPgBz8J|publication=alt.games.doom|publishdate=12 May 1994}}After the release of [[DOOM II]] it was joined by a ''/doom2'' sister archive.
The server at infant2 gathered a strong set of mirrors, and persisted until November 1994 when Jim Pitts lost administrative access to the server. {{cite web|author=Pitts, Jim|title=INFANT2 is moving ...|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.games.doom/qiKIL5GklfQ/VJFEOtLqL3AJ|publication=alt.games.doom|publishdate=3 November 1994}} ftp.orst.edu was promoted as a temporary primary site, but users were not able to successfully upload files to that server. It was {{cite web|author=[[Simon Widlake|Widlake, Simon]]|title=INFANT2... is Dead - FTP.ORST.EDU Lives|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action/0__Yb4Zu22I/zVrVi7TiN_IJIt|publication=comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action|publishdate=7 November 1994}} The two archives were picked up a month later by {{wp|Walnut Creek CDROM}}, also known by its domain name of cdrom.com, which was already a mirror. It was <ref name="odsm" /> They were originally administered by a team consisting of [[Joost Schuur]], later joined by Jeff Makaiwifor the ''/lmps'' section. The release of [[Heretic]] prompted Joost Schuur in February 1995 to combine and reorganize the two archives into ''/idgames'', as it was henceforth known, and allow submissions for all [[Frans PDoom engine]] games. de VriesIn April 1996, with [[Quake]]soon to be released, he founded and moved on to administrate the ''idgames2'' archive.  In October 2001, cdrom.com was purchased by a new parent company and announced that it would no longer host such archives. The {{cite web|author=[[Ty Halderman|Halderman, Ty]] and [[Frans P. de Vries]]|title=Archive situation at cdrom.com|url=http://www.bluesnews.com/a/220/archive-situation-at-cdrom-com|publication=Blue's News|publishdate=1 October 2001|accessdate=29 January 2016}}That same month the archive was moved to its present location at ftp.gamers.org at that time(which was already a mirror),{{cite web|author=[[Ty Halderman|Halderman, Ty]] and [[Frans P. de Vries]]|title=DOOM, Quake, Unreal archives re-opened|url=http://www.bluesnews.com/a/232/doom-quake-unreal-archives-re-opened|publication=Blue's News|publishdate=11 October 2001|accessdate=29 January 2016}} with the primary download server hosted at 3darchives.in-span.net, until its discontinuation in January 2005.
===Modern maintainers===
[[Frans P. de Vries ]] became the primary maintainer soon after the transfer from infant2, in December 1995 and remained in that role until February 1997, when he passed it on to [[Ty Halderman]]. Halderman held the role without interruption until April 2015, when illness prevented him from continuing his duties,{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.doomworld.com/vb/post/1375733|title=Looking for a new idgames maintainer|author=[[Frans P. de Vries|de Vries, Frans P.de]]|publication=[[Doomworld Forums]]|publishdate=28 May 2015|retrievedate=31 May 2015}} at which point [[Bill Koch (Bloodshedder)]] and [[Eric Baker (The Green Herring)]] were named interim maintainers. After Halderman's death in July 2015,{{cite web|author=Saffy|url=httphttps://www.doomworld.com/vb/post/1409629|title=Nothing new on idgames lately|publishdate=16 August 2015|accessdate=16 August 2015|publication=[[Doomworld Forums]]}} Koch and Baker were retained as the new maintainers.
== Reviews ==
|ftp.fu-berlin.de||Germany||1995 - 2000, 2005 - Present||Yes
|-
|ftp.sunet.se||Sweden||1995 - 20042005||Yes
|-
|ftp.dstc.edu.au||Australia||1995 - 1996
|-
|ftp.gamers.org||Virginia||1996 - 2001
|-
|sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk||England||1996 - 2000
|ftp.chg.ru||Russia||2006 - 2012
|-
|ftp.mancubus.net||California, IllinoisTexas||2006 - 2007, 2012 - Present
|-
|mirrors.syringanetworks.net||Idaho||2014 - Present||Yes
|-
|www.quaddicted.com||Germany||2016 - Present
|}
== External links ==
* [ftp://ftp.gamers.org/pub/idgames/ idgames archive (in FloridaVirginia, USA)] (also as [http://www.gamers.org/pub/idgames/ HTTP])
* [ftp://ftp.fu-berlin.de/pc/msdos/games/idgames/ idgames mirror in Germany] (primary download server)
* [http://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/vendors/idgames/ idgames mirror in Greece] (also as [ftp://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/vendors/idgames/ FTP])
* [ftphttp://mirrors.syringanetworks.net/idgames/ idgames mirror in Idaho, USA] (primary download server, also as [ftp://mirrors.syringanetworks.net/idgames/ FTP])* [http://ftp.mancubus.net/pub/idgames/ idgames mirror in Texas, USA]
* [http://youfailit.net/pub/idgames/ idgames mirror in New York, USA] (does not mirror <tt>/themes/x-rated/</tt>)
* [httphttps://ftpwww.mancubusquaddicted.netcom/pubfiles/idgames/ idgames mirror in Texas, USAGermany] (also as [ftp://mancubus.net/pub/idgames/ FTP])
* [http://www.gamers.org/pub/idgames/README.INCOMING Uploading rules] on the archive
* [http://webwww.archivegamers.org/web/20070813222855/http://www.3dgamers.com/aboutftp/archives.html Older "aboutAbout" page] on the [[Wikipedia:Internet Archive|Internet Archivegamers.org]] * [httphttps://www.doomworld.com/idgames/ Archive database] on [[Doomworld]]
==References==
<references />
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