Index ⇒ Announcements & Rules ⇒ Beginner's guide to LW (How-Tos)

[Molitor]

(Being rewritten as of 2016-03)

This thread is meant to be a guide/FAQ helping those who would like to contribute and need help on some subjects such as CD-ripping, file hosting, etc.

• Registration
• Suggesting addition or corrections
• Reporting broken links or missing files
• Uploading a game
• Tools

[Molitor]

Registration

Registering on the forum gives you access to three new sub-forums, namely Game Requests, User Game Uploads and eMule & BitTorrent Links. These are the places we share and request games that fall under the 3D-shooter or Adventure category.

Game Requests: We'll do our best to fill your requests for 3D-shooter/Adventure games, whether they are super rare or super common, as long as they abide by the LW rules. Please note that Sports, Racing and Managerial Simulations games do not fit our criteria for requests. You may request a title that is not present on the site yet, or an alternate version of one that is already uploaded here, or additional stuff like patches, manuals, etc. It doesn't hurt to ask, we may even surprise you.
User Game Uploads: This is a queue for uploads to be added on the main sites (3D Shooter Legends or Adventure Legends), so this is where you should post your links if you would like to share an upload of yours.
eMule & BitTorrent Links: Seldom used, you may post BitTorrent/ed2k links here, for example to request a mirror to be made or help with seeding. Rules still apply, this is not meant to be a repository for latest warez releases! Please note that we don't post BT/ed2k links directly on 3DSL or AL.

To register simply use this form: ucp.php?mode=register
To combat spambots, admin has to approve new accounts so it might take a couple days until you will get an confirmation email after registering, and then will be able to post on the forum.

Please be aware of the LegendsWorld rules before posting here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1021
We aim at sharing games while keeping a pleasant atmosphere and avoid flame & drama.

[Molitor]

Suggesting addition or corrections

Games listing order.

Games are listed in alphabetical order in each release date year. Note that at times some are released in non-English languages first so date may be different than English release date. The upcoming game section of the current year is also changing all the time as release dates often change, though it is the most up-to-date list found on the web as we use various sources to accumulate the data. We welcome your input and are happy to make corrections.

We aim at making the most comprehensive and extensive database about 3D Shooters and Adventure games on the Internet. To achieve that, we need to both collect informations from several sources which may be conflicting (e.g several release dates, or whether a game was actually released or not) and add entries about the upcoming releases. Thanks to game databases like MobyGames or the defunct AllGame, as well as online stores such as Steam, we can easily get the necessary informations.
However the most obscure games are often completely undocumented and require extensive research on foreign websites (as it often happens for eastern asian video games). We might stumble upon games that are not referenced anywhere, not even on HG101, and this is where we need help for getting the bare minimum information when adding an entry to the database : release date, cover, description, screenshots when they exist. Some entries on either AL or 3DSL are very succinct because of the scarcity of information : any help to improve or correct them is welcome.
If you want to :

• Suggest a new game to be added in our DB (it has to be of a genre we cover)
• Report errors or suggest modifications on an existing game entry

Then head over the Site Suggestions section.

Please note that for adding new entries about free fan-made adventure games and 3D Shooters mods/addons, we have dedicated sub-forums open for suggestions:
Free Fan-Made Adventures
3D Shooter Mods/Addons

[Molitor]

Reporting broken links or missing files

We hate broken downloads as much as you do. The file hosting services we use do not guarantee they will host our uploads forever, nor they are immune to losing files from time to time (this is especially the case with 4shared, which is still mostly used here). Sometimes, several files from an upload disappear, sometimes the whole folder does, sometimes the whole account gets banned and all its files blocked.

Here are the most common issues you may encounter with our uploads:

• One or more files are missing from the folder
• "The file link that you requested is not valid." (4shared)
• "You need owner's permission to access this folder." (4shared)
• The decryption key is missing (Mega)
• The download link points to the wrong upload
• One or more archives are corrupted
• Archives can be downloaded and extracted successfully, but the output files are corrupt
• Etc.

You are welcome to report these issues in the Broken Downloads section.
Sometimes, individual parts can be replaced, sometimes they can't (the whole folder requires fixing). In other cases, an alternate upload may be offered.

NOTE ABOUT CORRUPTED FILES :

- First make sure you're using the latest version of WinRAR and/or 7-zip to extract the downloads:

There is a good chance you've downloaded a RAR5 archive from our site. WinRAR features a new compression algorithm since v5.00 and RAR5 archives cannot be extracted with older versions of WinRAR or 7-zip. Doing so may result in a "corrupted archive" message.

- In case there is a SFV file present in the folder, you can use it to check which files are missing/corrupted. Check the Tools section for SFV checkers.
- Try redownloading the corrupted file(s) several times.

If you still get a corrupted file after these steps, then feel free to report the download as corrupted.

[Molitor]

Uploading a game

The best part.
There are several eventualities:

• You have a copy of a game we are lacking. ("Download: None currently available")
• Some entries have a RIP available for download, but no ISO.
• Less usual case, but still happens: there are two ways of making an ISO. The best way is to make a 1:1 copy of the CD/DVD. Sometimes the only ISO we can provide is altered: either it is actually a set of files saved as a .iso, or it is a CD image from which one or more file has been added or removed (can be checked with the timestamps).
  These altered ISO are marked on our site as "Custom ISO". If you can provide a "Proper ISO", we'll gladly add it as an alternative.
• Some CD games in the 1990s relied on CDA tracks for music playback. The .iso format, for instance, does not take these tracks into account, and therefore does not save them. There might be some ISO images on the site, that lack their CDA tracks that should be replaced with proper ones.
• Any other case that would lead you into uploading a game...

You may have noticed that we favour ISO over RIP. We'll of course add a RIP when there's no alternative, but ISO images can be 1:1 copies of the original media, which is a must for collectors.

• Only games that fall under the categories covered on 3DSL/AL will be posted on these sites. Some exceptions are made, so it may be confusing: feel free to ask about it on the forum if you're unsure.
• We currently accept games which are older than 3 years; uploads for newer titles are not allowed. Some exceptions are made for games re-releases; if you have any doubt, you can ask.
• You only should post links to your own uploads - or indicate the source if it's not yours. It's just a matter of principle not to do any linkstealing.

A. Making a CD/DVD image (a.k.a ripping)
If you don't need to create an image, skip to B.

There are a few things to consider:
1. What is the medium ? CD, DVD, FD (floppy disk)? Do I need specific hardware?
2. Is there any copy protection (DRM) present on the medium? Do I need specific software?
3. Is the medium for a PC or Mac software? Do I need to make a hybrid image?
4. Is there any CDA track that should be saved?
5. (When dealing with old media) Is the medium damaged? Scratches, "plastic rot", read errors, that could prevent it from being successfully ripped?

1/ Hardware
Chances are that your computer already has a CD/DVD reader. This is all you need to rip a CD or DVD.
Floppy disks, however, are a thing of the past now. Unless you have access to an older computer with built-in FD reader, your best bet for a recent machine is to get an external floppy reader and plug it to your computer. Be careful if you end up buying this type of device: not all of them can be plugged using USB, nor are they all compatible with the latest OS.

2/ Software
LaserLok, VOB, CD-Dilla, Safedisc, SecuROM, Starforce, Sysiphus, TAGES... These DRM systems became almost standard in the 2000s. While in 2016, most commercial games are protected with online activation (Steam, Origin, uPlay...) and tough wrappers (SolidShield, Denuvo...) you'll probably have to face good ol' CD/DVD protections for your noughties games.
The deal here is that a simple .iso file cannot keep the copy protection intact for later emulation. If you want to make a perfect 1:1 copy of a protected disc, the way to go is to use cloning software such as CloneCD, Alcohol 120%, Daemon Tools Pro, Blindwrite, etc...
Shattered's guide on Backing up copy protected discs provides everything you need to know on the subject: from determining the protection to choosing the right tools to create backups of your discs.
"Backing up copy protected discs" guide (written by Shattered)

Floppy disks: once you got hold of a working FD reader and connected it to your machine, you need a floppy-oriented backup software such as WinImage. "Regular" floppies should be easy to back up, however booter floppies are often a different beast.

4/ Don't forget the CDA tracks! (If any)
Much like with copy-protection sectors, a simple .iso file cannot contain CDA tracks. For this you'll have to go with CloneCD or any software that can produce BIN/CUE images.
If you're unsure about the presence of CDA tracks, play the CD in a music player: no music means no CDA tracks.
Keep in mind that formats such as MDF/MDS are good for copy protections but do not save CDA tracks.

5/ Old, dusty, damaged media
Damaged CDs produce read errors than can prevent them from being correctly cloned.
If your CD appears to be scratched or degraded, try ordering your cloning software to copy at the slowest possible speed (2x instead of 16 or 32) and ignore read errors. This might fail anyway but increases chances to make a working copy.

Please note: some copy protections rely on bad sectors, so the disc may not be damaged even though errors are present.

B. Packing
With the generalisation of fast and stable ADSL or fiber Internet access, it has become easier to upload and download bigger files without having to deal with multi-parts archives.
Still, it may be unreasonable to upload a whole 7GB DVD as a single file, on a host that doesn't support resuming... 100MB, 250MB or 500MB parts will satisfy the most of us.
Archive splitting comes in handy when the uploader has an unstable uplink too.

Don't give an explicit name to your files!!! If you upload "risky" stuff (read: likely to be taken down on sight), the content of the archive should not be guessable by its filename.

C. Uploading to cyberlockers
Now that your fully functional CD/DVD/FD image is ready, it is time to put it online.
As opposed to warez sites that cather on the latest stuff available on temporary hosts, LW aims at providing downloads for the longest possible time. The difficulty is to find cyberlockers that are free, reliable, adapted to long-term storage, and finally comfortable to use for both the uploader and the downloader without the need of a premium account. There aren't a lot to count:

MEGA
The infamous successor of Megaupload.
+ 15GB storage / 5GB per file
+ Doesn't delete old or inactive files

cloud.mail.ru
In 2014, Mail.ru offered a 1TB lifetime promo on its cloud service; If it happens again, make sure you grab it!
+ 25GB storage
+ Doesn't delete old or inactive files

Yadi.sk (Yandex Disk)
Yandex is the russian Google: good network and good speeds.
+ 10GB storage / 2GB per file
+ Doesn't delete old or inactive files

4shared
Established 2005. Widely used on LW after Come2Store and Yahoo Briefcase closed. Has been quite a pain lately though.
+ 15GB storage / 2GB per file
+ Shouldn't delete files as long as you log into your account once every 180 days. If you don't do so, your account is disabled and the files are lost.
+ Offers a free premium account (100GB storage) to whoever installs their shaddy browser, Citrio. (do it in a VM, for your computer's sake)
- 3GB traffic limit per day. A shame for downloaders, but which can be bypassed with JDownloader and multiple accounts.
- Bans several temporary email providers: cannot register with a Mailinator or Yopmail address.
- Still makes random files disappear over time... Make sure you keep backups.

2shared
Unrelated to 4shared. The site's design hasn't changed since 2006 but it does its job well.
+ Storage is unlimited. In fact, the files you upload are not stored on your account but rather linked to it, and the number/total size of files linked to your account is unlimited.
+ Doesn't delete files by default.
- 200MB per file. Not really comfortable when you want to share big ISOs.
- Does not have the ability to create and share folders. Let's say you want to share a 4GB upload split into 20 files: you have to share 20 individual links.
- Navigating through your files isn't really nice when you have a lot of them on your account, as there is no way to organize them.

Google Drive
Google doesn't need to be introduced, does it?
+ 15GB storage.
+ Doesn't delete files by default.
- Again, be extra careful with copyrighted stuff

Usenet
Not a cyberlocker per se, but has its share of advantages which make it worth being listed here.
- Paying (for the uploader). Free offers are limited in time.
- Requires a base setup (installing and configuring a newsreader + an account) for the downloader ; same for the uploader.
+ Unlimited storage
+ At least 3 years retention for most of the providers
= Free-Usenet is capped at 1Mbps ; the cheapest providers have decent speeds.
- There is always a corruption risk. Don't skimp on the PAR files.

Sendspace, Uploaded.net, Filefactory, Free, HugeFiles, Filedropper, Turbobit, Letitbit, Rapidgator, ge.tt, AnonFiles, FilesUpload, UsersFiles, MegaShares, etc. are not suitable for both long-term storage. On the other hand, services like Baidu CloudDisk have great storage space for free, but provide subpar download speeds for users who aren't in a specific region.

D. Posting on LW
When your files are up online, one last step: provide the link.

• When posting a multi-parts upload with several files, please share the folder instead of the individual files if possible.
• In case you have used a password to pack the files, provide it along with the folder/file link.
• With Mega.nz, do not forget to post the decryption key along with the folder link.
• Check your files permissions: make sure they can be downloaded, but not deleted by anyone! (4shared in particular)

Head over the User Game Uploads section. Open a new topic, provide the essentials (download link, description about the game if not already present on site, file size, bits advice on running the game if you have any, etc.), submit.
Voilà !

[Molitor]

Moderators, please move this topic to the appropriate section if it's not the case. It would be great if everyone could be able to read it.

Sidenote- I didn't make one section per post just to grow up my postcount, but to make the presentation a little less messy. The first version of this guide was horrible to see

[Shattered]

Thanks for these guides. I've made this topic a sticky. As far as I'm concerned this topic can stay here or we can move it to the Announcements & Rules subforum.

"ECM is a command line tool that compresses ISO, BIN, IMG, NRG, CDI, MDF and other."

I believe ISO files don't contain the EDC and ECC data that ECM strips, so using it on those files won't bring much.

[Meddle]

ECM will at most save 100MB and less in many cases. There has also been some argument whether or not ECM harms images with CD audio tracks and protection. In fact I have tried to transition away from using ECM at all.

[Molitor]

ECM works best with CloneCD and bin/cue images, well anything that has CDA tracks that can be compressed. It saves less than 100 MB with ISO but I tough I should mention it compress any type. I think it's still good to know for users who want to save some mb's.

[Shattered]

Just tried ECM on an ISO file (from a data CD) of 390 MB. The .iso.ecm file is less than 300 kB smaller.

I agree that space can be saved on images other than the ISO format, that means images that have the EDC and ECC data present. Also, the ISO format isn't capable of holding audio tracks.

Could you nuance your post and remove the ISO format from that sentence? IMHO new users would only be wasting time trying to compress .iso with ECM.

[Scaryfun]

Great job! I think in Announcements & Rules section this would be better. 4shared deletion of files occurs only after 180 days without logging in. Also, make a note to not name you file archives the exact name of the game as they tend to delete these. I usually name them in abbreviated form so someone can't tell directly just by looking what's in it.

[GigaWatt]

Shattered, ISO or CD image, which contains so-called cooked sectors (only user data, 2048 bytes per sector), has nothing to model/re-model, one should avoid using ECM in such a case. There is also similar to ECM utility - COSI.

Molitor, Wow, very impressive! Thanks.

[hfric]

This only misses my post about ECM ... when i find the time it will be reposted here for what it was originally designed for ... but summarizing its for CONSOLE DUMPING ONLY ,so your SEGA CDs , DREAMCAST dumps or other consoles dumps bin/cue images with CD-audio will be stored properly ... thats it

lately some crazy people started to use it for DOS/Windows games thinking its a good thing.. the thing is it removes sectors that are the cp in those games making cp protected dumps that use SAFEDISk/SECUROM unplayable

the main thing of today is DEAMON TOOLS and its MDX format that can dump perfect 1:1 clones from TAGES and STARFORCE games , even old games can benefit from it but yeah still some under the rock purist will say BIN/CUE will be the best for old game clones with out cp... but mdx should be a standard now

oh and for accurate scene info people should use

Code: Select all

www.xrel.to/home.html

nforce became awfully outdated when it became HUMP

also this misses the 4shared .B1 archive system that lets you download all files in one go for free with max 4000kb/s speed but then you need b1 archiver on

Code: Select all

http://b1.org/

its a crappy archiver

[Shattered]

Topic moved to the Announcements & Rules forum.

Maybe you could also write a small note about creating a NFO file (with a link to NFO creators/viewers).

If you have the retail copy of a game and you know it has a protection, you have to dump it with CloneCD, Alcohol or BlindWrite.

I really believe DAEMON Tools Pro should be added in that line. You've already mentioned this software later in that post.

Blindwrite and CloneCD are not capable of backing up newer protections, so maybe it's also a good idea to let users know what software to use with a certain protection. I can help with that.

[Molitor]

Shattered, please post some info on dumping protected media if you have the time. Then I'll modify the post in function of what your statement.
For NFO I'll writing something about it. I tough about the 3DSL NFO but it mustn't go outside its private section...

hfric,

yeah, it borks the image for those protections and also borks TAGES and STARFORCE CPD

well Ecm the things he writes about protection is BS http://www.neillcorlett.com/ecm/how.html

i will say this
Safedisk looks for its own DATA (it makes 3 or 4 files) so you will think Ecm will don't do harm to your image BUT also for the bad Sectors its like 1024 or more in the begging or in the middle of the cd

Securom looks for DPM of each file thats in ... well somewhere in EDC/ECC codes

TAGES ... well it hides the protection data in line out/in(some say it overburns the CPD, and most readers have problems with reading overburned data ) and most programs don't read it , thats why Vcd or MDf image from Tages are 860-900mb per one cd or 4,8-4,9 gig per DVD
--------------------------
when ECM removes EDC/ECC codes... in securom it borks the damaged sectors that are the protection...in securom it borks the dpm... tages lulz it deletes the CPD data

So why was it made, ECM was only made for only ONE THING to STORE CONSOLE GAMES MORE EFFICIENTLY NOT PC GAMES...
Ecm is used for Sega CD, PSONE, AMIGA CD32 ,Sega Dreamcast,Sega Saturn,Atari Jaguar CD ,Philips CD-i ,Neo-Geo CD,TurboGrafx-CD

only exception to this rule are old DOS games in ISO, Bin/Cue format

BUT... still Ecm corrupts your Bin/cue data if the image has CD-Audio (crystal clear becomes crackly messy crapy chaos of bumps)... thats why most console rips/re-dump projects extract the audio in FLac or in Monkey and then the data is processed with ecm and 7zip or Nano-zip

Bah, post edited so.

I keep NFOHump (the thing is: since post-2009 games aren't actually allowed, no one needs a recent game's NFO... I only check this for the scene uploads when no NFO included with the, eg., torrent).
But I added Xrel.

I don't think adding B1 since I'm focusing on showing how to upload and not how to download.

LULZ doesn't have any influence on me.

Any other suggestions or criticisms are welcome (although I prefer suggestions than criticism).