Les_the_Sarge_9_1 -> (2/15/2003 9:23:29 PM)
|
The world is an interesting place. I have a friend, totally ordinary bloke, nothing out of the ordinary about him. He has a conventional porn based web site. Why, because contrary to most embarassed guys assertions they don't, most guys like to look at porn. He gets incremental sums of cash for anyone that goes to his site from the people that advertise on his site. He never checks the site much (if at all). Yes I KNOW that is dangerous. I never said his idea for getting cash with zero effort was logical or something I intend to emulate. Porn sites work based on you going to them. They re direct you to other sites (whether you want to go there or not). Sort of mutual self help arrangement among them you would imagine. Warez sites exist because the are fronts for porn (like that was a revelation). My own web page is with Tripod. No porn of course, but when you see my page, you see ads as well. It's fair, I am not paying for my approximately 16 megs of data space I use up. Some people go to great lengths to purge those banners n things. I can't tell why. They are no more intrusive than the ads in the magazines I read or the inserts I throw in the round file in the first 5 seconds after getting the magazine in the door. I am unsure just what Underdogs gets out of the experience (of existing). But I do agree, it's greatly unlikely it's to provde me with a copy of a game I can't locate elsewhere. People DO in fact though do random acts of kindness though just because they want to. I have a copy of Close Combat 2 most recently (yes the real thing not a downloaded cracked game). I even have the manual. I paid nothing for it, my online friend sent it to me as a gift. This is not the only real wargame (not downloaded copy) I have recieved from online friends being randomly nice. I have done pretty much the same in my own way when possible (there are nice people out there believe it or not). Now on the subject of dangers. Yes I know that one well. I recently installed a free anti virus I was able to download (suggested by a tech to a friend), that found a virus on my sister's system. She had a current copy of Norton installed, but Norton didn't see it. It is not impossible that this anti virus can miss things as well. Probably explains why the only skill I have cared to master, was the needed skills to format and reload Windows at liesure. It's also one of the biggest reasons I like XP, as XP is the first Windows version this dumbass (me heeh) can install without help (whining to young friends for help sucks). My answer to spyware is regularly cleaning the computer. How often you say? I format my system on average once every 6 months. If that sounds excessive to you, I guess you can use your own methods at your liesure. Now to be clear, I am NOT advocating peer to peer, nor the notion "abandonware" is "ok". I own Steel Panthers 2 Modern Battles as well as the scenarios disk thanks to CDAccess.com. I think it is nice that Underdogs will send you there when a game you are looking for is being sold there. I have gained most of my wargames through secondary purchases ie compiled sets. It is sad of course that the wargame trade is not indefintiely vital. It is unfortunate the original designer is likely not seeing much profit from the game 6 months after it was released. My only response can be C'est La Vie. There is a reason why after being a wargamer for hmm more than 25 years, I have not gotten the urge to make and sell one. Regarding merely mentioning that games exist out there as downloads, well I guess it all comes down to tact. We all know this, it's not like anyone was not aware. Actually showing how to scam games might annoy some people (makes sense eh). A web site might get offended by many things. Just drawing attention away from their site might be seen as annoying. Then there is the well known fact that some sites that sell games, can often be hardly friendly to disenting opinions on the merits of their products (I have not yet, and will not likely be in the future, posting comments about HoI, where it comes from, for obvious reasons). I for one do not think there is a "free lunch". Everything costs you something somehow in the end. The ease with which we can be made able to play wargames on computer, is contrasted by the simple fact that computer wargames are all just computer data. The cost is that the moment you release that game into the public arena, someone can be miserable about it, and give away free copies of it (for whatever end result purpose). Now on the other hand, my collection of Advanced Squad Leader while not conveniently on my computer (yes I know about VASL obviously), is not easy to replicate. It's boxes and mapboards, charts, oodles of pages (ok more than oddles hehe) of rules, zillions of counters, magazines like the Annuals, scenario cards, add on modules. Heck if I could replicate this stuff in the first place I would be working for MMP making them materials to sell. The cost there for ASL though, is limited ability to get it in the hands of other wargamers. Pick your poison I say. You will never see my name attached to a computer wargame as having been involved in it's creation. There is no money in it in my opinion (or not enough perhaps). My hats off to those that struggle on to produce what is produced though. I am (I hope) known for my support of copy protection. It might be intrusive, but I can deal with it for the sake of the software maker. There are arguments for and against copy protection. Just as there are arguments for and against places like Underdogs. Final analysis from me though, until people make a point of making Underdogs illegal, and making it illegal (and impractical) to possess peer to peer software, I am not going to cry over the matter. The blurb "you are not allowed to distribute copies in violation of copywrite" (or variations on that sentiment) has to rank up there with the most moronic statements of our time. Sort of like how everyone naturally reads the legal disclaimer when installing software "yes I have read the disclaimer and agree" yeah right.
|
|
|
|