2012-03-04 10:29:42 (edited by Dark 2015-06-14 18:56:51)

Site and forum frequently asked questions.

Contents

1: i can't post on the forum after creating my account, what is wrong?
2: who does what on the forum?
3: Who does what on the website?
4: What are moderators?
5: What are the different rooms on the forum for?
6: Hay, my topic got moved!
7: What are the rules for this forum?
8: Am I allowed to disagree with other people on the forum?
9: I think someone is insulting me, what should I do?
10: Someone swore!
11: Can I get a copy of a commercial audio game without paying for it?
12: But why is pirating or cracking games bad? ---- after all I don't have the money to afford those expensive games.
13: What is a private message.
14: I found a private message that went against the rules, what should I do?
15: I got banned from an online game, can I ask the creator to remove my ban sinse she/he is also on the forum?
16: But the moderator of such and such a game is also a moderator on this forum?
17: How do I find new posts and topics?
18: How do I reply to topics?
19: Should I quote other people's posts  when replying to topics?
20: Can i reply to topics via e-mail?
21: What is offtopic posting?
22: Can I create a new thread on the forum or do I have to revive an old one?
23: If I reply to an old news post, how does it affect the news on the front of site?
24: What languages can I use on this forum?
25: What is spam, and what are spambots?
26: I found a post that I think is spam, what should I do? Should I report it?
27: What is bbcode and how do I use it?
28: Can I change my username?
29: What is user Karma?
30: What are these weerd ranks that appear under people's names?
31: What is a poll and how do I create one?
32: So no posting audio game cracks, but what about links to download free music or audiobooks?
33: Can I post practice games, or alpha or beta versions of games?
34: I just got this code off the internet and used it to make a game, can I post about it on the forum?
35 What about stealing game ideas?
36: Can I discuss mainstream games?
37: Can I discuss games that need a screen reader?
38: Can I discuss games that need a specific! screen reader such as jaws?
39: Can I discuss games for other operating systems than windows?
40: Why isn't game X in the Database?
41: Why isn't there some news about game x?
42: I am currently developing a game, can you add a page for it to the site database?
43: Where can I find game x?
44: I am looking for games in genre x, can you help?
45: When will game X be released?
46: Is there a new version of game x?
47: What do the genre types and license types in the database mean?
48: What does the favourites function do?
49: The database link to game X is broken, can you fix it?
50: Game X isn't being sold anymore and the site is gone, are we allowed to post a crack then?
51: Can feature x be added to the database?
52: Can I be a moderator/news poster/contribute to the db?
53: Why are dark's news posts so insane?
54: Who are the Agnet cyberelves?
List of site ranks.

1: i can't post on the forum after creating my account, what is wrong?

We love welcoming new members to the forum, but unfortunately we don't like spambots (if your not sure what a spambot is,  see number 21).
Luckily, there is a simple and easy way to prove your not a spambot, just introduce yourself in this topic and the staff will remove the restricted status from your account so you can  create new topics and reply to old ones.

Since saying hello and sharing your passion for all things to do with audiogames is probably the first thing you want to do on this forum anyway, this hopefully shouldn't be too much of a problem, indeed far less of a problem than having the forum flooded with hoards of spambots.

Do not private message the moderators asking for your account to be unrestricted, please use the previously mentioned introductions topic instead, since that keeps all your introductions in one place and gives everyone the chance to see who you are and say hello, as well as making the staff's job  easier by having all new members posting introductions in the same place..

2: who does what on the forum?

Richard and Senderman are the main webmasters of the forum, The co admins are Aaron, Sebby and Arqmeister, and the moderators are Aprone, Nocturnus, Nightshade and Dan C.

3: Who does what on the website ?

Richard and Sander set the thing up on behalf of the Game accessibility special interest group, and did all the php magic that controls the game database, as well as occasionally adding entries to the database themselves. Dark posts news on the front of site and also maintains the database, and is being assisted in this by Sebby, Aaron, Arqmeister, Nightshade, Nocturnus, Staindadict, Mirage and Dan C.

Cae Jones, Gorthalen the Dragon, Bryan P, Pitermach, Slj   and guitarman help out by posting news.
Cx2 is a long standing forum member who used to work both as a mod and database maintainer, but for his own reasons decided to step down from this position in late 2011, still you'll find some game entries that are his work.

Lukas also served as a moderator and news poster, but as of 2016 has decided to relinquish this position so he can concentrate on developing his own audiogames.

4: What are the different rooms on the forum for?

@General game discussion=anything and everything to do with accessible games. Opinions, reviews (audio or text), requests for help with particular games, requests for help with research advice etc. The only game related stuff that doesn't belong in general discussion are topics that directly relate to newly released or discovered accessible games, or topics discussing coding and game development in extreme technical detail.

@New releases room=Any new releases of accessible games to be downloaded, found on portable devices or played online. muds, audio games, or screen reader friendly games such as interactive fiction. If it's an accessible game and a new release, a new version of an accessible game, or indeed a new discovery this is where to announce it and invite new players.

@Development room=Any particularly technical questions or discussion on game development, programming languages, game engines etc including code examples.

@Off topic room=Anything not to do with games. Favourite books or music, non game related computer questions, discussions of vi issues or random plots to devour other members belong here.

@Ag news room=A room for important news in the world of audio games. News posters are the only people allowed to post topics in this area, though anyone is allowed to reply to those topics with comments. The news posted here also appears on the front of the main site, hence why the posting of topics is restricted.

@Articles room=A room for posting more formal articles about accessible games, anything from walkthrus or guides to reviews. Topics may not be replied to in this area. For more information on the articles room see The articles room faq found here

@Site and forum feedback=Any questions or suggestions about the site or forum, including reports of broken links in the database, requests for name changes, or things you'd like to see audiogames.net doing in the future.

@Exclusive audio games=A place for the specific discussion of games developed and hosted on the audiogames.net site. These include Drive, it's dutch counterpart Sneller, the Curb game, the demo of Extant and all the flash games in the playcenter developed by dutch students studdying game design.

@Registration=Where new members can introduce themselves in order to prove their not spambots and have the restricted status removed from their accounts.

5: What are moderators??

Moderators are there to keep order on the forum. Make sure discussions stay the right side of friendly, step in if someone is being insulted or if people are engaged in behaviour which harms audiogames and audiogame development.

While all of our moderators are also members of the forum and gamers too, when acting in official capacity as moderators, they are acting on behalf of the community, and therefore anything they say officially should be taken seriously.
Moderators do reserve the right to warn or even ban members from the forum who go against the rules too often, though generally they try to keep things friendly and will only start moderating officially when it becomes absolutely necessary.
That being said, please respect the moderators and their decisions. Remember that all  of our site staff are unpaid volunteers who put in a large amount of time and effort purely out of a love of games and a desire to help the community. So, while your quite free to question the site or the way it is run, please keep such questions reasonable, and remember that we’re just trying to do our best here.

6: Hay, my topic got moved!

Moderators reserve the right to move around any topics that look like they're in the wrong place, like if you posted about a new game in general Game discussion or about something none game related outside the Offtopic room.

7:What are the rules for this forum?

Most important rules are covered in this faq, but a further explanation can be found HEre in the forum rules section , but broadly speaking be nice to each other, don't  steal developers work and don't make offtopic or irrelevant posts in the wrong places. Apart from that just have fun.

8: Am I allowed to disagree with other people on the forum?

Yep, go ahead, differences of opinion and good reasoned discussions are what this sort of community is all about. The only rule is keep it civil, and keep the discussion about the issues rather than getting personal.

Saying that you think such and such a view is wrong, or that you don't agree because of so and so is fine, but saying that everything a person says is terrible, calling a person an idiot or something more insulting or saying a certain person is just useless is not.

9: I think someone is insulting me, what should I do?

Beneath each post is a "report" link. Click on this, fill in the reason on the form, and the moderators will be alerted to the offending post and take whatever action they think necessary. Do not! insult them back, that way leads to massive arguements and flame wars.

Anyone who insults someone else or incites an argument, no matter what another person said to them may be warned or worse by the moderators.

10: Someone swore!

Though this board used to try and regulate some bad language, we've come to the conclusion that free speech is a much better idea, as well as being easier to maintain. So, as long as someone isn't insulting you personally but simply using words that they may consider okay even if you don't, please try to show some toleration.

11: Can I get a copy of a commercial audio game without paying for it?

Absolutely not! Anyone found trying to steal audio games without paying the game's developer, will be in serious trouble.
It doesn't matter if this is with a crack, downloading of a pirated copy from a website or ftp, using cloned hardware or whatever. The Audiogames.net forum exists to promote accessible games, anyone stealing games from developers goes directly against what we're trying to do.

12: But why is pirating or cracking games bad? ---- after all I don't have the money to afford those expensive games.

Whereas mainstream graphical games on consoles like the Xbox or Wii are produced by companies who can put millions into development, audio games are produced only by small independent companies, often just one person working on his/her own. Apart from all the time and trouble spent writing the game itself, (time which the developer would much rather likely be spending doing other work or leisure type things), producing accessible games costs! people money. Buying sounds, hiring voice actors, buying development libraries, none of these are free.

Though some devs do! produce free games, or exist on donation only this is their choice, and they still have the problem of how they finance their development.

indeed, most of the best sounding and landmark accessible games we've seen have been commercial.

Since very few people will be buying accessible games, every dollar/pound/euro counts, so stealing the game rather than paying for it really and seriously! threatens the developers' ability to create more games in the future.

Remember, all our developers work part time, in their spare time on accessible games and usually will not make much of a prophet, indeed it's doubtful whether anyone could! even make enough to support themselves through developing and selling accessible games.

For all of these reasons, audiogames.net is totally, utterly and absolutely against all theft of accessible games, and anyone found asking for, giving out, or in any way associated with game piracy will very likely be banned from the forum.

13: What is a private message?

A Private message is a direct private communication between two members, sort of like an e-mail accept that it is on the forum. You can read any private messages you have by checking the "Private messages" link at the top of each forum page. Bare in mind that you won't know what new messages you have until you check the link so make sure to check regularly.

14: I found a private message that went against the rules, what should I do?

If you receive a private message from someone else that goes against the rules, either by insulting you, or by requesting, or indeed offering a way to get a commercial game for free, please copy the message and send a private message about it to one of the moderators who will take any needed action.

Private messages are private and won't normally be read by anyone accept the sender and recipient, however this doesn't mean people can use them as an excuse for behaviour that wouldn't be allowed elsewhere on the forum either.

15: I got banned from an online game, can I ask the creator to remove my ban sinse she/he is also on the forum?

The creators and moderators of online games are members of this forum just like anyone else, and deserve the same consideration when they're here. Constant complaints about having been banned from a game, or  pestering that a ban be lifted (either by private message or in the forum), therefore can very much become insulting behaviour. Such things aren't allowed on the forum, especially sinse such complaints tend to lead to very unpleasant arguements and bad feelings.

If you've been banned and you believe it was unfair, a single, polite request to the game's moderator will do far more than a dozen complaining messages on the forum, also accept that when a moderator or developer says no, that is an end to it and continuing to hassle them about a ban is more likely to have the opposite effect, as well as possibly getting you in trouble on this forum as well.

Equally however, the moderators take no responsibility for what someone else may or may not have done on an online game and can only take note of what happens on the forum. Thus, saying such and such a person was causing trouble on a given game means nothing if they've caused no problems here.

16: But the moderator of such and such a game is also a moderator on this forum?

Whatever a moderator does off the forum, that doesn’t effect what happens here, or visa versa. All moderators have been chosen because of their capacity to act impartially. This means, if a moderator of an online game is also a moderator on this forum, what they do in one place has nothing to do with what they do elsewhere.

Also, note that all moderator decisions are made on a case by case basis, so what might have happened on the forum at one time in one case, does not have any baring on what might happen on a completely different game at another time with a different set of people.

17: How do I find new posts and topics?

The "new" link will always tell you the most recently replied to topics or new posts, either in a specific room on the forum, or more generally.

18: How do I reply to topics?

There are three ways to add a reply to an existing topic. First is to use the "post reply" link which can be  found both before and after the display of all the posts in that topic, using this will take you to a separate reply screen where you can take time composing your reply.

The second, and probably easiest way, is to simply go down to the edit area at the bottom of the screen (hit e in most screen readers), type your reply, then tab to the "submit" button.

The third is for when you want to directly quote what someone else has said in a message, use the "quote" links found  under each post of the topic.
Using these opens a screen with the message you quoted already written in with the correct bbcode (for more on bbcode see post 25, though of course if you want to quote someone else you could always just copy and paste the text and  the bbcode yourself in the quick reply box.

19: Should I quote other people's posts  when replying to topics?

Because most people on this board use screen readers and listen to rather than visually scan information, the common net practice of always using the quote function to have the entire previous message quoted in your reply is not a good idea here. After all, people have already read their own message, and all quoting the entire thing  manages to do usually is to force people  to sit  through hearing their own message again when they would rather be reading your reply.

So, if your just writing a general reply it's usually wiser to use one of the other two reply options.
To address your remarks specifically to someone (likely a previous poster), usually it's best to simply put an at sign and the poster's name.

For example:

"@Peter, yes, now I am talking to you.
@Mary, I was talking to peter just then now I'm talking to you."

Of course there are occasionally still times you might want to  a few things from a previous post to provide a more nuanced answer, and that is what the quote function is there for.

As a rough guide, if your quoting an entire previous  message rather than specific parts of it, you should probably just reply straight out instead.

20: Can I reply to topics via e-mail?

No. This is a web forum and is intended to be access through the net. The most you can do is use the "subscribe" link at the bottom of each topic to have an e-mail notification sent to you when someone replies to a topic, but you'll still need to come onto the forum to reply directly yourself.

If you would prefer to use e-mail rather than a web forum, it's recommended that you visit https://groups.io/g/blind-gamers and sign up for the Blind gamers mailing list for discussion of accessible games, which communicates entirely by e-mail.

21: What is offtopic posting?

Off topic posting means posting something that has nothing to do with whatever topic your posting in. Thus if someone has asked a question about the Swamp game, asking a question about Jim Kitchin's pong game in the middle would be offtopic.

Of course, the flow of discussion can change, for instance a discussion about Swamp could lead to a discussion of first person games and then a discussion of Shades of doom and Terraformers, which is absolutely fine.

However as a rule of thumb, if your posting something which has nothing to do with the previous post in the topic, then it is probably an off topic post and belongs in a new topic. In fact if in any doubt, just create a new topic and post your comments there (it's not as if we have a limited amount of them).

22: Can I create a new thread on the forum or do I have to revive an old one?

There is certainly no rule that says you can only discuss things in a given topic. Just because there is a huge swamp topic about the game in the New Releases room doesn't mean  you can't create a new topic with your swamp question.

There are of course some occasions, say when discussing a new development of a previously played game, where going back to an old thread might be a good idea, but generally if in doubt create a new one instead, (it is not as if we have a limited supply of them).

23: If I reply to a news post how does it affect the news on the front of site?

Not at all. The News room is the one place on the forum where most recently replied to topics don't get bumped up to the top of the list, so that the most recent news is always on the front of the site. So feel free to reply to what you wish, though bare in mind since topics don't change places if you reply to a very old news post it is possible people might miss your reply.

24: What languages can I use on this forum?

Only English I'm afraid, since that's the only language all the moderators  share, ---- not to mention everyone else on the forum (you'll be much more likely to get a response if everyone can understand what you are talking about).
using Google translator or any other translation tools though to get your posts into English is absolutely fine.

We would ask people to remember that though everyone is expected to post in English, not everyone on the forum has English as their first language, (indeed this is one of the most multinational forums on the net). So, if someone's English is obviously less than perfect, we ask people to please be patient and understanding.

25: What is spam, and what are spambots?

Sadly common on the net these days, but just in case you’re a newbie, spam means pointless and rubbishy messages, usually advertising some crummy or possibly even criminal products and offering links to extremely dodgy websites full of viruses, spyware and other nasty stuff.

Spambots are automated programs that register on forums and try to post these dodgy advertising type links, often they will try to pretend to be normal users, though usually it's very easy to tell that they aren't.
It's to try and stop these nasty programs posting to the forum that we  ask members to please introduce themselves so we can be sure they're actual human beings.

26: I found a post that I think is spam, what should I do? Should I report it?

All the moderators are on a constant patrol for spam on the forum, and will delete spam posts and kick spambots off. Most of the time all reporting spam posts will do is give the moderators the extra job of deleting the report as well as dealing with the spam.

however, if you think the moderators may have missed the spam, ie, it is more than 24 hours since it was posted on the forum, then feel free to report it.

Hopefully the system of requiring new member introductions will drastically cut down on these annoyances.

27: What is bbcode and how do I use it?

Bbcode is code to do special things in your posts, like adding links, headings,quotes of previous posts and other such fancy stuff, (some of it's uses can bseen in this faq). A full explanation and examples can be Found here.

Remember though that since most people on the forum use screen reading programs, certain bbcode functions like changing text colour or inserting italics or lists might be a little pointless.

28: Can I change my username?

you can't change your username directly, however you can ask the admins to change it for you. This is done to stop members changing their usernames too often and causing general confusion.
If you would like your username changed, just go to This topic and post a reply. Be sure to include both your current name and exactly what you want your name changed to, eg, "Can you please change my name from Average Jo 72 to exciting Edward 39" so that there is a record of what your name was before and after the change.

Bear in mind, that while the staff are happy to change people's user names, we won't do it too often or reverse a change once made without a very good reason, since as has been said, too many changes can be confusing to other members. So think very carefully before requesting your username be changed since your unlikely to get it changed again.

29: What is user Karma?

Karma in this case is just like public reputation (you'll see it under your name). If someone has done something you like, or think is especially helpful, funny or informative, click the "thumbs up" button to increase their Karma as a way of saying thank you. Not really for anything other than a bit of fun, and so shouldn't be taken too seriously.
There is no way of decreasing a person's Karma, it will only ever go up.

30: What are these ranks that appear under people's names?

Under a posters' name you'll see their rank. This is simply a measure of how many posts they've made on the forum. When you reach a certain number of posts, your rank will change to a higher one. The first change of rank happens at 25 posts, the second at 100, the third at 200 and every one or two hundred posts after that, so the way to get a higher rank is to be active on the forum, though posting lots of one word posts or anything that could be considered filler just to increase your post count probably isn't a good idea as it will irritate other members and likely get you in trouble with the moderators.

The names of ranks are all puns on popular and well known audio games both old and new which can be found in the site database, for instance the first rank "Shades of newbie" refers to the Gma games audio fps Shades of doom, while the second "Galaxy stranger" refers to the Vip gameszone stratogy action game galaxy ranger. A complete list of all the site ranks, how many posts you need to get them and what games they're from can be found at the bottom of this faq.

31: What is a poll and how do I create one?

A poll is a great way to gain information about people's general feeling on a given question, by having an actual vote on the answer. Creating one is simple. When you write a new topic, after the text areas for writing your topic's title and the first post, there will be a text field for your poll's actual question, and two text fields for options such as Yes and no, or Agree and disagree. You can however have more choices for people to vote on, sinse beneath these fields is a "number of options" box with the number 2 already written in it. To add more , write the number of options you want to have in your poll in that box instead, then hit the button that says "update poll"

Just remember to do this before you start writing in the text fields for options sinse once you hit "update poll" any text there is deleted. You need to fill in all the options, since any options without text won't show up.

After you've finished with your options, there are two boxes to set limits on your poll so that it doesn't go on forever. You can type into the two boxes either a maximum total number of votes the poll will have before it closes, or a maximum time length in days the poll will run. You do however need to fill in one or other of these limits, or the poll won't be created.

When that's done hit submit topic as usual, and now when people view your topic there will be radial buttons to select at the top for whatever options you created, and a vote button. Once people (including yourself), have voted, you'll see the total number of votes that have been made in the poll and how many people chose each option.

32: So no posting about audio game cracks, but what about links to download free music or audiobooks?

Broadly speaking posting links to download music, audiobooks or other material without paying is out on the forum since it risks getting us into legal trouble, however note as there is some ambiguity in several cases (such as audio described films, while its something we’re generally not in favour of, it probably wouldn’t earn an instant ban the way stealing audiogames would, we are a games forum after all.

A good rule of thumb, if its available to buy commercially somewhere you shouldn’t be posting ways of getting it for free on the forum.
However, posting links to sites such as www.podiobooks.com or www.songplanet.com that actually promote! free audio books and music is very much welcome in the offtopic room.

33: Can I post practice games, or alpha or beta versions of games?

Absolutely, people on the forum are likely to be a useful source of feedback and suggestions. Bear in mind though practice games might not be suitable for the database or news see The database guidelines for more details

34: I just got this code off the internet and used it to make a game, can I post about it on the forum?

We are absolutely against stealing from audiogame developers in this community, and stealing their code is no exception. If a developer asserts that a game is using stolen code then the person who posts about that game is in severe trouble.

On the other hand, we are not coding experts or cyber investigators, so wild accusations of code theft probably won’t be believed unless they come from the developer who wrote that code in person.

Of course, if a developer gives permission for part of their code to be used, or if a developer makes their code open source and thus available to anyone to use and modify as they wish, then no problem.

35 What about stealing game ideas?

So long as you code it yourself, no problem, indeed since there is probably no genre of audiogame that we don’t need more of, deciding to create a similar game to a previously released title is absolutely fine, though of course the more individual flair you can give your games, the more likely you are to have people play them.

36: Can I discuss mainstream games?

Yes, certainly, however note that unless a game is fully accessible, i.e., playable by a blind person with approximately the same amount of effort as a sighted person, it won't be getting any news on front of site or a database entry. It is therefore a good idea to let people know specifically when you’re talking about a playable mainstream game (especially on a console), or otherwise you may have to answer lots of questions about where people can download it.

You should also reserve topics in the New releases room for newly released accessible! games only.

37: Can I discuss games that need a screen reader?

Certainly. Muds, interactive fiction, browser games, gamebooks etc are all absolutely fine so long as they're screen reader accessible.

38: Can I discuss games that need a specific! screen reader such as Jaws?

Yes, however please bear in mind people on this site use a number of screen readers, so might not be too pleased if a game only works with one program. Please try to show tolerance for other people's choices and be as helpful as you can in getting games to work with their preferred screen readers.

39: Can I discuss games for other operating systems than Windows?

Absolutely. Accessible computer games on anything from Microsoft Windows to a pocket calculator! are welcome here. News and the database tends to be mostly about Windows or Ios games, but that's partly because as still the most common operating system Windows has the most accessible games on it, although other systems like Ios and Android are getting increasingly more, and partly because most of the people who write the news and database are Windows and Ios users themselves, so it's a little hard to test games for other systems.

40: Why isn't game X in the Database?

There could be three reasons why a certain game doesn't have a page on the site database.

Firstly, it doesn't come up to the Database submission guidelines, see here for details

Second, We simply do not know that the game exists (though very likely would appreciate hearing about it).

Or third, We know about the game, but haven't got around to either playing it or writing an entry for it yet. There are not too many of us, and the number of accessible games I'm pleased to say is growing all the time, so please be patient.

41: Why isn't there some news about game x?

Pretty much the same answer as the last question, though we try to write news as quickly as possible so as to be up-to-date with what's going on in accessible games, one reason we have several members who's specific job it is to supply the site with news.

42: I am currently developing a game, can you add a page for it to the site database?

As long as there is something which people can download and play, an entry may be created for the game, even if it has to be under the "demo" license type for a bit and updated when the game is released.

We won't however post entries to any games that don't have something playable and are only announced as "in development" At one time, the database was full of pages to announced games which had never actually materialized, which sat there for many years and eventually had to be removed which was obviously not a good state of affairs.
We will however be glad to post news about your game under development if it seems newsworthy.

43: Where can I find game x?

First off, try looking in the database. This can be found on the dropdown list at the bottom of the main page of www.audiogames.net. If you don't find the game there, try the list of "fantastic games and where to find them" over at www.pcsgames.net.
If it is an online game, you could try the games to play online list on www.whitestick.co.uk, and if the game is on Ios or Mac you could also try Applevis.com a great resource for all things Apple, games included.

If you can't find it in any of these places, then feel free to ask on the forum since someone else might have heard of it, or it might simply not have been added to the database yet. However please check before asking, since while forum members are always happy to point people in the right direction, a lot of work goes into maintaining the site database (and indeed the other game resources such as Pcs games list. Game pages on the site also have additional information and explanations of each game which could prove useful. Then of course, browsing the different game resources will also give you an idea of what games are on offer more generally and might point you in the direction of an unexpected treasure.

44: I am looking for games in genre x, can you help?

Using the Search Games function found here you can search the games in the database by genre, license type, and whether they are text, sound or have graphics as well as more commonly by keyword.

45: When will game x be released?

Most, if not all audio game developers write games in their spare time, not as a full time job. this means they have to squeeze development in around employment, family, leasure and everything else in life. For this reason, most audio game developers are simply not able to give absolutely precise dates for when a given game will be out, indeed many are afraid to sinse if anything got in the way of them releasing by that day, they'd be breaking a promise and letting people down. So the usual answer to when a given game is released is simply "when it's ready"

Of course, if an extremely! long period of time has passed without any word from the developr, ---- at least a year, that might be the point to start making polite enquiries, but most of the time all asking about release dates will do is tie up a developr writing answers when they could be writing game code.

Needless to say, at whatever point a game is released we'll write some news about it, and the dev themselves may well post a topic in the New releases room too.

46: Is there a new version of game x?

If a game gets an update, odds are there will be some news about it on the front of the site and in the Agnet news room, or if not, one of our members will post about it in the New releases room. While it is always possible there has been an update we might have missed, we do check fairly frequently, plus as the major centre for discussion of audio and other accessible games on the net, if a developer updates their game it's likely they will post a topic about it in the New releases room of the forum, where upon we'll post some news.
thus no news usually means no new version. Of course, on devices such as Ios and Android this is not an issue sinse new versions and updates can be tracked directly through the Ap store or similar.

All the games who's download links are posted in the database are to the best of our knowledge, the latest versions, and you can always use the "webpage" link in the games' entry to go to the games' homepage and check for yourself.

Of course, should you find out about a new version of an accessible game we may have missed, or a version in the database that is not the latest, definitely let us know so that we can write some news and update the Database.

47: What do the genre types and license types in the database mean?

Go Here for an explanation of game genres and Here for an explanation of license types

48: What does the favourites function do?

It's a way for people to list their favourite games, and for visitors to see who likes what game. Just use the "add this game to your favourites" link, but bear in mind you need a forum account for it to work. More community functions are hopefully  going to be added in the future, but such changes wait on Richard and Sander.

49: The database link to game X is broken, can you fix it?

Audiogames.net doesn't actually host any of the games, we just post links on where to download them from another website (usually the developer's), the same way we post links to developers' WebPages and other resources.

So if a link is down, it either means the developer has redesigned his/her site, changed the links for the game in some way, or taken the site and game down permanently. In the first case, it's of course easy to fix, if however the game has been utterly removed there isn't a lot we can do unless someone else is willing to host the game (we don't host games on the site other than the playcenter ones).

Of course, another very helpful resource for links to many older or abandoned titles is the very awesome Audiogames archive site found here From which many of the download pages to older games in the db come.

Nevertheless, whether it is a new or old game, please let us know by posting in the Site and forum feedback area about broken links, and we'll do anything we can.

50: Game X isn't being sold anymore and the site is gone, are we allowed to post a crack then?

Unless a developer says that the game is abandon ware, ie, that they have washed their hands of the game, aren't working on it anymore and don't want anything to do with it, nobody can legally post it even if it's no longer being sold.

Besides, there have been cases of games which apparently! were gone from the net making a comeback.

51: Can feature x be added to the database?

Unfortunately only Richard and sander have access (or indeed the skills), to edit the underlying way the database works. thus any suggestions about changes to the structure of the site or game database need to be addressed to them, and bear in mind they are both extremely busy with their research and with promoting game access.

52: Can I be a moderator/news poster/contribute to the database?

All staff positions are pretty much invite only. The best way to show yourself fit for such a position is be an active and contributing member of the forum, posting coherently and reasonably, then should we need another person we'll be more likely to have you in mind.

53: Why are dark's news posts so insane?

Believe it or not, this is a frequently asked question.
There are two reasons, either might be true. Either it is because Dark tries to write humorous and eye catching news posts to appear at the front of site to show the world in general that accessible games are actually pretty good fun, or because Dark is just a loony!

54: Who are the Agnet cyberelves?

not really a frequently asked question, but for any newbies who might be wondering, the Agnet house elves were a group of highly abused creatures (possibly all products of Dark's deranged imagination), who reputedly were whipped (quite literally), into shape by Dark to do all the work on the db.

Recently however according to Dark, they have undergone cyber conversion and are now cyber elves.

Of course, as indicated in the previous question, Dark's sanity is of doubtful quality, and this might well mean his judgement on such matters as the existence of cyberelves, or indeed his ability to competently manage such creatures (if they do exist), in a decent and fair minded way are both highly doubtful.


List of site ranks

Shades of Newbie, 0 posts, from Shades of doom by Gma games.

Galaxy stranger, 25 posts, from Galaxy ranger by Vipgameszone.

Kitchin golfer, 100 posts, from the Golf game by the late great Jim Kitchin of Kitchisinc.

Business monkey, 200 posts, From Monkey business by Draconis entertainment.

Hero caller, 300 posts, from A hero’s call by out of site games.

Kingdom crafter, 400 posts, from Crafting Kingdom by metalpop.

Dark matter miner, 500 posts, from Cosmic rage by Nathan tech.

Entombinator, 600 posts, from Entombed by Driftwood games.

Red potter, 700 posts, from Redspot by Sam tupy productions.

Human antivirus, 800 posts, from Adventure at C: by Vgstorm.

Altered being, 900 posts, from Alter aeon by Dentin mud.

Swamp Machine, 1000 posts, From Swamp by Aprone.

Hunter grunt, 1200 posts, From Hunter by Bsc games.

Playroom playboy, 1400 posts, from Quentin C playroom by Quentin C.

Tank Compadre, 1600 posts, From Tank Commander by Gma games.

Sarah's social circle, 1800 posts, From Sarah by Pcs games.

Troopanum trooper, 2000 posts, From Troopanum by Bsc games.

Outbackstranaught, 2200 posts, from Alien outback by Draconis entertainment.

Judge of the day, 2400 posts, from Judgement day by Lworks.

Pragmatic party professional, 2600 posts, from Crazy party by Pragma.

Kirtwolf cubscout, 2800 posts, from Kirtwolf by Breakerbox games.

Applied piper, 3000 posts, From pipe by Bsc games.

Blastbay tool user, 3200 posts, From Blastbay game toolkit by Blastbay games.

Master of Mana, 3400 posts, from manamon by Vgstorm.

Terra performer, 3600 posts, From terraformers by Pin interactive.

3D tenacity, 3800 posts, from the now unavailable 3d velocity by Bpc programs.

Packman's penpal, 4000 posts, from Packman talks by Gma and Pcs games.

Palace punisher, 4200 posts,  from palace punchup by Blastbay games.

Stellar beater, 4400 posts, from Beatstar by Oriol Gomez.

Sound Stratogist, 4600 posts, from Sound rts by Jean Paul pontico.

Clicker captain, 4800 posts, from Merry clickmas by Digital chestnut.

Light cardinal, 5000 posts, from Light cars by lighttech interactive.

Pappa Sangre's plaything, 5200 posts, from papa sangre by Somethin else.

knight of parrasite, 5400 posts, from Night of parasite by chinese developer Francis Wolf.

Cygnus A, 5600 posts, from Codename Cybnus by Reactive studios inc.

Pinball Xpert, 5800 posts, from Esp pinball Xtreme by DRaconis.

Dragon king, 6000 posts, from King of dragon pass by Asharp.

Solara Sovereigne, 6200 posts, from Solara by the currently inactive espa labs.

Fainting adventurer, 6400 posts, from The Adventure to fate games by Touchmint.

Gate keeper, 6600 posts, from The gate by Vg storm.

God of speed, 6800, from Top speed by Playing in the dark.

7th code hacker, 7000 posts, From Code 7 by good wolf studio.

Paladin in disguise, 7200, from paladin of the skies by Vg storm.

Rale Highness, 7400 posts, from the currently missing Rail racer by Blind adrenaline simulations.

Struck with psychosis, 7600 posts, from Psycho strike by Vg storm.

dark ruminant, 7800 posts, from A dark room by Amir rajin.

Generous angel, 8000, from Angel gift by Erionsoft.

Grand inquisitor, 8200 posts, from the inquisitor games by Audio It.

A kind of legend, 8400 posts, from A blind legend by DOWiNO.

Tyrant of conflict, 8600 posts, from Time of conflict by Gma games.

Lunimalitic, 8800 posts, from Lunimals by Aprone.

9th Duke, 9000 posts, from Q9 by Blastbay games.

Awsome you, 9800 posts, From Awesome homer by the late and definitely awesome Jim Kichin.

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)