I'm seriously thinking of creating my own version of FileFront for video games I like (not just Quake 3). I'm thinking of having a forum on the side too for discussion and support. But the main event would be having sections for each game that link to other sites such as GameFront or elsewhere where the actual files would be located, and on the front fun things such as a "Picture of the Day" section for people to upload funny or cool screenshots of the game in question. There would be a forum for people to discuss things too.

I was originally considering using phpBB for this purpose, but I've seen people say that website format can't really be designed for what I'm thinking of. Also that it keeps all uploads and attachments in one place and can't store much.

Could the current version of phpBB be used for what I'm seeking to do, or would I have to go with a different one? Or would I have to make my own site from scratch? I am considering this because there are a lot of cool (now) old games that I like that I want to generate support for, but I want to be the one laying out the framework for it.

@KommissarReb (SW12) - The best starting point would be to start with a crappy but stable old PC running Linux or FreeBSD (or Windows Server if you are really brave) in your house as a development server.

Next, get familiar with this set up and how to run a web server.

Now on to the fun stuff:

• Install someone else's code / package / application and see if you can make it do what you want.
• Or, write some code and build your own.

Another option; use a Google Sheet and Google Drive or OneDrive or Mega or Dropbox to host the downloads. At the very least you could keep track of stuff with a Google Sheet while you start to work out the real website.

Hey Tig. I know this is a necropost, but I didn't want to have forgotten all the info you provided above. I created my own site here: yoldskoolgamers.community.forum/ and am still trying to get things set up. I plan on making a button for adding maps and mods, as well as scripted buttons for staff members to use that have things such as warnings and reports already formatted to save time.

If you are interested, I can make you an admin if you make an account there since I trust you and you have good knowledge on web development.

@KommissarReb (SW12) - Looking like the start of an old school style website - that seems to be a lot like what you were wanting to do. Well done.

Now for the hard work, adding the content. :)

Thanks for the kind words of trust and the offer of Admin rights. I'll lurk your site for sure, but no need to add me as an Admin. I am stretched for time as it is!

@Tig: Thank you! No pressure, I'm not in a particular rush. I just thought I'd look to you for advice since you seem better versed in web development than I am. 😁

Hey @KommissarReb (SW12), it's good to see you're still around (and @Tig too). Nice work getting your site up and going, I think it's cool that you care about a lot of those older games enough to create a site to support them. I used to use FileFront a fair bit before ..::LvL, though I was a bit too young to get involved in anything community related at the time, so I'd be interested to see how that aspect of things works out. I'll keep an eye on your site as well, hopefully it works out well for you :)

@Kyall: Thank you. Feel free to create an account there, I could use the feedback and tech support. I plan on creating scripted buttons that allow users to upload reviews to custom maps and mods and such, though the actual map/mod files might have to be on an external site given the unmodified XenForo platform can only seem to handle images and videos.

I just joined the website. It would be cool to have all sorts of games on there if it gets any more popular. Like, Quake 1, 2 and 4, DM Classic, TF Classic, stuff like that. I will make the first forum post, I guess.

I just uploaded my first map here: yoldskoolgamers.co...-death-strip.1/ Eventually I want to make a button scripted so it requires certain fields to be filled out such as a levelshot (to prevent people from uploading maps/mods/etc without previews). So far I've added in custom map categories for Quake 3, but once I get the time to figure this out I can expand on it to every other game I plan on adding in.

@KommissarReb (SW12): No problem. Sorry for the delayed response, I've created an account over there last month but I haven't had a chance to post yet. I did notice an issue on the site relating to time zones though, so I'll make a post about it on the Site Feedback section when I can.

As for where to host the files, I'm not really sure what the best option for that would be, but if you are considering setting up your own personal server to host the files from, then something I would suggest is checking the RAM of the server with a memory diagnostic utility such as Memtest86+ before uploading anything. I tried transferring some files at one point using a computer where the RAM had bad blocks on it, and the files on the receiving side appeared to be corrupt. Unfortunately I don't know if the files were actually corrupt or if it was a read error, as the issues it was causing were very inconsistent and I wasn't using hash checks at the time, but it was significant enough to note it as a (possibly overlooked) factor in relation to file corruption. Understandably, that would be a big issue in terms of file integrity if not addressed, so I thought it would be worth mentioning.

If you are using software that performs verification checks on file transfers though, you should be able to avoid things like that going unnoticed :)

Assuming that's relevant of course, I'm still using Windows 7 at the moment, so I don't know how necessary that is on other operating systems.

@Kyall : Still using Windows 7? Wow! Suggest you look at one of the Linux alternatives. Linux Mint could be a good start, but there are many other options.

I absolutely despise Windows 10; it's the most unstable, poorly made OS I've ever used. I've heard bad things about Millennium Edition and Vista, but never had the chance to use either.