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[PrejudiceSucks]

Ah yes, but Abandonia doesn't have Starship Troopers and that's amazing. Nor does it have JFK Reloaded (which it could have at a mere 22mb), although some people won't like that.

[Sebatianos]

Well a few more thoughts...

HOTU is so big one may have trouble finding stuff. You have to wait a long time untill you even see if the game is the right one. The title shots here at abandonia are great and really help you find the game!

HOTU has games that were made for different machines. I found C64 games (needed the emlator to play - no problem, but can be confusing). Also some HOTU archives are a real mess.

Still HOTU is missing some great games that I'd like. Can't get them there, can't get them here (and they're not ESA protected - at least not all of them). And yes, I've tried E-bay and similar - can't be obtained there either... (mostly games 20 years + of age).

I am afraid though what may happen if Abandonia grows too big <_<

[Bradley]

I used to like HOTU and then they starting having stupid very slow downloads. I didn't mind the 1 file at a time cause I used to get 100 KB/s Downloads but now it's like 10 KB/s downloads. HOTU has been in a downward slump for the last year or two.

[Danny252]

Abandonia has a good, bright layout that invites you in. It has all the stuff related to the site down the site, the updates catch your eye, the banners are either out of the way at the side, or more than a screen down so they dont disturb you. I HATE flashing banners when Im reading something.

[mouse31e]

For me, the only thing HOTU really offers is quantity. They have a huge number of games, many of which cannot be found on other sites. However, I'm put off by the banner ads and pop-ups from which I've picked up plenty of spyware/viruses.

What HOTU lacks is the personal touch that I've only ever found at Abandonia where there is a really active community and plenty of people willing to help each other out.

The other thing is that Abandonia has quality. The site is well designed and the reviews are informative and well written so you can get all the information you want about a game before you download it.

[Danny252]

At HOTU before downloading all I find out is the type of game it is, the title, company, etc. and a tiny screenshot. The review is often bad english or useless.
Thats also why i wub bandi.

[Kearnsy]

Originally posted by mouse31e@Oct 4 2005, 10:15 PM
For me, the only thing HOTU really offers is quantity. They have a huge number of games, many of which cannot be found on other sites.

This has summed up my arguement perfectly.

I only go there if Im desperate for a game that isnt on here. (only found 2 of them anyway!!!)

I thinks that it is very impersonal as well. Even with the thousands upon thousands of members theres barely anyone who wants to help you let alone talk to you!!

Plus the forum and general site layout is sooooooo much better here!!! k:

I also love the updates and the fact that this site is dedicated to Dos games [so obviously less range] but these are the games that i remember and have found that I still love.

Abandonia :wub:

[Bobbin Threadbare]

Abandonia hands down!

I raise the point again that HOTU is friggin' slow which is why I'll rarely use it.

[Timpsi]

Abandonia:

+ Nice, compact community, that is active in developing the main site
+ Easy to browse
+ Very few ads
+ Shared responsibilities
+ Active in protecting the rights of both the game producers and the retailers
+ Mostly good reviews with plenty of screenshots
- Small
- The forum is the only communication tool between the members


HOTU:

+ Excellent community with a history that goes way back, that keeps evolving in the most bizarre ways
+ Huge collection, with titles that no other site would even consider
+ Also ROMs, freeware, shareware, etc.
+ A well monitored IRC channel with a life of its own. Often the think-tank behind innovations
+ Active in protecting the rights of both the game producers and the retailers
+ Sub-categories, organization by themes, good search engine
- No shared responsibilities
- Only one screenshot per review
- Ads
- UD is damn busy

I'd also like to point out that the download rates I've got from HOTU have been around 25kb/s, and that while the site may update slow, games are being added behind the scenes, and the community is quite lively. Moreover, I never get pop-ups on HOTU; this is a matter of choice these days, with Opera and Firefox well capable of blocking 95% of all pop-ups. The ads I can tolerate, as the costs for running a popular site like HOTU are enormous.

The most problems people have with HOTU stem from the fact that they never read the FAQ, or don't understand the instructions. Also, the evil link stealers are the reason behind the complex download systems.

[Stebbi]

Well abandonia rocks it's simple and it's no warez or spy ware crap