User talk:Fabiansummers

Removing hack information

Thank you for pointing that out. I do not wish to destroy the only hack database on the internet. I think that for most games, the hack information on Datacrystal is worthless, but any useful information should be moved before being deleted. I created Template:Migrate hacks and put it on the Mega Man II and IV pages to make that more clear. Free free to use that template where there is a list of hacks to be migrated. The reasonable single place for the data appears to be romhacking.net as they have a user-editable hack database, which offers structure that Datacrystal lacks (of course, it theoretically could be enforced with more effort). --AnyoneEB 14:45, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for your reply, and for your thoughtful consideration of my concerns. I have one more point that I'd like to bring up, although I'm not sure what we might do about it. The thing is that what set Data Crystal apart from other hacking sites and in some cases even made it superior to them was the fact that Data Crystal didn't host hack IPS patches at all, but only links to a download page or the hack authors' sites. The benefit of this approach was that it gave Western users access to information and IPS patches made by hackers in the Eastern hemisphere, allowing users to locate try these patches without having to deal with the language barrier that might otherwise keep them away. To take just one example, Data Crystal brought together in one place information and download links for a number of Megaman II hacks that were scattered in various uploaders throughout the net, such as Rockman Mindroar, Rockman 2 Chaos, and Rockman ABNormality. In addition, Data Crystal allowed for quick updates, so that if a new patch were released, users were informed about it right away, without having to struggle to find the authors' site or to find the relevant download link. RHDN is a great site, but it generally favors completed IPS patches over works-in-progress, so that much of this intriguing information, and many of the more interesting hacks never get published there. As respectful users of ROM-hacks, we cannot post other people's work without their permission, which the language barrier can make it very difficult to get. We CAN, however, link to the authors' websites, which Data Crystal has done. In this way, Data Crystal has served as a bridge between ROM hackers of the East and the West, and consolidated and made publicly available knowledge and projects that otherwise would be lost in obscurity to most people. This, I think, was Data Crystal's unique and valuable contribution to the ROM-hacking community, and I think it would be nice to find some way to preserve it, if possible. Moving some or most of the hacks to RHDN or another hacking site seems to me to be a very inadequate means to do so. Granted, many hack pages don't have working links to other sites or even hack lists; but then again, many pages don't even have the basic, detailed information of ROM maps, RAM maps, and tables that are crucial to making good ROM hacks, either. Again, I know that this is your site and I fully support your decision to stop featuring ROM hacks in favor of gathering data that hackers can use; but I wanted to bring this point to your attention and see what your thoughts might be on the matter. Thanks in advance for your consideration.--Fabiansummers 12:11, 23 July 2009 (UTC)