fortuni on 3/8/2021 at 19:29
I like your incognito idea, I never use that option but is that a permanent solution for a thread as important as MbyT? Loads of people use that thread, not just us regular community folks who may have read on some thread buried deep in he forum that the solution is go incognito, sadly no, all users expect to click on links in such threads without issue.
Aged Raver on 3/8/2021 at 20:09
I’ve only just seen this but I had no problem using Win7 and Waterfox (a Firefox type of browser). I clicked the links on MbyT and downloaded the two games (Down in the old vault and A Job Well Done) successfully 3 times each, via 3 countries (Austria, Germany, UK) using VPN. All downloaded 1st time except Down in the old vault which stalled via UK but was OK on second attempt (and the stalling may have been caused by me).
fortuni on 4/8/2021 at 16:34
Update on situation
Looks like the third party issue is spreading, I can no longer directly d/l any of the T2 conversions (Mages Tower, Lost City, Restored Cathedral, Lord Bafford's Manor) all of which are linked to Darkfate d/ls. Same problem as before, click on any of the d/l links in (
https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144797&p=2273308&viewfull=1#post2273308) OM Port section of old MbyT thread and the link just dies, but still can paste and copy into browser.
All 4 T2 conversion links in the new MbyT were working fine yesterday.
So issue no longer appears to be TP issue only might mean I'll have to fix every 3rd party link in the new MbyT thread taking links only to the FM page in Darkfate rather than the d/l page.
fortuni on 4/8/2021 at 17:01
Thought :idea:
Maybe one of you clever people can come up with an explanation, but I think I may have an idea what is causing the issue, but I have no direct solution.
When using Google Chrome all links appear to die instantly when you click onto a link in the MbyT thread or some other post, when that link is set up to immediately d/l the file, but if the link takes you to somewhere you have to click on another link to start the d/l then all is good.
Checkout the Puzzle section of the old MbyT thread
All Thief Mission links were set up to only go to the FM page as Jason asked me not to link any mission directly to the d/l as he wanted to prevent accidental d/l and thus save him bandwidth charges, but all TP links were direct set to the individual FM d/ls and they no longer work.
Similarly if you check out Darkfate the T2 conv missions only had one d/l link available so I had linked to that link for example Restored Cathedral(
https://darkfate.org/view/details/files/fan-missions/thief2/return_to_the_cathedral) here
The Darkfate links that I am using in the new MbyT thread take you to hosting site where you have to give permission to d/l the required FM, example (
https://darkfate.org/view/details/files/fan-missions/thief2/cracks_in_the_glass/Cracks_in_the_Glass_Multi5_V1.0.zip.url) Cracks in the Glass
Now check out the link for Heist at Hilbert's Hillrise Hotel in the old MbyT thread, another Darkfate link, click on that link and it take you a Gdrive site but to download the file you have to click on the download button google requests of you.
I'm guessing Google is now introducing some sort of preventative measure to stop accidental d/ls and so saving hosting sites bandwidth and money.
If I'm right I very much doubt if we can do any thing, but this would explain why copying and pasting into ones browser works as you are then making a direct d/l request.
Hope that all made sense.
Solution would be never to use any link from now on that attempts a direct d/l and that would also include when posting in the forum when someone asks for a link that works.
Galaer on 4/8/2021 at 17:02
I guess problem may be about links to direct downloads, because link to TDS City Project works fine, but it just links to Dark Fate site with 2 download links to choose. Other links to Dark Fate and Taffers Paradise are direct downloads. No idea why is this happening.
Edit: I read about this and looks like baeuchlein may be correct. This may really be problem with Google Chrome. From what I read Google Chrome blocks non-secure downloads from HTTP websites. And I just noticed that both Taffers Paradise and these not working links to Dark Fate are non secure websites.
Edit 2: I read that the only solution is to... not use Google Chrome. What the hell is going on with this world?
Edit 3: This is link to (
https://www.darkfate.org/view/details/files/fan-missions/thief2/mage_towers/t2magetowers25.zip) Mage Towers from Dark Fate. Like you see it works. The reason for that is because Dark Fate is currently secured website, but link from MbyT thread are linking to non secured website of Dark Fate (it was probably non secure when links have been created).
Edit 4: (
https://www.taffersparadise.co.uk/thief2mission/Waterlogged.zip) link, (
https://www.taffersparadise.co.uk/thief2mission/Bathhouse.zip) link. First link is from Taffers Paradise to Waterlogged mission. I just changed http to https and when I clicked warning showed up, so I chose to enter non secure website and download worked. 2nd link is to TP again with the same change (https instead of http), but to Bath House. When I clicked into it warning didn't show up and I could normally download content.
Aged Raver on 5/8/2021 at 11:33
Going back to Leozero’s original post …
Has Archive.org been considered for the storage of Thief FM games? I know it's a bit slow, but at least as a backup in case fan sites close? (Indeed it mentions
The Library of Alexandria in it’s own blurb regarding the significance of its collections, presumably implying its own reliable longevity). :)
As posted (
https://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151319&p=2474217&viewfull=1#post2474217) elsewhere archive.org already holds several original Thief Manuals and Strategy Guides and some [url=https://archive.org/search.php?query=thief+game&sin=&&and[]=mediatype%3A%22software%22]software. Its (
http://web.archive.org/web/*/thief2) Wayback machine holds early reviews of Thief around 1999 but not very complete copies of Thief fan sites (ttlg, southquarter, thiefmissions) and never seems to go deep enough to store the zip files.
As far as I can tell there are no Thief FMs, but you can store zip files, although I’m not sure if there’s a limit on their size. (I know some FM missions are a bit large, Godbreaker is 874MB). (
https://help.archive.org/hc/en-us/articles/360017788831-How-to-upload-files-to-create-a-new-item-page-) An "Item" can be created and files added or deleted by the owner so perhaps a single archive.org item could hold all FMs individually.
Just an idea, n'est-ce pas? :rolleyes:
I avoid Google like the plague but regarding the download discussion this link works OK in Waterfox (a Firefox variant). I don't know if it's a useful test for Chrome (
https://archive.org/download/thiefgld/thiefgld.zip) archive.org/download/thiefgld/thiefgld.zip
baeuchlein on 5/8/2021 at 20:32
About the download problem:
The gun has started to smoke, but stab wounds have also been found.:cheeky:
My former findings with Google Chrome were made with a somewhat outdated version of that browser, and the findings were not identical with fortuni's. Meanwhile, I have updated the Google Chrome browser to its current version, and now I have exactly the same behaviour as fortuni: When trying to download "Down in the Old Vault" or some of the T2 remakes of T1 missions via the links fortuni used, the download window immediately closes, and that's it. Direct download links from the german TTLG.DE site's download section do work, however. And if I save the HTML file displayed by a browser when looking at the FMs list fortuni linked to, and use that saved copy to start a download, it does work - so it's not just a TTLG link or URL that's the problem here.
Apparently, the Chrome browser is part of the problem (so I consider that gun a smoking one), but since the exact appearance of the problem depends on Chrome's version, I think it's possible that a bug in Chrome is one factor contributing to the download problems. The bug might just be fixed in a future version of Chrome, so it could be worth just waiting a while.
Since, however, something on the TTLG.COM site also appears to be responsible for the download problems, I think there are stab wounds in addition to our smoking gun. Something else is needed for the Chrome problem to appear, but I don't know what it is.
Maybe there should be a hint being placed in a prominent place near the download lists, saying that at the moment (August, 2021) downloads with Chrome may not work unless one copies and pastes the link into the browser. Then we could wait for a while (one month? two?) and see whether a new Chrome version comes up and makes the problem vanish again. If nothing like that happens for said while, other measures could be discussed, but until then, crossing fingers and perhaps burning animal offerings to whatever god might be considered.:)
Lord Soth on 5/8/2021 at 20:49
The only thing I can do here maybe is make all links go to the mission page for that game (T1/T2/DarkMod etc) and from there people just have to nav to the mission they want.
Another way is to have two dif links. One for chrome and one for all other browsers ?. What people think on that.
Galaer on 5/8/2021 at 21:03
The problem has already been figured out and you were correct, baeuchlein. It was all about http and https stuff. In October 2020 Google Chrome released actualization blocking direct downloads from non secured websites.
Dark Fate is currently secured website, but links from MbyT thread link to non secured version of Dark Fate. These links need to be updated.
Taffers Paradise isn't secured website, but there is trick to make these links to work. Simple change http into https. After using new link you will get warning, but if you press to enter non secured website. From now on links to Taffers Paradise will work, but only if there is https inside link. In other words, once again all links will need to be updated.
Lord Soth on 6/8/2021 at 14:57
This should be all fixed and working by next weekend.
