Frans P. de Vries

TrackMania Nations / TrackMania Forever / TrackMania² Activities:

• Developing the XASECO server controller for TMF/TMN/TMS/TMO and its XASOCO2 counterpart for TM².
• Hosting and maintaining the XAseco.org website with extensive information on the above server controllers as well as many related topics, tools and links.
• Providing hub pages for TMN, TMF, TM², and SMS information.
• Managing Dedimania data and the TMF global blacklist. Formerly also Dedimania2 data and the TM² global blacklist.
• Hosting the TMN rounds server Smooooth Tracks and the TMNF time-attack server StadiuMania.

Blue's News Activities:

• System administrator and programmer.
• News editor, filemeister and proofreader (retired).

Doom Wiki Activities:

• Contributor.
• Analyzed map view image generation and improved the Omgifol script drawmaps.py.

Former 3DGamers.Com & Gamers.Org Activities:

• Co-founded (in 1996) and maintained 3D Gamers (until February 2007), the most comprehensive download site for 3D Games in all game categories, with official demos, patches, screenshots, movies and other relevant files collected per game title for a comfortable overview.
• Back-up and side-kick in sysadmin-related tasks on both sites.

Former Walnut Creek (ftp.cdrom.com) Activities, now hosted at Gamers.Org Community Archives:

• Backing up Ty on the maintenance of /pub/idgames (Doom Archive).
• I maintained the idgames archive from December 1995 til February 1997.
• Also used to maintain the /pub/idgames2 (Quake Archive) and /pub/unreal (Unreal archive), now both dormant.

Former Newsgroup Activities:

• Supported the Rec.Games.Computer.Doom newsgroups from their creation in November 1994 through 1999. Here are the regularly posted articles that I maintained:
  • DOOM: Rec.Games.Computer.Doom FAQ (there is also an HTML version)
  • DOOM: Other 3D Action Games FAQ (there is also an HTML version)
• Another regularly posted article for these groups is maintained by JVE:
  • DOOM: FTP and WWW Sites (there is also an HTML version)

Historical Stuff:

• In December 1998, on occasion of DOOM's fifth birthday, I wrote a brief account of the history of the DOOM ASCII logo and related works, as well as the until-then-unpublished id Software ASCII logo.
• Back in 1995, I developed DMPSMU, the DooM PostScript Maps Utility, which, as the name implies, allows you to print PostScript maps of DOOM, DOOM II, Ultimate DOOM and Heretic levels. Download here (199 KB).
• Also in 1995, I developed DMTXLS, a DooM TeXtures LiSter, which allows you to generate cross-reference lists of the wall textures and flats used in levels in DOOM, DOOM II, Ultimate DOOM and Heretic. Download here (110 KB).
• During 1994, I contributed a variety of info to Hank Leukart's DOOM and DOOM II FAQ, including the aforementioned ASCII logo.
• Further back, in 1993, I created a set of plain-ASCII maps for Wolfenstein 3-D and Spear of Destiny. Download here (65 KB). These maps were printed by the WMAP program (16 KB) using definition files also created by me. Download here (9 KB).
• My very first Internet activities in 1993 consisted of a series of contributions to Stan Stasiak's Wolfenstein 3-D and Spear of Destiny FAQ, later maintained by Adam Williamson.

Online Friends :-)

• John Van Essen, my oldest friend, in both senses of the word.
• Piotr Kapiszewski, another long-time friend, usually way too busy with real-life chores.
• Matthias Rauhut, watch out - he'll patch you right up. And your game too.
• Ty Halderman (R.I.P.), all-around DOOM busy-body and purveyor of TeamTNT-ities.
• Stephen Heaslip, master of the Blue-colored news universe.
• Jason Bergman, the looniest webmaster around.
• Raphaël Quinet, coding buff and master of everything DEU. Gimpy kinda guy, too.
• Gilles Masson, the FASTest TrackManiac.