I know that zip-files are the most commonly spread archive-type and also the best known, but it's also the one that offers the least compression.

Perhaps you should consider to use either WinRar3 or WinAce2 compression... :unsure:
...to offer smaller downloads.

Know that smaller download means also faster download :sneaky:

I don't think it'll differ much with the filesizes abandonia offers.

It will, believe me. With the .rar-archive it can have up to 30% better compression. Imagine that on the larger archives. ;)

You'd be surprised, it does make a difference, even on small downloads:

As example a few testcases using maximum compression for all algorithms.

Testcase: Cyber Empires
ZIP: 999 KB
ACE: 879 KB
RAR: 855 KB

Testcase: Alien Carnage - Halloween Harry
ZIP: 2881 KB
ACE: 2622 KB
RAR: 2606 KB

Testcase: Freddy Pharkas
ZIP: 8935 KB
ACE: 8390 KB
RAR: 8269 KB

Testcase: Jazz Jackrabbit 2
ZIP: 43090 KB
ACE: 41298 KB
RAR: 41248 KB

Yeah. There is a big difference. Ascendancy, which will hopefully soon be added is, believe it or not, SIX (6) MB smaller when RARed!!!

However, a lot of people don't have winrar and then I would get swarmed with questions about how to unpack it... too lazy to answer such emails :P

you could add a simple note on the download page.

To Extract use winrar (download from the tools section) :sneaky:

I just use Powerarchiever, as suggested in the utlities section and as downloadable from this site, or you could offer a choice of .zip or .rar.

Offering a choice of download would solve nothing. It would actually increase the server space it takes up and there are always people who would be so dumb they would download both files just because they think you need them both. Then there are the people who would flood the forum asking which of the two files they need for their computer. Besides there is no space problem or bandwidth problem at the moment so there is no need for such action anyway.

LOL :D

It was certainly not my intention to increase bandwidth.
It is only a concern to save both my bandwidth and abandonia's :bleh:

Why download a game sized 3MB if you can download it in 2MB?

There are a lot of people who pay per connection time (modem users) / download amount (DSL fixed download limit,...), ....

I understand that but when we have to choose between those people and abandonia the choice is perhaps a selfcentred one but also an easy one.