>>1522099Kind of a strange suggestion here, but I'd highly recommend exploring some streams on Twitch and asking in those chats; you'll probably get much better answers from them than you will here. Old games are relatively niche, so most of the regulars who stream/watch them are going to be highly knowledgeable about them. Those are definitely the people to ask. If you aren't familiar with Twitch, it allows you to look up streams by game, so you can just search up all your favorite games and see what comes up. The sweet spot for active, friendly chats will be the streams with 50-150 viewers.
Might seem a bit counterintuitive to your "git gud" point, but I'd *especially* recommend competitive speedrunning streams. It's generally older games that people speedrun, and in my experience, those communities are very friendly/welcoming/helpful. They aren't overly toxic/contrarian because speedrunning is a solo challenge. So instead of the childish tribalism you see in a lot of places, you'll find it's generally more constructive and self-reflective with good attitudes and openness to discussion. And I presume that Twitch chats aren't what you have in mind, but you might end up finding some small community you really enjoy. I've had some amazingly cozy times chilling in small streams where the streamer and viewers have hours of ongoing friendly discussion, so I could definitely see that filling the void for you.
If none of that interests you, try checking out Youtube channels (or honestly maybe even subreddits) that focus on old/retro games and emulators. I wish you luck, anon.
