Empire specific game versions

[Immigrant]

I have a ton of stuff crammed up on my hard currently so when installing anything new I most often have to uninstall something. I will get a larger hard soon but anyway I don't like to waste my hard space on things I don't use or need.

Since I will (and I presume many others) play only 1 Empire exclusively I think it would be good if devs allowed us to install only thing needed for our Empire... things excluded would be other Empire's specific first person's view models and textures, empire specific music, backgrounds and everything else that falls under that same category...

I believe it would result in 2-3 gb space reduction of HD. What do you think?

[Karma]

I like the idea personally, I just can’t see it happening. :trrocks:

[RageMasterUK]

I might want to play other empires, and I'd feel wrong about not having the full game on my HD. 2-3 GB of reduction is completely irrelevant to me. I got a terrabyte so thats less than 1% of my harddrive space.

[Rago]

Would be nice to have a Purple VS Screen

Like !

Btw.:trsucks::ncsucks::vsrocks:

[Immigrant]

I might want to play other empires, and I'd feel wrong about not having the full game on my HD. 2-3 GB of reduction is completely irrelevant to me. I got a terrabyte so thats less than 1% of my harddrive space.

There should be a full version too.. that's not even in question here. 2-3 gb can be a huge amount of space for others though. If I have to choose between my music and games music always wins. I don't like to install things I won't use so I like programs/games that allow you to install thing you'll actually use only.

Install options should be like this:

1. Full version (default); XX GB
2. TR version; X GB
3. NC version; X GB
4. VS version; X GB

[Azovyr]

If you are running with 1 drive and it's that full it's gonna hurt your performance due to lack of swap space anyway, time to get a bigger hard disk or find something to delete.

Edit: forgot to mention with drives that full they can't properly be defragmented either which will further hinder performance.

[Immigrant]

If you are running with 1 drive and it's that full it's gonna hurt your performance due to lack of swap space anyway, time to get a bigger hard disk or find something to delete.

Edit: forgot to mention with drives that full they can't properly be defragmented either which will further hinder performance.

Thanks for advice, but I know all that plus tons of tricks and ways how to free up some space. Currently I have 2 drive with above 20% percent of free space on each and I never ever go below 15%. However I always keep my system clean and regularly defragment it and never keep the stuff I don't use anymore and remove everything both via automatic uninstall and manual cleanup of leftover folders and registries scattered around various place on your computer.

edit: and no matter how much more space I buy it usually ends up at upper limits in couple of months.

[Otleaz]

I really liked your idea until I realized it wasn't about changing the theme of the client to fit your faction.

[Immigrant]

I really liked your idea until I realized it wasn't about changing the theme of the client to fit your faction.

I believe OP was pretty clear. It could this include that too, but that isn't my primary concern - primary concern is giving you a choice to exclude unnecessary stuff. I believe that devs will provides different ES client themes anyway... i just want to be able to choose not to install everything since I won't use (need) 2/3 of specific stuff at all.

Also I would shorten the download time considerably if it was 2-3 gbs less.

[xnorb]

Voted "whateva"

As i'm new to Planetside i will try out different factions, so i will need the full
client anyways.
As that's something that has no impact on gameplay, i see no reason to
vote "no" :)

[NewSith]

10/1, it's not going to conserve much memory usage. Plus making it like you suggest, creates an open call for hackers to find how to play with mismatched clients. That's why my answer is /no.

Afterall (re)writable DVDs are quite cheap, I for one always copy non-retail game client installers onto discs. As a measure of saving time with download.

[Synapse]

The biggest stuff is just going to be texture files, which (cockpits aside) are pretty much needed for everyone.

I don't really see a big size difference out of this...


...which is too bad because i'm probably going ot need to uninstall everything to play. Permanently low on space.

[Jomo]

I could see this benefiting some people. I gave it a 'whateva' cause while I see the benefit to others, it's not going to really affect me since for the most part, hard drive space is pretty easy to come by.

Regardless, this should just be one client, with multiple install options if that route is considered. Everyone should always be able to have the full client, or narrow it down on installation if wanted.

[Immigrant]

The biggest stuff is just going to be texture files, which (cockpits aside) are pretty much needed for everyone.

Most games use different first person and third person models and texture (first multiply it by 2 for faction you won't play, then multiply that by 6 for number of different classes on opposing Empires and add up all the 1st views for additional purchasable skins and that's without 1st view version of empires specific weapons and different skin for them)... so your claim is incorrect . With 1st person textures and models having larger poly count and higher quality of textures usually.

Anyway idea is only on if it can conserve significant amount of some space (1 gb at least) and I believe it would.

10/1, it's not going to conserve much memory usage. Plus making it like you suggest, creates an open call for hackers to find how to play with mismatched clients. That's why my answer is /no.

Afterall (re)writable DVDs are quite cheap, I for one always copy non-retail game client installers onto discs. As a measure of saving time with download.

I wasn't talking about memory usage but about space on drive game takes (and I think you could save up quite a bit this way, I know that these things are relative but anyway, 1gb is a lot of music), also it would take you less time to download. I also backup everything I download as you do so I don't have to download it again in case I uninstall but still some people don't, but that's not the issue, I don't like having 1, 2 or 3 gbs of stuff I don't need at all.

Don't see how this would make game vulnerable to hackers... explain.

edit: I never suggested different game clients if that's what you meant. Just different install options (/install packages) so you don't have to install things required for other Empires you won't need if you decide to play only one. Also it's a pretty simple thing to do.

[NewSith]

@NS: Don't see how this would make game vulnerable to hackers... explain.

Not vulnerable. But say we have a client, and the client should be same for everyone, any missmatched content gets patched or client gets kicked.

Now with what you suggest, we're going to have 4 LEGIT clients. That basically makes figuring out the way to bypass file check 4 times easier.

EDIT: Different Clients or Same Client with 4 different legit folder sizes, it doesn't really make any difference in the situation.

[Goku]

2-3GB. Really? If you can't squeeze that much in just get a new HDD...

[NewSith]

Just different install options (/install packages) so you don't have to install things required for other Empires you won't need if you decide to play only one. Also it's a pretty simple thing to do.

You're saying it like you never played any games through side launchers - be it the sony launchpad, steam or origin. Before execing the launcher checks the legitimacy of all files. With different install options it will, in fact only check obligatory files. (Even if it checks every version differently, going through all 3 install options one by one is easy as hell) Basically - core files. That's all I meant.

[Kashis]

It's not a safe idea, it feels redundant and pointless.

[Immigrant]

You're saying it like you never played any games through side launchers - be it the sony launchpad, steam or origin.
Before execing the launcher checks the legitimacy of all files.

I haven't used steam or sony or origin. But I know what launcher does... other games (Tribes, Black Prophecy etc) have them too. :eek:

Even if it checks every version differently, going through all 3 install options one by one is easy as hell

First client would detect version you have installed and after that it's the usual but slightly shorter process. No need to check all one by one. So where's the problem? It doesn't make it 4 times easier to mismatch as you said in post prior to this..

[Exmortius]

if they sell a cd in stores might a cool collector thing but the way it is now most people will just download the client probably from the planetside site. not much point in this internet era imo. still be kinda cool to have 3 dvds framed on a wall or something like that. they really should go crazy with all kinds of cool merch ideas based on the 3 empires. i'd so buy a TR wall hanging if they made one and cool stuff like that etc..

[zomg]

Considering you can put a 1080p PNG into under 1 MB, I highly doubt you would save even close to 2 to 3 GB by not installing a bunch of models and textures.

[BloodySoul]

I would have to say no... I don't think this needs to take up anymore space that it already will. The idea of having my own personal launcher for VS, NC or TR is a good idea. But if that is going to be added, then let it be as a sort of cache for personal customization. I honestly don't even know if thats possible, to have a way that once the launcher or loading screen comes up, you would be able to have the choice to make it look different. Kind of like how you can change he Background of Win7 and the windows themselves change colors. Something like that, but not at the give and take of soaking up more memory.

[Immigrant]

2-3GB. Really? If you can't squeeze that much in just get a new HDD...

:rolleyes: Smart comments as always. I can squeeze aprox 10 times that space right now however I would like to have no "dead space" if I could choose. And Vanu and NC stuff needed only for players playing those factions (I mentioned what it was in OP) will be a dead space for me. So yes even 1 gb of dead space is too much.

I don't says it's absolutely necessary but something I would like to see and would welcome.

Considering you can put a 1080p PNG into under 1 MB, I highly doubt you would save even close to 2 to 3 GB by not installing a bunch of models and textures.

This could be true... I really don't how much space Empire specific stuff (needed only to players of that faction) would take. If under 1 gb I agree it is redundant...

[Knotz]

I don't see a problem with it. For the people saying no... it won't be affecting you in any way. You're just voting to limit others for no reason.

I voted yay... not because I need the space, but because where I will be downloading doesn't have the greatest bandwidth speed of all time. (However, if the game isn't released before sept, then I can download at college which has awesome interwebs speeds, i still vote yes though)

[Goku]

:rolleyes: Smart comments as always. I can squeeze aprox 10 times that space right now however I would like to have no "dead space" if I could choose. And Vanu and NC stuff needed only for players playing those factions (I mentioned what it was in OP) will be a dead space for me. So yes even 1 gb of dead space is too much.

I don't says it's absolutely necessary but something I would like to see and would welcome.



This could be true... I really don't how much space Empire specific stuff (needed only to players of that faction) would take. If under 1-2 gb I agree it is redundant...

No reason to have that attitude, not warranted at all.

Anyway I still see no reason. Its your problem if you wish not to get a new HDD.

On my old secondary I had a 160GB one. Drove me nuts trying to manage everything if I wanted to put in a new game. Especially with most being steam and having to redownload depending where I had the computer at.

[Luieburger]

No way. Maintaining 3 different versions of code would be bad, and giving players the option to install separate modules as part of one installer would still lead to troubleshooting annoyances. There's no way you're going to get even 1GB of savings by not installing the few things that are specific to other factions. The game is probably much more common across factions than you think. Ultimately it's a lot of work for the devs with a very small space savings return. Won't happen.

[zomg]

I don't see a problem with it. For the people saying no... it won't be affecting you in any way. You're just voting to limit others for no reason.

Everything considered, it would increase dev time, and thus our time to beta ;)

No reason to have that attitude, not warranted at all.

Anyway I still see no reason. Its your problem if you wish not to get a new HDD.

Don't forget that not everyone has cash to spend on upgrading their computers unless it's absolutely necessary.

[ringring]

Complete waste of time and effort.......

[Trignite]

Im not against it but it would leave less time for the devs to be working on more important things like fixing bugs.

[ChipMHazard]

I don't really see the point to be honest. Not even considering the problems with client version conflicts, patching problems etc.
The only reason I can see this being a valid idea is if someone has limited bandwidth.

[Vreki]

Nay. Maintaining and building 3-4 different clients -> 3-4 times the number of bugs.
Ok, probaly not as bad as that, but it is still a recipe for disaster. Sooner or later they will release something like a patch for one client that is linked to stuff for another client.

Maybe one client that only downloads textures as needed, but that will give you terrible loadtimes when you encounter something new.

The correct answer is to free up HD space. As other have said, you will suffer anyway if your are playing from a HD that is filled to the brim.

[Knotz]

where I will be downloading doesn't have the greatest bandwidth speed

The only reason I can see this being a valid idea is if someone has limited bandwidth.

dingdingdingdingding......

[indirect]

This idea wouldn't even be slightly feasible, did you put any thought into it at all? The texture you see in 'first person' is the same texture you see on other models, just closer up...

This isn't 2001.

[kaffis]

I don't really care, but I do think you're vastly overestimating the impact of UI elements and first person-specific textures.

[Goku]

Don't forget that not everyone has cash to spend on upgrading their computers unless it's absolutely necessary.

If you are worried about 2-3 GB on your HDD I would say its time to get a new one. That imo is a necessary upgrade.

[Zenben]

The only empire-specific files I can think of that will be client-side are the music files, and that's not going to cut it down by 2-3 GB, so I'm not sure what the point of this would be. Might just end up being confusing to new players.

[Xyntech]

99%+ of the game resources will be required for all players, regardless of empire, especially if they ever allow for anything like equipment looting. Unlikely that they will, but no need to put up an arbitrary barrier in the way of potential changes down the road. PS1 had a tun of arbitrary barriers that made it a nightmare to change a lot of stuff in the game, and I don't want to see any repeats of that shit in PS2.

It's stunning how poorly thought out this idea is.

But I'd love a faction specific launcher customization option :D

[Noivad]

Will not happen. You need to have all the enemy extras on your machine for you to see them.