DCS AutoPatcher

[jmod]

Wouldn't be good to have option enabling auto-patching?

I think so! :)

[71st_Mastiff]

yes! but they are already working on that.

 

:thumbup:

 

Wouldn't be good to have option enabling auto-patching?

I think so! :)

[BTTW-DratsaB]

I dunno, every time the slightest thing is wrong, we are told to reinstall the full version. I'm even too paranoid to bother with patches any more. If I use one and my FPS or some thing seem not quite right it will niggle at me until I get the full patch version.

 

I have never seen a game that is so sensitive to patching (If we are to believe the Devs and testers). I don't see why it should be like this.

 

Maybe they are just too quick to give this as a fix so we are all ( well me anyway) now in the mindset that patches are risky and not worth the hassle.

[cichlidfan]

Agreed. If manual patching is not considered reliable by the devs then 'autopatching' is not likely to be an improvement.

[Wolf Rider]

I usually turn off the autoupdater in every program which has one.

[159th_Falcon]

I usually turn off the autoupdater in every program which has one.

+1

[speckfire]

Auto what???? Noooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!

[Nate--IRL--]

How would an auto patcher deal with Mods installed? Genuine question.

 

Nate

[KaspeR32]

How would an auto patcher deal with Mods installed? Genuine question.

 

Nate

 

When a major patch comes out with an auto-patcher, you would have to wait till the mods you were using are updated, and then re-install them.

If it's minor updates, usually your mods will work fine.

 

It's been done before with games I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult now.

[Wolf Rider]

The best thing about not running an autoupdater (my own experience), is that any patch sent out can be evaluated by checking user feedback. Too much negative feedback, or problems indicated, and I can wait until a later time and revised patch before running the patch.

 

I'm not saying that approach works for everyone, but it does save doing the uninstall/ re-install thing to be free of a bugged patch.

[Kaiza]

I seem to recall an auto-patcher was meant to be part of the plan when A-10C was released as a beta?

[PeterP]

Here are some news :): plans can change

[Nate--IRL--]

Plans never survive contact with the enemy... uh I mean... customers :P

 

Nate

[Cedaway]

You're so pessimistic guys!

A day, in a near future, we'll get auto-patcher, as true as we'll get EDGE and DCS Modern Jet...

 

;-)

[Thunderwve]

I think a good example how convenient updating can work is ARMA 2

 

There is an inofficial updater for mods and patches for the game called Six Updater. Players can download, deploy and update Mods from a list maintained by Six Updater. The devs of Arma 2 also use Six Updater to distribute and update their beta client software.

 

Six Updater is also capable of creating presets in which a user can start his game only with the mods he wants.

 

Its a piece of software which I would like to see in many more games with elaborate modding support

[Pikey]

From a technical point of view, mods can be handled in several ways, all of them relying on separating user customised files from the main applications default files.

 

In modman style mod swappers you put the files you wanted into a new mods directory and the app backed up the original and put yours in its place.

 

I will give an example of how i would do it, but ED have many choices and options here, including not doing anything.

 

Under the main game directory have another directory that exactly modelled the current directory structure. Place your updated "server.lua" or "texture.zip" into its mirror directory. Create (ED) a routine on game launch that does a check of all the files in the mirror directory and if one is present to either use that location, or if swapping all the paths is too complicated, a modman style swap.

 

The net effect would be that the default game is preserved in mint condition, all your mods are viewable more easily, resetting the configuration is a simple as moving a file and an updater can do its work without changing mods.

 

Personally i'm up for autoupdaters, warts and all as long as the changes are declared openly and in detail, and it wasn't enforced. And of course, there was no internet connections required during play. It would be nice to perhaps use the Beta routine of patch evaluation in patching into a separate install, thus giving everyone options...but this is hard on disk space and bandwidth if people are worried.

[Pikey]

@Thunder, yes that's two separate useful features, an online database and downloader and the functionality in the game to add mods at the run line eg blah\dcs.exe -@DCSmod1.

 

AFAIK Arma mods avoided reusing the same files and all work was distinct from the main install. Ie you added British forces as new models/textures, rather than overwriting the US forces that came with the game.

 

DCS is slightly different in that some core files that manage views, labels, display and more are actually still core game files that users are editing and that would be deleted and updated in every patch, or so i've understood. Ie if i popped open the A10 skin and stuck MAJ PIKEY under the canopy it might subsequently disappear...much to my disappointment!!

[EtherealN]

Plans never survive contact with the enemy... uh I mean... customers :P

 

Nate

 

:lol:

 

Can't rep you. :(

[MTFDarkEagle]

:lol:

 

Can't rep you. :(

Did it for you ;)

[shagrat]

One of the most important things with an automatic updating feature is the option to deactivate it! :D

As the variety of rigs out in the wild is huge and you never know for sure if a "patch" is fixing or destroying/overwriting things, the customer should have the choice to decide.

 

Since DCS A-10C Beta 1.0.0.7 I always made an additional full install rather than messing up my working Version.

Lots of people did stick to older versions for a long time, because they preferred certain features over fixed bugs.

 

I think the DCS World introduced the News-Panel which in my opinion is perfect to "update" customers on the availability of an update, but let us decide for ourselves if and when we want to update.

 

For the more adventurous ones maybe a direct "Update Now!" button in the news flash :music_whistling:

[PeterP]

Don't know if this was mentioned before, But now with DCS:World you will get a pop-up window with news. And it is always open at first start when something changed and you are on-line!

And also about Patches.

And it contains info and even a link -you can click to download this! How about this?!

 

You only have to do two clicks to get the new download!! - amazing!

 

I think it's great ! 1000% better than before!:D

 

Edited May 25, 2012 by PeterP

[MTFDarkEagle]

Interesting modules you have installed there Peter :D

[Nate--IRL--]

Interesting modules you have installed there Peter :D

 

<Checks Date>

 

Nate

[armaholicbr]

ROFL! I would trade those two last modules for F-18..

[Thunderwve]

So ... whats it all about these modules?:lol: