How about optimizing a bit those upgrade-files?

Colonel von Blitz · Post by **Colonel von Blitz** » Mon May 07, 2001 7:56 pm

I DL'd the SPWAW 4.5 -> 5.0 Upgrade and the game itself is awesome but a couple of questions came to my mind for Matrix staff after I checked out what the v5.0 upgrade-file had inside. I think there is need for serious optimizing.

First: why the vid998.smk video is included in the upgrade file once again? I mean it's large, 60 megs. The game starts with the old video too, so why include a new (the same) video to increase filesize app. 20%?

Second: This I think is a little mistake made in a hurry. But there are duplicates of those music-wavs that take almost 20 megs (others in shp-folder, others in snd-folder. Game works fine if you delete those in shp-folder).

Third: are all vehicle pics really new ones, or why there over 1000 pictures in the pic-folder? There weren't that much pics missing in v4.5 so I must assume that most of the 10 megs they take is not necessary.

Fourth: The old issue about scenarios and ready-made maps. Those files take up nearly 100 megs extracted!!!

So, the files that are not needed to run v5.0 itself take 180 megs (that is 60%) out of the extracted size of the patch which is about 310 megs...

I made a rip-version of the upgrade including the files that are needed to run v5.0 + some pics etc. folders, leaving out scenarios, maps and the new intro-video. I used WinRAR and got 30 megabyte patch, that should work (not sure though, my HD is getting too filled up to test it anymore

)...from 180 megabytes down to 30 megabytes, that's quite a lot though, don't you agree mr. Vebber

Colonel von Blitz

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Mon May 07, 2001 8:04 pm

In a perfect world...yes would have been nice!

The video changed becasue new people wereinvolved and we wanted to recognize them.
The sound files are done in threes because the game randomly picks one of the three files - we have greatly expanded the number of distinct ones, but a lot of dupes are still there. SOme were reformatted to reduce crashes with some sound cards.

Most of the PIC files are new or reformatted to reduce problems casuing crashes on some systems

All the maps and scenarios had to be resaved under the new executable - or crashes resulted. Many were actually changed to take advantage of new features or fix problems.

SO for any individual the 30 meg worth of files may well work - but to make sure that we fixed as many crash problems for as many people we replaced many of the files entirely.

Yes we could have done more to make the download a little smaller, but with stuff we are giving away there is only so much time we can spend...but we decided to err on the side of replacing files that were known trouple makers even if we weren't sure

Colonel von Blitz · Post by **Colonel von Blitz** » Mon May 07, 2001 8:52 pm

Originally posted by Paul Vebber:
The video changed becasue new people wereinvolved and we wanted to recognize them.
The sound files are done in threes because the game randomly picks one of the three files - we have greatly expanded the number of distinct ones, but a lot of dupes are still there. SOme were reformatted to reduce crashes with some sound cards.

Most of the PIC files are new or reformatted to reduce problems casuing crashes on some systems

All the maps and scenarios had to be resaved under the new executable - or crashes resulted. Many were actually changed to take advantage of new features or fix problems.

That I didn't know about previous wave or picture -files. Point is taken

And the video issue is clear too, though the size of the video amazes me quite a lot. It's still very large one.

But scenarios and ready-made maps are my main concern, because they alone take over 90 megs (about 1/3) of the patch extracted size. For me, there were no problems ripping them because my scenario-folder was empty already before installing the patch

Colonel von Blitz

David Heath · Post by **David Heath** » Mon May 07, 2001 9:25 pm

The Scenarios were ALL upgraded to the new OOB's and game features of SPWAW v5.0. This goes for the maps as well. Bill Wilder redid these at least 4 or 5 times.

David

Colonel von Blitz · Post by **Colonel von Blitz** » Tue May 08, 2001 1:20 am

Originally posted by David Heath:
The Scenarios were ALL upgraded to the new OOB's and game features of SPWAW v5.0. This goes for the maps as well. Bill Wilder redid these at least 4 or 5 times.

David

For those who do not need any of scenarios and who has had no crashes because of sound card problems etc. The ripped 30 MB version of the upgrade I mentioned in my initial post DOES work like it should be (Peregrine Falcon upgraded his SPWAW with it

)

If someone is interested having this SLIGHTLY smaller upgrade, I could send it to him/her via ICQ

#22960504

Colonel von Blitz

Blackbird · Post by **Blackbird** » Tue May 08, 2001 3:28 am

Originally posted by Colonel von Blitz:
If someone is interested having this SLIGHTLY smaller upgrade, I could send it to him/her via ICQ

I wouldn't mind that!

I'd rather d/l it with Go!Zilla from somewhere, but if it's not possible ICQ should do it.
But, since I have 33.6 connection it will take some time.

Jester · Post by **Jester** » Tue May 08, 2001 3:41 am

no guys, please, put is somewhere all can dl it, not via icq!

thanks

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Tue May 08, 2001 3:55 am

We will - but in the mean time I've already helped a few people out...IT should be on the ftp later tonight, but some people can;t wait

Colonel von Blitz · Post by **Colonel von Blitz** » Tue May 08, 2001 2:18 pm

Originally posted by Blackbird:
I'd rather d/l it with Go!Zilla from somewhere, but if it's not possible ICQ should do it.

At the moment I have no possibility to send it otherwise than via ICQ...

There is my ICQ-number somewhere in this thread, those who are interested in the 30 MB upgrade, contact me.

Colonel von Blitz

[ May 08, 2001: Message edited by: Colonel von Blitz ]