Neverending Updates

[Undecided]

Let me first say that I appreciate the hard work and dedication to make a free to play standalone game.

However with that said, its hard work that is wasted when a user can't even get to play it.

• Your website states to download from torrents as the preferred choice (hash/checksums verified..blah blah blah).
• Alright fine, I'll download this 8GB file.
• Wonderful, lets install it, immediate "failed to check if its an authentic file" error.
• Since I have only a 3mbps connection at the moment, not going to redownload, lets continue anyway.
• Create profile, okay no problem.
• Click play........I need to update otherwise can't play on all servers.....ok
• Downloading updates......1.4.1.....1.4.2.....1.4.7.......wtf........1.4.18.....wow.
• Alright, had installed the game yesterday, just wanted to play today, 45min wasted already.
• Oh wait, installing latest updates...1.4.1.....1.4.2....wow.

Its been another hour, I can't say I think much of your game since I cancelled update installation 1.4.15 before I could load the game.

Maybe update your torrent to the lastest version, or you know, wait to roll all updates in one release? Seriously, v1.4.20? Just go to 1.5 and call it a day.

Even with a faster connection, I still wouldn't spend an hour to update a game I just downloaded. This isn't a PS4.

Just fyi, I could've downloaded and installed Insurgency, played TWO full rounds, all within the same time I spent to load your game.

Your updates to appease your current fan base is well warranted, but for new users like me its off putting to the point where I won't bother with this game.

[chrisweb89]

That's your loss, and all I have to say is PR is 100% worth any hassle or trouble updating it. If it's such a hassle you can download and update when you see doing other things like sleeping or working.

I do get the point you are raising and while it might be annoying and I'm sure would be better if the torrent file was updated more often and kept seeded, but I also get that that's a low priority compared to fixed and features. The current launcher is an amazing improvement compared to anything we had in the past, and while releases/fixed can still sometimes be slower than the playerbase would want, it's a massive improvement to pre launcher/updater days.

PR is an old game cobbled together by people on their own time using their own resources, it may not stand up to new modern games in perfection and nice clean releases and an easy steam updater, but it surpasses them in every other way. Once you go through the hassle of installing and fixing any weird bugs, plus learning all the complexities of the game and community, you won't need to by another game again.

[AfterDune]

We usually create installers when the x changes in version 1.x.0, so the next full installer will be 1.5.0. It takes quite some time to create these installers, so we don't do that for hotfixes (1.4.x).

Sorry about the wait, but this is how it is I'm afraid. Most people have no issues with this, as you don't have to do anything but wait until it's done. And once PR is installed, it'll keep your install up-to-date, like Steam does basically. So it's really a one time thing.

Hope you'll give this another try!

[AlonTavor]

Does updating prevent you from using the computer?

[Undecided]

I appreciate your responses, but just wanted to clarify the issues I encountered in case you wished to address them.

• Your torrent as noted is horribly outdated, i understand devs stating that hotfixes are more important, but creating an installer package is nowhere near as difficult as the work spent on the hotfixes themselves.
• After encountering the "failed authentication" error, I was genuinely concerned that after update 1.4.5, I might be infecting my computer with malware. Why you ask? Because your website has no mention of the current build. Go to your home page if you don't believe me. I had to enter your forums to make sure that yes, v1.4.20 exists. Your downloads page shows 1.4.1, your small blog post display says v1.4.18, that's it.
• Their is no message or warning stating that this game needs to be updated. I wouldn't even had an issue if a simple message states the downloads are old releases that need to be updated.
• Having worked in Tier 2 backend, I could understand the need for hotfixes and patches that will leave an installation file outdated. But we are talking about v1.4.1 to 1.4.20......19 releases! Seriously, a weapon skin update is the least priority, update your executables guys!

I know this game is old but I still play Wolfenstein ET, which still manages to install and run on an OS it was never designed for. In fact, the mods and "hotfixes" the community make are the main cause of issues.

Again, you have a very nice game and the hard work is clearly shown, but the simplest things are overlooked. I feel a revamped website, less exclusivity for clans and tournaments, or just any marketing would bring more life into this project, which could fund a sequel or increase the player base.

Not everyone can run Squad or Arma, so this game still does fulfill a niche which warrant these fixes. Hopefully I can give this game another try at v1.5, but not if I have to update from 1.4.1 to get there.

[Rabbit]

Never ending updates is a dream for many of us.

[Piipu]

Most people have no issues with this.

Everyone I play with has been very pissed at this, to the point that I created my own torrent that has a zipped version of the .20 and shared it to my friends. You really need to do more full installers, it's just idiotic to force everyone to go through hours of updates directly after an install.

[chrisweb89]

Some solid points raised. Rather than making a new installer would it be possible to put all the new updates into a second update for the installer so people van get closer to the current release in 2 easy downloads. Basically like it was done before, then they could use the launcher to do the final catching up.

[AlonTavor]

It still just once, and progress isn't lost on download failure. Not really a priority.
1.5 will have a new torrent.

[Piipu]

It still just once, and progress isn't lost on download failure. Not really a priority.
1.5 will have a new torrent.

Still mate, it shouldn't be too much to ask for an installer update once per year. Even your common f2p grindfests have the decency to install the latest version of the game. At the very least, the update churn should start automatically after install, not when you try to play the game with your pals the next evening and find out half of them haven't got the right version.

[WeeGeez]

You really need to do more full installers, it's just idiotic to force everyone to go through hours of updates directly after an install.

I agree 100%, unfortunately.

[Vista]

You people are too picky. Just go watch a youtube video while it updates. It's not like the majority of you are giving any money towards this project anyway...

As long as they update it with every 1.X major update it's fine.

[Senshi]

You guys are way too pampered. I remember the good old days when you had to install a dozen patches in sequence, manually.
And even your "regular F2P grindfests" do the same: War Thunder or World of X games share full installers that never are up to date, and always require one or multiple incremental patches to get up to speed.

The launcher & autoupdater are a godsend. Just appreciate what you have . It does everything on its own, in the background. Easiest thing ever. It's not like it takes hours and hours of downloading and updating...

Yes, an updated full installer would be nice, but there simply is no pipeline in place to easily auto-create and host it. Frequent updates to this would also kill the torrent seedbase that is established. The PR team simply doesn't have the resources to guarantee the availability of proper seedboxes to distribute this recently. So first we'd need someone to figure out a way to create installers in a nice automated way, and then we'd need the resources to keep hosting them continually. Two fairly big constraints.

[Filamu]

And not to forget, installing BF2 and its several patches. And PR in two parts+patches. So easy now. Just set it to update, and return a bit later ready to go.

[AfterDune]

Tbh, it's only annoying* if you install it for the very first time and immediately want to play AND you have to install more than 2 patches or so.

Sure, with v1.4 we've had quite a few patches you had to download and nobody will disagree a single installer would be nicer in that case, but come on, it's a one time annoyance*, you'll get over it.

* Most actually consider it a 'blessing'. You install the game with a simple installer and it updates itself to the latest version - and bam, you're ready to go. The only thing you have to do is grab a drink, something to eat and message a friend about this awesome and free game you're currently installing that doesn't come with complicated installers, manual patches and configuration files you have to edit yourself in order to support high resolutions.



All that aside, I hope you're enjoying the game either way, despite the "rough" start you had .

[Mats391]

This thread got made when there were almost 20patches to install and it was indeed quite bad. We dont want that to happen again, but also wont be able to make more full installs. Instead we will try to make patches to jump from 1.5 to latest. E.g. From 1.5 straight to 1.5.5 w/o having to install everything in between.

[robert357]

The real annoying thing for me is PR Launcher popping out every time when it start downloading new package, and again when it starts installing it.