A suggestion about the distribution of the future 1.09

[Sik]

OK, is known that 1.09 is near because there were too many things which get us think it (closing 1.08 bug reports and 1.09 suggestions topics, that MR4 is completed and will be released when 1.09 appears, etc.). But I want to make a suggestion about how to distribute it. Normally the game is distributed in a self-extract EXE, but can be there a second version, which contains the game in a ZIP instead to a self-extract EXE, if troubleshooting appears? Seriously, I STILL CAN'T execute finaldemo108.exe. A ZIP or a RAR will be a great solution.

I don't know what do you think about it, but it's my idea and my opinion. If you'll ask about space, well, first of all you must remember that 1.08 will be gone in the server for be replaced with 1.09 (I think). And Sepwich has a downsizing, getting free space, and however, the price of the server increases with the bandwidth use, not the space used. And I don't think that people will download both versions if both have the same game. :P So, I don't think that it'll be a problem...

Well, that's all. Discuss now. I put a poll if you want to make public your opinion in it, but you don't need to vote. It's my idea, and I think that it's a good idea (for the troubleshooting thing only), so... Well, OK, it's in your judge... That's all... And sorry for make this LAAAAARGE post...

 

[Omega the Hedgehog]

Zips and rars get corrupted so easy it's not even worth the risk.

 

[JJames19119]

But then, exes have a bad rep for having viruses so they might be blocked, especially without a digital signature.

 

[Sik]

Zips and rars get corrupted so easy it's not even worth the risk.

Splitting the file helps sometimes.

 

[Omega the Hedgehog]

That makes it harder for idiots to extract, if not impossible. Even I have trouble with split files on occasion.

 

[Sik]

Did you read the first post? The ZIP is to use when troubleshooting appears with the EXE. That's simple. Idiots will take the EXE. I said that both versions must be available, not only the ZIP.

 

[Omega the Hedgehog]

Please excuse the stimpidity. I'm a lazy reader and generally just skim through things longer then a paragraph =P

 

[Sik]

XD Yeah, a long text only for ask to distribute SRB2 1.09 in both EXE and ZIP :P

 

[Mystic]

Basically, the main reasoning behind the .exe format is that it's the easiest for most people to extract. Double click and forget it, generally. It also means that the EXE can be the smallest size possible, because is uses whatever compression the EXE will extract.

Why can't you open the EXE properly? That sounds like an issue with your computer you might want to resolve, because I've never heard of anyone having trouble install SRB2.

 

[SSNTails]

I don't have enough space to have two versions.

 

[Bigboi]

I'd personally be fine with either versions.

 

[Digiku]

One suggestion: Start the distribution's filename with "SRB2". "FINALDEMO108.EXE" doesn't really help since I always look in the s's and never bother to look in the f's.

 

[Shuffle]

I say we host a torrent for 1.09 on some random tracker and link to it from the site, I'd seed it :).

 

[Omega the Hedgehog]

We could do that as well, but a lot of people [Like me] hate using torrents for their speed, dependibility and need of seeders. Bleh.

 

[FuriousFox]

That might work well as an option, help save Sepwich some bandwidth.

 

[JJames19119]

We could do that as well, but a lot of people [Like me] hate using torrents for their speed, dependibility and need of seeders. Bleh.

Then use the direct download, we'll use the torrent. :P

http://www.soniconthe.net/ is a good Sonic-related torrent tracker (It has support from Fastfeet Media themselves) but the problem with them is that they're constantly down. :\

 

[Sik]

Why can't you open the EXE properly? That sounds like an issue with your computer you might want to resolve, because I've never heard of anyone having trouble install SRB2.

The file can't be read. And reading includes open the folder (Windows opens the file for get the icon). Seriously, I tried everything: Windows Explorer, Desktop Menu, DOS, etc. I've redownloaded it from several mirrors and the official server (several times each one), and the problem appears always, which means that the download is OK.

I don't know what happens, but I can't open it because it locks up my computer. :(

 

[Blue Blur]

Maybe it's set to "read-only?"

I don't know how that is, but it's worth checking, at the very least.

 

[Sik]

Maybe it's set to "read-only?"

Since when a read-only file locks up a computer?

 

[Mystic]

Maybe try downloading it from a different computer, extracting it, and transferring the files?

I have never heard of this problem before, and sounds like a problem with your computer and not the server. You might want to check your computer for viruses and check to make sure there isn't some kind of security preventing you from opening install files.

See if you can find any workarounds, or if all else fails, get someone else to zip it and e-mail it to you. We use hundreds of gigabytes of bandwidth each month, and simply put, the efficiency from the EXE and the fact that most everyone has even less problems with it than ZIP makes it the optimal solution.

I don't mind the torrent idea, and it's been brought up before, but there is no way we'd do just a torrent, because they're so hideously slow, and it would be pretty useless a month after release.