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Build V18.51 Released!


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I saw a report elsewhere on this forum that Civ V has about the same number of files as Xenonauts, but I don't have that installed.

It's Civ IV (BtS) and it has a touch over 30k files. Not quite Xenonuats size but like you I can't believe there's a tipping point 30k and 37k where the client will suddenly lose the will to live. I just checked and Steam can validate a 30k files Civ IV install on a hard drive in about 3 minutes.

The Desura client is dated 2011 and presumably pretty much abandoned so I don't think we're going to see improvement from it to cope with this!

Edited by targetbsp
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it's more likely a breaking point if about number of files (2 bytes = 65535 = "unsigned short ", "short" being signed = -32767 / +32767, it would require a code update on Desura side to have either "unsigned short" or "int" type, if that is the breaking point, to be able to count beyond 32k)

The problem was stated back here: http://www.goldhawkinteractive.com/forums/showthread.php/3420-Desura-Ongoing-Issues-(-Build-V16-1)

Desura does an MD5 check on every file to check for changes. That's going to take a long time on a lot of files. Presumably Steam have a more efficient way of tracking what files need to be updated.

Note that it can work perfectly fine - which it wouldn't be able to do if it had a overflow issue. The problem is the immense amount of time it takes (which is greatly reduced by an SSD) and the seemingly high probability of it encountering a network error which causes you to have to start again.

Edited by targetbsp
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my problem is that it is absolutely not a performance issue, but simply a breaking point and a message box stating it stopped the installation process with the message posted above ;)

Thus me desperately looking for something else

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Desura say they should authorise the game "in the morning" as they're mirroring the uploads to the different branches (Premium and Standard). This takes time simply because the game is such a big upload, which is fair enough.

Re: the file count, I dunno what the major issue is but I know if you have a local copy from before the archiving was used (pre V18.3) then Desura will scan all the files in that to see if they need updating. As there's over 100k of them, it'll takes ages. That's why it often downloads fine first time and then won't update afterwards. You can work around this by deleting all the files and re-downloading.

I've heard back from Steam now and the launch there isn't too far away. We'll keep the file number below 40,000 there and hopefully it won't be an issue for anyone in the future.

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Gaud, I'm pretty sure that the file count isn't at issue here. I just flicked through my Steam directory and checked file counts. The most I could find was a little over 15,000 files from Elemental: Fallen Enchantress. I saw a report elsewhere on this forum that Civ V has about the same number of files as Xenonauts, but I don't have that installed.

Xenonauts is at 37,000 files right now. So its about 2.5 times more file-heavy than E:FE, but here's the thing: I've never had a single problem with Steam hanging on game launch (excepting first-time install) like Desura gives me, and other people every time.

So unless there's some break-point where Desura and Steam algorithms just break down and slow to a crawl, then there's definitely a difference between Desura's speed and Steam's.

Because (Steam.FallenEnchantressStartTime x2.5 != Desura.XenonautsStartTime)

You cannot directly compare the two distribution platforms in that way and conclude file numbers are not the issue.

Just because Steam can handle a lot of files in one game doesn't mean that Desura must therefore be able to handle them in another.

Steam and Desura are very different programs that are designed to perform similar tasks.

File checking appears to be handled using different systems, for example, which could well cause differences in performance when handling large numbers of files.

Steam may well be fine with Xenonauts, as it is not there yet though we cannot be certain.

There is, as you point out, some proof that it has managed similar systems before.

I still do think it will struggle with Xenonauts, compared to a similarly sized game using less individual files.

That may not be very noticeable and will likely be difficult to prove or disprove unless there happens to be another game on steam that can be directly compared.

I don't launch Xenonauts through the Desura client so if it is purely start up time of the game you are considering then I cannot compare my own experiences.

I was purely discussing the file handling aspect, for example when updating or installing the game using the Desura interface.

Incidentally, if people aren't aware you can run either the standalone or Desura versions without having to run the Desura client.

Once it is installed just navigate to the Xenonauts install directory and run the exe from there.

Edited by Gauddlike
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Ugh...stupid question. I just completely deleted Xenonauts out of Desura. I didn't remove it from the account, just did a full uninstall. When I look at the standalone downloads the top one that says "Xenonauts Alpha BETA Candidate 4" has a file size of 4,505.87mb and when I try to DL it, it says v18.5zip. To try out 18.51 should I launch Desura and install from there, or should I go ahead and redownload that standalone?

When I downloaded that standalone version a last time, it saves as a zip with a file size of 4.39 Gigs and that version wouldn't run when I unpacked it. It only said it's not a valid Win32 app. Should I try to DL that standalone again? Should I reinstall through the Desura client? Or should I wait longer for Desura to hopefully update the standalone client on their web page? I really don't want to download that standalone again just to have it not run and I don't want to do a re-install through Desura if it's not going to install the newest version 18.51 .

Thanks for any info.

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the stand-alone and Desura installed version are not up-to-date yet, still v18.5. Chris just said it would be done tomorrow from some feedback he had. Wait a day or 2 to install or manually DL the big zip.

Both version work anyway (i tested it), just lanch "Xenonauts.exe" from where you installed (default Desura client install would be C:\Program Files (x86)\Desura\Common\Xenonauts ) and manual DL would be where you un-packed it.

If you can't launch it, i don't really know, i remember reading somewhere that you need updated Java ( http://www.java.com/ )

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Yeah I saw where Chris said the Desura people would have it "in the morning". Unfortunately we had a lightning strike the day before yesterday and it knocked out our internet and phone so today is the first day I've been online in two days. I had hoped maybe "in the morning" meant this morning for me (timezone differences and all). As with the last update I was reading people here on the forums saying they were playing the new update but neither my Desura nor the new standalone showed up on my end until 3 or 4 hours later ,no idea why other people using Desura would have it on theirs and it not be on mine, and no one else seemed to say anything about the standalone not launching for them so I figured maybe my download got corrupted somehow. It's just confusing on this end.

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the stand-alone and Desura installed version are not up-to-date yet, still v18.5. Chris just said it would be done tomorrow from some feedback he had. Wait a day or 2 to install or manually DL the big zip.

Both version work anyway (i tested it), just lanch "Xenonauts.exe" from where you installed (default Desura client install would be C:\Program Files (x86)\Desura\Common\Xenonauts ) and manual DL would be where you un-packed it.

If you can't launch it, i don't really know, i remember reading somewhere that you need updated Java ( http://www.java.com/ )

I updated Java, everything is updated actually. This version of the standalone is the first one that wouldn't run for me. Running it off my secondary hard-drive. The Desura installed version would run, but not the standalone. It keeps telling me it's not a valid win32 app (I'm running 64 bit Win7). I'm re-unpacking the standalone now to my C drive instead of my D drive to see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't work I guess I'll wait for a day or two until Desura get's it's stuff together. :( Still confused over why the standalone won't run for me though. Hopefully I'll know more after I try it on the C drive.

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Edit: Ok, unpacking the standalone on my main drive it does indeed play just fine. It must be something I'm missing on my secondary storage drive, so, I'm happy to report it does indeed work for me now with the zip I already downloaded :) Yay!!!

Gaaad! I can't wait until we can get away from this desura s***e.

You and me both!!! Come on Steam release!!!!

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Waiting for them to authorize the download for the standalone sucks. Would have been nice to just download from a Chris-owned server with something like uniquely coded links sent to people.

EDIT: Every time I see a third party system that sucks like this, it makes me appreciate Steam more.

Edited by Solver
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Desura are the indie dev and valve/steam are the AAA.

The little guy may have some great ideas but sometimes the money just isn't there to compete.

Desura has some great little indie games hosted that wouldn't get a look in on Steam until recently.

Steam is now taking over even that little bit of the market so I doubt Desura will thrive and grow.

It is a pity because variety and competition make for a much better market than one big supplier does.

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Yeah, it does. However, I'm not too concerned, as I've always had a good experience with Steam. I'd hate to see them drive other people out of business, though.

Steam is good because it just works most of the time. When you do have a problem though, their support is dreadful. I guess all of these 75% off sales leaves their support team underfunded! Everyone elses support blows them out of the water. EA's Origin support team for instance tends to be same day response and is far more helpful.

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Geoscape mouse cursor should no longer flicker.

YES! I had no idea how something so tiny made the game utterly not worth the effort :D

Game breaking balance issue? meh, I'll adapt.

Constant crashes? Just save a lot.

Savegame breaking situations? Work around them.

Flickering cursor? RAGEQUIT!!!

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YES! I had no idea how something so tiny made the game utterly not worth the effort :D

Game breaking balance issue? meh, I'll adapt.

Constant crashes? Just save a lot.

Savegame breaking situations? Work around them.

Flickering cursor? RAGEQUIT!!!

Working around not having access to research and manufacturing? I'd like to see that! :P

I never noticed any flickering, good thing, if there was and would have noticed it i would have murdered puppies to the kitty god.

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Waiting for them to authorize the download for the standalone sucks. Would have been nice to just download from a Chris-owned server with something like uniquely coded links sent to people.

EDIT: Every time I see a third party system that sucks like this, it makes me appreciate Steam more.

do you know how expensive said 'chris-owned server' would be for him? I believe he has had his drop box locked to him for excessive bandwith when people have downloaded it from him so he has to use it for game uploads to desura only. (atleast how i understand it, Im just a mechanical engineer who draws things in cad, dont know all the programmer mumbojumbo and how it works)

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Yeah, I know first-hand what an unlimited-bandwidth server costs :) Hence just grumbling while waiting on Desura and not actually suggesting any change, especially since the game is due to go on Steam anyway, which will make things easier for everyone involved.

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Yeah, I know first-hand what an unlimited-bandwidth server costs :) Hence just grumbling while waiting on Desura and not actually suggesting any change, especially since the game is due to go on Steam anyway, which will make things easier for everyone involved.

Hmm... i wonder if p2p was ever considered. Would of been much faster than waiting for Desura, alright...

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