Splitting Installer to fit on two CDs as it won't fit on one anymore

[Destructavator]

I've noticed that the Windows installers are getting larger now and won't fit on a single CD anymore, and I'd imagine the same would be true for other platforms as well.

When animations and video cut-scenes start to get added and such I'd think the installers would get even larger.

I think it would be a good idea to change the installers so that things are broken up, here's what I think might work (which is certainly open for discussion and debate):

1st CD: The game executable, maps, and models, just enough to play the game without sound or music or other extras in case someone only has the time to download just one CD.
2nd CD: Sound FX and music
3rd CD: Video cinematics and cut-scenes, OGGs and/or RoQs (when they get added)

It should be a relatively simple matter to tweak the code so that if the game doesn't detect installed music or sound FX it simply disables audio.

For the videos, if they aren't detected perhaps the game could take graphic stills (Jpegs or something) and display a simple slideshow instead, which would use little space and be on the first main CD.

If the UfoRadiant map editor fits on the 1st CD, that would be great - hopefully it would.

[geever]

I've noticed that the Windows installers are getting larger now and won't fit on a single CD anymore, and I'd imagine the same would be true for other platforms as well.

I think we have quite many unused textures (and prefabs(?)) in trunk for mappers so I would put mapeditor on the second along with these and only media used by the game actually on the first.

So I vote for a "GameCD" and a "Developer/MapperCD"

-geever

[Destructavator]

So I vote for a "GameCD" and a "Developer/MapperCD"

Yeah, that may be better - at least for now, although if we go that route it should be done so there is still some room to grow down the road when video animations are added and the storyline progresses.

I'd just hate to have a situation in the future where things eventually need to be split into 3 CDs but everyone complains about a lot of work involved or it is otherwise un-doable because of the way it was first split into two, and the project got ingrained into that.

[geever]

I'd just hate to have a situation in the future where things eventually need to be split into 3 CDs but everyone complains about a lot of work involved or it is otherwise un-doable because of the way it was first split into two, and the project got ingrained into that.

On another side, DVD is quite common nowdays....

-geever

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

On another side, DVD is quite common nowdays....

-geever

True, but not everyone has a computer with a DVD drive (or, for that matter, a combo drive that supports DVD burning).

Perhaps a dual-format approach is called for here - one massive installer that has everything (including the kitchen sink), and another, segmented installer, broken up as follows:

Segment I: Core game data (game executables/scripts, maps, audio, and video cutscenes if possible - if not, pictorial/textual stand-ins for the videos that serve the same purpose.)

Segment II: The video cutscenes (if they don't fit in Segment I), plus - possibly - alternate soundtracks/sound effects for the game. (I'm not talking about silly SFX here, more along the lines of alternate sounds for alien weapons fire and the like.)

Segment III: Developer/modder toolkit.

Just my $0.02 (+/- 2% to allow for inflation)

[geever]

True, but not everyone has a computer with a DVD drive (or, for that matter, a combo drive that supports DVD burning).

Why should we stop here? Not everyone has a decent PC to run UFO:AI, let's port it to C=64! 

I just say it may not worth the effort splitting...


ps. btw. if you have only a comboDrive I'm sure you have a close friend with a DVD burner && internet connection.

-geever

[Mattn]

in fact my netbook does not even have a cd drive

but an usb port...

anyway - we should maybe update the installer scripts to skip unused files and release them as a contributors pack for e.g. mappers. this was suggested somewhere and would be a cool feature. the only problem is that we have to identify files that are not used - and that's no easy part.

[geever]

in fact my netbook does not even have a cd drive

A netbook can hardly run UFO:AI, so no problem.

-geever

[Mattn]

it works on my netbook - not fast, but it works