Automatic Mod Downloading

[pd3 25]

As long as old users aren't forced to download addons via some software and can instead manually install them and manage them on their own, I really don't care.

I however want nothing to do with systems that force me to relinquish that amount of personal control over how my game is set up.

[doveman 7]

Now that PlayWithSix has been made open-source, BIS have the opportunity to make their Launcher utilise the Six repository as well as Steam to retrieve the necessary mods for a SP mission.

 

Users can still be in control, there can be options to disable any automatic downloading and just prompt the user if a necessary mod is not on their computer "This mission needs xxx", or to allow downloading from either or both Steam WS or Six.

 

Hell, at this point I'd be happy if the Launcher didn't even do automatic downloading and just listed all the missions I have and once I select one, checked whether I have the required mods and if so, launches A3 (preferably straight into the mission briefing) with them and if not, tells me what is missing.

 

This really needs BIS to get behind it though and specify that each mission that uses mods should be accompanied by a simple missionname.txt (you can use a different suffix if necessary, like .mods, all that matters is it's just a simple text file) with a ; separated list of those mods, e.g. @ACE; @CUP_Weapons, as unless this is made official it won't catch on.

 

It's a simple thing to do but will surely see an increase in mission creators willing to use mods and creating more diverse missions, as currently many must fear that it will dissuade players from trying their missions if they have to go and download a bunch of mods and then create a profile to launch A3 with them and sadly this leads to an abundance of quite similar, vanilla missions on the WS.

[silentghoust 132]

As a player I don't think I would like to download 10gigs of mod every time I wan't to "try" a server. If I really liked those mods I would of already had them installed and looked for a server that used them.

[I give up 152]

As a player I don't think I would like to download 10gigs of mod every time I wan't to "try" a server. If I really liked those mods I would of already had them installed and looked for a server that used them.

^

This.

Not to mention that some of them (if not the most) would be outdated.

Want to use Mods?

Get them and use it whenever you want. 

[doveman 7]

Those are just daft reasons to oppose this idea.

 

For one thing, if you want to "try" a server you have to get the mods, which at the moment you either have to do manually or if one has been created by the server operator, use a profile for PlayWithSix or ArmA3Sync. Any of these methods are more hassle than what is being proposed here. The idea that you can decide what mods you like and install them and then go looking for a server that only uses those mods, well good luck with that as the chances are the server operators will have decided to use one or more mods that you either didn't like or you hadn't even heard of.

 

Secondly, any sensible implementation of this idea would prompt you "This server needs mod x, y, z totaling 8GB that you don't have installed. Would you like me to download them for you now?" so that you could click No if you decide not to "try" the server.

 

Thirdly, if the server is using outdated versions of mods, then you'll have to have the same versions if you want to play on that server. The prompt could tell you that you have version y already installed and this server needs version x and ask if you want to allow it to overwrite, or it could install the older versions to a separate folder to keep the current versions available for use with servers that have updated. Either way, you're not forced to do anything and can choose not to play on that server if you want but if you want to play on it, this idea would just make it a lot easier.

 

I'm not even particularly concerned with MP, because at least there are options like PWS and A3Sync to make it fairly painless but I agree with others that it could and should be made easier. My main concern personally is about SP and how the lack of a painless and automated way to launch ArmA3 with the required mods for a mission (and possibly downloading them but that can come later if necessary) is limiting mission authors' use of mods and thus the variety of missions. Even if BIS can't be bothered, a third-party could create a SP launcher if only BIS would specify a simple text file listing the required mods that should be included with all missions, as unless it's official I doubt anyone will take notice.

[M.Andersson(SWE) 4]

As a player I don't think I would like to download 10gigs of mod every time I wan't to "try" a server. If I really liked those mods I would of already had them installed and looked for a server that used them.

How would you be able to "try" a server with mods if you dont HAVE the mods?!?

And it wouldnt be EVERY time, would it...Only if mods on your side is outdated and

servermods are updated.

[spidypiet 17]

im a old cod4 player

i loved the modded servers with lots of custom maps

 

ok let cod be cod but there custom-server setup was great 

as a player you didnt have todo anything just hit connect

 

the server would check if you have the mods or custom maps for the duration of the map

if you didnt have the map or mod you would automaticly be redirected to a redirect server 

where it would download the maps or mods for you

every server would have there own redirect maintained by there server admins

a custom map would be +- 80 mb mods a bit larger and took about 1-1.5 min to download

it only had to download once or being updated when the map/mod was updated on the server

 

on the players end you had in the root of your game a mod folder and a usermap folder

all in all on the players point of view it was eay to connect a custom server

 

 

on Arma 3 its not that easy

mods dont have stucture in the root of the game in arma its arma3\@mod1 or arma3\mymods\@mod2 or arma3\someothermodsfolder\@mod3 etc etc 

instead of 1 structured folder arma3\Mods\

also you have to start the game with the mods a server is using 

so a quick try or peak on a server isnt working most times

also mods vary from 1mb to 10GB so downloading from a redirect would take minutes or even hours

so for a casual players point of view Arma 3 is hard to setup and to maintain your mods

arma 3 is great for modders and big community's but for the casual players its every time a struggle to connect

[Mirek 166]

This post:

As a player I don't think I would like to download 10gigs of mod every time I wan't to "try" a server. If I really liked those mods I would of already had them installed and looked for a server that used them.

 doesnt make any sense. 

 

You have to DL 10gigs of mods if you want to try server that uses 10gigs of mods anyway. But without launcher capable of detecting downloading and installing  the mods the srver uses, you would have to find out wich mods the server actualy uses, then download them all manualy, install them all manually, enable them all manually, and only after that you can join the server.

 

With the launcher capable of doing all of this automaticaly, you dont have to do any off this, you just pick a server, click on it, and then go make a tea untill it all gets done. 

 

Has the server too much mods, or mods that you dont like? Well just dont click on it its not that hard, noone points a gun to your head.