LotRO pre-order...patching...

On Apr 1, 8:20 pm, Richard Carpenter <rumble... RemoveThis @hotspamsuxmail.com>
wrote:
> Geez, why didn't anyone tell me I was looking at a day of patching to check
> this game out?? Not sure what the purpose was in my buying the pre-order
> DVD, as it appears that every file involved must be obsolete. It's updating
> nearly 10,400 files for chrissakes.
>
> Bah, maybe I'll get to check it out tomorrow. Eledilimir, you guys said?
> See you there...hopefully.
>
> --
> Richard Carpenter
> "Write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
> -- Benjamin Franklin

Welcome to MMOGs, you have to patch them before you can play them. If
a game has been out for a few years the patching can get really long.
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

On Apr 2, 11:18 am, "Alex Mars" <Soulc....DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Apr 1, 8:20 pm, Richard Carpenter <rumble....DeleteThis@hotspamsuxmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Geez, why didn't anyone tell me I was looking at a day of patching to check
> > this game out?? Not sure what the purpose was in my buying the pre-order
> > DVD, as it appears that every file involved must be obsolete. It's updating
> > nearly 10,400 files for chrissakes.
>
> > Bah, maybe I'll get to check it out tomorrow. Eledilimir, you guys said?
> > See you there...hopefully.
>
> > --
> > Richard Carpenter
> > "Write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
> > -- Benjamin Franklin
>
> Welcome to MMOGs, you have to patch them before you can play them. If
> a game has been out for a few years the patching can get really long.

It's not really patching as what you may know from normal RPG's (i.e.
mostly fixing errors). In MMOs it's more like new content that was
added after the installation file/CD was added. MMOs with all their
devils, also have this good thing about them, they keep increasing
after their release. New areas are added, new weapons and armors (with
new graphics), new spells, new classes, new dungeons, new additions to
the UI, etc. They all come in patches either accumulative or
incremental. And most of the time for free (well, not really free,
but included in the monthly fee you pay).
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

"Alex Mars" <Soulclaw.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1175527088.000044.168770@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

> On Apr 1, 8:20 pm, Richard Carpenter <rumble....TakeThisOut@hotspamsuxmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Geez, why didn't anyone tell me I was looking at a day of patching to
>> check this game out?? Not sure what the purpose was in my buying the
>> pre-order DVD, as it appears that every file involved must be
>> obsolete. It's updating nearly 10,400 files for chrissakes.
>>
>> Bah, maybe I'll get to check it out tomorrow. Eledilimir, you guys
>> said? See you there...hopefully.
>>
>
> Welcome to MMOGs, you have to patch them before you can play them. If
> a game has been out for a few years the patching can get really long.
>

Oh, I'm no stranger at all to MMOG's. What bugs me is the fact that there
is so much patching necessary so close to the release of the pre-order
media. I don't know how many files the installation consists of, but nearly
10,400 in need of patching is a bit much. May as well not sell the pre-
order in stores and just make it a purchased download, as that's what we
are forced to do, anyway. I'm not patching, I'm downloading it all

I recently started with the everquest.exe file all by itself and let the
patcher download everything up through LDoN (this may be a familiar process
for some of you), and it took a mere five hours or so. Now I wouldn't know
for sure, but I'm guessing that LotRO isn't releasing with quite that much
content.

It's not the first time I've experienced this, though. I just don't
understand why they bother with pre-release media under those
circumstances. /shrug

Also, I checked my installation folder, and there are only like 90-some
files therein. Where else is it putting them?

--
Richard Carpenter
"Write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
-- Benjamin Franklin
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Richard Carpenter <rumbledor.TakeThisOut@hotspamsuxmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns9906A13C8CA67rumbledorhotmailcom@216.196.97.142:

> Oh, I'm no stranger at all to MMOG's. What bugs me is the fact that
> there is so much patching necessary so close to the release of the
> pre-order media. I don't know how many files the installation consists
> of, but nearly 10,400 in need of patching is a bit much. May as well
> not sell the pre- order in stores and just make it a purchased
> download, as that's what we are forced to do, anyway. I'm not
> patching, I'm downloading it all

I believe the pre-order DVD was burned in January, 2 months before end of closed beta.
Lots of bug fixes and new content occurred between then and open beta.

However, the DVD does have one thing not available for download yet: the high-resolution
textures. If you've got a high-end rig, you'll get some very nice close-up detail.

> I recently started with the everquest.exe file all by itself and let
> the patcher download everything up through LDoN (this may be a
> familiar process for some of you), and it took a mere five hours or
> so. Now I wouldn't know for sure, but I'm guessing that LotRO isn't
> releasing with quite that much content.
>
> It's not the first time I've experienced this, though. I just don't
> understand why they bother with pre-release media under those
> circumstances. /shrug

They must think most people want something more tangible than a key, and link to the
web page to download the full client wasn't tangible enough. And hey, there's probably a
few thousand bytes here or there that went unpatched, so you saved 3 or 4 seconds of
download time!

> Also, I checked my installation folder, and there are only like
> 90-some files therein. Where else is it putting them?

Those hobbitses don't know how to count. "That's 1 tablespoon of honey, 2, 3, 4, <sip>
mmmm, that's yummy, now where was I? 1, 2, 3, 4, <sip>..."
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Richard Carpenter wrote:
> It's not the first time I've experienced this, though. I just don't
> understand why they bother with pre-release media under those
> circumstances. /shrug

Likely because there are still boatloads of people out there who'd never
give anything a look unless they had the "real" game in hand on an
honest-to-god real shiny disk.

> Also, I checked my installation folder, and there are only like
> 90-some files therein. Where else is it putting them?

Packed up nice and tight in those .dat files would be my guess.

--
chainbreaker
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

On Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:50:54 -0500, Richard Carpenter
<rumbledor.TakeThisOut@hotspamsuxmail.com> wrote:

>Also, I checked my installation folder, and there are only like 90-some
>files therein. Where else is it putting them?

Inside the .dat files in the main directory - there's a reason they're
a few gig in size.
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Thus spake Richard Carpenter <rumbledor RemoveThis @hotspamsuxmail.com>, Mon, 02 Apr
2007 14:50:54 -0500, Anno Domini:

>"Alex Mars" <Soulclaw RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in
>news:1175527088.000044.168770@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:
>
>> On Apr 1, 8:20 pm, Richard Carpenter <rumble... RemoveThis @hotspamsuxmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> Geez, why didn't anyone tell me I was looking at a day of patching to
>>> check this game out?? Not sure what the purpose was in my buying the
>>> pre-order DVD, as it appears that every file involved must be
>>> obsolete. It's updating nearly 10,400 files for chrissakes.
>>>
>>> Bah, maybe I'll get to check it out tomorrow. Eledilimir, you guys
>>> said? See you there...hopefully.
>>>
>>
>> Welcome to MMOGs, you have to patch them before you can play them. If
>> a game has been out for a few years the patching can get really long.
>>
>
>Oh, I'm no stranger at all to MMOG's. What bugs me is the fact that there
>is so much patching necessary so close to the release of the pre-order
>media. I don't know how many files the installation consists of, but nearly
>10,400 in need of patching is a bit much. May as well not sell the pre-
>order in stores and just make it a purchased download, as that's what we
>are forced to do, anyway. I'm not patching, I'm downloading it all

What you had on the DVD is the closed beta 2 master, which was over 2 mths
ago I believe. Since then & leading up to the open beta, HEAPS has changed &
been added. I installed the open beta myself a couple weeks ago & had 9.5K
files to update (another 1.5Gb by my calcs). There is a 3.7Gb open beta
install pack on Turbines website which a mate of mine d/led & only had to
update a handful of files a couple days b4 OB launch.

>I recently started with the everquest.exe file all by itself and let the
>patcher download everything up through LDoN (this may be a familiar process
>for some of you), and it took a mere five hours or so. Now I wouldn't know
>for sure, but I'm guessing that LotRO isn't releasing with quite that much
>content.

You'd be surprised. Comparing LOTRO to EQ1, especially when you see LOTRO's
quality of audio-visuals & mass of content, is like comparing a brilliant
cut 10 carat diamond to a lump of turd with some carbon in it. >8^D

>It's not the first time I've experienced this, though. I just don't
>understand why they bother with pre-release media under those
>circumstances. /shrug

All good things take time...

>Also, I checked my installation folder, and there are only like 90-some
>files therein. Where else is it putting them?

Check your dat files - they have been expanded by the d/led amount i.e.
heaps.

--
Well, as I hear it the RPG was only a genre because of the limitations
of technology at the time. RPGs were really trying to be FPSs all
along. "RPG - The Accidental Genre." - markB 24/3

Nostromo
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Thus spake Elmer <elmer DeleteThis @dagger.fall>, Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:48:18 -0500, Anno
Domini:

>Richard Carpenter <rumbledor DeleteThis @hotspamsuxmail.com> wrote in
>news:Xns9906A13C8CA67rumbledorhotmailcom@216.196.97.142:
>
>> Oh, I'm no stranger at all to MMOG's. What bugs me is the fact that
>> there is so much patching necessary so close to the release of the
>> pre-order media. I don't know how many files the installation consists
>> of, but nearly 10,400 in need of patching is a bit much. May as well
>> not sell the pre- order in stores and just make it a purchased
>> download, as that's what we are forced to do, anyway. I'm not
>> patching, I'm downloading it all
>
>I believe the pre-order DVD was burned in January, 2 months before end of closed beta.
>Lots of bug fixes and new content occurred between then and open beta.
>
>However, the DVD does have one thing not available for download yet: the high-resolution
>textures. If you've got a high-end rig, you'll get some very nice close-up detail.

Anyone seen the min specs for these? Is there anywhere to get them online at
all if you don't own the DVD? I guess I could wait until I get the retail
box, unless I decide to buy retail key only online, which might have to
happen as I don't think I can be without my preeeecccciiooouuussssss from
April 24 until May 1/2 when the hopeless bastards at EB Aus will finally
have it *sniff*.

>> I recently started with the everquest.exe file all by itself and let
>> the patcher download everything up through LDoN (this may be a
>> familiar process for some of you), and it took a mere five hours or
>> so. Now I wouldn't know for sure, but I'm guessing that LotRO isn't
>> releasing with quite that much content.
>>
>> It's not the first time I've experienced this, though. I just don't
>> understand why they bother with pre-release media under those
>> circumstances. /shrug
>
>They must think most people want something more tangible than a key, and link to the
>web page to download the full client wasn't tangible enough. And hey, there's probably a
>few thousand bytes here or there that went unpatched, so you saved 3 or 4 seconds of
>download time!
>
>> Also, I checked my installation folder, and there are only like
>> 90-some files therein. Where else is it putting them?
>
>Those hobbitses don't know how to count. "That's 1 tablespoon of honey, 2, 3, 4, <sip>
>mmmm, that's yummy, now where was I? 1, 2, 3, 4, <sip>..."

LOL!

--
Well, as I hear it the RPG was only a genre because of the limitations
of technology at the time. RPGs were really trying to be FPSs all
along. "RPG - The Accidental Genre." - markB 24/3

Nostromo
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Nostromo <nospam DeleteThis @forme.org> wrote in
news:3h73139k23al5hb1psh426uivrb9fg965u@4ax.com:

> Thus spake Elmer <elmer DeleteThis @dagger.fall>, Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:48:18 -0500,
> Anno Domini:
>
>>However, the DVD does have one thing not available for download yet:
>>the high-resolution textures. If you've got a high-end rig, you'll
>>get some very nice close-up detail.
>
> Anyone seen the min specs for these? Is there anywhere to get them
> online at all if you don't own the DVD? I guess I could wait until I
> get the retail box, unless I decide to buy retail key only online,
> which might have to happen as I don't think I can be without my
> preeeecccciiooouuussssss from April 24 until May 1/2 when the hopeless
> bastards at EB Aus will finally have it *sniff*.

I don't know about min specs, but here's my experience. Before getting the high-res
textures, I was running everything maxed out at Ultra High settings. Got the high-res
textures and Bree turned into a disastrous slideshow (1 frame every few seconds if there
were more than a few players nearby). Wilderness areas were fine though I could tell the
framerate had dropped. I tweaked down some of the shadow settings and a few other
obscure settings and it's now playable everywhere, though it still stutters when
approaching a large group of players. But it looks gorgeous, especially in widescreen.
Details on armor, wooden planks, rocks and other ground cover are amazing. Even my
dwarf's beard looks more detailed.

My specs: Athlon X2 4200+, 2GB RAM, GeForce 7900GT 256MB oc to 600/1600, 24"
monitor 1920x1200. If I had a "normal" 1280x1024 display I'd probably still be doing fine at
Ultra High. Others have suggested 512MB video memory helps but I can't say for sure.
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Thus spake "chainbreaker" <noone.RemoveThis@nowhere.com>, Mon, 2 Apr 2007 19:49:48
-0400, Anno Domini:

>Richard Carpenter wrote:
>> It's not the first time I've experienced this, though. I just don't
>> understand why they bother with pre-release media under those
>> circumstances. /shrug
>
>Likely because there are still boatloads of people out there who'd never
>give anything a look unless they had the "real" game in hand on an
>honest-to-god real shiny disk.

Shit, I'll still backup LOTRO onto a DVD-RW regularly once it goes retail.
It's at 4.19Gb now, so here's hopin it doesn't get too big too quick

You wouldn't know if there are any forum posts about taking a full backup if
you d/led it & have no media?

>> Also, I checked my installation folder, and there are only like
>> 90-some files therein. Where else is it putting them?
>
>Packed up nice and tight in those .dat files would be my guess.

Yup.

--
Well, as I hear it the RPG was only a genre because of the limitations
of technology at the time. RPGs were really trying to be FPSs all
along. "RPG - The Accidental Genre." - markB 24/3

Nostromo
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Nostromo wrote:
> You wouldn't know if there are any forum posts about taking a full
> backup if you d/led it & have no media?

Dunno--I don't avoid forums like the plague, but almost. Dev
notes/announcements under that main topic header is about my limit.

--
chainbreaker
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Nostromo <nospam.TakeThisOut@forme.org> wrote in
news:j78313ponlb7v7fr23k1ci10kk069kfm5t@4ax.com:

> Shit, I'll still backup LOTRO onto a DVD-RW regularly once it goes
> retail. It's at 4.19Gb now, so here's hopin it doesn't get too big too
> quick
>
> You wouldn't know if there are any forum posts about taking a full
> backup if you d/led it & have no media?

Should be no problems just copying all the files in the installation directory. When I
bought the pre-order DVD to get the high-res textures, I backed up my installation
directory, installed the DVD, then copied all the *.dat files back. That saved me several
hours of patching.
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching... 

Thus spake Elmer <elmer.DeleteThis@dagger.fall>, Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:30:15 -0500, Anno
Domini:

>Nostromo <nospam.DeleteThis@forme.org> wrote in
>news:j78313ponlb7v7fr23k1ci10kk069kfm5t@4ax.com:
>
>> Shit, I'll still backup LOTRO onto a DVD-RW regularly once it goes
>> retail. It's at 4.19Gb now, so here's hopin it doesn't get too big too
>> quick
>>
>> You wouldn't know if there are any forum posts about taking a full
>> backup if you d/led it & have no media?
>
>Should be no problems just copying all the files in the installation directory. When I
>bought the pre-order DVD to get the high-res textures, I backed up my installation
>directory, installed the DVD, then copied all the *.dat files back. That saved me several
>hours of patching.

Cool - tx. May try it as I have the full 3.7Gb install so no biggie if I
have to re-install/patch.

--
Well, as I hear it the RPG was only a genre because of the limitations
of technology at the time. RPGs were really trying to be FPSs all
along. "RPG - The Accidental Genre." - markB 24/3

Nostromo
 >> Stay informed about: LotRO pre-order...patching...