Feature Request: (Working) Content Streaming

[ATimson]

This may sound kinda weird, but bear with me. What I'd like to see is relatively simple: for SiN Episodes to support Steam's content streaming (http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Content_Streaming) functions. Sadly enough, not all of Valve's games do; some (like Half-Life: Source or Blue Shift) force you to download the entire game before you can play, while others have horribly inefficient sets of files to download before playing (like Half-Life 2 needing to download all of the map files).

So, hopefully Ritual will be able to one-up Valve in this manner. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Tiletron]

While the components of episodes are all connected through the storyline, they have already said that they are also self-contained.

As for maps, well, that's complcated. Since maps in SOURCE handle all the programming now instead of the core-engine, I can see why downloading all of these might be necessary; if a single texture in an early map has to refer to its behaviours from another halfway through the episode. It's a well-known fact that every time you build something better it nearly always makes it harder to produce efficiently.

I suppose components could be broken down into modules like some engines use for storing their facilities, but if you need all these little things to run only a single part of the story, what you're asking may never work for SOURCE's games across the board, as it all depends on how each game differs from the others in its gameplay.

[ATimson]

Originally posted by Tiletron:
As for maps, well, that's complcated. Since maps in SOURCE handle all the programming now instead of the core-engine,


... I don't think that's even possible. What exactly makes you think that?


I can see why downloading all of these might be necessary; if a single texture in an early map has to refer to its behaviours from another halfway through the episode.


We're talking about just the compiled map file, not the textures, sounds, and other objects they reference. Downloading those might make sense (though those unique to a map should only be downloaded when that map is; and you could even argue that those shared across a map should only be downloaded as needed).

It's a well-known fact that every time you build something better it nearly always makes it harder to produce efficiently.


I suppose components could be broken down into modules like some engines use for storing their facilities,


Steam's file system allows a facsimile thereof; each map needs to declare what files it needs before it can load. The problem is, it's much easier to say that a map needs everything, than to determine exactly what is needed.

[Michael_Russell]

Well, I can understand why streaming would seem like a good idea, but we'd have some problems right off the bat for "SiN: Episodes" if we took that path.

From a flow perspective, for example, it's a lot easier to have a one-minute load and then continue than it is to get to a level transition and see, "Loading level from Steam...55 minutes remaining."

We also have a fairly high level of interactivity in our levels. Player 1 may not need the audio files related to being able to change stations on the in-car radio, but Player 2 might need them. Regardless, the map and the car reference them and it would have to be streamed in with the map.

We'll probably be using the reslist stuff to prune down our trees to reduce our size, and streaming may be in the future, but for an ideal experience, we still will recommend a full pre-load.

[Tiletron]

Yeah, that's what I meant. These aren't the same as HL2 levels:

- there is Context-Look on nearly everything;
- the level of destrutability is probably a lot larger than it was before in SiN;
- The HDR test Valve has been working on has been increasing the detail of character, which I assume Ritual is getting as the tech improves.

All of this may not make the game larger, necessarily, but will make it "tighter" and more complex to build in order to look good on-screen.

I agree, I want content streaming as well, but there are so many variables that make SiN Episodes different from HL2, and I think it's too early for this feature... they have to see if what they are building works first in the mainstream market.

[ATimson]

Originally posted by Michael_Russell:
From a flow perspective, for example, it's a lot easier to have a one-minute load and then continue than it is to get to a level transition and see, "Loading level from Steam...55 minutes remaining."


True. My understanding is that gernerally Steam should continue to download content in the background, so I doubt it'd be 55 minutes to load another level... but that could be frustrating. At least if you're waiting for it to download before you play at all, you can go do other stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif


We also have a fairly high level of interactivity in our levels. Player 1 may not need the audio files related to being able to change stations on the in-car radio, but Player 2 might need them. Regardless, the map and the car reference them and it would have to be streamed in with the map.


Right. But you don't need for them to be streamed in for maps without the car, which is why (ideally) they'd be in the map's reslist, and not the base engine one.


We'll probably be using the reslist stuff to prune down our trees to reduce our size, and streaming may be in the future, but for an ideal experience, we still will recommend a full pre-load.


'k. Thanks for taking the time to read & respond. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif