[Suggestion] Download only Game Launchers Instead of Full Game

[Illutian]

Many of the games on Steam, typically the MMOs, patch their games independently of Steam's 'Update Manager'. So, I ask, why do we download 7+ GB of data and then run the game's launcher that will patch the game?

Why not just have us download the ~100 MB Game Launcher from Steam and then download the rest through the game's launcher.

This would be extremely helpful for those of us who have had to move our SteamApps location. Because you _must_ run a Verify Cache Integrity scan for the game to properly function inside of Steam. Which, of course, it finds most of the files are "corrupted" because the version in the Steam database is of the older version.

Secondly, this would reduce the bandwidth of the Steam download servers. As they would only be asked to supply a small fraction of the total game size.

FYI: Most of the games that use their own patcher have you download most of the game anyways. So this change doesn't increase their bandwidth. It, in fact, reduces it. Because you only need to download the updated game launcher and then have *it* verify the files. Instead of it seeing all these outdated files that must be patched.

*NOTE: This change would only be for games that do not use the Steam Update function (ie EVE Online, PlanetSide 2, LoTRO, DDO, and many others).

[Black Blade]

Well the game need to be set for steam.. il just guss you need to download a base of the game so steam can add its things in it.. so it will work with it..
Something that you cant do with only the launcher..
And the game Dev can set it all to download for steam... but guess its easyre for them these way

[Illutian]

Shouldn't need to download the entire game to do that. Just the DLL of the Steam API and the core game launcher files. These 'core files' are the same that most of us download from the Game's website (usually named 'setup.exe' or something like that).

And it's been done. I 'think' it was Defiance that downloads a ~250 MB file (the launcher) and then you download the rest of the game from the Trion Worlds' servers (assuming it was Defiance).

Right now it's a very inefficient method. I download a game from Steam. Then the game's launcher patches it up the current version. Then, for what ever reason, if I need to run a Verify Cache. I re-download _most_ of the game. Then I re-patch it back up to the current version.
....I guess Bandwidth is free in the 'Corporate World'

[Black Blade]

Well then i guess the game dev set it on steam wrong then XD

[aiusepsi]

These days, developers have essentially total freedom in how they set up their games on Steam, so they can do it however they want. Really they don't need to use their own patchers any more because since the introduction of SteamPipe developers can upload their own patches directly to Steam.

[Illutian]

aiusepsi님이 먼저 게시:

These days, developers have essentially total freedom in how they set up their games on Steam, so they can do it however they want. Really they don't need to use their own patchers any more because since the introduction of SteamPipe developers can upload their own patches directly to Steam.

God, this would be so nice if _all_ were required to do so in order to be 'placed' on Steam.
--much like how they are required to have the steam_api.dll

[aiusepsi]

Illutian님이 먼저 게시:

God, this would be so nice if _all_ were required to do so in order to be 'placed' on Steam.
--much like how they are required to have the steam_api.dll

They're not required to have steam_api.dll, as far as I'm aware. It's a helper DLL for loading in the Steamworks API, so you only really need it if you're planning to use any Steamworks features, and almost everyone uses at least one or two of them.

[Illutian]

aiusepsi님이 먼저 게시:

Illutian님이 먼저 게시:

God, this would be so nice if _all_ were required to do so in order to be 'placed' on Steam.
--much like how they are required to have the steam_api.dll

They're not required to have steam_api.dll, as far as I'm aware. It's a helper DLL for loading in the Steamworks API, so you only really need it if you're planning to use any Steamworks features, and almost everyone uses at least one or two of them.

I think the steam_api.dll is required for the overlay and achievement registering. Unless Driver Fusion uses the Steamworks functions.

[aiusepsi]

Illutian님이 먼저 게시:

I think the steam_api.dll is required for the overlay and achievement registering.

Achievements are a set via a Steamworks API, so yeh.

[Zeronic]

i kind of like this idea

[Illutian]

aiusepsi님이 먼저 게시:

Illutian님이 먼저 게시:

I think the steam_api.dll is required for the overlay and achievement registering.

Achievements are a set via a Steamworks API, so yeh.

In that case, I hope they one day make it a requirement to use either their Update Manager or allow the end-user to download either the entire game or just the game launcher. Much like how they eventually added the Bandwidth Throttle settings after years of people asking for it.

[Camerooni]

Rift does this since it was returned to the store.. Steam downloads the patcher, runs the patcher, patcher downloads the rest of the game.. everybody wins! (This is a great solution)..

The alternative is something like Vindictus where it patches through steam (granted this game is built around source so maybe it's easier for them to do? But this is the ideal solution)..

I'm sick of downloading games and waiting for Steam to tell me that it is finished only for the game itself to download further patches, either put all of it in Steam or just the bare essentials.. don't make us download the files only to download them again. Our download limits in Australia aren't super awesome yet.