[Unknown Target]

Not sure if I'm the best person to suggest this, but here goes.
You all know about Valve. Everyone's heard about it. So it got me thinking: Why don't we do the same thing? Everybody downloads a client, then opens up a GUI. He selects the mod (or even the HOTU version of FS2) from a snazzy lookin' list, downloads, and plays. The client could come with a Getright-type download pauser, as well. The real advantage to this would be to have EVERYTHING in one list, for old and new members alike. The files would be either A) On one big community server (unlikely), or B) just have links to each file (probably the best choice).

Whaddya think?

(Probably could use a better name )

[kasperl]

you mean like Steam? (valve is  the company)

well, yeah,, it would be nice, very nice actually, especially in combination with Kazan's multiplayer server thingy.

[Flipside]

It's a great idea, but yes, the name makes it sound like some kind of Kazaa Rip-off

Flipside

[Lt.Cannonfodder]

Great idea indeed, but who would do it?

[Johnmike]

If you've ever used Zdaemon (doom multiplayer) when you try to go onto a server with a wad, or level file, you don't have it looks for it on a bunch of different servers.

[Kamikaze]

I think a site with a ton of torrents (for bittorrent) would be significantly easier. No need to worry about the software. Additionally it would make for considerably less server strain (unless you were planning to make this Exchange thing non-central).

[kasperl]

i never could get Bittorent to work really.

and i think he also means to make it able to do the mod flag stuff autmagicly.  DL it, throw it in the dir, and make a shortcut to the stuff with the -mod flag and stuff, and connect to the server for this mod too.

it is all reasonably possible, since multi.cfg from Kazan's stuff IIRC supports the mod flag, so you only need to worry abount download clients.

the fun of this would be to have everything in one nice simple package, easier to use and nicer for noobs.

[ChronoReverse]

Interestingly enough, there's some experimental work with bittorrent to allow for HTTP seeds.  If this is actually implemented, then I can see have a BT client built into this to download mods would be interesting.

[demon442]

A good idea, in theory, but only if there are significant improvments over just a Steam clone.  For one, make sure there is a 'Pause' option when DLing Inferno or some other massive MOD.  And make it very modem friendly if this project gets off the ground, that is Steam's biggest problem, it excludes about half of the players because they dont have uber-awesome broadband.

[DragonClaw]

And really, who would keep their computer seeding a bittorrent file anyway? I'm a bit skeptical on the whole idea of a bittorrent-like system. Ya'll assume that people have nothing better to do with their bandwidth than to seed campaign files.

[Unknown Target]

Why use bittorrent, why not something else?

[SadisticSid]

Because Bittorrent works well, has a very small footprint, millions of people already have it installed, and it's almost impossible to get corrupt downloads from it. Other P2P software is ridden with adware and other crap, and a direct download system would need a server with a big expensive connection.

[Unknown Target]

Could you use the Bittorent code (providing it's open-source), and enable it to seek seeds on it's own? So that FEX (Not FE, cause that's Kazan's ) could search for it, rather than you having to go to a specific site and getting your own seed, then searching for mirrors?

[Kazan]

I do not support the usage of any product like steam - the reasons for this are varied and highly political

[Unknown Target]

Oook...enlighten us as to why, please.

[Drew]

Steam is a peice of **** anyway. It annyod me so much that i just deleted it after the first hour. Who wants a proggy running in the backround that takes %25 of your system rescources while your playing a game.

[Unknown Target]

How about, instead of making it run always in the background, you launch it, pick your downloads, download them (simultaniously), and then close the program?

It's basically a centralized GUI for all the different links that you have to look through to get the stuff you want.

[Kazan]

it encourages this is a policy - the policy of "will give you bits and pieces of the content but not all of it at once - you must have your system on the net and be able to contact the master servers to be able to play at all, etc"

that's a very short tin-foil-hat-inducer for this.. you really need to read slashdot to understand.. it's very much something you just have to be connected to the OSS zeitgeist to understand the implications of systems like Steam

[Unknown Target]

Kazan,

What. I. Am. Proposing. Is. NOT. Steam. It. Is. A. GUI. So. That. You. Do. Not. Have. To. Scour. The. Net. Looking. For. Downloads.


This means that you do not have to go to someone's hosted server to get v1.2, then scour for the latest version of FS2_Open, then go and find a mod from some bizzare site way out there.

You click three buttons on the GUI:

"FS2 V1.2"

"FS2_OPEN Version ____.____"

and whatever the mod you want is.

[Kazan]

ah UT -- i was just responding to someone saying "oh like steam"

so basically you're proposing for FS2 what i wrote for RF (RF Mod Man)