So what's this huge 10Gb update on Steam today all about?

Fixed: Boats would get stuck on shores too easily
Fixed: The game could get stuck when downloading a scenario while the server changed a scenario to another one

And that took 10 GIG to fix??? This ladies and gents is why I hate Arma!

Whoa whoa whoa, do you really mean HATE vampr? That�s a pretty strong word.

Seriously though, check the link Meatshield posted above ...

https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00062

One thing they added is �Tactical Ping� ... I think they got that idea from Project Argo and I think it�s pretty cool! You can kinda visually �hint� where you�re seeing contacts just like that yellow marker they have in Exile!

Still though ... 10Gb?!

So, do you want them not to make anymore updates and leave it unsupported?

It's due to the file infrastructure I think. They have to replace the entire package file to ensure integrity. It's either that or do the entire unpack/repack thing from OFP days, which not only took ages, it was prone to failure.

I also assume there's some encryption going on that they don't want to do on the user's computer so it can't be reverse-engineered as easily.

Thanks for that info Amaroq. That makes sense.

Almost all other games I have on Steam, Uplay, and elsewhere have moved to a differential level patching method. So when you need to patch a 1GB file with 100MB in changes, you DL a 100MB file and it changes it locally, depending on your HD speed and not your internet connection.

If BIS has chosen for their own reasons to forego this method, relying on user's data caps/rate instead, it's a poor decision that leaves them almost alone in the digital gaming world.



The Jedi Master

I may be wrong, but I wonder whether it's because the Tanoa paid DLC files are encrypted. There may be no way to decrypt the DLC volumes on the client side to update the individual elements they contain. So the whole thing is updated and re-encrypted on their end, and sent down to us for updates.

Like I say, just a guess and I could be wrong.

I don't understand why they need to encrypt them when there are so many much bigger games than Arma that have no issue with leaving theirs unencrypted.
If Ubisoft and Activision and EA and the like are ok with it, why does BIS feel it needs to go this extra mile?



The Jedi Master

There were also some behind the scenes things that took place to start preparing for the move to 64 bit for A3. So that did take a lot of the update as well.

Ubi, Activision and EA DO encrypt their stuff, and you do only download whats new, they just fixed and changed a hell of a lot of stuff!!

Well if they do, that means they allow decrypting for patching, because I am definitely not downloading multiple GB to patch files that are that size, I'm only seeing differential files.



The Jedi Master

Apex worth it? Deciding between it and Automation still.

yes it is, though i'd wait till the Christmas sales as BI tend to put the arma stuff on sale a fair amount.