Auto downloading of maps ?

[giskard]

Hello all.

I was wondering, does MTW autodownload maps online ?

I cannot remember seeing it happen in my online games. If it doesnt it might be worth some site making a map pack. So users can download a bunch of maps at once.

I will certainly support such a project on my own site.

Giskard

[Vanya]

GAH!

No. Doing such would be a safety hazard. The risk of viruses and such being automatically slapped onto your PC would open the software maker to civil liabilities. Forcing you to go download them yourselves absolves them of this risk by passing the buck off to the customer. (Like sales taxes http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/frown.gif ).

GAH!

[Kraellin]

vanya,

that's like saying that an isp is liable for any viruses you pick up because they provided you a link to the net....silliness. the only one responsible for the virus is the one who made it. but, courts do do odd things at times, so maybe yer right.

i do know that a few game devs have done this though and it is a nice feature.

K.


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[GilJaysmith]

I thought about doing that, but I didn't have enough time. Still, I know how to do it if there's a next time.

Gil ~ CA

[Vanya]

"As long as the sun rises, the grass grows and the rivers flow... there will be a next time..."
-- Vanya

GAH!

[giskard]

Thanks all.

I just wondered why I had never seen it happen.

Still I know of way to get Maps on peoples drives. Distribute them with campaigns and add them to campaigns http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Only one problem though.

What happens if a person joins a game and doesnt have the map. Does the game give a friendly "you dont have the map2 message or throw a fit ?

I do like to avoid such unpleasantries or atleast advise people in a readme that problems may occure.

Giskard

[GilJaysmith]

Quote Originally posted by giskard:
What happens if a person joins a game and doesnt have the map. Does the game give a friendly "you dont have the map2 message or throw a fit ?
[/QUOTE]

You can't join an MP game if you don't have the map in the same place with the same name and contents.

Gil ~ CA

[giskard]

Thats good then http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

A nasty crash would not have gone down too well.

One more question, if new maps are saved to savedmaps. Can the maps be used in the single player campaign from that directory ?

Thanks Gil http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Giskard

[This message has been edited by giskard (edited 10-03-2002).]

[Mithrandir]

How come you can download a virus like that?
In all my 3 years of daily UT playing, Auto map & Mod downloading, I never once received an inapropiate (read other than map or mod) file...

I hate it when I cant join just because I dont have the time http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/rolleyes.gif (read feel like) downloading the latest maps and installing them...

please enable autodownloading...

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[GilJaysmith]

It depends on the system the game uses to download and use files. A game which automatically downloaded script files associated with a custom map, and which ran some standard entrypoint function to initialise the map, and which didn't have suitable sandboxing to stop script functions from messing with your machine, could be vulnerable to virus-like functions. But I can't think of any game that does that sort of thing. There's practically no reason to allow a game script to mess with the file system in that way.

As for autodownloading in MTW: not now, maybe later, maybe not.

Gil ~ CA