Downloading question

sigoh
sigoh Posts: 341 Arc User
edited August 2008 in Support Desk
if i were to download PW to a CD-R, would i beable to play it from several diffrent locations using only that disk?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Chaotic Oblivion~Fated Twilight~Eternal Sorrow~Corrupted Fidelity
Post edited by sigoh on

Comments

  • legendhero
    legendhero Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2008
    Yes, it is very likely that you will be able to do so.
    A Hard Drive can be used in numerous locations, plus if PW is downloaded to your hard drive, it does not need to be downloaded to a computer.
    A computer is just needed to play the game.
  • soukyuu
    soukyuu Posts: 809 Arc User
    edited July 2008
    it won't fit on a CD-R, a DVD-R maybe.
    you will still have to copy it to the PC you want to play one, because some files are modified while playing the game and you won't be able to patch this installation unless you make a new DVD with an updated version.

    you can copy it on an USB stick or a SD card, but the reading speed is not that great (depends on how good it is though)
    so it make take longer to load the game/map.
    PW has been endless frustration for me #2
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • sigoh
    sigoh Posts: 341 Arc User
    edited July 2008
    so USB is the way to go if i want to transport the game, with the drawback being slower gameplay... i see...
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Chaotic Oblivion~Fated Twilight~Eternal Sorrow~Corrupted Fidelity
  • siegfried
    siegfried Posts: 23 Arc User
    edited July 2008
    sigh... you can only transport the install files... you'll have to INSTALL the game on any pc that you'd want to play on...

    soukyuu: what do you mean "take longer to load game/map"? he'd still have to install the game right? or did MMOs become portable when i wasn't looking?
  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited July 2008
    There are ways to have your programs and games to run off of USB drives, but it is more hassle then what it is worth.

    Taking the install package (.exe) with you on a USB drive would be easier, then you can install it where ever you need to, so you can play.

    There is too much stuff going on back and forth in a game, and in MMOs, to run off of a solid state (no hard disc, IC instead) USB flash memory drive. It is rumored USB 3.0 stuff is fast enough, but I haven't tested those kinds of products yet.

    It is best to install it to the hard drive on each PC, because every PC has different video cards, sound cards, device drivers, Windows versions, RAM, etc; that the game will need to be set up for, which occurs when the game is installed, so everything runs properly.
    Do you need help learning about patching the game, installing it, changing antivirus/firewall settings, changing network settings, learn how to use a computer, keeping your PC maintained and more?
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  • sigoh
    sigoh Posts: 341 Arc User
    edited July 2008
    understood.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Chaotic Oblivion~Fated Twilight~Eternal Sorrow~Corrupted Fidelity
  • ryuuzaki
    ryuuzaki Posts: 680 Arc User
    edited August 2008
    It depends what exactly the setup file installs. If absolutely everything is run using configuration files within the program directory, it should be simple enough to transport it around.

    If there's important registry values set during installation, you will probably need to run the setup file on each and every PC.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited August 2008
    If the game didn't directly talk to the video card drivers, registry, direct x, sound card drivers, etc; and just ran as a simple self contained executable, it would be portable for plug and play.

    Also, most larger games, or more graphics intensive games use .DLL (direct link libraires) extension files. If you'll read up on these, you'll see that some are deeply embedded in a OS, and the game has to have things setup up right with all of them for the game to work properly.

    Indie game developers, and some pros try to stay away from DLLs and regard them as evil (myself included) but, there are sometimes you just have to use them for the functions you need to work the way you do given your circumstances of development and resources.

    Also, depending on how the game uses virtual memory, it may have to have access to a speedy hard drive for some data calls and functions.

    Someone, somewhere, out there might eventually have a work around to get the game to function that way, but it won't be officially supported by PWE, and you'll be on your own with the technical issues.

    I wouldn't risk your account data being already setup on a portable drive, then you lose it and someone else accesses it and causes havok, or could delete your account.
    Do you need help learning about patching the game, installing it, changing antivirus/firewall settings, changing network settings, learn how to use a computer, keeping your PC maintained and more?
    Visit our BRAND NEW Knowledge Base & Support Website! - Tech Support Flowchart - Panda Caught on Camera
  • soukyuu
    soukyuu Posts: 809 Arc User
    edited August 2008
    All i know is that the malaysian version installer only makes 1 registry key entry, and that is to bind the .cup files to the patcher.exe

    So if the intl client is the same then you can copy the whole installed folder to another PC and it will work.

    So if you copy and run it from the USB drive, you will be able to run it, just slower than from an internal HDD
    PW has been endless frustration for me #2
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • xxdemonxx
    xxdemonxx Posts: 9 Arc User
    edited August 2008
    siegfried wrote: »
    sigh... you can only transport the install files... you'll have to INSTALL the game on any pc that you'd want to play on...

    soukyuu: what do you mean "take longer to load game/map"? he'd still have to install the game right? or did MMOs become portable when i wasn't looking?

    Some MMO's are indeed portable.
    Look at World of Warcraft. You put it on external drive.. or your USB.. and you can just play it from there, no install required...

    I haven't tested this with PW yet though. Haha
  • soukyuu
    soukyuu Posts: 809 Arc User
    edited August 2008
    xxdemonxx wrote: »
    I haven't tested this with PW yet though. Haha
    I tested it and it works, see the post above yours ;)
    PW has been endless frustration for me #2
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • darthpanda16
    darthpanda16 Posts: 9,471 Arc User
    edited August 2008
    Yeah, it depends on a variety of things, like how the game runs, how the account/$$ transactions runs, the calls to the drivers, etc.

    Didn't know that about WoW. Never played it :D

    PW is the only MMORPG I've played.
    Do you need help learning about patching the game, installing it, changing antivirus/firewall settings, changing network settings, learn how to use a computer, keeping your PC maintained and more?
    Visit our BRAND NEW Knowledge Base & Support Website! - Tech Support Flowchart - Panda Caught on Camera
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