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WTF is "pre-patch" for?

stolokstolok Member Posts: 144 Arc User
edited September 2023 in Star Trek Online General Discussion
After leaving my gaming machine on over-night to download five gigs of data, I find that I am downloading EIGHT gigs in a patch now that the update is live. Was the entire thing really THIRTEEN gigs? Or is pre-patching some kind of scam?
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on

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    kiralynkiralyn Member Posts: 1,576 Arc User
    edited September 2019
    It also shows a XXXXMB/YYYYMB readout when it's installing patch data into the files on your computer.

    (I've got a network activity ticker on my desktop. Almost nothing is happening on it, meanwhile the "Patched XXXX.X MB/8075 MB" is running along. It's not downloading, it's just processing all the files.)
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    rattler2rattler2 Member Posts: 58,018 Community Moderator
    The pre-patch sends some data over before patch day. It takes some of the strain off the patch server before a big content drop.
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    crypticarmsmancrypticarmsman Member Posts: 4,113 Arc User
    stolok wrote: »
    After leaving my gaming machine on over-night to download five gigs of data, I find that I am downloading EIGHT gigs in a patch now that the update is live. Was the entire thing really THIRTEEN gigs? Or is pre-patching some kind of scam?

    IMO - Cryptic's pre-patching system as implemented is often a waste of time. Supposedly, it just all the graphic file updates (at a certain period); BUT, since they continue working on the code, sometimes they need to make another change to the graphics files, meaning that some of what you downloaded is 'out of date' from what was pre-patched, and thus is re-downloaded because it changed.

    I usually cancel the pre-patch before it starts - and instead, just keep Tribble (if you have access to it) up[dated, as when things are updated like this their Update system will pull files from their as well if they are available.
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    leemwatsonleemwatson Member Posts: 5,344 Arc User
    stolok wrote: »
    After leaving my gaming machine on over-night to download five gigs of data, I find that I am downloading EIGHT gigs in a patch now that the update is live. Was the entire thing really THIRTEEN gigs? Or is pre-patching some kind of scam?

    How is it a scam. They gain nothing from you by pre-patching and patching. As mentioned, the patch when it goes live does not redownload the same data, and the launcher pulls files from the pre-patch and processes them. It will download some new files, but it will never be a full patch unless you actively stop the pre-patch.
    "You don't want to patrol!? You don't want to escort!? You don't want to defend the Federation's Starbases!? Then why are you flying my Starships!? If you were a Klingon you'd be killed on the spot, but lucky for you.....you WERE in Starfleet. Let's see how New Zealand Penal Colony suits you." Adm A. Necheyev.
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    eazzieeazzie Member Posts: 4,000 Arc User
    Pre-Patching is done (as others have mentioned) to prepare files for new content and to take the strain off the patch server with everyone patching at once. It is something that has been done since as long as I can remember. It is in no way a scam. In fact it is done to assist YOU. instead of sitting waiting for a large patching to complete while you have others doing the same. It is done to assist you you patch quicker and get back into game quicker.
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    crypticarmsmancrypticarmsman Member Posts: 4,113 Arc User
    Just FYI - I just completed patching the updated client and info for "Awakening".

    As I mentioned above, I had just kept the Tribble server client up to date.

    Total new downloaded content: 210.5 MB <--- Yes, that's megabytes.

    The rest the Patcher automatically copied over and updated the Live folder from my Playtest folder (that's the Folder the Tribble server client and other data resides in.)

    So, yeah, IMO IF you have access to the Tribble server - if you just keep that updated prior to a big 'Live Update', it works better than their Pre-Patch system. If you keep Tribble updated, just close/kill the Pre-Patch as it starts, and you won't downl;oad any of the Pre-Patch, and when stuff goes Live, it'll pull what it can from your Playtest folder.

    (Yes, as you update Tribble you'll still download roughly the same amount of data, but it'll be in chunks over a few weeks - and it will probably be more up top date then what they put in the Pre-Patch. You just need to check Tribble for updates once in a while beforehand. :))
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    PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
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    seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,918 Arc User
    stolok wrote: »
    Or is pre-patching some kind of scam?

    lol.. yeah man.. you just blew the lid off the conspiracy!! It's all just Cryptic trolling you for no reason at all since they gain absolutely nothing.

    So you downloaded more then you thought while you were sleeping.. that really means you need to start a forum thread about it and accuse Cryptic of somehow scamming you?

    What a seriously strange reaction.
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