A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

#10300002856 03/17/2006 16:41:15 A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Update 42, scheduled for March 28th, is going to be a very large download--and by "very large," I mean that QA estimates it will be over 500 MB of files that you are required to download in order to play.

The anniversary event will begin in earnest three days later, on the 31st, with the grand finale on the 2nd. Some users on slow connections, such as dialup modems, have voiced their concerns about having sufficient time to download the patch before the event.

A solution for those with such concerns is to create an External Playtest installation of the game on your computer (or a second one, if you already have one).

This will get you patched up to the XP server, and in doing so you will download almost all of the files needed for the anniversary event. This means that when Update 42 comes out, you will only have to download a small additional patch in order to begin playing on the Live servers.

You will need about 6 GB of free hard drive space in order to create the new installation.

Doing this is by no means mandatory! It is simply a means that those with very slow connections can use to download most of the update 42 content ahead of time.

Here is the process for this pre-patch solution:

1) Create a new External Playtest installation of the game by following the directions here.

2) Run the game from the new External Playtest server, and let it patch all the way. This patch is over 500 MB, and may take several days for those on slow connections.

3) Wait for Update 42 to come out on the Live servers. This is currently scheduled to occur on March 28th.

Don't go on to step 4 until Update 42 is out!

4) Browse to your new External Playtest installation folder.

5) Delete the "useropts.cfg" file that you created in the course of following the directions on the page linked in step 1 above.

6) Run the game from your new External Playtest installation folder. It will patch to Update 42 on the Live servers. This should be a small patch. Once this patch is installed, you will be able to play on the Live servers using this installation of the game.

Message Edited by Rarebit on 03-17-200604:42 PM

#10300002857 03/17/2006 16:57:29 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

I can sympathize with the dial-up people :smileyhappy:

Wouldn't it also be possible, if people don't have the hard drive space, for them to just add the useropts.cfg file to the main installation and patch that one to QA? I know it would prevent them from playing on the live servers, but so would spending a week downloading the new patch :smileywink:. And I know I'm not the only one with <2 GB left on my hard drive :smileyvery-happy:

And don't forget, if the other method is used, it would be important not to delete screenies or profile data once the patch goes live and the old installation is rendered useless. Don't go deleting entire MxO installation folders without checking for irreplaceable data.

#10300002858 03/17/2006 17:12:26 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

I love you rarebit. :smileyhappy:

and thankyou!

for those who dont know... My name is Mercio and I am a 56k user.:smileysad:

#10300002859 03/17/2006 17:31:00 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Stack wrote:
I can sympathize with the dial-up people :smileyhappy:

Wouldn't it also be possible, if people don't have the hard drive space, for them to just add the useropts.cfg file to the main installation and patch that one to QA? I know it would prevent them from playing on the live servers, but so would spending a week downloading the new patch :smileywink:. And I know I'm not the only one with 2 GB left on my hard drive :smileyvery-happy:

And don't forget, if the other method is used, it would be important not to delete screenies or profile data once the patch goes live and the old installation is rendered useless. Don't go deleting entire MxO installation folders without checking for irreplaceable data.

Yes, that will work as well, but yes, they will not be able to play on the Live servers until the next update goes out if they do it that way.

#10300002860 03/17/2006 17:47:27 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Another option:

Would it be possible just to delete the useropts.cfg file from my EP Server Installation once Update 42 comes out, patch the game with the Event files, and then delete my original Live Game Installation, thereby running my game solely from the former-EP Server Files? (I would create new links and such, and if necessary, have another copy of the EP Server Files on hand in case I ever need to go back to it).

#10300002861 03/17/2006 18:17:54 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

PyRo_X1 wrote:
Another option:
Would it be possible just to delete the useropts.cfg file from my EP Server Installation once Update 42 comes out, patch the game with the Event files, and then delete my original Live Game Installation, thereby running my game solely from the former-EP Server Files? (I would create new links and such, and if necessary, have another copy of the EP Server Files on hand in case I ever need to go back to it).

Yes. As Stack mentioned, though, be sure you've backed everything up that you want to save (screenshots, etc) inside those installations before you go deleting them.

#10300002862 03/17/2006 18:55:36 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

I thbelineve Rarebit is a good man. RAREBITIS THE WINNER

#10300002863 03/17/2006 19:13:48 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Sweet, good to know this is another option we have. 500mb takes ages to download on the patch server from where I am (although I'm talking hours, not days...)

Thanks for the guide.

#10300002866 03/17/2006 20:26:26 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

If you have the space then, you could make a new QA install to use for live, then when you have the time, patch your orignal install to update 42 as well. That way, when the original is all patched up, you only need delete the new install once you no longer need it. Safer no?

#10300002867 03/18/2006 02:53:54 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Sorry im not to clear about this

We already have one test server and Rarebit would like us to create yet another test server patch that up wait until update 42 then fully patch that up and use that as our main server.

So wouldnt that leave us with a test server, a new live game and a old live game.

And of course we could uninstall the old live game.

Sorry i'm pretty noob like with computers but that would be very complicated, use up a lot of space and annoying that i will be having my computer on for quite a few days.

How come you can't create a file which copies files from our test world to our live game and then just get the remaining bit patched.

Again i'm sorry if i have misinterpreted the information.

Thanks

#10300002868 03/18/2006 08:41:46 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Remember this is for those who have slow connections where a 500 meg download will take 10 to 12 hours or more. People with fast connections, need do nothing. But for slow connections, if you want to be able to keep using the QA server after update 42 goes live, then you will need to make a second QA install to shorten the patch time to get to update 42.

After the event, you can then patch you original install at your lesiure and keep playing the new QA install (which will then be set to the live server) until you have patched your original.

If you want, you could probably just copy your QA install over your live game install but doing so will cause one of two things:

1 either it will force you to download a rollback patch to the current live version or,
2 it'll render the game unusable until patch 42 is live.

So doing that is at your own risk. A file probably couldn't be made with any reliabilty as people use different directories for their game installs.

So Rarebit's suggestion is just the "safe" route. If you think it would cause more bother, then you don't need to do it at all. Just be aware that you'll have a longer download time when update 42 goes live.

#10300002870 03/18/2006 10:52:07 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

im not a noob at comp stuff and this s$%t is confusin me all these options. ok i have a pritty good connection in the first place so i may not even need to do this but, if i do do i take the XP server files copy them over to my live game and then run it allowing it to update it (the small part needed)?.

#10300002871 03/18/2006 10:56:54 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

I have one copy of the test world, does this mean I have to make a second copy of it? I only just copied my character onto it, and I'm completely at tenterhooks about this, since I am an utter klutz with technical stuff.

And yes, I'm on dial-up.

#10300002873 03/18/2006 13:12:32 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

I'll let someone else answer your question refugee.

But i do want to mention this. NO ONE NEEDS TO DO THIS. Especially if your not on a 56k like myself. This was just a way for the devs to make sure people like me would not miss the Event. And since the update will becoming out like 3 days before the event it will give everyone except 56k users enough time to download the patch. But since 56k is so slow it may take longer than three days to download. Thus causing them to miss some of the event. So if your not on a 56k dont worry about it.

Message Edited by Mercio on 03-18-200601:17 PM

#10300002874 03/18/2006 14:48:28 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

So let me get this straight: does this mean the dial-up folks have to use the test world copy after Update 42 and only that copy, after we've tweaked that one a bit? I'm completely and utterly confused by this.

Look, maybe it would be easier if you just mailed a disk with the necessary patch files to the dial-up folks. I'm sorry if I sound nasty here, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do now and I feel frustrated and worried that something will get horribly screwed up...

#10300002875 03/18/2006 15:57:00 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

No.

What Rarebit is saying is using your test copy of the launcher is an option you can take if you want to.

If you already have a copy of the test server, once the anniversary patch comes you can copy the contents of the Test Server folder into your actual game folder and then delete the useropts file. Then it will reduce the ammount of time you've got to spend downloading because the game will be more upto date.

Hope that makes some sense, if it doesn't post again and I'll try and clarify it some more.

Jeffers

#10300002878 03/18/2006 22:15:11 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

::Completely and utterly lost now, wondering if between this and the vampire madness on Recursion, she should just cut her losses and cancel her account::

#10300002879 03/19/2006 00:05:05 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

But if you do just copy your current QA install to your current Live install you may lose your map file settings and possible any loadout settings too. Hot bar settings are of no concern as they will be reset anyhow.

So trying to keep it simple here are the possible things you can do:

1 - Nothing.
Just patch the Live version as normal.

2 - Copy your current QA install to your current Live install.
Renders your Live install unusable until the patch is released so don't do this yet.

3 - Remove the 'useropts.cfg' file from your current QA install.
Renders QA unusable and will force a rollback to the live servers if done before the patch is released, so don't do this yet. You will then need to make a 3rd install for a QA install if you wish to play on the QA server.

You could also just move the 'Useropts.cfg' file to the Live install but that's risky and will lose your current Useropts settings. Only do that if you know what you are doing.

4 - Create a new QA install so that you have one Live install and two QA installs. Use the new QA install to prepare for the patch. When the patch is released, patch using this install (delete its 'Useropts.cfg' file at this time). Play on this new install during the event.

After the event, or at least, after you have patched your original Live version up (which will take a long time) you can delete this new install altogether. This will obviously take more space but gives you:

1 QA install you can keep playing with no changes made to it.
1 Original install that can be patched up to Update 42 when you have the time for a full patch. This keeps all current Live server settings intact.
1 New install of the Live server that you may then delete after patching your original install.

You only need do that if you wish to keep a QA install and your original Live install directory and wish for extra safety in case you make a mistake and destroy the install completely.

Does that make more sense?

Message Edited by Chuui on 03-19-200604:06 PM

#10300002880 03/19/2006 19:08:24 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Be careful if you have low hard drive space (like me). The more files you move/patch, the more fragmented it gets, which equals laggy gameplay.

The Patch v. 1.2 | The Guide

#10300002882 03/20/2006 13:58:37 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

I think I got this figured out, and it took a matter of looking under the hood of both copies of the launcher.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but removing the useropts.cfg file turns the test server launcher into a clone of the original installation, the thing I installed from the packaged CD-ROMs and which has been patched from the main server up until now. I think I just might continue to patch to the second installation after Update 42, or is that feasible at all?

#10300002884 03/21/2006 10:48:43 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

MatrixRefugee wrote:
I think I got this figured out, and it took a matter of looking under the hood of both copies of the launcher.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but removing the useropts.cfg file turns the test server launcher into a clone of the original installation, the thing I installed from the packaged CD-ROMs and which has been patched from the main server up until now. I think I just might continue to patch to the second installation after Update 42, or is that feasible at all?

Correct. The way I see this, the QA is the same game (without of course the cr2) but allowing to log on a different server. So removing useropts when the update 42 is up, will allow you to skip a lot of downloading time (if you get all the QA patches before).

#10300002885 03/21/2006 13:55:58 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Whew, thanks, Gothique! I finally got the most recent QA patch *FINALLY* installed the other night (250 MB, and it took about six hours all totalled), so come March 28th, once I do that tweaking, I'll be good to go.

Sorry I spazzed on everyone back there :: Points up the thread::. I just let all the technical info and chatter confuse me. And goodness knows, when it comes to computer stuff, sometimes it doesn't take much to get my head in a knot.

#10300002888 03/23/2006 16:38:04 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

I still CANNOT dl this prepatch, the event is coming closer and I'm no closer to a solution then a week ago.

Please explain to me how to get the patch on the live version I dont care if I cant play for two days, at this point i'm so frustrated I'll do anything SMILEY

Thanks for the Memories MXO!

#10300002906 03/23/2006 18:22:12 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

MidnightFH wrote:
I still CANNOT dl this prepatch, the event is coming closer and I'm no closer to a solution then a week ago.
Please explain to me how to get the patch on the live version I dont care if I cant play for two days, at this point i'm so frustrated I'll do anything

Change everything in your live folder of MxO just like you would if you were creating a QA MxO install. Links are in Rarebits original post.

#10300002966 03/25/2006 02:05:26 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Well this just goes to show you how considerate of the community our devs are. Hopefully people start to realise how good our devs are, and just because we don't get every little thing we ask for. Does not mean they don't care.

/ThumbsUp

#10300002987 03/27/2006 10:24:19 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Whh Hoo... Hail the Rarebit!!

I might not be on Dial-Up, However Patch System Error (result -2) seems to follow me around like a Freaking Nerf Bat :smileymad:

#10300002989 03/27/2006 11:26:36 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

RareRabbit, when will we expect a new set of game CD's? Since the ones I have are really no longer "The Matrix Online", they are just a set of cd's that will allow you to reinstall a game that is no longer truely the same game. I know SOE will not reissue new CD's. I just figured I would through that idea out there.

Message Edited by iceman6074 on 03-27-200601:29 PM

#10300002990 03/27/2006 11:34:14 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Actually a friend said it better. Supply us with a ISO download so we can make them ourselves. It would be better that way.

#10300002994 03/28/2006 05:10:57 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Using this method, the download is an amazing 0.7 megs. =D Servers are still down, but fully patched in under 30 seconds. Now that's gotta be a good improvement for 56kers too.

#10300002995 03/28/2006 05:33:11 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

This patch must of been much smaller than expected. I did not use this solution and it only took me less than a minute to download the patch. I know my connection is faster than most people's, but it's not that fast.

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#10300002996 03/28/2006 08:45:43 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

It definitely sounds like it was smaller than expected. If combat is working, then I'd say the patch is good--I guess they just straightened something out between the initial QA server patch and this one. SMILEY

#10300002997 03/28/2006 11:38:48 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

With a patch on just above 13MB this solution seem a bit uhm... expendable?

#10300003020 04/06/2006 10:19:43 Re: A pre-patch solution for those with slow connections

Actually I am curious... how the heck did you guys get a 500+mb update into less than 13mb...

Seriously I really would like to know. I remember downloading at least 500mb of updates on EP.

However you did it... it is quite impressive.