Topic: Pain threshold for auto downloads

[Thomas]

What would you think should be the upper size limit for a level that contains download links when hosted?

Or shall we better say time limit? Would you still download a level/mission with Vortex or in-game if it took 15 or 20 minutes to download, or even longer?

[-<WillyP>-]

I think I would probably assume something went wrong and abort it and try again after less than a minute... since most multiplayer levels take only a few seconds.

I think if it took that long I would prefer to download it as a file so I could do something else while waiting for it.

[Matthew]

do something else while waiting for it.

You still can.

15 to 20 minutes? Probably not. Are we talking an obscenely large level here, or an obscenely slow connection?

[SaladBadger]

Provided there's an accruate measure on the file size, I could live with it

Such a download probably wouldn't be done in Vortex though. I just can't trust it enough.

[Thomas]

I think if it took that long I would prefer to download it as a file so I could do something else while waiting for it.

A zip file _is_ a file. 

[Thomas]

15 to 20 minutes? Probably not. Are we talking an obscenely large level here, or an obscenely slow connection?

A big file.

[SaladBadger]

I think if it took that long I would prefer to download it as a file so I could do something else while waiting for it.

A zip file _is_ a file. 

I assume he means through his browser, as vortex basically does hide half of the process from the end user.

[-<WillyP>-]

yes, That is what I meant. But I suppose it doesn't matter, I was thinking in a certain way because I usually close my browser and everything else before I play Descent, but there is no reason to not download it in the background through Vortex. Most levels are a small enough a download I just wait for them.

[Thomas]

Provided there's an accruate measure on the file size, I could live with it

What would be the threshold for that?

[SaladBadger]

I'll be fine with 10, but I'll be honestly questioning why this mission is still big

I'd say I could go up to around 25-30 before questioning once again why it is still so big.

However, the idgames archive has a max limit of 50 mb for Doom WAD files, and I've downloaded bigger, so honestly going up to 50 could be bearable.

[Thomas]

I'll be fine with 10, but I'll be honestly questioning why this mission is still big

I'd say I could go up to around 25-30 before questioning once again why it is still so big.

Thanks. What do you mean by 'questioning'?

You open Vortex and the mission shows up in red. It contains a download link. Would you go for it or not?

However, the idgames archive has a max limit of 50 mb for Doom WAD files, and I've downloaded bigger, so honestly going up to 50 could be bearable.

I'm talking about a slightly bigger file. Let's say maybe 10 times that size.

[-<WillyP>-]

Well, just include the d/l link and if people won't wait for it... oh well, they won't won't be able to auto download, at least if you include the link some will go for it.

[Matthew]

A 500mb file? What the heck are you making that's a half a gig? That's like 50x the size of most D3 levels. I'm not even sure D3 would let you have a mission that big, and you'd certainly be pushing RAM limits on many people's computers. A lot of descent players don't have super-modern machines. And keep in mind a 500mb zipped file is going to be even bigger loaded into the game, plus whatever memory the game itself takes.

[-<WillyP>-]

It's ok, Matt... Thomas knows what he's doing... 

[SaladBadger]

I'm talking about a slightly bigger file. Let's say maybe 10 times that size.

Yeah I'm going to be wondering what makes that file so large. What does?