SoA or any future boxed collections

[Catmato]

SE, if you do release a collection with all of the expansions on physical disks, please try to make sure

• It is fully up to date so there isn't an 8+ hour update immediately
• All expansions can be installed at the same time instead of having to click each one individually
• It includes the Windows Vista+ version of POL

I think anyone who has had to install more than once would greatly appreciate this.

Edit: I'm aware they can't make a disk that is always current, but it would be nice to have something that's been updated sometime since release.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

None of which will ever happen.

[Arcon]

Personally I'd much rather they adjusted their online downloads to be up to date. Steam handles game updates very well, it does it for almost every other game out there. They should really look into making a current version of the game available, and possibly even releasing version updates through it. It would be a lot easier and faster than what we currently have.

Also, they should never release anything on a physical disc ever again, updated or not. In fact, I'd prefer the not up-to-date version, if only to discourage people from buying it.

[Catmato]

None of which will ever happen.

Is there a technical reason that these won't happen or did you just want to increase your post count?

Also, they should never release anything on a physical disc ever again, updated or not. In fact, I'd prefer the not up-to-date version, if only to discourage people from buying it.

I can't really understand why you'd want to have a 12+ hour download instead of a one hour install from a disc. This game is now over 11 gb and many people have limited bandwidth.

[Arcon]

I can't really understand why you'd want to have a 12+ hour download instead of a one hour install from a disc.

First, you mean a three hour download (with a slow connection, many people could do it in less than one) compared to a one hour long install (swapping several discs), which you have to keep stored and protected until the end of time and pray to god nothing happens to them or you'll end up one of those people who come on here and whine about not having an installation disc anymore and that no store ever sells them.

Second, even if they put an up-to-date version on a disc, it would be outdated again with the next update. Offering up-to-date content on a platform like Steam means you can always update it from there as soon as it's released (and you don't have to use SE's lame update servers and services). Full installation is a rare enough occurrence compared to the constant updating time you'd save by it, and that's only relevant if you have a shitty internet connection, otherwise you'd gain nothing at all from disc installations.

Last, I honestly doubt there even will be a new boxed collection out, ever. It's not profitable, and for good reason, because people don't wanna deal with that anymore.

Discs are evil and shouldn't exist. I can't really understand how anyone likes to torture themselves like that.

This game is now over 11 gb and many people have limited bandwidth.

That may be ignorance on my part. I wasn't aware (and I'm still not) that limited bandwidth plans still existed in this world. Unless you're playing on your mobile phone, that is, but I doubt it has a disc drive either.

[Afania]

First, you mean a three hour download (with a slow connection, many people could do it in less than one) compared to a one hour long install (swapping several discs), which you have to keep stored and protected until the end of time and pray to god nothing happens to them or you'll end up one of those people who come on here and whine about not having an installation disc anymore and that no store ever sells them.

It took me 3~5 hours just to download patches last time when I tried to install the game.


Also some ppl like physical discs, I'm one of them. I have a huge collections of console/PC game/handheld games with over 150titles, like how ppl collect old music CDs. I liked physical content when I pay for a game, including box art, CD, manual etc. Hey I still keep some of the NES games even!

If ppl doesn't like to deal with discs and stuff, you won't see those old classic PS1 or PS2 game sell for $100 or even $300 on ebay.

If you like steam download more, by all means do it, but just because you like digital download and hate disks, doesn't mean everyone is same as you. It'd be a nice option for ppl wanting to collect it. I have every single FF titles, and it'd be nice if I can collect the latest expansion of FFXI too.

[Arcon]

It took me 3~5 hours just to download patches last time when I tried to install the game.

That was SE's fault, and it's one of the things that would be remedied by shifting the uploading responsibilities to a third party with decent servers. It's simple math, 11GB with a 1MB/s downspeed connection will take you three hours. Considering some people have 100Mbit/s connections, the entire updated game could be downloaded in minutes if the server output is right.

Also some ppl like physical discs, I'm one of them. I have a huge collections of console/PC game/handheld games with over 150titles, like how ppl collect old music CDs. I liked physical content when I pay for a game, including box art, CD, manual etc. Hey I still keep some of the NES games even!

If ppl doesn't like to deal with discs and stuff, you won't see those old classic PS1 or PS2 game sell for $100 or even $300 on ebay.

Yes, you would, precisely because of what you said before. Some people simply like collecting them. That coupled with the fact that these discs aren't produced anymore, and those prices are perfectly understandable. It's not because discs are better or even good, but simply because some people like collecting.

Your fetish aside, objectively speaking discs are bad, there is only one upside and many downsides to them, the one advantage being that they're available offline or with a slow internet connection. The first point is irrelevant, since the game can't be played offline anyway, so the only reason to cling to it is for people with slow internet connections. And as I explained above, even with a slow connection it's just a couple of hours of downloading, and it's a one-time deal. And even those three hours you won't be sitting in front of it, waiting for the download to finish, but you'll spend them doing other things, or do it overnight, or while at work, etc. There's many ways around it, for the few people for whom it's actually relevant. That, on the other hand, does not apply to local installation. You will need to be present every now and again to swap discs, because the game doesn't fit on even two standard DVDs, so you always have to be ready to swap the discs when needed.

And it still won't be much faster from CD, because if it's even one update behind, chances are you'll have to download many older files again as well. It's not just new content being added, but if one thing in an older file is changed (such as an erroneous item description, or new NPCs are added to older zones), the entire DAT needs to be downloaded again. And the more updates pass, the more outdated content from the CD has to be replaced, so the required updating time will approach the full download time as time passes.

Like I said, if you like it, that's perfectly valid, but don't try to make it more than it is, because that's the only argument for it. It has no advantages to anyone and it would be very expensive for SE. Of course they could release it for a certain price on order as a special collection (they may actually do that), but that's as far as reason goes on this subject.

[Catmato]

First, you mean a three hour download

As you have stated, this does assume they've shifted distribution to a third party. As it currently stands though, downloading the entire game from SE's servers would take much, much longer than three hours.

Second, even if they put an up-to-date version on a disc, it would be outdated again with the next update.

That is true, but the initial update after installation could be cut from the current 3-5 hours (using Afaina's anecdotal time instead of my own) down to theoretically less than an hour. Even if they change 2000 files immediately, that's still significantly fewer than the 50k+ files that make up the entire game.

I wasn't aware (and I'm still not) that limited bandwidth plans still existed in this world.

If you know any players from Australia, I'm sure they'd be more than willing to tell you about their bandwidth limits.

Your fetish aside, objectively speaking discs are bad, there is only one upside and many downsides to them

Desiring to own a physical copy of they game one purchases shouldn't be so rudely depreciated to a term such as "fetish". I prefer not to rely on a third party, with their own questionable licensing and agreements, to obtain the game that I've already purchased from SE. It's inane that you'd be willing to discard your, and all other players', ownership rights just to satisfy your digital distribution "fetish".

[Teraniku]

I'd buy a new Collection on disc just to have an updated install. I just wish you could install the game as a Digital Download from POL itself. (By installing POL and Updating it, once you click on the "PLAY" button for FFXI it Should begin installing the current client automatically, but that's just me)

[Krashport]

Windows® PC (Digital Download), Only?