Got a question for you guys as both players and mappers.
If you have played Praetoria One, you know that pk3 file is about 35 mb in size. The BSP is probably about 10 mb, but a lot of that is taken up by custom textures and sounds. Since Praetoria is going to be a series of maps that form parts of one big campaign, I have been sharing resources between the maps. They share the same shaders, custom models, textures, and sounds.
During my testing, I have just one pk3 file that contains all 3 maps. Right now, that pk3 file is about 75 mb in size. That may go up or down depending on the optimizations I am working on. This is obviously the easiest way to work on parts 2 and 3 as well as the compatability update to map 1. In fact, map 1 will get even bigger because I plan on including a nighttime version of that map with a thicker fog for servers that want to run a more fps friendly version for players with older computers.
So my question to you guys, would you guys prefer to have the maps completely independent of each other? or download them as 1 big map pack?
1 big map pack will, in the long run, be a smaller file size than the 3 (or 4 if I do the last one) individual maps since you will not be including duplicate textures with each map release. However, split apart, it is easier for the client download. Also, if I make shader files that are exclusive to each map, then I run the risk of updating a shader in one map, but forgetting to update it in another resulting in a conflict. Believe me, I’m using a LOT of custom shaders.
I guess, in my mind, I am thinking about re-releasing Praetoria 1 as a daytime and nighttime BETA2. Then when they are ready, I’ll release Missions 2 and 3 in BETA also as separate maps. If additional beta versions are required, they can be released separately. But I think what I’d like to do after testing is complete, is release a final Praetoria Trilogy (Quadrilogy) .pk3 file containing all of the maps. That will probably end up being a 100 mb download to get all 4 maps + the night version of mission 1.
On the upside, a server has less pk3 files to affect the gamestate. On the dowside, clients have to download a really big file if the server only runs 1 of the maps.
Thoughts?