Speed up client redownload by reusing PTS assets

llande · January 2020

I downloaded PTS client update yesterday and 56GB took me about 6 hours. I guess it can be even longer for some. I wonder, would it be possible for ZOS to provide (automatic or manual) solution to speed up upcoming production client updates by reusing data already downloaded for PTS?

Nestor · January 2020

Probably not, as they are changing the base file structure for the game.

BSAs are compressed archives of assets that are loaded when you play the game. So, all the graphices, textures, meshes, NPC and Mob databases, gear and consumables etc are in these BSAs. These BSAs are being changed so that the entire mix does not have to be replaced to patch say one item.

Note, they may not call them BSA in this game, but the concept is the same.

Sylvermynx · January 2020

Yep, I was really hoping that was going to be an option. If I could have got the backend over the next few weeks, and only had to grab the latest (presumably) smaller stuff at the last, it was going to work out a LOT better for me. *sigh* Love where I live, but the lack of "real" broadband is going to cost me an extra hundred or hundred fifty to redownload the game.

I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to do that, or beg a friend for the game on a stick, and wait a week to get it.

AlnilamE · January 2020

Yeah, but would you be able to copy the PTS files over to the Live folder and have the game just patch whatever is missing?

I did copy my folders over from my old drive to my new drive a few weeks ago when I set up my new computer and saved myself a ton of download time.

Sylvermynx · January 2020

Well, I've had it work exactly like that in other games, so I was just hoping this one was like that too. But it's not, so....

llande · January 2020

Nestor wrote: »

Probably not, as they are changing the base file structure for the game.

BSAs are compressed archives of assets that are loaded when you play the game. So, all the graphices, textures, meshes, NPC and Mob databases, gear and consumables etc are in these BSAs. These BSAs are being changed so that the entire mix does not have to be replaced to patch say one item.

Note, they may not call them BSA in this game, but the concept is the same.

We'll the point is these changed structure is already available on PTS. PTS update was 56 GB. So the upcoming live client update will be just an increment from there.

Nestor · January 2020

I missed the part about pts to production.

You do raise a good point, but there are tons of changes between the last PTS and the Live version, so if enough changes are made, then it probably would not help.