![[V] Knobby](/forum/data/avatars/m/44/44150.jpg?1371153262){kind=avatar}
[V] Knobby
Volition Staff
This will work for anything not loaded at the time. Something like a preloaded vehicle or effect obviously can't change since we don't read them again, but a level change for example would work from the main menu.
Will we be able to test small changes to files without having to restart the game?
- Thread starter flarn2006
- Start date
This will work for anything not loaded at the time. Something like a preloaded vehicle or effect obviously can't change since we don't read them again, but a level change for example would work from the main menu.
That's because reading the raw data from process memory(RAM) is faster than re-processing the data from the disk.
Although loading a single asset shouldn't cause that much of an impact to load time.
[V] HarlequiNQB
Volition Staff
On this front at least we (as developers) have all the same limitations that you (the modders) do. There are some things you can update withthout leaving the game (some table files, certain asset types), some that require going back to the main menu and reloading from there (most vehicles, characters and level assets), some that require a full restart (certain vehicle files - like rims or paints - weapons, animations), and a small number of things are updated live (effects, lights - although we're working on making far more things live update-able, it's too late for SR4). You likely won't get the live update stuff as that's dependent on things we can't make available, as Mike mentioned.
You guys actually have a slight advantage. In development the game is much, much slower to load than the version we ship, so making changes and reloading the game can take a very long time indeed. While it's frustrating, you can at least take solace in the fact for the majority of areas we didn't have a magic bullet that you guys lack.
You guys actually have a slight advantage. In development the game is much, much slower to load than the version we ship, so making changes and reloading the game can take a very long time indeed. While it's frustrating, you can at least take solace in the fact for the majority of areas we didn't have a magic bullet that you guys lack.
Arglaar
Nitpicking Bastard
Is there a list of what things are loaded, when?
For example, you said that some table files and certain asset types can be updated without leaving the game.. Which ones?
Granted, if this is a huge undertaking to generate this list, a rough overview would be helpful without having to go too far into detail.
For example, you said that some table files and certain asset types can be updated without leaving the game.. Which ones?
Granted, if this is a huge undertaking to generate this list, a rough overview would be helpful without having to go too far into detail.
[V] Knobby
Volition Staff
We don't even have this list internally, unfortunately. In a non-development build of the game though, you can pretty safely assume that anything outside of level data will require a restart. Lots of the code we have to reload vehicle/item/character containers is debug only functionality, so unfortunately you will be restarting a good deal.
I assume by "non-development build" you mean a different build configuration, like 'Debug' vs 'Release' in Visual Studio. Is there any reason you can't release the 'Debug' version as well to anyone who owns the game on Steam? Then they can also take advantage of that functionality.
[V] Knobby
Volition Staff
Yes, because for these things to work you would need to have all the assets uncompressed in their development locations and have all our internal tools and internal systems to talk to for boot. We spent a lot of time making the development version of the game faster and this includes gigabytes of development packfiles and tools that talk to the game while it is running to build some of these packfiles on the fly. It is a complex system that would be very hard to replicate, much less support.