> just set it so games only update when u decide to play?
When I have time to play games, I have maybe 20 or 30 minutes to do so. If I delay updates until I want to play, and the amount of updates is over a few GB's, then it will take that entire time to update.
Maybe I should clarify my issues with updates. I know for certain that some games have had massive updates on the order of the original title, including Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, and Mortal Kombat (I particularly know the last one because I have a credit in that boondoggle of a game).
Secondly, at home I have a modest internet connection and a busy home life that leaves me at most an hour to play games at a time, and usually less than that. If I open Steam infrequently and there are multiple patches on the order of gigabytes, then that eats into my play time and makes my PC gaming experience feel like a PC update experience.
When you consider how large some of these games are like The Witcher or Final Fantasy or MGS5, the number of games in my library, and the shortage of time I have, I easily spend more time installing or updating any of my games than playing them.
Any way you cut it, it's a bad experience.
Steam doesn't allow players to play out-of-date games in online mode and doesn't allow multiplayer games in offline mode. When going between online and offline mode it keeps track of which games are out-of-date as well. Whether using on-demand updates or leaving my computer on with Steam running I'm either wasting my time or wasting power and bandwidth (with a monthly cap).
I didn't make my post to complain about the state of things (which I found poor). What I am saying is that I think there are creative engineering solutions to this problem that would make experiences like mine better. Google found a creative way to compress Chrome updates by using disassembly changes rather than file diffs to push small critical updates. I'm sure Valve could spend any amount of resources looking for solutions like that tailored to game assets.
What's more, you can get the exact experience I described by playing Fortnite on an iPad on a weekly basis.
If you're a frequent gamer, in an always online situation, have faster internet, don't have bandwidth caps, or you are a collector of indie games then it might not be your experience.
Imagine waiting for a game to download, playing it, then having to download it again the next day. If you've experienced it once you will remember. If you've never seen it happen, then maybe it seems like a mystery to you. Some people have slower internet, bandwidth caps, busier schedules or different game libraries.
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[ 4.6 ms ] story [ 28.9 ms ] threadGTA V
Mortal Kombat X
Metal Gear Solid 5 / GZ
Doom
The Witcher
Final Fantasy
When I have time to play games, I have maybe 20 or 30 minutes to do so. If I delay updates until I want to play, and the amount of updates is over a few GB's, then it will take that entire time to update.
Secondly, at home I have a modest internet connection and a busy home life that leaves me at most an hour to play games at a time, and usually less than that. If I open Steam infrequently and there are multiple patches on the order of gigabytes, then that eats into my play time and makes my PC gaming experience feel like a PC update experience.
When you consider how large some of these games are like The Witcher or Final Fantasy or MGS5, the number of games in my library, and the shortage of time I have, I easily spend more time installing or updating any of my games than playing them.
Any way you cut it, it's a bad experience.
Steam doesn't allow players to play out-of-date games in online mode and doesn't allow multiplayer games in offline mode. When going between online and offline mode it keeps track of which games are out-of-date as well. Whether using on-demand updates or leaving my computer on with Steam running I'm either wasting my time or wasting power and bandwidth (with a monthly cap).
I didn't make my post to complain about the state of things (which I found poor). What I am saying is that I think there are creative engineering solutions to this problem that would make experiences like mine better. Google found a creative way to compress Chrome updates by using disassembly changes rather than file diffs to push small critical updates. I'm sure Valve could spend any amount of resources looking for solutions like that tailored to game assets.
What's more, you can get the exact experience I described by playing Fortnite on an iPad on a weekly basis.
Imagine waiting for a game to download, playing it, then having to download it again the next day. If you've experienced it once you will remember. If you've never seen it happen, then maybe it seems like a mystery to you. Some people have slower internet, bandwidth caps, busier schedules or different game libraries.
So, you'll need a ~20 ping, which is reasonable for a fast connection.
I don't know what my input lag was during gameplay, but it was certainly enough to be noticeable.