Morroblivion packaging - BSA vs. Loose files

Hi everebody!

This is an annoucement and a question to those of you who still follow Morroblivion development.

The next version will be v060 - this is a nice round number and I plan to repackage all assets, optimize them and clean from unnecessary clutter.

Now, there're 2 possible ways of distributing - BSA archives and loose files, each having their own pro's and con's

BSAs:
+ better for performance
+ makes your Data folder nice and clean
+ easier to install and uninstall
- larger download size
- need to be updated as a whole even when changes are minor

Loose files:
+ smaller download size
+ possibility of incremental updates
- clutters up Data folder
- takes more disk space when unpacked
- hard to uninstall without mod manager

Example of file size differences:
Current meshes folder is 506MB unpacked
Packed into BSA it's 260MB
If you then pack the BSA into 7z - 251MB
Loose files packed into 7z with max compression - 151MB

So, which one would you prefer?

Just give those that download

Just give those that download content the option. Make a BSA pack and a separate file package. Players want BSA pack and Dev’s want files. I know unpacking a BSA is a fast process but it’s also a hassle to do.

i like the sound of easier to

i like the sound of easier to install i think i stil dont got morroblivion working 100 % like it should if its more to dowload ho cares and that me a player speaking

I would love having it in an

I would love having it in an easy to install .bsa format.

BSA for User friendly. Then a

BSA for User friendly. Then a Install can Be User later on for Updates to Update the BSA.

Have it Setup the Same as a Service Pack Installer so it Finds Where you Have Your Oblivion Installed and Updates your Morrowind_ob_Meshes.bsa..\Textures\Sounds\Voices\Faces...and what Ever Else to Suit..

Redo the Whole Game and Use BSA for ALL,,Would Make for a USER Friendly Installation. With an Installer to do the Whole Installation..

Ya bsa makes sense, easy for

Ya bsa makes sense, easy for players, plus devs should already have access to all the loose files anyway

BSA!

I have no preference, but if

I have no preference, but if you are repackaging things, do I need to make a "complete installation" anymore? It might be nice to just have one, simple option, I dunno.

one is as good as the

one is as good as the other.

Will this update further complicate the download and install process? The 'download topic' is really hard to read, find things, and understand ... (too many files - too many viewpoints on how to install - too many meaningless posts)

you should lock the existing topics, start a new topic for download and install, and use the 'kiss' system to explain things.

sorry. that's just my thought ...

It looks like the BSA option

It looks like the BSA option is more popular, so it's probably how I'll make it.

Just give those that download content the option. Make a BSA pack and a separate file package. Players want BSA pack and Dev’s want files. I know unpacking a BSA is a fast process but it’s also a hassle to do.

That's (almost) double the upload size (which is around 2Gb). Sorry, but unpacking a bsa is simply faster.
Also, don't get me wrong, but the 'devs' of Morroblivion today can be counted by fingers on one hand - and you'll still have fingers left.

Have it Setup the Same as a Service Pack Installer so it Finds Where you Have Your Oblivion Installed and Updates your Morrowind_ob_Meshes.bsa..\Textures\Sounds\Voices\Faces...and what Ever Else to Suit..

Nope. I don't have neither skills nor desire to do so.
Morroblivion is a mod and will be installed like any other mod for this game.
(with the exception of master-file installer - but that's for legal reasons, not practical)

I have no preference, but if you are repackaging things, do I need to make a "complete installation" anymore? It might be nice to just have one, simple option, I dunno.

At the moment I'm only repackaging the very base - what is referenced in Morrowind_ob.esm itself.

I can also make a complete BAIN package with optional mods included - we'll just need to decide what to include.

Will this update further complicate the download and install process?

No.
But if you think it's complicated now, it'll not get any simplier either.
There will still be 2-3 archives to download:
1. Master-file installer
2. Big package with everything else
3. Possibly a small update package (until it's integrated into main archive)
The third one is needed not to force people to redownload the entire thing on every update.

The 'download topic' is really hard to read, find things, and understand

Are you talking about Project Release topic?
Sure, there's a lot of information there, but I've tried my best to organize it.
If you have constructive ideas on how to improve it, please share them.