Workshop installation changes at some point?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Alex72, Jul 26, 2019.

  1. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    Will we see another solution at some point where workshop content (stock content is part of that) is handled like other games where a "link folder" to the workshop folder replaces the doubling of files like now? With expensive SSD's today space can be precious, and rF2 is 100GB for me right now even though its only 50GB content. Would be very nice because we could have way more content that way.

    Cheers.
     
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  2. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    M.2 SSD are pretty expensive. And i have only 2 slots.

    At the end of the day though other games manage to have a link to and from the workshop folder so there is no need to have 100gb when the game is 50gb. Would be nice anyway and i had to ask if it was possible. No interest though it seems.
     
  3. Bernd

    Bernd Registered

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    I agree to the aboved posted, no matter how expensive or cheap hdds or ssds are.
    The steam workshop system, in it's current state is a waste of diskspace.
    Why not simply have the database of the whole content on a steam server, in the same installed folder structure, that we have on our machines?
    That could be synched easily and we would not need to have also the rfcmp file of each component stored on our machines too.
    That makes no sense at all.
    But that is one of the disadvantages of steam, where you have to use the system that steam forces you to use (i guess).
     
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  4. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

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    Been many discussions regarding this. I think it doesn't help when some content is released and someone comes along and says, "how do I uninstall this crap, I didn't want it."

    I think all base game content should be in the game files, no option to unsubscribe. Newly released base content can be added via steam file verification. One copy of all that content, referenced directly, and any server running base content works for everyone.

    This would actually use up more space than someone going to the effort of unsubscribing from unwanted content and then creating a hard link to the base content files sitting on another (slower, cheaper) drive, but on average I think it's the better option.

    But along with this is the new UI that will hopefully (at some point) make the content easier to manage, instead of everything - including quad bikes and boxmaster - lumped in together.

    *(the other option is to leave the steam files as-is and run the content from there directly. But we've mentioned this years ago and it hasn't been addressed, so not sure if there are technical or steam guidelines reasons for not doing it)
     
  5. Bernd

    Bernd Registered

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    For me, the unnecessary thing is, that i get the rfcmp of every installed component stored on my machine too.
    That is wasted space, because it is not needed.
    To synchronize the installed content only, would do the job.
    That would work for 3rd party content too, if the structure would be changed a little bit.
     
  6. Flinty72

    Flinty72 Registered

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    My solution to this, which you can try at your own risk is to use the Symbolic Links (aka Symlinks) on Windows feature (mklink /d command).

    First move the workshop folder of the Steam library where rFactor2 is located to another drive.
    Then run the Command Prompt preferably as an administrator.
    Run Symbolic Link command in this format: mklink /d "Link To Folder" "Original Folder"
    i.e. mklink /d "x:\Steam\SteamApps\workshop" "y:\workshop"
    Where x is the drive of you rFactor2 Steam installation & y is the drive you copied the workshop folder to.

    You can do the same for other items liker replays & setups if you need to free up space on drives.
     
  7. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

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    @Flinty72 That is definitely a way to work around it, did the same myself until I got a bigger SSD and up till now space hasn't again been an issue (but if it is in future, and we're still doubling-up, I will do that again). Just a word of caution: there were some reports of all content downloading again when using a symbolic link. It never happened to me, and it doesn't seem to make sense that the game or steam would move files around and break the link, but it's something to be aware of.
     
  8. Bernd

    Bernd Registered

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    The "problem" is that you get everything 2 times, not where it gets stored.
    You get the rfcmp for each item and you get each item installed.
    As said, if the whole workshop system would get an overhaul, the dowload of the rfcmp could be redundant.
    That is my personal opinion of course.
     
  9. Flinty72

    Flinty72 Registered

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    I do get what you mean but you can just delete all the package files in the workshop folder once installed as they are no longer needed anymore anyway.
    My option was in response to the OP. ;)
     
  10. jpalesi

    jpalesi Registered

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    And wouldn't cleaning the workshop folder make steam download everything again ?
    The other day I completely uninstalled steam, only kept installed games. Yet steam downloaded something like 25 Gb of workshop data that was already installed.
    It's absolutely not optimized, as is the case with many things rF2 related.
     
  11. Seven Smiles

    Seven Smiles Registered

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    I use that trick as well though just for the workshop content (53 GB in my case).
    Code:
    mklink /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\365960" "k:\Steam\workshop\365960"
     
  12. Bernd

    Bernd Registered

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    I will try that and hope that steam won't download everything again.
    And i understood the OP in the same way as i would like to have it working, that only the files in the installed folder gets downloaded.
    But english is not my native language, so misunderstandings can happen easily. :)
    In the meantime i did notice that also S397 would have to overhaul the rfcmp system, to be able to directly download the components from the servers "installed" folder, when a dedicated server gets used.
    I doubt that this will happen and also steam will not change their workshop system.
     
  13. Filip

    Filip Registered

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    Steam will redownload everything you delete manually from workshop folder
     
  14. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

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    The packaged components, as far as I'm aware, differ very little from the separate 'installed' files. Think of an uncompressed zip file. If the game could do everything it does now, but reading from the package file instead of the separate files, potentially those package files could be used from the workshop folder or from an internal game folder (as 'part of the game', not able to be uninstalled) and you only need one copy. Linking to the correct folder for verification and server use should be trivial in comparison.

    But we know they are working within the constraints of the steam system, so some technical reasons may forbid that approach.
     
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  15. Bernd

    Bernd Registered

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    Thanks for that info, i was close to try it out. Saved me some Time. :)


    That would be another possibility, yes.
    But as you say, it would need some changes in the S397 Game- and Steam Workshop-Structure.
    And both will probably not happen.
     
  16. Flinty72

    Flinty72 Registered

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    This is not my experience, it didn't re-download any I manually deleted & they remained in my package library as installed & in-game to play. The only time I would think they would re-download is either when you unsubscribe then re-subscribe or when there is an update to the package.
     
  17. Filip

    Filip Registered

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    Maybe you have steam auto update turned off?
    I think there is also some json option where you can turn off updates.
    Or mybe you unsubscribed from workshop?
     
  18. Flinty72

    Flinty72 Registered

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    Not sure what you mean, workshop files auto-update afaik & I have keep rFactor2 up to date set in Steam settings.
    Have you experimented & tried what I have said?
    rF2.PNG
     
  19. Filip

    Filip Registered

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    Whenever I tried to manually delete some workshop folder steam would download that stuff again on next rf2 launch. So I am not aware of any method to get rid of double content and keep automatic steam updates. There is only a way to move workshop to another disk as you suggested in post #7. But if you delete something from y:\workshop steam will download it again. You end up with double content anyway.
     
  20. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

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    Simply removing the workshop files shouldn't cause an auto download, but obviously if you verify file integrity when troubleshooting you'll get them all redownloaded then. I would use symbolic links before deleting (if drive space were a big issue), and if a windows or game or steam update for some reason breaks the link occasionally then just deal with it.

    The doubling up of data is unfortunate though, but there's no super neat way out of it.

    Hopefully something will happen, but also hopefully that something will be the best compromise and will only need to happen once.

    There is something to be said for the majority of the (free) content being part of the game so new players don't need to go subscribing to things in order to play the game at all (or join servers with that content) but the new UI may allow better feedback regarding missing content and allow some first-start-up options for new players so they can actually choose what to start with (some basic/minimal set of content, specific types, or the whole works). If you can do that neatly, no content needs to be 'part of the game', and potentially can be used from the workshop folder. Right now the Installed folder ends up with all the same content sitting in the .rfcmp files, extracted into individual MAS files under the relevant folder (Locations, Vehicles, etc) and with a manifest (.mft) 'describing' what is in the package. It actually doesn't seem a huge leap to just pull out the .mft file for keeping track of what's in the game, but reading the data direct from the .rfcmp in the workshop folder - as long as for the user it's a neat process.

    It's still not perfect, as it means if you unsubscribe from any content you delete the file - which is good for your SSD as it saves space, but obviously it means a download if you want to subscribe to it again later - even if it's 'standard content'. On the upside the initial game install can be a smaller and faster download, and if the UI can support automatic subscription of various items via groups/categories then it might actually make that whole side of things easier too.

    Anyway, digressing a bit, but I think there are options to improve things.
     
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