[FEEDBACK] [SUGGESTION] Dear Ubisoft, here's some advice about QA. | Forums

[GiveMeTactical]

You mean kinda like a general 4000 miles away calling an audible instead of the SOF inserted in country for exactly that?

I know I heard something similar to that in a game... can't remember which one but it does goes to show that some people just cause they have money or power think that they know everything or more than others

[spike000001]

I can imagine how this consultation with an SOF Member took place. Dont think they was talking about rifle attachments and these minor details. Dont need a SOF guy for that. I think they were talking about how these kind of special, covert operations are conducted and how difficult support and deployment is. Maybe ubi realised it would be a bit to heavy for them, with all the promises given. Maybe none of the devs ever served in any kind of military unit and there was just no further expertise but the internet and chuck norris movies? And so they said - "screw that realism things, we do it our way".

[biomag83]

What you describe is mostly not how Bethesda games work. In a Bethesda game a given object has three elements---nif mesh, three dds textures, and a bgsm material swap file---and they are all in totally different places in Bethesda's own ba2 archives. All of these are easily accessible to the modder and can be replaced singly such that if you only want to change one thing about an object---replacing the diffuse texture and nothing else, for instance, because you just want a different colour shirt---you only need to drop that one new dds in the replacement folder, you don't need to replace/duplicate all the object's assets.

This upk concept of bundling things on an object by object basis seems less efficient to me. I definitely prefer grouping files by type rather than by what objects they are used for---especially since sometimes an asset like a specular map or material swap might be used for multiple objects---but maybe that's just me because it's the system I know.

One thing you said that does apply to Bethesda is that they don't use asset replacement protocols to update their own assets, but neither do they resend complete archives when just a few files are being added or changed. Their loader includes a function like Bethesda Archive Extractor (BAE) that modders use for ba2 files. This allows the loader to just open the archives already on your computer and put new/altered files in.

In any case with regard to Ubi I don't know what sort of system they use---transparency isn't really their thing as I and others have said---but even if they're using something like a upk they still ought to be able to open their own archives with their loader and insert new/altered upks (or whatever they use) instead of making everyone download the full archives over and over.

If Steam can do it so can Ubi, they just don't want to. Covering for technical inadequacies in Uplay maybe? Or maybe whoever's in charge of this mess really doesn't know any better. Wouldn't be the first time corporate groupthink from out of touch middle management dictated decisions rather than the knowledge and advice of the experts on the frontlines.

Sorry, but you don't really seem to fully understand the point and how it really works. You can be certain that Bethesda does not work on their games the same way modders do either.

I do agree though that GRW could be different, since they prove it with their own Steam version and I also expressed the assumption that it has to be tied to Uplays short comings. In any case I don't expect a change that will help GRW-players. I will definitely not buy anything over Uplay in future, as I was very lucky that I've bought GRW on Steam...

[Ghost-Ami]

Sorry, but you don't really seem to fully understand the point and how it really works. You can be certain that Bethesda does not work on their games the same way modders do either.

You are certainly correct in that Bethesda do not literally use FO4Edit and Creation Kit to implement content. The first was designed by modders, the second by Bethesda for modders. BAE and Outfit Studio were also designed by modders. And it's unlikely Bethesda use NifSkope or GIMP, though I can't confirm that for sure. Maybe 3DS Max.

In any case all I can really tell you is what files are in Bethesda's own archives, not what exact tools they use to create the files or to put them there. ((((

[biomag83]

You are certainly correct in that Bethesda do not literally use FO4Edit and Creation Kit to implement content. The first was designed by modders, the second by Bethesda for modders. BAE and Outfit Studio were also designed by modders. And it's unlikely Bethesda use NifSkope or GIMP, though I can't confirm that for sure. Maybe 3DS Max.

In any case all I can really tell you is what files are in Bethesda's own archives, not what exact tools they use to create the files or to put them there. ((((

The thing is how they get there They most probably import it into their engine, where it gets compiled with other stuff and a build comes out in the end, where you actually can't any longer just like that access the files. That's why they have the modder tools. When you look at a project in engine you have your meshes and textures directly accessible. You just copy paste it into a folder or click the import button in the engine. No need for a special programm to crack it open and be able to view those files.

Also even with Bethesda games you have an installation process. That's where the downloaded build package (think of .rar or .zip files you have when downloading mods) gets split up into folders that modders can access. Again depending on game and necessities you can have small packages making it easy to reduce update sizes. For whatever reason Uplay can't have it that way, we won't find out...

[Ghost-Ami]

The thing is how they get there They most probably import it into their engine, where it gets compiled with other stuff and a build comes out in the end, where you actually can't any longer just like that access the files. That's why they have the modder tools. When you look at a project in engine you have your meshes and textures directly accessible. You just copy paste it into a folder or click the import button in the engine. No need for a special programm to crack it open and be able to view those files.

Also even with Bethesda games you have an installation process. That's where the downloaded build package (think of .rar or .zip files you have when downloading mods) gets split up into folders that modders can access. Again depending on game and necessities you can have small packages making it easy to reduce update sizes. For whatever reason Uplay can't have it that way, we won't find out...

Well, here's an example of what I mean about how Bethesda updates.

Last year they added the "Creation Club" microtransaction system, right, and although creations themselves are downloaded and installed as 1 esl and 2 ba2s many required some changes to the base game to work properly.

FO4 uses a system of keywords to determine, for instance, where constructible items are found in the ingame settlement build menu or what paintjobs weapons and armour can be modded to have. Modders figured out a way to get around the former issue with custom scripts, but the latter is insurmountable without preexisting keywords in content higher up the load order. And in the case of Creation Club Bethesda did not want its creators---paid modders whose submissions are subject to Bethesda technical standards and QA---to be adding settlement objects using custom scripts.

Therefore several new keywords were added into Fallout4.esm. One was a master menu for Creation Club settlement objects that all settlement related Creation Club esl files could then reference to place their items in the right menu of the settlement building system. Others were armour and weapon mod keywords so that armour and weapons in the base game could have new extra slots to accept Creation Club paintjobs for various factions in the setting and other themes that were unavailable in the base game.

Each time such modifications need to be made Bethesda will just have you download an updated Fallout4.esm since that's the only thing that needs to be changed. They will not make you redownload every dds, nif, bgsm, et cetera.