Download custom content in-game

[wazups 2x]

Valve, please make it so we can download custom content when we join a server that has it. Every other game you have ever made does this, why doesn't L4D? Doing this would make mods more popular. It's also just more convenient to join a server and have it start downloading. It's a pain to have to exit the game, go to the website, download the mod, install the mod, and than start the game back up. So Valve please do this, it really will improve your amazing game.

[Bud042]

/agreed

[Huh183]

Yes! Please do this Valve!

[STEELCITY32]

The reason they do this is that it takes a while to download an entire campaign and the game would probably be over be the time you finish downloading it.
However, this is flawed as it would take even longer to exit the entire game to download it so... /agreed.

[wazups 2x]

The reason they do this is that it takes a while to download an entire campaign and the game would probably be over be the time you finish downloading it.
However, this is flawed as it would take even longer to exit the entire game to download it so... /agreed.

You'd obviously get the option to download custom content, like you do in other Valve games.

[The Hop Goblin]

I personally like not having to deal with servers crying out "HUMILIATION" "HEADSHOT" and playing crappy music.

[Inker]

In a game where you only have 4-8 players at a time, it doesnt make sense to have the game stall while multiple people are downloading a 500mb file. The way it works now is great.

[wazups 2x]

I personally like not having to deal with servers crying out "HUMILIATION" "HEADSHOT" and playing crappy music.

I'm talking mostly about community maps. I rarely run into severs that have annoying custom sounds in TF2.

[It's That Guy]

Yarp. I agreed with you OP.

[The Hop Goblin]

I'm talking mostly about community maps. I rarely run into severs that have annoying custom sounds in TF2.

I can understand - but a big problem is that vpk files often run into the 100mb-300mb range, and that puts a lot of stress on the server while providing good ping to the players already in game.

Then comes the point that unfortunately, out of the several dozen custom campaigns out - I can only name two or three (in both games) that are even worth the effort.

[wazups 2x]

In a game where you only have 4-8 players at a time, it doesnt make sense to have the game stall while multiple people are downloading a 500mb file. The way it works now is great.

Obviously not every server would have custom content, but for the ones that do want it, it would be a good option.

[Inker]

That has nothing to do with what I said.

[wazups 2x]

I can understand - but a big problem is that vpk files often run into the 100mb-300mb range, and that puts a lot of stress on the server while providing good ping to the players already in game.

Then comes the point that unfortunately, out of the several dozen custom campaigns out - I can only name two or three (in both games) that are even worth the effort.

I've never had a problem where downloading custom content creates any lag in TF2 or any other game.

You don't have to play the custom maps if you don't want to, but many people do enjoy them, so it would be a great option.

[Kiarash]

Valve, please make it so we can download custom content when we join a server that has it. Every other game you have ever made does this, why doesn't L4D? Doing this would make mods more popular. It's also just more convenient to join a server and have it start downloading. It's a pain to have to exit the game, go to the website, download the mod, install the mod, and than start the game back up. So Valve please do this, it really will improve your amazing game.

And even when you do that gives you still error.

"Connection failed
The server has mod version 1.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.1
You have 1.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0"

[wazups 2x]

That has nothing to do with what I said.

Yes, what I meant was you don't have to play in a server with custom content if you don't want to.

[Stagger Lee]

And how big are the maps in TF2 and CSS?

Now how big are the L4D and L4D2 maps.

Once you see these answers you will know why Valve doesn't do this.

[The009]

I can understand - but a big problem is that vpk files often run into the 100mb-300mb range, and that puts a lot of stress on the server while providing good ping to the players already in game.

Then comes the point that unfortunately, out of the several dozen custom campaigns out - I can only name two or three (in both games) that are even worth the effort.

Well the major thing is that any good server admin is going to use a fast redirect which is going to take the load off of the game server and put it on web server.

as well, yes they are larger files but there should at least be the option for it.

Creating a lobby and waiting on people to join who have the same custom map as you can take a long time and get boring.

I would rather the lobby fill up, as people download the maps from the server you have mini rounds, kinda like death match rounds till all the people are in.

This would allow for the larger files to be downloaded.

[Jakkhali]

I've never had a problem where downloading custom content creates any lag in TF2 or any other game.

That's because 1 bsp file does not a L4D2 custom campaign make

[imnotbncre8ive]

Valve, please make it so we can download custom content when we join a server that has it. Every other game you have ever made does this, why doesn't L4D? Doing this would make mods more popular. It's also just more convenient to join a server and have it start downloading. It's a pain to have to exit the game, go to the website, download the mod, install the mod, and than start the game back up. So Valve please do this, it really will improve your amazing game.

But this would involve having the L4D dev team actually implementing something desired by the player community. Therefore, I am sorry to inform you that your demands are neither realistic nor feasible.

[Rage Quitter]

But this would involve having the L4D dev team actually implementing something desired by the player community. Therefore, I am sorry to inform you that your demands are neither realistic nor feasible.

And even if they wanted to, there is no efficient way to implement this. L4D campaign vpk files are large, especially when compared to single BSP maps you download for say TF2. The server load would be crazy, and most people hate waiting for people to just join lobby's or games in progress, no ones gonna wait for 2 or more people to DL a campaign.

The current system they use now is not the difficult to use. There are links provided in game directing you to where to DL the file. DL, double click, you're good to go. Most people that are intrest in custom content to begin with know how and where to get the content. I doubt if they ever did add this feature into the game it would alleviate anything.

On that note, i dont really play custom campaign for that reason. I find the work, although vary little, doesn't really equal the reward. Custom content seems to be a hit with friends only games, not to many public games run custom content.

[Dr.Boo.j2]

Valve, please make it so we can download custom content when we join a server that has it. Every other game you have ever made does this, why doesn't L4D? Doing this would make mods more popular. It's also just more convenient to join a server and have it start downloading. It's a pain to have to exit the game, go to the website, download the mod, install the mod, and than start the game back up. So Valve please do this, it really will improve your amazing game.
And make the game wait for everyone to download it? Do you know how long it takes to download a 500meg file through this system?

[Slim2007]

The only solution to this problem would be for Valve to make the good custom campaigns Officials maps (like in TF2)..
Even though there are some bad custom campaigns, there are some custom campaigns that near Valve quality such as Death Aboard 2, Suicide Blitz, City 17 and possibly I Hate Mountains. This way it will be easier to pay the good custom maps.

[MikeHaggarSSBM]

this will never work because the custom campaigns are to big. there would be zero benefit to this since the downloads would take way to long for it to be faster then just following the link you get when you try to join a server with a campaign you dont have installed, downloading and installing it that way.
you are all being quite stupid.

I just love how 93284093809 new threads about this has been made since my thread (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1288795). what I don't love is that people keep suggesting ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ system that will never work well in practice for obvious reasons, instead of encouraging Valve to fix the real problem with custom campaigns in l4d and the .vpk file system. IE They can mess with your sounds and skins, and there is no way to stop them from doing so.
DESPITE the fact that not A SINGLE PERSON likes the fact that the vpk files can mess with yoiur sounds/skins/props, and NOONE thinks that there shouldn't atleast be an OPTION to turn it off.
PLEASE VALVE! Just a simple startup command or console command will be enough! PLEASE!

[P1X3L]

Because the maps for L4D2 are in sizes over 100MB most of the time and not everyone has super bandwidth.

[olsesacl]

I had for a while thanks to a plugin auto-install maps, city 17, and the only
problem I had was that I had to download some files on official maps, but then in
downloading each map you need the following bsp files. And there was no delay in
download, everything went smooth. No users to download 300 MB at once, but just enough to
each map separately.

So if it is feasible, with bsp and not to vpk, the problem is. vpk

[epilimic]

What about a plugin that would allow you to download a compressed map (.rar, .tar.gz, etc) then it would extract it to your addons folder and delete the archive. Voila your 100-300mb .vpk files just became 25-50mb files that any server worth playing on should have NO trouble sending to anybody with no hiccup on latency.

[kami790]

What about a plugin that would allow you to download a compressed map (.rar, .tar.gz, etc) then it would extract it to your addons folder and delete the archive. Voila your 100-300mb .vpk files just became 25-50mb files that any server worth playing on should have NO trouble sending to anybody with no hiccup on latency.

The vpk that you download is usually already zipped or compressed and is 100-300mb. It's about 500 when it's unzipped.

[epilimic]

The vpk that you download is usually already zipped or compressed and is 100-300mb. It's about 500 when it's unzipped.

Disagree. I wasn't just wildly throwing numbers out there. I went with one specific example, the newly released map Open Road. Its 100mb unpacked and only 25 compressed. In fact when you use 7zip it takes the 100mb file down to under 20 megs. That's 80% packing efficiency. Lets assume we're speaking of a 500mb map, that's 100 tops if its compressed using 7zip.

I reiterate, any server worth playing on could easily get this to you (and a couple friends at the same time) at a fair speed (~1mb/s) without anybody on the server even noticing. If what you happen to play on is some ♥♥♥♥ty slot server, then I can understand the issue, but slot servers are garbage anyways so your point again becomes null and void.

[Stagger Lee]

Dead Before Dawn - Directors Cut which was released today is 511MB zipped and 1.2 GB unzipped.

[Krandel]

I can understand - but a big problem is that vpk files often run into the 100mb-300mb range, and that puts a lot of stress on the server while providing good ping to the players already in game.

Then comes the point that unfortunately, out of the several dozen custom campaigns out - I can only name two or three (in both games) that are even worth the effort.

If you can only find two or three campaigns that are worth the effort, you're not looking hard enough.

Just saying.

[NKuga]

Hell no. Maps are too large for an eight player game and there is absolutely no need to allow server operators to push sound/skin downloads.

[epilimic]

Dead Before Dawn - Directors Cut which was released today is 511MB zipped and 1.2 GB unzipped.

Lets be fair now. This map is an exception. Take a look at the other maps' filesizes. Most campaigns with 5 maps+ on l4dmaps (my source, as I'm not at home to look in my actual addons folder) come in at 200mb or less (in zip format). If they are all properly compressed using 7zip, which produces the smallest filesize possible, you should not have any problem waiting ~5 minutes to download a map in-game.

In fact I was unable to find a single map 300mb or larger aside from DBD in the 20 minutes I just spent searching. I also want to point out that even with that exception, the difference between zip and 7zip is greater than 100MB. (511MB vs 404MB to be exact)

I still am unable to see any viable reason that servers would be unable to send out a map to play.

[Keldorn]

If you can only find two or three campaigns that are worth the effort, you're not looking hard enough.

Just saying.

The person posted that in May 2010, many months ago, when there was less custom campaigns. This is a necro'd thread. :p

[JokersFlame]

Downloading, dicksdickseverywhere.mod

[gatherto]

what i'd prefer is to have any custom content on a server be downloadable by the client, outside the realm of the server. that is, you aren't holding anyone up by doing so. instead, it just lets you use the map (or whatever) in the future. also, if the lobby is still not full, you can join it just like you would if you had a reserved slot.

doesn't slow anyone down, lets people get new and interesting maps, and (most importantly) makes it easier for lots of people to dl new maps so those of us who already have them can actually play vs on them

[Krandel]

The person posted that in May 2010, many months ago, when there was less custom campaigns. This is a necro'd thread. :p

Huh, didn't notice that until you said it.

But hey, we all make mistakes, so who really cares?