I always try to keep my games small (under a Mb) although the one I'm working on at the moment will be comparatively big... I estimate around 12Mb before compression. It's not that it's that complicated or has a huge amount of levels, it's mainly due to alpha channel objects, backdrops and the amount of colours I'm using... 32K instead of 256 (believe me I have to do it this way). I know that most people these days have really fast connections (I only have 56k) but I'd like to know other peoples opinions on whether file sizes are an issue or not. Due to my modem limitations I would normally only download small files between 0-3Mb.
I rarely download anything over 5mb unless it's something I've been anticipating (at least over dialup, but at uni it's even worse since we have a fat connection but the bastards make us pay for badwidth). The thing is, if a game has to be 12mb, then it's a 12mb game. You shouldn't cut things out just to make it smaller (unless it's like a 100mb flk animation or something). If it's worth playing, the people with good connections will let people know, and you'll get plenty of dialup d/ls. If it's a shite game then it's no great loss.
It only really matters if you're a 56K user, or if the game doesn't appear to be all that great. It's all part of the presentation, I remember downloading ED when I only had 56K, because it looked and sounded like it was worth it.
I recommend reading some articles here about reducing your file size. Cropping your images is critical to reducing your file size.
If its music/sound that is making your game large, you can always release multiple versions: One with high-quality music/sound, one with low-quality music/sound, and one without any music or sound. Music doesn't appear to be a problem here, however, so just store that idea somewhere for future refrence.
im personally not bothered. i have unlimited bandwidth so its no big deal for me. however back in 56k days id probably only download if it was less than 5mb, or really hyped up or rave reviews or whatever
file sizes arent a problem with 56k, not really anyway. if the game is good then ill download it as long as its under 600mb. just get a decent download manager and you can have the game download in the background for a week or two, 56k people who complain about a 5mb download make me sick.
on the other hand if your game is just full of mp3's and its really really shit then i wont download it, as opposed to a really really shit game full of midis thats 1mb i might still download.
I would normally not download a large game, as they're a good example of noobidity. Being admin here even since Circy was one has shown me that most large games are HORRIBLE. Why?
1. Some noobs somehow zip, but not compress a file, making what would be a 5 MB zip file 30+ MBs (true story)
2. Noobs put in MP3s
3. Noobs put in tacky Photoshopped 24/32-bit backgrounds the size of a screen.
4. Noobs turn their characters around 32-directions.
5. Noobs tend to use dozens of frames for something that could be in just one (like a repeated level in some crappy RPG)
So, if you're making one of these mistakes, I suggest you root it it out (unless it's the 5th point) before you embarrass yourself.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
"Say you're hanging from a huge cliff at the top of mt. everest and a guy comes along and says he'll save you, and proceeds to throw religious pamphlets at you while simultaniously giving a sermon." - Dustin G
Muz : Two words , Lost Vally
Explain that! Oh, wait... your point remains safe because you used the qualifier 'MOST'.
Yet you make it out as if all large games are horrible.
You can't tell if a game is packed with Mp3's. ie, unless the game is 20mb.
And what if it isn't packed with that stuff : then what
Perhaps it could just be flaubin' huge. Did you ever consider that?
Is there a limit? What's the DC's view on the point where a game goes from good
to crap? 3mb mabye... 5?
Personally, I don't usually download anything over 4mb.
simply because of a download limit that runs out way too quickly
(Sorry about forcing you to run for the sick bag Davec Ofour)
I dunno. Almost every game I've downloaded is horrible. Games are too big for two reasons:
1. The ambitious creator put a lotta graphics/sound in it.
2. The unexperienced creator put some unnecessary stuff in.
Mr. E. Face, games are not simply "flaubin' huge" unless they've been crammed with sound or music. Or trojans. .
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
i probably couldnt make a game so large becuase i like small screensizes and 256 colour mode. And i draw the graphics myself.
the only major size problem would be if i decided to use mp3s instead or mods or midi music but then i would make it a wav and use sound recorder to take the size down and re mp3isize it
Muz, I read your article on making games smaller along time ago which was quite helpful... my previous two games were under a MB. My new game uses alpha channels for the objects so I had to use 32K clours, Also the background images (640 X 480) on each level are all different... screens made up of blocks (user defined graphics) would not have worked.
I have since tried to rework it using only 256 colours which has more than halved the file size so I'll probably stick with that as it doesn't look that different from the original version... might finish it yet!
Lately I've been getting into using MP3's for my games because they sound a load better then Midi's, I'm still looking for a good program to concert them into small .OGG files though, so if anyone has any idea's, I'll be willing to listen.
ogg music is smaller than mp3? nice i didnt know that.
i use a program called waver to make mp3s, you can change everything about the wav file you convert, so a two minute wav can be taken down to 350k and still sound good if you mess about enough.
If I'm interested in a game I download it, whether it be 1mb or 100mb. If it's shite, no big deal, at least I found out.
At first I only used midi's, mostly because they're easy to get and very small. Now I'm using MOD's instead. I my opinion MOD's is best for games, because most MOD's sound like gamemusic should sound like. Especially CHIP music. Plus that they are relatively small.
Mendokuse...
DaVince This fool just HAD to have a custom rating
well its a problem I face at the moment with my project scorn game totals around 10 mb EXCLUDING all sound effects and external files the 3 exe files it has are just massive around 3 mb each so all exes make up about 9 mb and concidering its not finished I suspect ALOT more mb shall follow soon! a way to cut down files size *slightly* is raring all your files... cause ZIP SUCK!S!
The only thing better than winning gold in the paralympics is not being retarted
Filesize always mattered to me when I used 56k. I'd get a game up to about 5mb, but only any bigger if it was hyped up (like Eternal Daughter and Triumph War), and even then only if it was smallish (10mb roughly).
Now I'm on 512k I don't worry so much, but I still don't go downloading files around 50mb unless I need them.
10mb - at 512k, this is my limit for general stuff (games, music, etc).
50mb - something I actually want, like a freeware application or a movie trailer.
100mb - something I *need*. It's gotta be important for me to download a 100mb file.
I rarely download anything bigger. In fact in the time I've had broadband, I don't think I've downloaded a single file anywhere near 100mb, let alone over.
Like Muz said, a (really) big click game is usually a sign of a bad designer. Some decent screenshots and description will usually account for the filesize.
eg: if someone shows good-looking pixel graphics like ED and comments that the game uses MP3 music, then you can immediately understand it being 25mb or thereabouts.
On the other hand if you have one which says "get this game it is t3h leet!" and the screenshots show some dreadful abberation with millions of external bmp files, and the file weighs in at 35mb, you know it's SO not worth the download.
Yeah, and games are only worth getting if they have good graphics.
"Say you're hanging from a huge cliff at the top of mt. everest and a guy comes along and says he'll save you, and proceeds to throw religious pamphlets at you while simultaniously giving a sermon." - Dustin G
Personally I won't download a game below 2mb. If the game designers didn't put enough work into their game to make it over 2mb, then why is it worth me downloading it?
A bigger file just means bigger sounds and graphics. It's hardly a measure of effort. You could spend months working on stages for a puzzle game and still have the whole thing come out at 600kb.
Then more fool them. Don't they know that today's generation wants BIGGER and BETTER? Why play something that fits on a floppy when it can come on THREE DVDs?
I don't download anything over 5 mb, unless it's sommat that has had rave reviews and such.
Size is no indication of how good a game is. I once made a game which was 1.5 MB, then I realised I could cut bits out and generally optimize it, and the new version of it was 500KB, and it was much better and faster to run.
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