Installer - Multi Mirrored

[DriftCity]

Hello Showcase Section!

Me and My developer have been pretty busy on a installer but we are out of ideas for new features.
This installer downloads a .7z and unpacks it.
Let me explain the installer steps:

1. People open the installer, this pops:

It downloads all files that are needed to unpack the 7z file and store it in temp.

2. It will open:

There can be added multiple games / programs to download, people can just choose the game they want to download.

3. Then this opens:

People can select if they want to have a startmenu folder and Desktop shortcut from the game.exe or launcher.exe, they just put the install path or leave it default, they press install.
It will start downloading the client from one of the mirrors, it will select the first mirror from a XML file that is placed on your webserver, it looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<InstallConfig>
<Mirrors>
<Mirror>http://mirror1.com</Mirror>
<Mirror lastResort="true">http://mirror2.com</Mirror>
</Mirrors>
<File>ClockworkMU.7z</File> Exact name of the 7z the installer has to download
<Folder>ClockworkMU</Folder> The exact folder inside the .7z
<Executable>ClockworkMU.exe</Executable> The Executable that it uses for create shortcut and for Do you want to start playing the game now?
</InstallConfig>

Is a mirror down? It will go to the second mirror!

After downloading it will start unpacking the .7z.
When it's done it will ask: Do you want to start playing?

That's it so far, any ideas?

Please rate!

[MentaL]

[SomeAsianDude]

So is this downloading a private server of yours or an actual game?

[DriftCity]

So is this downloading a private server of yours or an actual game?

In this case it's one of my servers, but you can basicly put anything in it when it contains a map and a .exe to run.

[holthelper]

from my understanding of what you wrote we are downloading all files to then choose a destination for 1 game?

[DriftCity]

from my understanding of what you wrote we are downloading all files to then choose a destination for 1 game?

No first it downloads required things to start the Installer, then you pick a game and it will start downloading it and then install it.

[holthelper]

why not combine the downloading and installing until the end?

to me it seems like it stores 1 file (contains both games) in temp, unpack and choose which game you want, then install.

[DriftCity]

why not combine the downloading and installing until the end?

to me it seems like it stores 1 file (contains both games) in temp, unpack and choose which game you want, then install.

You just gotta read more carefully, Everything is explained how it works. I'll explain it 1 more time:

People download 1 small file, that will download a FEW MB of Data that is needed to unpack.
Step2: People choose the game they want.
Step3: It's downloading!
Step4: after downloading it's gonna install.
Step5: Your done.

[holthelper]

i just cant grasp my head around the whole download a few MB at the very start

1) it downloads a few MB to aid in the upacking
2) selected which game
3) unpack/download the actual game you selected
4) now installing
5) done

thats what it sounds like to me

not trying to flame or anything just understanding your reasoning for having your program access the web 2 times instead of once

[DriftCity]

Because the first time it downloads all stuff to do the unpacking, the second time the game download. Why is that so hard to understand? Because that's the only way.

[SecretsOThePast]

Because the first time it downloads all stuff to do the unpacking, the second time the game download. Why is that so hard to understand? Because that's the only way.

Why can't you embed the .7z extractor in the file header? Pretty sure C#/VB.Net allows this.

[DriftCity]

Why can't you embed the .7z extractor in the file header? Pretty sure C#/VB.Net allows this.

Well I could try that, not sure if I can do it, I just used the .7z dll because it contains easy unpack/pack commands to execute.

[Gangnam]

Could you not have the DLL included in the executable? Surely that would make more sense?

[DriftCity]

Could you not have the DLL included in the executable? Surely that would make more sense?

Well my skills aren't good enough for that, there are a few files that are needed to run the patcher and let it unpack and download..I have the idea worked out and it's running but the optimizing is a problem for me.

[שเ๒єtгเ๒є]

Well my skills aren't good enough for that, there are a few files that are needed to run the patcher and let it unpack and download..I have the idea worked out and it's running but the optimizing is a problem for me.

right-click on your reference and click properties. in the new window set interop type to true and local copy to false ... now, your reference should be implemented in your final compiled executable. that's how it should work at least, but my work mate just told me it does not. >.<