How are patches made?
Hello everyone, I have a question that probably has nothing to do with AC, but which has arisen for me these days after completing the game setup on Steam.
I don't expect any answers, but in case any of you who use AC have come across this question, maybe you can give me a solution.
After creating the build of the game and uploading it to Steam, I had a doubt which is that every time I correct a text in the game or a bug, I will have to redo a new build to pass on to Steam, but in this case the player will have to download everything again.
And so I was wondering how does it work that I can create patches or upgrades that only include the change I made, and that way after I put it on Steam, it will be a less extensive download.
Can anyone tell me how to do this, or if there is a procedure that I am currently unaware of?
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Hello, I highly recommend using the Unity Addressables system. It's basically the updated version for bundles.
Bundles break down your games assets into smaller chunks. If you only see a handful of files and 1 really large file after exporting your build, imagine breaking that large file into smaller, more manageable pieces.
When you make an update, a player won't need to download the entire game, only the 'chunk' / bundle you updated. Not only that, the Addressables system manages memory usage. Change a scene, the memory get dumped. Without bundles, the memory usage just piles up. And you also get a very long load times, initially (first time download or after an update).
Check UTube for tutorials (Code Monkey just dropped a video with good information).
And if you're using AC, there is a how-to in the AC manual for AC Addressable integration.
Thank you very much for the information, for releases on Steam I was told that the store already does the procedure automatically.
Just redo the build and put it on Steam, and from what I understand the differences with the previous version are checked, and the system will create the actual size update file.
However, what you suggest seems to improve performance for loading and memory allocation in the game, so I'll have a go at finding out.
Thanks
Just to clarify and add a bit more.
Yes, Steam automatically updates the same file every time you update. The player won't have extra files after every update. The same files just get overwritten. But Steam doesn't automatically break up your game files into smaller chunks, it takes and updates what you already uploaded.
If the build isn't a bundle/Addressable, then they will need to re-download the entire game every time you update. If your game is 2Gb, they have to re-download 2GB, each and every time.
With bundles/Addressables, each bundle might be 200 mega bytes. If you update an item in a single bundle, the player will only need to download 200 mega bytes, instead of the entire 2GB.
Addressables = smaller downloads after every update, performance and memory allocation. Also, from what I hear, console ports tend to request the use of bundles.
To chime in with a few details on AC's handling of Addressables, they can be used for: