Difference between revisions of "User:ThatOneReaper/Sandbox"

Latest revision as of 02:07, 1 March 2016

This page may be used for temporary storage and rough ideas that don't have their own section

Current project: Patches subsection writeup for the Editing guide

Patches

Patches are a critical component of any PC game. They allow the developers to support the game post-release with enhancements such as (but not limited to):

Bug fixes for common and obscure issues
- These issues can range from visual glitches to crashing in very specific situations
Game balancing tweaks
Improved performance
- Can be optimizations in rendering/game logic (improved FPS) and/or networking (improved LAN/Online multiplayer experience)
DRM subsystem replacement or removal
- Very rare
New content
- Can be considered anything that adds extra usable in-game content (ex. new maps, extra game modes, etc.) and/or significant modifications to an engine subsystem (ex. updated lighting engine, reworked netcode, etc.)

For the modern gamer, getting a game patched to the latest release is trivial. Game distribution clients like Steam and Origin have auto-patching built-in, automatically retrieving the latest patch from the store's servers. Even standalone games that do not rely on a store client have some form of auto-patching included.

However, older games with a retail release (i.e. any game before 2009/2010) normally do not have this functionality included or the functionality is not entirely reliable. Instead, it is up to the user to download the official patch files either from the developers themselves, or a 3rd party site that hosts these files.

For the wiki, the Patches subsection will handle all patch listings for the retail version of the game.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{ii}} This page may be used for temporary storage and rough ideas that don't have their own section
+{{ii}} Current project: Patches subsection writeup for the Editing guide
-==Upload file page description==
+==Patches==
+Patches are a critical component of any PC game. They allow the developers to support the game post-release with enhancements such as (but not limited to):
-<big>'''This form is for uploading images and other media; to upload game fixes and patches, see the [http://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files Files section].'''</big>
+* Bug fixes for common and obscure issues
+** These issues can range from visual glitches to crashing in very specific situations
+* Game balancing tweaks
+* Improved performance
+** Can be optimizations in rendering/game logic (improved FPS) and/or networking (improved LAN/Online multiplayer experience)
+* DRM subsystem replacement or removal
+** Very rare
+* New content
+** Can be considered anything that adds extra usable in-game content (ex. new maps, extra game modes, etc.) and/or significant modifications to an engine subsystem (ex. updated lighting engine, reworked netcode, etc.)
-To view or search previously uploaded files, go to the [[Special:ListFiles|list of uploaded files]]. (Re)uploads are also logged in the [[Special:Log/upload|Upload log]], with deletions in the [[Special:Log/delete|Deletion log]].
+For the modern gamer, getting a game patched to the latest release is trivial. Game distribution clients like Steam and Origin have auto-patching built-in, automatically retrieving the latest patch from the store's servers. Even standalone games that do not rely on a store client have some form of auto-patching included.
-To include a file in a page, use a link in one of the following forms:
+However, older games with a retail release (i.e. any game before 2009/2010) normally do not have this functionality included or the functionality is not entirely reliable. Instead, it is up to the user to download the official patch files either from the developers themselves, or a 3rd party site that hosts these files.
-* '''{{code|<nowiki>{{Image|File.jpg|}}</nowiki>}}''' to use the file with no file caption.
+For the wiki, the Patches subsection will handle all patch listings for the retail version of the game.
-* '''{{code|<nowiki>{{Image|File.png|Alt text}}</nowiki>}}''' to use the file with "Alt text" as the file caption.
-* '''{{code|<nowiki> [[Media:File.ogg]]</nowiki>}}''' for directly linking to the file without displaying the file.
-To include multiple images that are part of a collection, use the following format:
-<pre><nowiki><gallery>
-File1.jpg|Caption1
-File2.jpg|Caption2
-</gallery></nowiki></pre>
-It should be noted that although baseline MediaWiki tags like {{code|<nowiki>[[File:]]</nowiki>}} are supported by the wiki, they are rarely used if ever. Please stick to the recommended formats as stated above.
-'''The current PCGamingWiki guidelines on images can be found in the [[PCGamingWiki:Editing_guide/Screenshots|Editing guide]].'''
-==Editing guide technical guidelines for screenshots==
-===Quickstart guide===
-Images can be uploaded using the [[Special:Upload|upload]] form. To include a file in a page, use a link in one of the following forms:
-* '''{{code|<nowiki>{{Image|File.jpg|}}</nowiki>}}''' to use the file with no file caption.
-* '''{{code|<nowiki>{{Image|File.png|Alt text}}</nowiki>}}''' to use the file with "Alt text" as the file caption.
-* '''{{code|<nowiki> [[Media:File.ogg]]</nowiki>}}''' for directly linking to the file without displaying the file.
-To include multiple images that are part of a collection, use the following format:
-<pre><nowiki><gallery>
-File1.jpg|Caption1
-File2.jpg|Caption2
-</gallery></nowiki></pre>
-It should be noted that although baseline MediaWiki tags like {{code|<nowiki>[[File:]]</nowiki>}} are supported by the wiki, they are rarely used if ever. Please stick to the recommended formats as stated above and in this section.
-===Technical guidelines===
-====General====
-* The recommended format is ''PNG'' in all cases.
-* '''Never''' convert lossy file formats such as ''JPG'' to lossless formats such as ''PNG''. If no alternative version of the image is available or can be created in a lossless format, using the original lossy image is preferable.
-* All cover images are recommended to meet the following criteria:
-** The image should be at least 282 pixels wide, ideally 564 pixels wide to accommodate high DPI screens.
-** The recommended formats are ''PNG'' or ''SVG'' if available, but the image size as outlined above takes priority if a higher resolution ''JPG'' file is available.
-*If a newer version of the image is available, '''always''' upload over the old image to keep the image history intact. If the name doesn't match the guidelines, it's possible to move the file to a more appropriate name. Uploading a file in a better format (''PNG'' instead of ''JPG'') is acceptable.
-====Naming and description====
-To prevent confusing file names, it is recommended to use the full name of the game in the file name, rather than any potential abbreviations. This way the file can still be easily recognized when it is no longer used on the game's page.
-The following format is recommended:
-{{code|<Game name> <Purpose>}}
-'''Examples'''
-* [[:File:Quake Cover.jpg]]
-* [[:File:Quake 4 General.png]]
-The description of the file should include the name of the game as well as the use of the file:
-{{code|<nowiki>[[Game name]] <Menu location> <Menu specifier (if applicable)> <Name of menu> settings <Numbering (if part of series)>.</nowiki>}}
-The above files follow this guideline.
-===Linking other files===
-It is always better to link to a page or thread rather than a file. Files can also be uploaded to the [http://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/ Files section].
-Utilities, patches and are essential for getting certain games to run. Many services also cease to operate over a large period of time so it is preferable to link to a permanent service rather than temporary hosting like Dropbox.