Curse

IllusiveMind · Oct 01, 2006, 05:05 AM // 05:05

Quote:

CD-ROM: Yes
CPU Speed: 2.0GHz Processor
Disk Space: 4.0GB
Display: ATI Radeon 9600 or NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 Series Video Card
Memory (RAM): 1GB
Operating System Compatibility: Win 2000/XP, Not Mac Compatible

Sorry buy those are the Recommended, you should double check the minimum requierements that are printed at the back of Nightfall Pre-Release BP.

Lex · Oct 02, 2006, 09:53 PM // 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

Why not convert to NTFS, it isnt hard to do so

Yes, it is not hard.. but can you give me 100% guarantee that all of my other programs will run after conversion? This is PC i'm using not only for GW - this is my workshop, I'm working at home. Telling the truth, GW is only "small part" of time I'm spending by PC - but I'd like to still be able to play it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarun

Myth - "The FAT32 file system is faster/better than NTFS."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Microsoft

"For small volumes, FAT16 or FAT32 usually provide faster access to files than NTFS"

Do u think that my 20GB HDD is big? About reliability: I'm using PC since my study times = early 90s - never had any problems about disk storage.

Spydergst1 · Oct 02, 2006, 10:01 PM // 22:01

I double dog dare you to load GW on wfw or windows 3.11 on fat16. Now thats LAG!!!

Obviously I know you can't install it but its good for a laugh to consider the thought.

I have always run on ntfs. No problems

juncmodule · Oct 03, 2006, 03:02 AM // 03:02

The pre-release box lists the following under Minimum System Spcifications for HDD Space:

3GB Available HDD Space

I think this clearly indicates that you can not run Nightfall on a machine that does not support a file at a size of 3GB.

However, if Prophecies and Factions does not exceed 2GBs then you shouldn't have a problem.

I agree with the person that made the horse feed/gasoline comment. You just shouldn't use a technology that has moved as fast as computers have if you aren't willing to move ahead.

Now. With all of that said. I agree with you completely. I think they should divide the file up. I'm no computer expert by far but doesn't a file of that size risk corruption, fragmentation, and a host of other issues?

later,
-junc

TreeDude · Oct 03, 2006, 04:40 AM // 04:40

Just buy yourself another drive, format it as NTFS, and make it a slave. Then put your GW folder on it. Problem solved.

Lex · Oct 03, 2006, 11:45 AM // 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by juncmodule

The pre-release box lists the following under Minimum System Spcifications for HDD Space:

3GB Available HDD Space

I think this clearly indicates that you can not run Nightfall on a machine that does not support a file at a size of 3GB.

Two points:
1. Max file size of FAT32 is 4GB, not 3GB

- my gw.dat is now around 3.3GB

2. I have now around 2GB available HDD Space (after installing the game) so I have even recomended spec: "4GB available HDD space"- free HDD space is something different from situation that game required specific file system to run and its not mentioned on the box or on support web page. AND on the same pre-order box among minimum system spec I still see: Win ME/98! so Nightfall is still supporting FAT32 according to ANet...

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeDude

Just buy yourself another drive, format it as NTFS, and make it a slave. Then put your GW folder on it. Problem solved.

That is no solution: I already have two HDDs (+ two optical drives on second IDE) so I have no space for another HDD but/and I still have plenty "available space on HDD" to play the game...

TreeDude · Oct 03, 2006, 06:18 PM // 18:18

Then replace a drive with a larger one. Then you just need do a simple backup. I know what your getting at. The game says is supports FAT32. Well as stand alone they do. But keep adding to your account and they won't. I wouldn't blame Anet, they didn't create FAT32.

Sooner or later you will need to make the switch. Just do it and get it over with.

Mr.H.Mishima · Oct 03, 2006, 06:43 PM // 18:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rafal

Yes, it is not hard.. but can you give me 100% guarantee that all of my other programs will run after conversion? This is PC i'm using not only for GW - this is my workshop, I'm working at home. Telling the truth, GW is only "small part" of time I'm spending by PC - but I'd like to still be able to play it.

Do u think that my 20GB HDD is big? About reliability: I'm using PC since my study times = early 90s - never had any problems about disk storage.

The programs don't know what file system you are using. To them, it's just a place to store data. Windows knows, but regular everyday programs haven't a clue.

Mushroom · Oct 03, 2006, 07:17 PM // 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllusiveMind

Sorry buy those are the Recommended, you should double check the minimum requierements that are printed at the back of Nightfall Pre-Release BP.

And I did state that. I said minimum recommended requirements, not minimum requirements.

And as they say, "you should never let the minimum be your maximum". Here are the true minimum system specs:

Windows 98
800 MHz Pentium III or equivalent
256 MB RAM
ATI Radeon 8500 or GeForce 3 or 4 MX with 32MB of video memory
500 MB hard drive space

Now who would like to try playing GW on a system like that? Myself, when I talk about minimum system specs, I tend to use the "recommended minimum", since a lot of people will try to cut as close to that as possible.

In fact, I really started to do that especially when it comes to games. We had a parent last year who wanted a system so her daughter could play "The Sims 2". Yea, the game only needs a 600 MHz, with 128 MB RAM. But who wants to spend over 5 minutes waiting for the game to load, and have the absolute minimum graphics and horrible lags?

Omega X · Oct 03, 2006, 07:22 PM // 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by juncmodule

I think they should divide the file up. I'm no computer expert by far but doesn't a file of that size risk corruption, fragmentation, and a host of other issues?

Corruption should rarely or never happen. I know that it happened to ANET during the beginning of the Nightfall WPE, but its the first time it has affected anything. I personally have never seen corruption of a file that wasn't caused by a program writing it wrongly.

Fragmentation always happens on FAT and NTFS file systems. It just happens less on NTFS, and the file will fragment ONLY when it expands usually without contiguous space. But you should be defragmenting your drive regularly anyway.

More files means more file access lag and more fragmentation of the files. It could take longer to load into areas, and a number of performance issues. So whether if the Dat is one big archive or several small ones, the trade offs are apparent.

But I don't know what you mean by "A host of other issues".

IllusiveMind · Oct 03, 2006, 07:31 PM // 19:31

@Mushroom

*Reads post again*

Yeah...you got me confused with that "minimum recommended requierements".

Note to self:
Learn to read dummy.

Quote:

500 MB hard drive space

I highly doubt this.

Horseman Of War · Oct 03, 2006, 07:37 PM // 19:37

you wanna run with the big dogs you had better keep up

Mushroom · Oct 03, 2006, 07:51 PM // 19:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllusiveMind

500 MB hard drive space

I highly doubt this.

That was the actual minimum spec when Guild Wars came out (and is printed on the original box). That was increased since then because of Factions, and other things they have done to improve performance.

And it's no biggie. I have misread and misheard a great many things myself. I will never forget when I thought Harold was the name of God, and that the Pledge of Allegiance was to a cartoon character.

Lex · Oct 03, 2006, 10:29 PM // 22:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeDude

Then replace a drive with a larger one. Then you just need do a simple backup.

As I said I still have HDD space for "expansion".. no need for larger one... It is just problem of file system - NOT free space on HDD. Please "reread" my post

But "if" (to answer your question) HDD replacement wont be just "simple backup" for me - I have booting partition on one drive but system files are on the other drive. So at the moment replacement of one drive will mean reinstallation of the whole system and software.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeDude

I know what your getting at. The game says is supports FAT32. Well as stand alone they do. But keep adding to your account and they won't.

So.. are you suggesting that these "recomended requirements" for Nightfall (4GB of HDD space) are only for "Nightfall standalone" version? And installing Nightfall over Proph+Facions will result in 3+4=7GB gw.dat file?

Tarun · Oct 03, 2006, 11:13 PM // 23:13

Honestly just upgrade to NTFS and quit whining. 20GB should be NTFS anyways. Even if you had a 5GB drive it should be NTFS.

h0l0cau5to · Oct 04, 2006, 08:52 AM // 08:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by B Ephekt

Yep.

Code:

convert c: /fs:ntfs

do you need to format your partition to execute this?

ty

Tarun · Oct 04, 2006, 01:48 PM // 13:48

h0l0cau5to, no you do not. You enter the above in a cmd window; it then has your computer reboot and can take anywhere from a minute to thirty minutes (depending on the drives age, RPM, amount of data, etc etc.)

EternalTempest · Oct 04, 2006, 05:39 PM // 17:39

This thread brings up an intersting point. Within a few more chapters, the native file size will be > 4gb and fat32 max file support as a single file is 4gb.

To be honest I think Anet will drop the minimum support for GuildWars and it will become Windows 2000 as the min or they have plans to split the gw.dat file in to segments.

I can see this happening as well due one data file = all data where I can see a "core" data file and smaller "chapter" data files that are specific to each one to cut down on downloading and decreasing there bandwidth.

Miss Eisei · Oct 04, 2006, 07:20 PM // 19:20

i dont understand why anyone would want to run fat32 on a xp/w2k system
thats like running linux on a fat disk, its just wrong and stupid
and as for ppl stuck with win98, i feel sorry for u, but either u have such a crappy pc ur prolly better of not playing cause it looks so ugly and ur game takes forever to load, time to upgrade maybe ? , 98/ME is ancient and has no support anymore , i cant understand ppl complain about fat32/ntfs NOW, for the love of god, ntfs has been around forever, ive ALWAYS used it, just like i use ext3 on my linux box, and FYI M$ is making a new fileformat so eventually NTFS will be outdated, time to get with the program guys, cause honestly, even if my new Bentley would run on old 98octan leaded fuel i wouldnt run it on it

Tarun · Oct 04, 2006, 08:59 PM // 20:59

The new file format "WinFS" was going to be with Vista and XP, has been aborted.