WHy can't I queue up multiple downloads?

Why do all these digital DL services have to suck so much

By shangreer Posted July 1, 2008 03:16:46

I do not understand why it is that App developers overlook the most basic of features. It seems this is especially common with these "revolutionary" digital download services, like Impulse.

I just bought the Galactic Civilizations II pack that includes GCII and both expansion packs. I figured the DL would take forever (actually going fast at 15Mb/s) but I assumed I could download them all as one pack (since that is what I bought) but no, it comes in 3 packs. I can understand and live with that, even though it is inconvenient. That brings me to what sucks!

Now I have 3 things to download and I cannot queue them. I have to sit and wait until GCII is done before I can start the download and install on the other two. There is also not a default way for me to simply save the files rather than install them. That makes a lot of sense. Now if I want to install somewhere else, I have to use Stardock and my own bandwidth again and waste another hour of download time. THis would really suck if I did not have fiber.

Please either learn how to write a smart app or go back to something that works. Ever heard of FTP? Nice and convenient. I can queue multiples files. I can save them on my server so I never have to download them again. I don't need to install another bloated app to use FTP. And Stardock would not have to do any development work. Charge for the product them let me download it. Nice and convenient, which I know is a foreign concept to most SW Development companies.

I sincerely hope the game experience is much better than the download experience.

Shan

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Great, finally got it downloaded and oh joy, I have to wait until it installs before I can even start downloading the next half gig pack. If it takes as long to install the game as to install Impulse, I will be here a while...

There is also not a default way for me to simply save the files rather than install them. That makes a lot of sense. Now if I want to install somewhere else, I have to use Stardock and my own bandwidth again and waste another hour of download time. THis would really suck if I did not have fiber.

Well, I think that impulse has a download and archive method, as well has a restore archive feature. You can also archive a game you have installed in Impulse

That is a (very) annoying flaw. Personally, I have no clue why "prerequisite downloads" aren't queable -- though that is the only place where you can't queue downloads.

I recently downloaded two different games to my home computer at the same time using impulse. And the number is not limited to 2.

You've apparently found a situation that (for some reason) blocks this from happening with expansion packs.

Please either learn how to write a smart app or go back to something that works.

If you present your findings in a professional matter, you are more likely to get a favorable response. We appreciate you taking time out of your day to tell us about an issue that you have had with the download experience. We will work to resolve it. But please try to remember that we are people too and do not appreciate your tone.

I haven't tried this with the latest Impulse, but at least it was true..

If you want to download and archive the first expansion pack for GalCivII you need to have GalCivII installed.
Oh, and if you want to download and archive Twilight of Arnor you need to have the former expansion pack installed too.

It is nice to be told you need the prerequisites when you want to install, but not when you just download and archive them.

You can have multiple downloads running at the same time. Queuing up the downloads is already being worked on.

Still it is pretty easy to just set all the downloads and walk away. Look for updates for Impulse to come out, like the one this afternoon.

If this is fixed then it's good news

I'm not able to test this with the updated Impulse as I have the GalCivII packs installed, but by the sound of the OP my described events sound current, excluding todays Impulse update.

The problem is/was the prerequisite checks is/was applied when doing a "download and archive", and not only while trying to install,
making it impossible to download/queue all packs of GalCivII and similar, but instead requiring to install them to be able to download and archive the next.

Still it is pretty easy to just set all the downloads and walk away. Look for updates for Impulse to come out, like the one this afternoon.

Not when download B requires download A, like Galciv TA requiring first base GalCiv2 and DA to be installed.

True but that is very unique to that game line. Certain elements must be installed before the next portion can be installed. Outside of downloading, but rather installing is the requirement.

@Seabass, and that is where the problem is.. it applied the prereqs even when just
doing (or rather, trying to do) a "download and archive" of them, in other words, not a
installation.

Btw, it isn't (or wasn't) unique.. It seems Impulse does this programwide, so everything with a prereq you don't fill (such as having WindowBlinds 6 installed before installing Skinstudio 6) is also applied while only downloading and archiving them.

Would it be possible to have Impulse queue the download for each part, and enforce the installation in the required order? It would be one less barrier to entry for people with slower connections. I like to set up downloads when I'll be out of the house or sleeping, which is just more convient, especially if it is several gigs. Mainly it just seems like it would be more intuitive with games and expansion packs if we could queue the whole thing, even it it waited on us to manually install it in order after everything is downloaded.

I'm pretty sure Stardock Central allowed me to queue GalCiv2 and both expansions in this manner - can anyone else confirm this? Since I've installed everything this latest time using Impulse I really don't want to try it with SDC again.

Yeah this is all being developed currently. We have had multiple requests for this sort of downloading. It is all being looked at as to how it would be implemented. There is some fine tuning involved though because Impulse does not work the same as SDC. However I did update the developers about this request again just for the record.

Sorry for the trouble but it should be temporary.