ZDoom 2.3.1 released

[Coon]

Adds support for zip/pk3 files with LZMA and BZip2 compression. (7-Zip is one program that can create such files.)

I stop caring for compression as soon as the wad has been downloaded to my hard drive, but isn't UHarc just amazing?

STRIFE1.WAD = 27.0 MB (28,377,364 bytes)
STRIFE1.7z = 7.64 MB (8,020,664 bytes)
STRIFE1.uha = 7.35 MB (7,713,850 bytes)

[Redboy]

WOW - Thank you Randy

Downloading...

[Graf Zahl]

STRIFE1.uha = 7.35 MB (7,713,850 bytes)

Completely worthless because it's a proprietary format with absolutely no third party support. No intelligent person should use such software. There's enough free alternatives available that use publicly documented formats and offer good third party support. All of these issues make 7zip a far superior solution overall.

[Coon]

STRIFE1.uha = 7.35 MB (7,713,850 bytes)

Completely worthless because it's a proprietary format with absolutely no third party support. No intelligent person should use such software. There's enough free alternatives available that use publicly documented formats and offer good third party support. All of these issues make 7zip a far superior solution overall.

Indeed, but that's completely beyond the point. I simply was amazed to find out that UHarc is capable of compressing wad files slightly better than 7-zip.

[Gez]

Whereas I was completely amazed to discover the last version of UHarc is a beta from 2005 which cannot handle files larger than two GB (that is to say, those that are large enough for a merely-slightly better compression rate to actually matter).

[Rachael]

Completely worthless because it's a proprietary format with absolutely no third party support. No intelligent person should use such software. There's enough free alternatives available that use publicly documented formats and offer good third party support. All of these issues make 7zip a far superior solution overall.

Wow, you never miss a beat when someone mentions any proprietary compression, do you?

[Graf Zahl]

No, I don't. These proprietary formats annoy me endlessly because some people just think that compression ratio is all that matters but ending up costing others a lot of time for downloading and installing applications they don't ever need.

I prefer to stick to the standards. Zip and 7z are good enough to handle everything I could ever need - and nearly all software out there supports these.

[Coon]

Whereas I was completely amazed to discover the last version of UHarc is a beta from 2005 which cannot handle files larger than two GB (that is to say, those that are large enough for a merely-slightly better compression rate to actually matter).

Weighing 143mb (uncompressed) Urban Brawl is one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest wad around. I really don't know how to interpret your comment regarding the 2gb limitation.

Also, every format has it's own strengths/weaknesses, and UHarc's just happen to favor wad compression.

[Gez]

Weighing 143mb (uncompressed) Urban Brawl is one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest wad around.

Which means that wads are small enough to not bother looking out for the absolute best compression algorithm.

Also, every format has it's own strengths/weaknesses, and UHarc's just happen to favor wad compression.

So it just happens to favor something that's mostly useless and, coincidentally, that would require it to be open sourced to be of any real use in the first place.

That's the software equivalent of a panda: it occupies a niche that is just too silly for it to survive. Let's just pretend it had never existed and avoid the embarrassment.

[Coon]

Which means that wads are small enough to not bother looking out for the absolute best compression algorithm

This bullshit doesn't explain the 2gb bullshit, but whatever. I you're going online with a connection like mine, every byte counts. Take that strife wad for example; if you were extremely short of bandwidth, what would you rather download (besides nothing) 7mb or 27mb?

So it just happens to favor something that's mostly useless

The idea of compression is reducing the size of a file, and favoring compression is in fact, doing a better job if that's what you're after.

and, coincidentally, that would require it to be open sourced to be of any real use in the first place

And I wonder, who gives a shit? it's not that 7-zip isn't doing it's job, actually it decompresses noticeably faster.

[Enjay]

ending up costing others a lot of time for downloading and installing applications they don't ever need.

The only reason I downloaded and installed 7zip is because some people I know started distrubuting their software source in 7z format.


Mind you, at the time I had Winzip, WinRAR, Stuffit and Powerarchiver installed too so one more compression tool didn't make much difference.

[Rachael]

Which means that wads are small enough to not bother looking out for the absolute best compression algorithm

This bullshit doesn't explain the 2gb bullshit, but whatever. I you're going online with a connection like mine, every byte counts. Take that strife wad for example; if you were extremely short of bandwidth, what would you rather download (besides nothing) 7mb or 27mb?

The extreme here is not 7 mb or 27mb, but 7 mb or 7 mb. When they're so close in size, I'm gonna choose the file format that I can decompress without downloading another archiver, even if it's up to 10% bigger than the other one. Heck, even if it was 27 mb, and with the bandwidth I have available, I'd just pick the bigger one for convenience.

and, coincidentally, that would require it to be open sourced to be of any real use in the first place

And I wonder, who gives a shit? it's not that 7-zip isn't doing it's job, actually it decompresses noticeably faster.

Obviously you give a shit.

[Coon]

The extreme here is not 7 mb or 27mb, but 7 mb or 7 mb. When they're so close in size, I'm gonna choose the file format that I can decompress without downloading another archiver, even if it's up to 10% bigger than the other one. Heck, even if it was 27 mb, and with the bandwidth I have available, I'd just pick the bigger one for convenience

You're addressing something entirely different to the point being discussed here. You're comparing formats and we're discussing whether or not the best compression is worth using, which in my opinion, totally is if there isn't much of a trade-off.

Obviously you give a shit.

Not really, you just have a reading problem.

[Rachael]

Then why are you supporting UHARC so much as a better archiver, where "every single byte counts," when clearly, "I have a reading problem?"

Never mind, I think the question explains itself.

You have a problem with people disagreeing with you.

[Xaser]

Unfortunately, arguing with not Mr. President here is a futile cause, because he will switch sides at will and attempt to dodge every legitimate question thrown. Kind of a shame, as it almost always winds up cluttering good threads with garbage.

Not that my posting this is helping the clutter issue, mind you, but it may be time for a quick change of subject, for everyone's sake.