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NMM 0.47.0 "forced" update to fix the download issues
On 0.46.0 I was getting a 25% completion ratio on downloads. That is to say, if I started 10 downloads, 2-3 would complete as expected, 7-8 would fail. Obviously that's not good at all. We know that, you know that. With 0.47.0 the proof is in the pudding, while writing this update I started 50 downloads in NMM, by the end of writing all 50 had finished with a 100% completion ratio. Much better.
So what have we changed?
On the back-end, non-NMM side of things we're fixing the bugs that were/are causing the "file does not exist with this ID" error, which were also causing the issues with NMM. However, on top of that, NMM has been recoded to now try the same server 3 times, and if all 3 attempts fail then NMM will then try to download from another server entirely. Rinse, repeat until a server that actually works for you is found. This has probably helped to rectify 95% of all the original download issues that existed.
We've changed the way in which NMM picks the servers it uses based on your NMM option settings. Lots of people don't seem to know that if you go in to NMM's options you can pick your closest location. This doesn't 100% guarantee NMM will always use the server's near to you, but it will always try them first before moving on to servers that will actually work for you or won't be overloaded. For Premium Members, you can now pick the specific Premium server you would prefer to download from. Once again, NMM will always check that server first, but if that server is down, overloaded (shouldn't be for Premium) or struggling then NMM will automatically find a different server instead.
As mentioned in my previous news article on the subject, we've also changed the amount of concurrent downloads you can have running at any one time. With the rise of sites that provide easy compatible lists that allow you to download mods more quickly (because you trust the source and don't read all the file descriptions) we've seen lots of users trying to download 50, 100, even 200 files at the same time in NMM. This obviously isn't good for the servers so we've coded in a queuing system that will only allow you to download a certain amount of files at a time. For non-Premium users that number is 5, for Premium users that number is 10. Now, if you try and download 50 files at once then all 50 files will be added to NMM's download list, but only 5 will download at once. Once a download is finished, another is automatically started from the queue until all the downloads are done. This should help to alleviate a lot of pressure on our file servers and ensure that everyone is using the service fairly. This also pre-empts a planned future functionality to allow users to share their mod playlists and collections with others.
In the same vein we've changed the way NMM starts and connects to the internet. Before this new update all versions of NMM attempted to login to our servers before NMM would fully load. However, this seems inefficient considering there are many times when you want to use NMM; to modify your load order, to change your installed mods, and so on, where you don't need to be connected to the site. On-top of that, each time you started NMM it was requesting various bits of information from our servers that you didn't necessarily need. For example, the "Latest version" information. To save our servers a crap-ton of stress we've now made NMM start offline for everyone. NMM will no longer automatically connect at the start and check for the latest version information. Instead, if you want to check for the latest versions of files you should start NMM and click the green arrow icon to the left of the "mods" tab, labelled "check for new mod versions" when you hover over it. This not only benefits us, from a server perspective, but also benefits you, as NMM should now start faster for you (as it doesn't have to wait to connect) enabling you to get on and do what you want to do faster.
We've added a little buddy in the bottom left hand corner of NMM to let you know if NMM is offline or online. If NMM is in "offline" mode then our little buddy is red. Clicking him when he's red will either automatically put you online (if your login details are saved) or prompt you for your Nexus username and password. If the little buddy is green then NMM is in online mode, and clicking him will log you out. If NMM is in offline mode and you try and do something that requires NMM to be in online mode, like checking for new mod versions or downloading a file, then NMM will, once again, either automatically log you in without prompting if you've saved your login details, or ask you for your login details if you haven't saved your details.
While I understand that lots of people like to check for the latest versions of their mods we believe this update, while inconveniencing you with one-additional click if you want to check for new versions, will be worth that inconvenience.
Because this update fixes a major issue with NMM that is being reported a lot daily, and because we hope it is going to free up a substantial amount of server resources, 0.47.0 is going to be a "forced" update. That is, any versions before 0.47.0 will not be able to go online. We've updated our process now so that if you are using an incompatible version of NMM it should now tell you as much, and tell you that you need to update NMM in order for it to be able to login again.
Once again, the update process for NMM is very simple. Indeed, it seems to freak people out when they don't update from "within" NMM. Actually, all NMM does is download the latest update from the site for you. You still have to click through the install process. To "manually" update NMM simply go to our NMM download page and download it. Once you run the installer you've hit the exact same step you'd have hit if you'd clicked "yes" to updating from within NMM. All you need to do is ensure that the paths in the installer to where you have NMM and your mods installed are correct. That's it. All your mods will still be where, and how, you left them.
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"Meh, let's just go ahead and let them download a version that we know is broken. What's that? At least warn them on the download page? Silly intern, that's not how we roll."
The only options after a 'forced' update like this will be to either download it regardless or to never use any NMM anymore until what's so important to you is finally fixed.
It's not like you'd had an option that'd make any difference to how it is now.
Granted, a warning like that on the download page would at least have removed "1" of the complaints about it missing from the comments here, or so I hope, but going by past experience and people never reading, not even big red blinking warnings they have to click away, the others likely would've remained regardless. So not much would've changed at all.
And they don't let you download a version that is "broken". If it wouldn't work at all, it wouldn't be available for download.
Just because 1 feature isn't working, no matter how important it might be for you, the release is still far from broken, if others work.
And that's the nature of joining a beta test group. Be prepared to encounter errors and missing or broken features. Report them when you find them, so they can be fixed in the next release.
OR opt out of the beta testing process until it goes live. It's not like you're "forced" to use it or it's the only way to download and install mods from here. And they always invite you to do so themselves.
I would not have downloaded it, and would have still been able to enjoy the use of a feature that is now broken.
"Granted, a warning like that on the download page would at least have removed "1" of the complaints about it missing from the comments here, or so I hope, but going by past experience and people never reading, not even big red blinking warnings they have to click away, the others likely would've remained regardless. So not much would've changed at all."
A lot of people are stupid and don't read warning messages. Therefore we should never warn people about bugs that we know are present in software updates.
"And that's the nature of joining a beta test group. [...] OR opt out of the beta testing process until it goes live. It's not like you're "forced" to use it"
Irrelevant. I never claimed that they had "wronged me" in any legal sense or that I had any right to demand better service. I simply criticized them for not taking an easy step that would have prevented me from downloading an "update" that broke a feature that I used basically every time I used the software.
Have you clicked on the little red buddy icon in the lower left ? That is how you go online. You must do this every time you start NMM unless you don't need to go online ( not needed to do stuff like activate or deactivate mods in the list or to manually add mods) - and NO , you cannot download anything if you are not online. (That is what online means) And it cannot update the versions unless it is online because just like every site on the internet, it cannot update anything if it is not online.
To check for mod updates - first go online, (That little buddy icon in the lower left corner) then go to the MODS page - and click on the green curved arrow on the left this instantly checks your mods for updates without having to wait a day or three.
Please tell me you didn't entirely miss the new On/Off line icon that we put to make it easy. And the many posts that explained it.
The server was 'down'. It took a couple hours for a member of staff to come home and find out.
But 46 allowed us to keep playing and modding when your site was down (which, for me, in the middle of USA, is 4 out of every 7 days)
Perhaps you should consider bringing that feature back.
Especially since you still havent fixed the feature that is locking many from being able to access the login server, reducing their computer game to a PS3 version.
Helpful info for troubleshooting
what browser, include version
Any add ons in that browser - I have used several ad blockers with no problem, (firefox) but no script gave me some problems at one time
Make sure your dot net framework is up to date - NMM requires 3.5 ( always has)