Did Bethesda just change Steam for the better?

[Gord]

As undoubtly anyone on the Codex is aware of, Bethesda is preparing the next patch for the best RPG of 2011.

One thing about the patch notes struck me as pretty interesting:

Our current update plan for the PC is to first release our updates as “beta” versions through Steam. This is something you’ll be able to opt into through Steam and back-out of if needed. This is an extra safety check for everyone going forward and should expedite and improve our updating process for our PC users. We’ll have more info soon on how this will work.

AFAIK, this is a first time for Steam (but please, proof me wrong if I'm mistaken). You can choose to install a patch and even go back to a previous version, even if just for the duration of the beta.
Sure, I'm aware that this is only due to Bethesdas patches being a buggy mess more often than not, and probably because even Gabe felt compassion for the poor people that have to endure Bethesdas coding skills, but nevertheless.
It would be great if that would set a precedent and eventually maybe would lead to the possibility to choose your game version for single player games on Steam.

 

[Spectacle]

They'll probably do it the same way as TF2, with "Skyrim Beta" as a separate entry in your steam library. Don't expect any radical changes to steam version control.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

From the sound of it it's not as dramatic as TF2 beta. Sounds like you opt-in via the normal beta area, then it patches your game. Then if you disable it it rolls you back. It'd be nice if they let you dick with patch versions manually though. Not something that really bothered me, but I could see it being useful.

 

[MetalCraze]

So you can choose a patch to install?

Bethesda. Innovation.

 

[Menckenstein]

They patching in equippable buckets?

 

[Occasionally Fatal]

Steam has had beta versions for awhile now. The problem is it's a very ham-fisted approach, with the entire game needing to be downloaded over again. If they could make it more elegant, as MHC suggests, it would be a pretty good improvement.

 

[Satan]

Pretty much what fatal said. It started with CSS year or two ago.

 

[reaven]

The question here is: Why would you install Skyrim in the first place?

 

[octavius]

The question here is: Why would you install Skyrim in the first place?

To play it?

 

[Gord]

Patch is out.
You choose Skyrim Beta subscription from Steam settings and it will download the patch without the need for a complete new download of Skyrim (patch is ~190MB).
Looks quite nice so far, they have finally activated optimizations in their compiler and you do indeed get a huge performance boost in cpu-limited spots.

Didn't test to go back to the old patch, though.

 

[DragoFireheart]

The question here is: Why would you install Skyrim in the first place?

For the Dragons?

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I'm still curious if they'll allow the filthy filthy porn mods via the built in Steam thing or not. Or in a less dirty light, mods that have non-standard content such as voice acting and new models. I'd be inclined to think no, but Valve might post a warning and let people go nuts. Maybe. Possibly. Definitely not.

 

[sea]

Aside from areas that are badly optimized (Markarth, some interior areas and dungeons), the framerate boost is crazy. I've seen it go from around 35-40 to a constant 60 in some of the more intensive locations (Solitude, Whiterun, Riften). I think it might be a little buggy (I think v-sync is broken) but so far it's a massive improvement.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

V-sync was always forced on by default IIRC, you had to disable it via an ini somewhere if I'm remembering correctly. Which you kinda wanted to do because turning it off made the mouse massively smoother.

Haven't tried beta patch yet to see what it does to me.