Launcher Vs Steam Verify Game Cache

[Strykar]

Running Warframe 2013.07.29.13.39 on Windows 8 x64 Enterprise 6.2.9200

Windows updates are installed automatically.

 

CPU i5 750 + 8GB RAM

GPU GTX560ti running latest stable GeForce 320.49 driver.

 

I run Windows off an Intel SSD, and Steam games off a 2x 1TB RAID 0 array.

I do no caching and understand that an unclean shutdown is bound to corrupt data on this array.

 

But bear with me as I try to find out why even a broken state of files should result in Steam downloading a bunch and then the launcher downloading another bunch of files. This behavior seems broken and there is a lack of synergy between Steam and the WF launcher.

 

If there is a power cut when I am playing Warframe, the launcher does not find issues with the game on next restart even when asked to verify the download cache. The game will launch to the login screen and thereafter will not connect with the "ERROR_INTERNET_CANNOT_CONNECT" message.

Asking the launcher to verify download cache does not fix the issue and the launcher reports WF ready to play.

 

This is an incorrect error message in this situation. I have confirmed this by monitoring the client traffic, the server responds to the client's TLS request with a HELLO and then simply stops responding after causing the client to spew the error above. This seems like the server is overloaded and simply unable to respond within the timeout. I can post tcpdumps here, please do not add to this thread with tips of check your router.

 

 

However, now, upon asking Steam to verify local game cache, Steam tells me there are 64-76 files (number varies each time) that need to be re-downloaded. It then proceeds to download around 1.5 GB. Running the WF launcher now results in the launcher running a 350MB update.

 

After these 2 steps, the game works fine.

 

This leads me to ask devs the question: What is the difference between the WF launcher verifying download cache and Steam verifying local game cache?

Edited July 31, 2013 by Stryp

[AluvianSprinter]

I'm going to give a completely random and uneducated guess, but say that Steam's files are every major update (7.0, 8.0, etc.), while the updater obviously has all the hotfixes and everything. Steam keeps trying to revert to the major patch, and the updater goes to the latest hotfix.

[Strykar]

I'm going to give a completely random and uneducated guess, but say that Steam's files are every major update (7.0, 8.0, etc.), while the updater obviously has all the hotfixes and everything. Steam keeps trying to revert to the major patch, and the updater goes to the latest hotfix.

By that logic Steam would want to reset the game back every time DE posted a patch/update. No, Steam recognizes new patches just fine as is evidenced by it not finding issues with the game cache after the 2 steps above are completed.

[Xylia]

I can verify what AluvianSprinter said.

 

A few days ago, during the Fomorian Event, I wanted to transfer Warframe to my other computer (it is slightly newer than this one, that I usually play it on) because of intense FPS lag in the Fomorian Ships.

 

I did the usual, I copied the Warframe folder over to the place it was in Steam.

 

Started Steam up and Steam wanted to download 2.3GB. I was like "whaaa?"

 

So I copied it again, and then tried running just the launcher. Launcher wanted to download 2.8GB or some-such.

 

After playing around with the folders (apparently the Launcher wants to stick everything in \Warframe\Public\ for some odd reason), I finally got it to work without Steam by running Launcher.exe. The game launched fine, and I got my 150 points during the Fomorian Event just fine.

 

Upon curiosity, after backing up the folder, I told Steam to verify the game files. It wanted to download 2.3GB.

 

Steam is only updating the Warframe Files every major update, apparently. It is just Steam isn't checking the game after each hotfix, or it isn't checking the game at all.

 

Don't ever ask Steam to back up your local game files; it'll error out on you and it will actually delete the game files. I did this too, during the fiasco of "how the heck do I copy it from computer to computer". I tried telling it to back up game files. It errored out on me and it deleted everything and said it wanted to download the 2.3GB.

 

.......sigh.

 

I eventually got the mess straightened out.

 

So, @OP, verify your files with the launcher first. If that doesn't work, look at things like your router, etc. Otherwise, you're going to have to send a ticket to Warframe support.

 

EDIT: Sorry about that, I didn't fully read the OP. IMO, you might want to look into sticking Warframe's files on a separate non-Raid drive if power outages are hurting you that bad that you have to re-download every time. This will make Warframe load slightly slower, but I'd think it'd be better than having to re-download 3GB or some such every time there's a power outage or a system crash.

 

It is among the reasons why I never bothered with RAID myself.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Xylia

[Strykar]

If Steam wasn't aware of hotfixes, deleting local content and re-downloading and reinstalling Warframe would result in the launcher downloading the latest hotfix after. Since this doesn't happen it's safe to assume Steam is aware of the hotfixes and in fact provides the latest content on a fresh install.

 

The WF client<-->server TLS handshake completes fine, I can post tcpdumps, it's not a networking issue at my end. It looks like the server just stops responding after finishing the handshake which points towards server load.

Can't be that hard for a dev to comment on this?

 

I moved WF off the RAID array but U9 has made my game experience terribad. If I had started WF now, I would've deleted the game believing it to be crap.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Stryp

[Strykar]

UPDATE!

I had a power cut after reinstalling the game via Steam to a single HDD and ta daa, same random Internet error message issues. It actually let me connect a few times, then logged me out while swapping mods on frames. After numerous attempts, it logged in, allowed me to solo the Orokin Catalyst alert and upon completion told me the game could not save and exited.

 

Asking the launcher to verify the download cache brings up no errors, but ask Steam to verify game cache and boom, 68 files need to be reacquired, and I am now downloading WF for the umpteenth time. Pretty sure that launcher will run another update after Steam is done and the game will play just fine.

 

So this clearly seems to be an issue with WF being unhappy with the state of files on an unclean shutdown, which is great. But how do we get it to play again without downloading 3-4 GB every time there is an unclean shutdown?

 

I have now downloaded WF a few times over and over 30GB.

[Xylia]

UPDATE!

I had a power cut after reinstalling the game via Steam to a single HDD and ta daa, same random Internet error message issues. It actually let me connect a few times, then logged me out while swapping mods on frames. After numerous attempts, it logged in, allowed me to solo the Orokin Catalyst alert and upon completion told me the game could not save and exited.

 

Asking the launcher to verify the download cache brings up no errors, but ask Steam to verify game cache and boom, 68 files need to be reacquired, and I am now downloading WF for the umpteenth time. Pretty sure that launcher will run another update after Steam is done and the game will play just fine.

 

So this clearly seems to be an issue with WF being unhappy with the state of files on an unclean shutdown, which is great. But how do we get it to play again without downloading 3-4 GB every time there is an unclean shutdown?

 

I have now downloaded WF a few times over and over 30GB.

 

I wonder if this always happens if the game is not shut down properly? Is it maybe a game cache error? I noticed Cache Files are collected while you play Warframe, maybe deleting the partial cache files would let the game play again?

 

What about EE.log? Maybe a partially built EE.log crashes the game?

 

Cache files are obviously not part of the scanning process, and they're the only thing I can think of that would be "harmed" when the game is not shut down properly.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Xylia

[Strykar]

I've sent EE and Launcher logs to support, I will keep this thread updated of the progress.

[Zark]

Yesterday I started the game, the menus, map selection.. and everything was fine, but i wasn't able to move or do anything inside the started game. I asked Steam to check the local content - failed as you can imagine with as you said 60-80 files to be downloaded. After this was finished the launcher started another download of 328 MB. All was fine until 327,5 MB. Then there was an error and game went in constant loop of trying to re-download which failed immediately (not again 327,5 MB). So I decided to delete the local content trough steam and install it again. Same story - steam download the game, launcher started download again and after 327,5 MB success ??? - FAIL!

So for me the solution was to download the game without steam - logged to the warframe website, got the installer (less than 300 KB) and it started to download around 2,1GB. Success and game starts without new downloads. I compared the content of the 2 games and replaced steam folder with what was different between both - game starts from Steam again.

My conclusions:

1. Steam has older game content

2. There is something wrong with the update from the version which Steam installs

[Krabby_Pooties]

Happened to me too i launch it then would say verifying download cache with infinte loading