[SUGGESTION] Multiple and/or alternative packages

I got an idea: how about making the game distributed along with the ever-so-popular single .zip file avaiable for download in packages:

- basic engine+game mechanisms package (stuff that can't be named 'content' )
- graphics packages: minimal, normal, ultra
- sound packages (optional): minimal, normal, ultra
- music packages (optional): minimal, normal, ultra
- maps package (optional): minimal, normal, ultra


The game would run properly with only basic + minimal graphics package that meas: little files, little detail, no sound, no music, no maps included: great for fast lan-party fun in shools

That would require the map textures to be contained with graphics package or maps to be also avaiable in several packages (they can be generated automatically).

Game automatic content download system could be set up to keep all packages in minimal or normal or ultra state (or even store all three versions) that would mostly be all about texture sizes and lossy compression level.

Music minimal would contain just basic tracks in low quality (mono?) (for playing on poor laptop's speakers), normal would contail all tracks in standard quality, while ultra would contain all music (and some extras) in Flacs or Oggs in full quality.

Minimal sound package would include a low quality mono sounds and fr example a one file for pain on file for death for each player. Normal package would contain all standard files in normal quality, ultra package would contain all sounds (and additional alternative sounds for pain, jump, taunts for characters) in Flacs or Oggs in full quality.

That way everybody that gave a while to check out how does it work, would be able to complete the best package for his needs.
packages would be pk3 files stored in main directory.
Some naming standard (the filename extensions) would be nice:

minimal: pkm or pk3m
normal: pk3 or pk3
ultra: pku or pk3u

would make it easy for the game to recognise different quality versions of packages to use the right ones, download the right ones and delete the unneeded ones.

Interesting idea. Maybe even an interface in the menu to download and manage these packages without having to go into the xonotic base folder.

Yes yes yes i too had thoughts along these lines. It could be elaborated further into a custom themes loader. What i mean is, instead of several seperate forks of similar games it could be all managed from within Xonotic - like Firefoxes add-on system.

Yes, that would be very user-friendly and would attract people who do not like using the file system. Maybe a map manager that allows one to move maps from dlcache into data and delete map pk3s.
A real demo management solution would be cool too.

I have also got an idea of a map repository: in game maplisat with tags, ratings and descriptions to each map + possibility to download, rate and tag each map.

That should also be accessed through thew website - then: a player who is registered on Xonotic website (forums) would use his login and password in the game client to rate content and track his statistics