loading time - gamedata as one file

[KerbMav]

Back in the old days of Sim City 4 - and they still do it this way - all game files and mods were/could be packed into one (or several as needed or convenient) files to speed up loading times at the start.

The data is not compressed, so there is no computing time involved for decompressing, but the OS does not have to fetch every small and tiny file seperately.

Any idea if this could/will be done for KSC too?

[Guernica]

Holy crap, I bet it could. I used to do this. Dramatically reduced loading times... wish I still remembered how I did it.

[KerbMav]

We used the SC4 DAT Packer for this - but SC4 had its stock files in DAT files to begin with, KSP is all small files, so I bet Squad would have to introduce the option to create (a) DAT file/s and still use single files (during testing of a mod).

rambeling thoughts:

Also I cant remember if a DAT file could be unpacked (to freely delete/shrink mods, parts etc.) again - modders (and Squad) would have to upload in singular files then, at least in addition to a mod DAT - or use a packaging system that lets the "big unified" file be edited.

[Jean Deaux]

I was just sitting here wishing to the man upstairs that we could swap between loading screens a heckuva lot faster. I spent probably 70% bouncing back and forth between the launch pad and VAB getting orientation just because I forgot to check something before I hit launch. Would be nice to cut down some of that loading time.

[Greys]

The suggestion of this thread will have no impact on that Jean Deaux, it will only impact the amount of time it takes for KSP to get to the landing screen when you first start the program.