Is there a way to distribute a game as multiple files or to have the first couple of levels in one file and the rest in another file. This would offer a shareware distribution model as well as not forcing a potential customer to make a large download up front. I am well into development of a "venture" like RPG. I took what I like about the venture script and tore it apart and exspanded it with additional inventory and spells. I have done most of the art work and scripts and I am currently working on level development (the file is huge)

Is no one had this problem before? I would figure that most people are attempting to market their completed product through the internet with a dowload distrubution model. Also there would seem to be a need to send your paying users patches and update based on their input or bug that will crop up after release. Packing everything up in one execuable doesn't seem to allow, but not packing everthing up leaves everything open to be pirated or hacked. Is there a middle ground that would allow updates and such but not leave everything open?

Your best bet is to make sure you squash all the bugs prior to "shipping." It can be done believe it or not, and is not that hard to do - especially when you do not have a publisher who is threatening you with breach if you do not go gold in time to ship by X date.

Although I have not used the Pro file packer (Commercial user here), the way it is described, it seems you can actually package things into seperate resource files. This way you can have one that contains the scripts and other potentially bugged items - another for models - and yet another for sounds or what ever. Again, this is just from the way the manual reads so I might be mistaken.

The downside is that if you build it - they will crack it. Warez users do not care if you sell 10 copies at $5 each or 5,000,000 copies at $50 each. It's just the way they are, not really a matter of cost or protection used.

You can also look at the numerous third party solutions here. I recall Thinstall allows for patching of the packaged file.

Thanks I will take a look at Thinstall. I am a comercial user as well.

The published engine checks to make sure that script files haven't changed (to stop hacking and virus problems). So you can't release script patches and still use the original engine.

The good news is that the engine itself is fairly small compared to most people's content (about 1.5MB). If you are going to release a patch, you can just include the new engine as well. You will probably want to do this anyway since we (Conitec) release updated engines every couple of months.