Returning to Echoes of Esker after a few weeks can mean there is a newer build to download. Until now, that meant getting another complete archive and extracting it before playing. As the game grows and we release more updates, that is a lot of repeated downloading for someone who just wants to see what has changed.
v0.18.0 introduces a launcher that checks for updates and installs them for you. It can reuse files you already have, and you can postpone an update if you would rather play the installed version. This report looks at how that works, especially when an update cannot finish.
Opening the game
The first download still includes the game. On its first run, the launcher checks the included files and sets up the installation. Once that is ready, it starts Esker. The package does not need to download the same game again just to complete that first setup.
On later launches, it checks whether a newer release is available. If you are up to date, the game starts. If there is an update, the launcher offers Update Now and Later. Choosing Later starts your current version, so a short play session does not have to begin with a download.
When you choose to update, the launcher shows its progress through downloading, preparing the game files, and checking them. Finishing the download is only part of the job. The new files still need to be ready before the game can start, and the progress display makes that remaining work visible.
Downloading less
A new release does not usually change every file. The game ships with runtime libraries and other supporting files that may stay the same through several updates. The launcher checks which files match the new release and reuses them instead of downloading them again.
Some changed files can also use a smaller patch. A patch contains the data needed to rebuild a new file using the old one. When we provide a suitable patch and your installed file matches its required starting version, the launcher can download that patch instead of the complete replacement.
The size of an update still depends on what changed and which version you have installed. Skipping releases may mean a larger download. If a patch cannot be used, the launcher falls back to downloading the complete file. Either route must produce the same checked result before installation can finish.
Keeping an incomplete update out of play
Downloading less is useful, but the more important requirement is that a failed update leaves a usable installation. A connection can drop halfway through a download. A drive can run out of space. Neither should leave Esker trying to start with a mixture of old and new files.
The updater prepares the new release separately from the current one. It verifies the signed release information and checks that the completed files match it. Only then does it select the new release for the next launch. The launcher continues to use the existing release until that switch.
If an update fails, the launcher explains the problem and offers the actions available. That can mean freeing disk space and retrying, or choosing Play Current Version when the installed release still passes its checks. Verified downloads can be reused on a retry, so a failure does not necessarily mean downloading everything again.
This also takes extra disk space. While an update is being prepared, the current release and the replacement files need to coexist. We check for enough room before starting that work rather than deleting the working copy to make space.
When the update server is unavailable
An unavailable update server should not stop an installed game from opening. If the launcher cannot check for updates, it starts the current release as long as the local files pass verification. A damaged installation is a different case, and the launcher will report that instead of trying to run incomplete files.
Updates replace the managed game files. Your saves and settings live separately. That separation keeps them out of the file replacement process, though it does not guarantee that every future pre-alpha release will support every older save. Save compatibility remains part of the game's development work.
One installation for both editions
In Ring Report #7, we explained why the demo and full edition share one game and content bundle. The launcher extends that approach to the installed files. Both editions use the same managed installation for your computer account, so updating through one also updates the files used by the other.
The entry point you open tells the game which edition to run. The demo still ends at the Ring One gate. Opening the full edition uses the same installed game with that progression limit removed.
This changes one detail from the last report. Within the new shared installation, both editions also use the same saves and settings. Switching between these entry points no longer means switching to a separate set of save slots.
Progress from v0.17.1 to v0.18.0
The launcher is part of v0.18.0, alongside the first charters and improvements to loading and save handling.
The first charters
You can now browse and accept charters at the quest board, then track their objectives and rewards in the Grimoire's new Charters tab. The first two ask you to defeat the first gate's Warden and supply primordial essence for Kett's survey. Progress is shared in local co-op.
These give exploration and resource gathering explicit objectives to work toward. They also give us a way to introduce tasks through the people and places in Esker as we add more content.
Loading and returning to a session
The loading screen now stays visible while the world and effects prepare, which smooths the transition into play. A rejected save also leaves your current session intact, so a failed load no longer prevents you from continuing to play.
Activated healing waypoints now have distinct teal-green markers, and enemies regenerate health faster outside combat. The full list of changes is in the changelog.
Download
If your copy predates the launcher, download a new complete package to get started. After that setup, the launcher can offer subsequent updates when you open the game.
Download the public pre-alpha from the portal
The Ring One demo also has its own itch.io page. Both editions support Windows, macOS, and Linux. As in the previous report, full edition means the uncapped pre-alpha, which is still an unfinished game.