Preface:
For starters? What is this post about? Well, it's a more technically focused discussion about the viability of a 64-bit structure to DST and why that it would potentially be a good idea for Klei to implement in the Windows version of the game. As well in the process I'll attempt to address some potential issues and concerns to the best of my ability, however I am not an expert on this issue nor do I claim to be one. If you see anything that is factually incorrect in this post please leave a comment to correct me. It will not be intentional, as I've tried my best to do research and discussion with more technically minded friends and several very "important" people who've explained why 64 bit on Windows would be a good but challenging thing.
Why would 64-bit be a good thing for the Windows version of DST?
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It's important to understand the fundamental difference between a 32-bit structure (the one DST is currently using) and that of a 64-bit structure (the proposed improvement). 32-bit programs are limited to a maximum processing power of 4 gigabytes, which while more than enough to merely run the game, presents a significant limitation if one wishes to apply a large quantity of mods or host long-term servers* (which slow down relatively soon after launch). Having DST in a 64-bit structure would, in effect, remove this cap. This means servers would run better even in the long-term, and users could apply significantly more mods with a far less risk of the game lagging or running into issues.
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It is important to note that CPUs in this situation do matter, however I've found that the difference is marginal between a decent rig with 16 gigabytes of ram using a relatively nice CPU versus a laptop with a much worse CPU and only 8 gbs of ram (when one should obviously be much better).
*I am aware that using dedicated servers helps "double" the ram usage as the dedicated server is being run off of a separate exe, but even that starts lagging rather quick and is fairly limited in mod capabilities
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It is important to note that CPUs in this situation do matter, however I've found that the difference is marginal between a decent rig with 16 gigabytes of ram using a relatively nice CPU versus a laptop with a much worse CPU and only 8 gbs of ram (when one should obviously be much better).
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It would also increase what mod creators are capable of doing with their work. Especially in mods which plan on utilizing more than two shards eventually, such as Island Adventures. No longer being limited to a maximum processing power of 4 gigabytes would allow more creative freedom.
- In a similar vein I have also heard a 64-bit version would fix the rather constrictive workshop upload limitations. This however I have not confirmed and should be taken with a grain of salt (If someone knows the answer please comment below).
- To my understanding, 64-bit would allow for all the assets in-game to be essentially turned high definition. Because of the way assets are currently loaded to save space they're compressed into a small size before usage leading to that blurry distortion on multiple items. This however is also unconfirmed but I've heard it from several of the people I've talked to in discussions while researching for this post.
What are some of the issues?
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I think it's important to address by far the largest issue in the room, which is the cost of such an update. To my understanding, and from personal discussions with several key folks it is to my knowledge upgrading DST to 64-bit would be an expensive process, and in order to justify the effort required, Klei would need to receive some form of compensation (which is completely understandable).
- One solution which was offered to me was the potential of releasing an "HD" edition of DST on Steam, specifically structured in 64-bit. While this is a rather on-the-nose upfront cost I believe a majority of the active community would be fine with this decision, as long as the Steam Inventory is shared and some compatibility with 32-bit players and servers is maintained.
- Granted, it has recently been brought up that Klei is making a 64 bit version of DST, however it is solely for a version of Mac unfortunately. This does bring up questions of whether or not funding for such an improvement would be as necessary as previously assumed however. This would, however, based on the most recent information available to me be a confirmed issue.
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.Another potential issue would be cross-compatibility. Now on this subject I'd personally like to hear more, because I've heard that having two versions of the game, where the only difference is the structure, would both wildly split the community and also not be an issue at all. And since I'm not technically knowledgeable on this subject, I don't know which is true, if either. So if someone with more knowledge on that would like to inform me and the forums on that specific issue it'd be much appreciated. What I can say is that splitting the community, specifically in a game like this, would be an understandably bad idea, and should be avoided at all costs.
So what's the takeaway?
In my opinion, upgrading the current 32-bit Windows version of DST to 64-bit would be an excellent idea to improve user experience greatly. While there are a few concerns I think overall the benefits here would outweigh the costs assuming the only real issue that comes to fruition is the necessity of marketing an "HD" version of DST to the playerbase, something I think the vast majority of players would have no issue with assuming a shared Steam Inventory and compatibility with the 32-bit players.
Apologies if this post would be more appropriate in suggestions/feedback however the purpose is more to see people's thoughts and potentially start discussion on the subject, which I think would be better suited for that goal in general discussion.
Again if there are any edits I need to make to this post please comment below informing me, and feel free to discuss why this is a good/bad idea!