Can DAT-o-MATIC issue separate Wii U update versions?

[TheManuel]

Hello.

Since recently, the Wii U Digital CDN dat file now includes all updates merged into a single entry.
Is there a way in DAT-o-MATIC to make them separate again when I generate the dat file?

[Hiccup]

Hi. Thanks for the suggestion - this is something I've been planning to look at actually, but your message prompted me to have a go at it again. I've made a script to extract version info from CDN contents. I'm going to send the script to someone with a set of the CDN data. When they've finished running the script, I'll submit that info to be batch-imported into the database, and then in the near future hopefully we can get the ability to download DATs with specific versions.

[TheManuel]

That is great news!!!

I thought asking about it would be a long shot, as I'm sure you had good reasons to restructure the database the way you did, which makes perfect sense from an archive efficiency point of view. However, making the version breakdown available would provide the additional benefit of knowing what files went with what update, which also helps enrich the archiving effort.

Thank you very much.

[Hiccup]

Yeah exactly, it makes sense from the database point-of-view, and also because that's how the actual CDN is laid out. But having extra metadata and extra DAT export options is a good thing.

You're welcome.

[xuom2]

Hi. Thanks for the suggestion - this is something I've been planning to look at actually, but your message prompted me to have a go at it again. I've made a script to extract version info from CDN contents. I'm going to send the script to someone with a set of the CDN data. When they've finished running the script, I'll submit that info to be batch-imported into the database, and then in the near future hopefully we can get the ability to download DATs with specific versions.

what's the sense of all this, when we simply could have added the separated versions, like every other system on db, and only via option merge everything in datfile?

[Hiccup]

Well its because the versions are intrinsically joined together. Its not like carts where you have separate ROMs for revisions. A lot of files are shared between CDN versions, and they are all stored in one "folder" on the CDN, and often people will download all the versions at once from the CDN. Just seemed simpler to do it this way.

[xuom2]

Dunno, I'm curious to see if the splitting solution is easier than having "double" files between archives.

[Hiccup]

This solution doesn't require having double files between archives.

[xuom2]

but it will add new fields and rules? I don't know if it's better...

[pelago]

I've been interested in the topic of Wii U updates, especially with the upcoming eShop closure. Can someone confirm that a CDN download of the latest available update for a game contains everything needed (data and metadata) to "roll back" to any previous versions of the update? Are there any tools to list the versions that are included in an update bundle, and which files are relevant to which update? Sometimes an older version of an update is preferable to the latest version.

Also, does the same apply to DLC? As far as I know, there's only one title ID for DLC for a given game, but there can be multiple items of DLC as far as the player is concerned. Are they all included in one download, such that (if desired) someone could set up a game with some items of DLC unlocked and not others? I feel this is important from a game experience preservation point of view.

Also also, is 3DS the same as Wii U regarding the two questions above.

Many thanks

[Hiccup]

I've been interested in the topic of Wii U updates, especially with the upcoming eShop closure. Can someone confirm that a CDN download of the latest available update for a game contains everything needed (data and metadata) to "roll back" to any previous versions of the update?

The updates don't have rollback data.

Are there any tools to list the versions that are included in an update bundle, and which files are relevant to which update? Sometimes an older version of an update is preferable to the latest version.

Not sure exactly what you mean. But you can list which of the numbered content files goes with a version/tmd. There are various tools for that (and the format is pretty simple), although I can't think of a de-facto tool off the top of my head.

Also, does the same apply to DLC? As far as I know, there's only one title ID for DLC for a given game, but there can be multiple items of DLC as far as the player is concerned. Are they all included in one download, such that (if desired) someone could set up a game with some items of DLC unlocked and not others? I feel this is important from a game experience preservation point of view.

I think the info on which files are for which DLC item are stored in the first numbered content.

Also also, is 3DS the same as Wii U regarding the two questions above.

3DS and Wii U are basically the same, but Wii U has each data partition split across multiple numbered content files, I think?

Many thanks

No problem.

[pelago]

I've been interested in the topic of Wii U updates, especially with the upcoming eShop closure. Can someone confirm that a CDN download of the latest available update for a game contains everything needed (data and metadata) to "roll back" to any previous versions of the update?

The updates don't have rollback data.

Thanks. I used the wrong word really. I just meant, could I install the base app and install update version (for example) 5, even if the downloaded update folder that I have is version (for example) 8.

[Hiccup]

I've been interested in the topic of Wii U updates, especially with the upcoming eShop closure. Can someone confirm that a CDN download of the latest available update for a game contains everything needed (data and metadata) to "roll back" to any previous versions of the update?

The updates don't have rollback data.

Thanks. I used the wrong word really. I just meant, could I install the base app and install update version (for example) 5, even if the downloaded update folder is version (for example) 8.

You mean can you use an old base title version with a new update title version? I'm not sure, but I don't think the Wii U did anything to stop that scenario when downloading an update from the eshop, so I guess so.

[pelago]

You mean can you use an old base title version with a new update title version? I'm not sure, but I don't think the Wii U did anything to stop that scenario when downloading an update from the eshop, so I guess so.

I meant, does the latest downloaded update folder contain previous updates too, in such a way that I could install an older update, not the latest one? On a hacked Wii U.

[Hiccup]

You mean can you use an old base title version with a new update title version? I'm not sure, but I don't think the Wii U did anything to stop that scenario when downloading an update from the eshop, so I guess so.

I meant, does the latest downloaded update folder contain previous updates too, in such a way that I could install an older update, not the latest one? On a hacked Wii U.

Each update version only contains data for that single version.