The source code for Watch Dogs Legion has been leaked online

[neoglow]

Oh dear:

https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/source-code-watch-dogs-legion-leaked-560gb/


What exactly is a ‘source code’?
How does it differ from having the normal game files?

 

[Malevolence]

Pretty ironic given the game's storyline.

 

[Richeh]

Oh dear:

https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/source-code-watch-dogs-legion-leaked-560gb/


What exactly is a ‘source code’?
How does it differ from having the normal game files?

Did you read your own article? It states in there what having the source code allows lol

 

[Poneros]

That's nice, maybe I won't have to deal with the twenty layers of DRM anymore. Frickin' tired of uplay crashing all the time!!

I'd also love to mod different radio stations into the game, the ones they shipped with kinda suck. And hopefully better audio control especially for music, it's so stupid how low it is. It's actually lower when you're in the car than when you're outside it! Crazy.

 

[neoglow]

Did you read your own article? It states in there what having the source code allows lol

No I meant in a more technical sense. I have no idea how a video game is made so I can’t understand how a 560GB source is different to a ~80 or 100GB install. I always figured the files in a game installation are basically the source files. Are they compressed or entirely different to the files we install on our PC/console?

 

[Gimpymoo]

No I meant in a more technical sense. I have no idea how a video game is made so I can’t understand how a 560GB source is different to a ~80 or 100GB install. I always figured the files in a game installation are basically the source files. Are they compressed or entirely different to the files we install on our PC/console?

The source code is like having the recipe for Coca Cola. It gives you all the ingredients and what to do with them but you still need to "compile" the recipe to make it ACTUAL Cola.

If that makes sense?

You would compile the source code to make the individual files you get with the released game.

 

[Rroff]

There are different levels of "source code" when it comes to a video game.

There is the actual programming the makes the core of the game controlling logic, input, AI, etc. which is usually quite small a few dozen MB usually.

Then there is varying amounts of things like scripts for compiling data into a format the game understands, the raw data for assets in the game that can be used to modify assets in a useful way before importing them into the game itself, utilities including things like a world editor (which will have its own source code as well as being used to create data for the game).

The full "source" of a game will have all the files needed to build the installation of the game from scratch including the original raw assets, etc. which can include things like much higher resolution textures and higher detail meshes, etc. than the version shipped with the game.

 

[Frenzy]

There are different levels of "source code" when it comes to a video game.

There is the actual programming the makes the core of the game controlling logic, input, AI, etc. which is usually quite small a few dozen MB usually.

Then there is varying amounts of things like scripts for compiling data into a format the game understands, the raw data for assets in the game that can be used to modify assets in a useful way before importing them into the game itself, utilities including things like a world editor (which will have its own source code as well as being used to create data for the game).

The full "source" of a game will have all the files needed to build the installation of the game from scratch including the original raw assets, etc. which can include things like much higher resolution textures and higher detail meshes, etc. than the version shipped with the game.

The asset sizes precompiled and uncompressed will take TBs of data, I remember having to have a 10tb hd setup at playground games.

 

[GravyMonster]

If it's 560Gb it sounds like it includes all libraries and assets as well, not just the source code.

 

[Ravenger]

Build pipelines of modern games are insanely complex. Even with the source code and assets you need all the custom tools and scripts, environment paths and expensive professional applications to build a project. With big multi-studio projects much of this pipeline can be networked across multiple sites too.

So it's unlikely that anyone outside the studio would be able to build the game in its entirety without an insane amount of work. It really depends on what is included in the file dump. If it includes the build tools then it's possible they could get it built.

Of course they don't need to build the game to be able to reverse engineer various aspects of it.

 

[Frenzy]

Yeah they have dedicated teams which manage the pipelines and build the game for the other devs. Any work the devs do get saved to a file store and then are integrated to the pipeline as the game is built.

Still release of source code allows people see what the game is trying to do when performing certain actions which will then allow them to have an easier time to make cheats or bypass game protection through memory hacks.

 

[m@rty]

I can barely work the microwave, I have no chance in this thread

 

[Hotwired]

Wonder if they'll work out how someone yoinked such a massive stack of files.

Working from home not so secure hmm?

 

[Rroff]

The asset sizes precompiled and uncompressed will take TBs of data, I remember having to have a 10tb hd setup at playground games.

That will depend game to game though and whether you include all variants used and unused plus historical, etc. or just the final version of assets shipped with the game.