itch.io

We are working on a game that uses "scenario files" to define a series of game scenarios to be played. These are stored in a scenario folder, which is part of that package that Butler routinely uploads and updates to our itch.io channel.

As the game is still in development, the content of the scenario folder changes frequently: scenarios are added, modified, renamed, and deleted.

Most of the time this all works flawlessly, but we are noticing that under some circumstances, we will have one or more scenario deleted from the master code set that Butler is pushing up to itch.io, and yet those files are NOT deleted in the clients' local itch.io app data folders. So those users are left with "legacy" scenario files in their local itch.io installs that should have been deleted during a prior update but were left installed.

Why does this happen, and how can this be rectified?

Amos -
Has the ability to manage Builds/Versions come off your TODO list and been implemented at this point?
If so, is there a doc describing the capability (my quick search did not turn on up...).
Thanks!

Hate to say it, but I find the new interface far less useful than the old one, at least for the developer community. Problems I am having with it (as a developer):

1. It *seems* to check for updates (on the launch page it names the correct current version), but when I actually hit the Launch button, it *has not updated*. Why? This all used to happen automatically in the background. I would elevate this to a bug actually. When the app main page says "ver. y" is the latest, and instead (older) "ver. x" actually launches, this is a problem!
   
2. So now in order to get the game to actually update, I have to hit the "Settings button" and dig down through  a couple more menus ("Manage" then "Check for Updates") to get it to actually *do anything* with the update! Very cumbersome. Those buttons used to be on the *main* program app page (bottom right corner). I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to bury them 2 layers down.
   
3. As a developer, the ability to get to the Local Files is essential. This too has been buried 2 layers deep, when it use to be a button on the main app page. Again, very cumbersome to get to when it used to be easy.

Overall, I cannot say this is an improvement, at least for those of us who are developers. Unless someone points out what I am missing, I'll be digging back through my archives to try and find an old itch.io desktop install file and see if I can get the original, more convenient version back.

I have the exact same need and question. Any progress on clarifying if and how to exclude certain files from a butler push? 

That makes sense, and my plan is to move it to "Restricted". It's just that the phrasing of the quoted text on the site is at best confusing, and at worst contradictory. Perhaps a suggested edit for the website to clarify what is meant:

• Free PUBLIC projects don’t have download keys...

Therefore, by contrast, "Restricted" projects (even if listed as "Free" during the development stage) will have the ability to use downloads keys to carefully manage distribution to team members. Just a thought.

Thanks for taking the time to reply! :-)

I am reading the File Access information on this page: https://itch.io/docs/creators/...

Under Download Keys & URLs, I am not understanding this pair of sentences:

• You, the project owner, generates one from the project edit page

Free projects don’t have download keys since the files are publicly available. Someone will not own a game just by downloading it for free.

What does this really mean? If I have a game in development and want to Restrict Access to just our development team, then I want to be able to issue them (and only them) download keys. But I certainly am not going to put a "price" on the game while it is in development and internal to the team only. Thus the game is listed as "Free" on the Dashboard. So.... can I get download keys or not?  

Said another way, how do I set up Restricted Access, with the ability to create download keys for only our team, yet not set a price on the game while it is in development?