The game has 1 allowable texture pack, I don't see the logic of not forcing it on original download.
People might not want to use it and we have a system that manages contributing the textures as soon as they are needed. There is no sense in making people download things they don't need for sure when we can also make their clients downlod them when they are needed.
It would be more annoying to take longer to enter a server, than a slightly longer original download.
You have to download the textures once. When that is done, there is no delay in joining a server. Still, only downloading the textures needed for a map is way faster than just downloading them all, you so should exchange "longer" and "slightly longer" here. Downloading the textures with the installer will make the download take twice as long. Also, if they are playing the map the first time, they will have to download the map itself and possibly also 3rd party textures. Do you also want to put the ~100 most played maps in the default download? The dynamic download system works and it doesn't make things any more complicated for a user. They will have to join a server, the game will do the rest. There is no need in forcing them to download things they might not want or need.
Iso that once that download is done players can get right into the game..
They can either way. With the dynamic systen, they are able to download and play the game even faster.
Why not simplify it?
Adding the textures to the installer will not simplify anything. Joining a game is joining a game. There is no difference.
and not letting people make the mistake of downloading a different pack
How does changing the time when they download the correct HR4 textures let people make the mistake of downloading a different pack? They will not have to download one themselves either way.
Why make server admins do it?
Because they will have to do it anyways? They will have to get the maps, textures, maybe scripts and ents for every map they want to play on their server. Why shouldn't they also once unpack the HR4 pack on their paintball folder?
You have to contact the 20 different server admins
There are like ten, five of them host servers that are frequently visited by new players and I don't know one that doesnt host the textures for their maps.
And every time a new server admin comes as them to do it? That's a lot more work, and doesn't make it more benefiicial.
Yes, you might have to tell a new admin that they should provide the default HR4 textures every 2 years. That's still worth keeping the installer at half the size.