New test build (b89e) that might reduce lagouts

[Nielk1]

All I want to know is, is there going to be an official lag patch so all this stops?

If people test these builds, submit logs, and good bug reports, most probably at some point there will be a fix that will be labeled 1.3.6.2

[Zax]

If E works without terrible repercussions that will be it. This is looking to be the case so far...pretty solid build.

Barring something completely and outrageously unpredicted, e is fine.

This isn't a license to act like anything that happened wrong in e never happened, just to get it out sooner.

[Ded10c]

The way I see things, GSH is doing this for several reasons.

First and foremost, to get it tested. This is a bad time for tester response, as several of us are of the right age to be having exams, more of us are hitting crunch time at our jobs, and more may be considering going on holiday. Release it to the public and everybody who complains they should be a tester finds out what it's really like.

Secondly, it gives people a window into how we work in here. Most of the time our goings-on are quiet and secretive, but this is how we do it. GSH posts a build, we test it for a week or so, we break it, he puts up a new build. Rinse and repeat. If people can see how we do things, maybe they'll understand why things can't all happen at once (eg. OMG WE WANT PB7 NAO)

It also helps to shut people up. People who complain that we're not geting things done fast enough. We do a build or two in public, and nobody in the public wants to help, then they don't really have grounds to complain that we're not doing what we should be when *they* had the change to help get PB6.2 out.

[GSH]

And you CAN'T use 6.1 because its unplayable. The lag is so bad everyone's FPS drops to the single digits or worse.

You're using the word 'lag'. I don't it means what you think it means, or you're using the inexact and technically useless definition of 'lag' being 'anything I don't like.' The vague "I don't like what I see" reports do NOTHING to actually fix the problem(s).

Low-fps can be caused by a whole lot of things. Please stop blaming network code for anything and everything related to fps. If your machine is infected and is blasting out millions of emails for herbal v1agra, then your fps will stink, and it's not BZ2's fault. If you're running other programs (virus checker, torrents, Steam, etc) that can eat up lots of disk and/or network bandwidth, BZ2 will suffer. If you're trying a million-APC assault on the enemy base, BZ2 will suffer. All of those reasons are not related to network code. BZ2 still does a lot of graphics work on the CPU, which needs to be shared with AI, simulation, sound, collision, etc code. That's why early on in 1.3's development, I implemented auto-adjusting graphics settings, so that if the graphics is running slow in MP, it cuts back.

With all that said, here's some suggestions as to how to improve the really vague bug report I quoted above. If you want this bug fixed, I really suggest you pay attention and respond accurately to these questions:

1) What are your computer's specs? If unsure in any way, emailing me a copy of the battlezone.log file contains all that. Battlezone.log is in the 1.3.6.1 install directory if on XP, or it's in ${MyDocs}/My Games/Battlezone II if on Vista/Win7
2) What map(s) were you playing on?
3) Who were you playing with? What are their system specs?
4) How long had you been playing?
5) How many units had been built? Doesn't have to be exact, but something like "3 loose scavs, 3 extractors, factory, armory, 8 turrets, 2-4 guntowers, 5-7 tanks"
6) Does building any one type of unit make the low fps better or worse?
7) Roughly what was onscreen when this happened? Did going to a 'boring' section of the map help any?
8) Can you try turning on the histogram logfile so I can get some stats as to what it thinks the balance between rendering and simulation is? To do that, open up ${InstallDir}/addon/config/localprefs.ini . Scroll to the bottom of that file, and paste in this line:

KeepHistogramLogfile = true

Then, run BZ2. After a game w/ this "single digit fps," email me the battlezone.log file (see question #1), and the most recent log files. If on XP, look in ${BZ2InstallDir}/logs folder; if on Vista/Win7, look in ${MyDocs}/My Games/Battlezone II/logs folder.

In short: I deal with facts and figures. If you want to try and get this issue fixed, please try and speak my language. Thanks.

-- GSH

[Timer]

I hope I live long enough to see a Pb22 and rev z in this game. Having played this game for 10 years now, I never tire of the banter and conflict surrounding this game...beloved by so many and worked on so tirelessly by so few...thanks guys for the efforts made constantly on this game and it's improvements, and especially to Nathan and those who never get true credit for the hours and hours they put into it's ongoing development. Hope the revisions keep coming and we are allowed to test them, openly!

[index]

i dont have enough space anymore to get 7z, but those who do then you should download this patch. stop whining and actually do something if you want a good patch. heck if we all support then the patch could come out in a few months. act like this is the next beta patch, and just use the littlest extra effort to support the patch. and to reply to your questions GSH, they are in the next post

[index]

1. Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking;2 IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
27-inch (viewable) LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix liquid crystal display with IPS technology
2560 by 1440 pixels
27-inch model with quad-core processor: ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory
2.66GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with 8MB shared L3 cache; Turbo Boost dynamic performance up to 3.2GHz
1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Optional 2TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive

2. all of them
3. most players
4. 2 weeks
5. 3-4 extractors, full ISDF base (most games) besides the training fac and bomber bay
6. more detailed units, such as constructor and scout
7. extremely high-action, which was pretty much after my first game. not when i was building yes
8. i have no idea if this should be on the test patch

[Timer]

Ok, someone pm me and tell me how to retrieve log files sos I can post them here, plz for this patch.

[General BlackDragon]

i dont have enough space anymore to get 7z

Prove to me that you have LESS then 1MB of Hard Drive space and your computer still runs!

[Ded10c]

Everybody should have 7z. I've not used another archiver in years.

[Red Devil]

Ok, someone pm me and tell me how to retrieve log files sos I can post them here, plz for this patch.

Battlezone*.log in the root of your install and Chat*.txt in the logs folder in the root of your install.

or

look in <windows drive>:\Users\Me\Documents\My Games\Battlezone II

to keep multiple Battlezone logs between sessions, put /uniquelogfile in the shortcut:

<drive letter>:\89\bzone.exe /nointro /uniquelogfile

[Zax]

i dont have enough space anymore to get 7z

Prove to me that you have LESS then 1MB of Hard Drive space and your computer still runs!

Yah, I call BS on that too

[General Hoohah]

1) What are your computer's specs? I'll just copy and paste from my sales receipt file for most of it.

OS: Win XP Pro SP3 (Fully Updated)

Video Drivers: 6.14.0010.7171 (Catalyst v11.3)
Settings are controlled by each game, I don't override them, or set to a moderate quality level. I don't push it too hard.

Integrated Audio:
Device ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01VEN_10CDEV_08855UBSYS_1
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5919 (8/18/2009 04:32:00)
Acceleration set to standard

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case (5x 120mm & 1x 200mm Fan)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-DS4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
Processer: AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ940XCGIBOX
Cooler: XIGMATEK dark knight - s1283 120mm CPU Cooler
RAM: OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR10664GK
Video Card: GIGABYTE GV-R695D5-2GD-B Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
Video Display: Sony KDL-40V5100 1080p HDTV
Audio: Onboard Realtek Azalia with Dolby Home Theater, 7.1+2 Channel HD Output, and Blu-ray/HD DVD Full Rate Audio Support.
PSU: CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
Protection: MONSTER MP HTS 1000 MKIII 8 Outlets 6125 joules Home Theater PowerCenter HTS 1000 MKIII with Clean Power Stage 2

2) What map(s) were you playing on? MPI maps... usually the new ones by GH.
3) Who were you playing with? What are their system specs? Everyone, I don't know their specs. Mostly people like Nicole, Axeminister, Avalon, Rob, bunch of people. WAY too many to remember. It was in every MPI game... it happens in DM games but not as bad.
4) How long had you been playing? Since the birth of BZ2, I've been playing 6.1 for a month, and for some reason, the lag got worse and worse. And it was lag, the game was spamming us with warnings and errors telling us everyone was lagged.
5) How many units had been built? Doesn't have to be exact, but something like "3 loose scavs, 3 extractors, factory, armory, 8 turrets, 2-4 guntowers, 5-7 tanks". We had just started out and hadn't build anything in most situations. Usually everything you can start with.
6) Does building any one type of unit make the low fps better or worse? It seemed to get worse after the Recycler was deployed and buildings started to get built. Just a couple things, like power and a factory.
7) Roughly what was onscreen when this happened? Did going to a 'boring' section of the map help any? The game was spamming us with lag warnings and errors, happens every time. I don't remember what they're called exactly... not that I can read it because it spams them so fast you can't read them. I do remember something about it faking moves?
8) Can you try turning on the histogram logfile so I can get some stats as to what it thinks the balance between rendering and simulation is? To do that, open up ${InstallDir}/addon/config/localprefs.ini . Scroll to the bottom of that file, and paste in this line:
There's nothing in that file to give you, its blank.

[GSH]

What you describe one post up sounds like what I've worked on for 89d and 89e. Try them. Really. They won't bite.

-- GSH

[Axeminister]

Been playing this without any anomalies that I can notice. So far, 1 strat, 1 DM, about 6 MPI, connected to IRC chat np. We'll test more tomorrow.