[suggestion] Performance improvement (simple)

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Archibald
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[suggestion] Performance improvement (simple)

Postby Archibald » Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:39 pm

I have noticed that reloading the savegame greatly reduces performance (for a short time). So, how about making the game auto reload the prison (autosave then autoload) at midnight for example? If that's too troublesome, how about making a "performance boost" option and only if checked the game will autoreload?
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_alphaBeta_
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Re: [suggestion] Performance improvement (simple)

Postby _alphaBeta_ » Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:52 pm

Archibald wrote:I have noticed that reloading the savegame greatly reduces performance (for a short time). So, how about making the game auto reload the prison (autosave then autoload) at midnight for example? If that's too troublesome, how about making a "performance boost" option and only if checked the game will autoreload?

I assume you meant to say that reloading a save game improves performance (or reduces lag). I don't want to jump all over your idea, but I think the perfomance issues are better handled by addressing the core problem and cause rather than putting resources into making a workaround. I can't speak to everyone's case, but for me once the lag starts I need to reload a whole lot more than once a day. Having the game do this automatically when I'm in the middle of doing something would also be a major interruption, similar to how the auto-save takes over and essentially pauses your game.

You've mentioned that it could be option, and options usually keep everyone happy. Personally I don't think I'd make use of it.
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paktsardines
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Postby paktsardines » Wed Aug 28, 2013 2:34 pm

So, how about making the game auto reload the prison (autosave then autoload) at midnight for example?

If there's one thing I've learnt about software development over the years: Nothing is ever simple.

Sure it sounds easy enough in this instance, but you've forgotten about the unfinished foundation bug. Most players have learnt to save/load their games only when they don't have any foundations under construction or face the 'foundations never complete' bug. Auto-saving/loading in this instance will lead to a lot more incomplete foundation issues, and end up annoying a lot more people than it'll placate.
Last edited by paktsardines on Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Soggney
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Postby Soggney » Wed Aug 28, 2013 7:37 pm

I believe it's just the logs filling up, storing more data in the memory than necessary.
Maybe some performance issues are cause/resolved by (these r guesses)
- cleaning the job log periodically or instantanious after a job is completed
- objects that are used to maintain statistics, store only the relevant data in seperate objects and then destroy them.
- using isolated threads for game, gui

Flush buffers?

But until these issues are resolved, save and load should suffice for alpha.
Maybe a quick save and quick load button might be nice in the mean time
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Postby dc4bs » Fri Aug 30, 2013 4:20 am

I find with very large prisons that all seems to go OK until the game goes over around 640 Mb of RAM. I have a 2nd monitor with system and process stats up and running on it.

Once that happens the lag begins and then gets worse until it's unplayable by around 750 mb and above. I once let it go till it got over 800 Mb and it was doing well under 1 screen refresh per second. Maybe closer to 1 every 2 seconds. I was waiting because I save/reboot/reload only at certain times of the day to help avoid any possible load-rage.

Simply saving a prison and reloading it has never fixed this memory issue for me. I have to exit PA and restart the entire game. Then restart the prison. IT will then work just fine until the next thing happens that uses memory big time and pushes it past 640 again... Usually the start of the work period will trigger lag or soon thereafter as the job queue builds up.
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Postby Causeless » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:12 pm

Sounds like memory leaks.
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Postby Safilpope » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:41 pm

Considering there are still a few save/load bugs I'm against this. In one of my prisons I have to reset my regime every time I load; this suggestion would kill the game for me

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