Test Release Notes - February 3, 2009

[Edward Edgemenace]

* Plugged several client memory leaks which will improve performance during long game play

Hmmmm. I hope so, but it doesn't look like it, at first blush.

Logging onto test, I went through the tutorial again. A very steady increase in memory consumed can be observed. (Taskmanager refresh rate set to low, to show about 25 minutes or so.)

Pressing ESC at all cutscenes, trying to just go through first steps at a fairly "normal" rate of gameplay, took about 20 minutes. This computer has 1 GB physical memory and currently has a 1 GB swap file (that offsets the graph by 50%.) Game lag becomes very noticeable only after the instant the column "PF usage" exceeds 1GB...when it starts swapping. Prior to that (e.g. for this experiment) the gameplay is smooth; no lockups (outside of SvS) and few loading screen errors.

I'd really like to see scene changes take longer, but release objects from old scenes. From experience, I'll bet that most people encounter the paging condition, but have no idea what causes it. Logging out at least once every two hours DOES cure the problem, but not in a particularly clean manner.