Test Release Notes - February 3, 2009

[Jack I]

Release Notes - February 3, 2009

• Fixed a crash with NVidia and ATI graphics cards that prevented some Pirates from entering the game
• Fixed the missing Dagger animations
• Crew Members will remain pink on the mini-map
• Plugged several client memory leaks which will improve performance during long game play
• Fixed several crashes on exit
• Optimized Teleportation effects to improve your frame rate when you teleport or when witnessing another avatar teleport.

[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.

[Raikel]

Originally Posted by 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.

Aye, the frequencies of the game used to go away in about 3 hours when I first joined. I dunno what was going on when the Teleportation was causing lag, but that sounds serious. Either way, this should be tested a little to be made sure it's working before being put out on Open.

[MacIronhawk]

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

I hope so. No need to waste memory when it's no longer needed.

[Poison elf]

Some hard areas to really test, unless it is specific to you. Did see a character that has not been able to play be able to get in today, may be the video card issue. Not sure what is happening with some on teleporting but a few mentioned they are still teleporting ending up in the water.

Crew menue seems to have several bugs. The svs issue, but also maybe what is playing around with guild status. Guild members are still showing up as Pirate guild 38 for our guild. Convert to proper guild when put in the crew. As for crew though, leader got fixed properly converting to a new crew member taking the leader.

Just a note that appears to have happen at some point. F8 use to give coordinates I believe, now just pops up the mini map when you are on Port Royal.

Performance is a hard one to tackle with each individual using different equipment and settings. Back ground processes and other things running in comparison to others.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Poison elf

Performance is a hard one to tackle with each individual using different equipment and settings. Back ground processes and other things running in comparison to others.

Absolutely a hard one to tackle! I tried to have as isolated example above, as possible for that very reason. Be interesting to see if other people see the same "memory creep/memory leak" situation that I see so clearly.

[Raikel]

I used to work in software design, hardly anything can be done about such stuff, except wait for it to update, and log out every once in a while like you should anyways.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Raikel

I used to work in software design, hardly anything can be done about such stuff, except wait for it to update, and log out every once in a while like you should anyways.

I had long periods above of "waiting." The garcol is permanently preempted (if even functioning, to remove previous/stale scenes.)

[TEAN]

hi everyone!.

yes i wanted to talk about a crash that happened on Tuesday 3rd Feb.
im using nvidia geforce 7300 card, and was on a ship when the crash happened.

you know what? since then my laptop was not able to boot (i think my graphic card kinda burnt, sounds impossible) had to send it for repair at the service center : (

now im on another laptop gettiny my pirate fix, but hopefully it was not because of the game that caused my laptop to crash!