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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 13, 2005 9:43:47 GMT -5
I feared this, I dreaded this and didn't want it to come to this. It has become fairly obvious over the past couple of weeks that as NPC's are reduced that isn't the issue *really* causing lag. We have around 50 free floating NPC's left, and they will be continued to be reduced, but I am convinced that an absolute rebuild of the module is inevitable. The good news is I have already begun this project and it is going well. It is time consuming as all get out, but I should have a working copy of FRC "redux" by tommorow. I will be watching the entire LoTR trilogy, and the Star Wars septi-whatever it is and just power through the neccessary clicking and mindless transfering of data and the waiting involved with the constant rebuilding process. Ah, but hopefully this will have a significant impact on lag. If not, it is time to start looking into more extreme actions like splitting the servers, reducing area sizes (even further) and all that stuff which might have an impact. I will keep you all posted. This project will have all of the recent refinements on FRC and will relieve all of the extraneous stuff that might be causing lag but will keep all of the content that currently appears in game. So, as of right now, the core systems are working properly and transfered over and we have about 10% of the areas in the new core module... Cheers!
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Post by Spooks on Nov 13, 2005 11:00:00 GMT -5
Well at least you have something of quality to watch. I'd much rather watch LoTR, and SW: Double Trilogy, than say watching Jargo makeout with Mooi. XD Or even worse, Hroth makeout with Vind.
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Post by moulinous on Nov 13, 2005 11:16:04 GMT -5
i still dig the idea of splitting servers and will chip in if you need me to money wise as i am sure many others will. good luck and may tymora smile upon your computer skills, Justi.
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Post by Booze Hound on Nov 13, 2005 11:31:08 GMT -5
Well at least you have something of quality to watch. I'd much rather watch LoTR, and SW: Double Trilogy, than say watching Jargo makeout with Mooi. XD Or even worse, Hroth makeout with Vind. not around for freaking ever and ya come back with that!?!??!!? that's it spooks....you're in trouble. ;D
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Post by Quadhund/Greenhouse on Nov 13, 2005 12:48:31 GMT -5
Justicar, I would like to take a moment and offer you yet another heaping pile of steaming thanks straight from my heart! Your dedication to the server leaves me in awe. Once again, thank you for the time and effort, to you and all the FRC team.
Now please smite spooks, because the kid deserves it!
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Post by Talus on Nov 13, 2005 13:16:05 GMT -5
I will also wish to thank you. and I am always up for watching Spooks get smited. ;D
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Post by Munroe on Nov 13, 2005 14:41:56 GMT -5
You can run two different instances of NWN on the same server so even if it comes to splitting the module into smaller modules, even running two instances would probably show better performance than running one huge instance. They just have to have different port numbers (which players never see because they all log into the main server and the port numbers are on the server portals).
That was one of the features touted prior to the original release of NWN was the ability to link servers together. Imagine, if you will, the joy one imagines of limitless worlds linked together, magic portals linking servers and kingdoms together. That was before the reality of varying rules and server vaults hit home. (Though they've fixed it so server vaults can work across server portals now.) One of the first servers I tried was a local vault server called Tavern of Six Bells which had a tavern interior and in the back of the tavern was a portal room with links to various other NWN servers. (That server didn't stay up long.)
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 13, 2005 23:55:15 GMT -5
Here is today's FRC progress report: I started at around 9-10 AM. It's now about midnight... All areas and creatures from FRC have been successfully uploaded into erf's at this time. If the computer could possibly try and speed it's thinking up, it would certainly take alot less time, but hey, it's almost done. Anyway, I was a little over zealous in stating that I would have a working copy "by tomorrow" especially given the size of FRC. Maybe like Wednesday we will see this, but GOOD NEWS (!) it will be this week. As stated before, I will look into breaking the module up if need be. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it might. Our server is top notch though, so if it must be, it will be... perhaps we have killed every notion of what Bioware thought a module might be. I hope we haven't, cause we still have a decent amount of work to do before I label this project FRC 1.0 Then again, you never know. Either way, I, and the collective we are trying to bring you a module copy that is as "free-of-lag-with-the-most-content-possible". I am gonna shut up now and hope that this has an impact come mid-week. Cheers kiddies!
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Foomanchu
Old School
The next 'Big Thing'
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Post by Foomanchu on Nov 14, 2005 9:23:09 GMT -5
I <3 you
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Post by kenny26 on Nov 14, 2005 11:58:53 GMT -5
Well at least you have something of quality to watch. I'd much rather watch LoTR, and SW: Double Trilogy, than say watching Jargo makeout with Mooi. XD Or even worse, Hroth makeout with Vind. hahahaha! ;D hey, is it really that bad? on-topic: i really love FRC and all the work that's put into it. if areas have to be reduced drastically in size, then some of them risk loosing their flair, but i know you're aware of that. the idea of splitting the server into smaller bits running on different computers sounds appealing. cormac told me he once tried a LotR server that was composed of 3 modules in total: 2 modules for the server world itself, and a 3rd module reserved for crafting alone. you'd have to go through a transition point to the third server before it was possible to craft your armours/weapons/helmets/shields. (this has made me realise just how much of a strain crafting can be, 2 or 3 people crafting in the same room will instantly produce notable lag even if there is none to beging with). but i'm just gonna support you and say, do whatever it takes, and i'll cheer for you. *cheers* go justi, go! ;D
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 0:25:16 GMT -5
Hey y'all:
Thanks for all the well wishes. This project couldn't have gone much smoother so far, especially after I got two computers working on it. While one was uploading, the other was downloading and importing files and scripts... and I got to watch about 9 great movies!
I should really have a working copy by tomorrow evening. When I say working, I mean a truly improved, streamlined version of FRC. I am just awaiting the slave machine to hack through the export of our custom item palettes. I think we have (easily) over 1500 custom items on FRC, probably far more... but it is taking it forever to locate them. Once I upload the creature and item palettes, we are set. I *think* I have taken care of everything else with probably rare exception.
I am off to test the new module, but I thank you all once more for your patience and kindness during this process.
I should also have the road to Marsember open with the new copy, and a couple of small surprises to boot.
On a personal design note, I have never felt more comfortable with the toolkit, or FRC for that matter. I now realize it can never be truly "broken" again, only improved upon.
Should this effort not work out the way I intended, I am confident we can resolve the issue in a relatively short amount of time.
As always the goal is to give you guys, the players, the best experience possible.
Cheers!
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 2:20:02 GMT -5
The limited testing I did couldn't have gone better. The core systems definitely appear to be working, though I couldn't test every situation, but they looked great. Our script runtime deltas on the test mod looked incredibly better than the current incarnation of FRC. They were actually pretty unbelievably improved to be sure. I am not promising the end of lag. I can say that everything is now finally working the way it should be internally. This does not mean the end of every bug, but this does mean they will be fewer and fewer between. There will always be client side lag, and lag in Isinhold. If you don't like lag, then I say avoid Isinhold. Please find another hang out... actually, you are welcome to hang out in Isinhold at your leisure, but does it ALWAYS have to be around the campfire with six-eight of your closest friends? Maybe try breaking it up in the future, but I really do digress. My main point is that I will probably have a working copy on tomorrow given that the upload of FRC's items and creatures doesn't put me to sleep. I will also have some other modifications that I mentioned headed in a little later this week. Cheers!
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 3:13:09 GMT -5
Boy, the creatures and items loaded really quickly. Welcome to FRC redux! This new version will be loaded up tomorrow. If we still have the same lag issues after Wednesday, then we can be sure it is because the module is too big, or one (or more) of our scripts are faulty. Either way, we are the closest we have been to being "finished". I think this represents a real turning point though, either way.
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Post by olwentheold on Nov 15, 2005 5:01:31 GMT -5
Woot!! This calls for a celebration ;D How about an IG party if all goes well? Well, however it goes - we all appreciate the endless hours you've poured into FRC: thanks Justi
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 10:54:28 GMT -5
During the day today I will be running the NWNX2 profiler on the server. This is known to cause some stability issues, but it will also let me see what I might have missed as far as scripts go.
I just wanted to mention this in case we are "crashy" or something.
Cheers!
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Post by Talus on Nov 15, 2005 11:49:57 GMT -5
So noticed a few problems. Monsters you have killed don't always disappear, and the deer and chickens south of Isinhold are now hostile. The Bandits there did not disappear, and someone else mentioned they had seen similar problem with other creatures. This was at just about noon today...um. Central time that is.
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 11:53:47 GMT -5
So noticed a few problems. Monsters you have killed don't always disappear, and the deer and chickens south of Isinhold are now hostile. The Bandits there did not disappear, and someone else mentioned they had seen similar problem with other creatures. This was at just about noon today...um. Central time that is. Ok, I think there might be some issues with factions. These are pretty easily changed and will be addressed asap. I am concerned about creatures not disappearing... do you mean after combat? Thanks!
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Post by Talus on Nov 15, 2005 11:54:44 GMT -5
Yes. After combat. Just lay there on the ground. But I noticed little lag on my short walk
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 11:59:24 GMT -5
I will take care of all of this stuff tonight. These are all fairly easy corrections.
Also, I forgot to cache some scripts, so hopefully this will also help lag.
Cheers!
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Post by Munroe on Nov 15, 2005 12:12:08 GMT -5
I had a problem with some NPCs not disappearing yesterday. Had you loaded the new module then?
In particular, a frost giant that died while I was possessing it did not disappear but others from the same spawn did. I actually had a frost giant priestess cast Raise Dead on it and the giant was raisable so it may just be an issue of the variable getting reset on some NPCs.
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 12:14:31 GMT -5
I had a problem with some NPCs not disappearing yesterday. Had you loaded the new module then? In particular, a frost giant that died while I was possessing it did not disappear but others from the same spawn did. I actually had a frost giant priestess cast Raise Dead on it and the giant was raisable so it may just be an issue of the variable getting reset on some NPCs. No, the first load was today at about 10 AM. Actually, two things happens when a DM possesses a creature and it dies. 1) No XP is rewarded and 2) The corpse usually stays. The best way to avoid this is to un-possess the creature before it is killed.
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Post by moulinous on Nov 15, 2005 13:32:15 GMT -5
Nothing we killed disappeared and Guldar was viciously attacked by chickens and potbellys pigs.(knew those chickens were evil.)and deer...and ummm, some farmer that Jenna brutally killed, what a big meanie, thats about it. as since we were in the gnoll caves and the bodies piled up and up, the lagg really did not get too bad till we were at our about 100th non disappearing body, lol.
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Post by Munroe on Nov 15, 2005 13:50:00 GMT -5
It really is a shame the corpse decay isn't a little longer though, so players get a since of the real slaughter at their hands.
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 14:14:56 GMT -5
Nothing we killed disappeared and Guldar was viciously attacked by chickens and potbellys pigs.(knew those chickens were evil.)and deer...and ummm, some farmer that Jenna brutally killed, what a big meanie, thats about it. as since we were in the gnoll caves and the bodies piled up and up, the lagg really did not get too bad till we were at our about 100th non disappearing body, lol. Are they still piling up?
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 14:15:53 GMT -5
Nothing we killed disappeared and Guldar was viciously attacked by chickens and potbellys pigs.(knew those chickens were evil.)and deer...and ummm, some farmer that Jenna brutally killed, what a big meanie, thats about it. as since we were in the gnoll caves and the bodies piled up and up, the lagg really did not get too bad till we were at our about 100th non disappearing body, lol. Where was this farmer?
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henny
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Post by henny on Nov 15, 2005 14:15:54 GMT -5
yep
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henny
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No Comparison. Period.
Posts: 218
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Post by henny on Nov 15, 2005 14:16:25 GMT -5
Nothing we killed disappeared and Guldar was viciously attacked by chickens and potbellys pigs.(knew those chickens were evil.)and deer...and ummm, some farmer that Jenna brutally killed, what a big meanie, thats about it. as since we were in the gnoll caves and the bodies piled up and up, the lagg really did not get too bad till we were at our about 100th non disappearing body, lol. Where was this farmer? the farmer in isinhold near the north forest portal
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 14:17:39 GMT -5
Is everything piling up, or just certain things?
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henny
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Post by henny on Nov 15, 2005 14:20:12 GMT -5
the road to redmist.. that seems to be working ok once you get past the bandits/hobgoblins/ants area.. thats still got bugs but the gnolls.. definetly not going away
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Post by DM Justicar - Creator of FRC on Nov 15, 2005 14:23:03 GMT -5
the road to redmist.. that seems to be working ok once you get past the bandits/hobgoblins/ants area.. thats still got bugs but the gnolls.. definetly not going away Could I get that in English please?
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