Yes, I have a question


Aggelakis

 

Posted

Why does the game force you to load the entire Array of Consignments when you click on a Wentworth's Employee? It sucks up a lot of bandwidth loading a lot of items I might never look at.

You'd think the game would only load items from the Consigment House you'd requested. Or that it could generate a rough list from a simple array, and buffer the rest from a database while you browse through it.

Why aren't these things being implemented? You lower expenses by lowering bandwidth, and increase player's interactions by decreasing load-times.

I suppose I shouldn't expect an answer, just a string of replies of people saying stuff like "stop whining." But I just want to point out that a good programmer could really improve the functionality of this game.


 

Posted

Well lucky for you, you don't HAVE to load the whole list at once! The game provides a whole bunch of ways to filter the list, take a look!


 

Posted

actually, you can after the first time you load the WW/BM screen. all you have to do is type something in the search box or filter for the for sale only, for bid only, both or all and it stays that way until you totaly log off the game for the night.

if that is what you mean...


 

Posted

Actually it sucks up very little bandwidth, I know, I'm on dial-up with NetMeter running to watch the data rate second by second. My max is 4-5 kilobytes per second and I don't see the market using more than a few 100 bytes per second above what it was before I bring up the market.

What it does suck up is memory and if you don't have a lot left available, loading the market can end up being quite slow. You may even see a several second delay with a 1.5-2GB system if you've been playing for a bit or the market is crowded with players.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Xmas View Post
What it does suck up is memory and if you don't have a lot left available, loading the market can end up being quite slow. You may even see a several second delay with a 1.5-2GB system if you've been playing for a bit or the market is crowded with players.
Or just get mapserved. Before I upgraded my memory, about half the time opening the market would mapserve me; even going near it lagged me awfully. Both problems vanished completely with more memory.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Obscure Blade View Post
Or just get mapserved. Before I upgraded my memory, about half the time opening the market would mapserve me; even going near it lagged me awfully. Both problems vanished completely with more memory.
Well in extreme cases or with very little memory, like 512MB, that can happen quite often if it takes longer than 2 minutes to load the market. As the market loads (or it may just be a side effect of hitting the swap file), the game stops talking to the game server. After one minute of that the server stops talking to the game so everything appears to freeze. After another minute, the server figures you crashed or lost the connection and you get mapserved.


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$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components

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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazard View Post
I suppose I shouldn't expect an answer, just a string of replies of people saying stuff like "stop whining." But I just want to point out that a good programmer could really improve the functionality of this game.
Well, I was going to say "Welcome", but that was before I finished reading your post all the way through.. Nice way to introduce yourself to the community.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazard View Post
Why does the game force you to load the entire Array of Consignments when you click on a Wentworth's Employee? It sucks up a lot of bandwidth loading a lot of items I might never look at.

You'd think the game would only load items from the Consigment House you'd requested. Or that it could generate a rough list from a simple array, and buffer the rest from a database while you browse through it.

Why aren't these things being implemented? You lower expenses by lowering bandwidth, and increase player's interactions by decreasing load-times.

I suppose I shouldn't expect an answer, just a string of replies of people saying stuff like "stop whining." But I just want to point out that a good programmer could really improve the functionality of this game.
Uh...you know, since your post is a compliant specifically about having to load everything up just to see something...

How come your title doesn't contain info about your post? How come I have to load your entire thread to just find out what your topic is? It sucks up a lot of bandwidth with text I might not want to look at.

I suppose I shouldn't expect an answer, but I just wanted to point out that a thoughtful poster could really improve the functionality of this thread.


If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
----------------------------------------------------------

The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sailboat View Post
Uh...you know, since your post is a compliant specifically about having to load everything up just to see something...

How come your title doesn't contain info about your post? How come I have to load your entire thread to just find out what your topic is? It sucks up a lot of bandwidth with text I might not want to look at.

I suppose I shouldn't expect an answer, but I just wanted to point out that a thoughtful poster could really improve the functionality of this thread.
Beautifully done.


 

Posted

I think the main issue with the market stuff is that it doesn't seem to unload from memory after you leave, even doing an /unloadgfx. For that reason, I'll typically quit the game and restart before doing a TF or something like that. I generally just refrain from going to the markey until I'm ready to log, if I can.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkEther View Post
I think the main issue with the market stuff is that it doesn't seem to unload from memory after you leave, even doing an /unloadgfx. For that reason, I'll typically quit the game and restart before doing a TF or something like that. I generally just refrain from going to the markey until I'm ready to log, if I can.
Ditto. If hitting the market doesn't crash my computer, it sure as shootin' starts a timer for a crash. I know one is coming within an hour. Within 15 minutes if I change characters.


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Posted

Seriously? I have been playing this game on a 2 gig and now a 4 gig memory computer and the market never influenced whether I crashed or not, hell from the sound of it people crash all the time....is it really that bad or am I just lucky that in the past three years my crashes are to countable on two hands


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Xmas View Post
What it does suck up is memory and if you don't have a lot left available, loading the market can end up being quite slow. You may even see a several second delay with a 1.5-2GB system if you've been playing for a bit or the market is crowded with players.
That is very interesting. But, according to the Recommended PC System Requirements, all I need is 1 GB of RAM. So, is the several-second delay a bug or a feature?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Xmas View Post
Well in extreme cases or with very little memory, like 512MB, that can happen quite often if it takes longer than 2 minutes to load the market. As the market loads (or it may just be a side effect of hitting the swap file), the game stops talking to the game server. After one minute of that the server stops talking to the game so everything appears to freeze. After another minute, the server figures you crashed or lost the connection and you get mapserved.
According to the Mimimum PC System Requirements, the game should be fully playable with 256 MB of RAM. I'm not hating on you, buddy, I'm just pointing out that there is a measurable difference between we - as players - are being promised, and what is being provided. No disrespect to you intended.

Finally, after only 14 posts, at least 5 other people are reporting similar problems with the game because of this element. Clearly this issue needs to be voiced.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazard View Post


According to the Mimimum PC System Requirements, the game should be fully playable with 256 MB of RAM.

I have to ask. Are you playing with all graphics options turned completely down or off? This is usually part of what needs to be done to run with the lowest computer specs.

If you are running with the least possible graphics options, have more than the minimum computer specs, and have a stable internet connection you MIGHT have a point. There are many variables involved though.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aluminum_Dave View Post
I have to ask. Are you playing with all graphics options turned completely down or off? This is usually part of what needs to be done to run with the lowest computer specs.

If you are running with the least possible graphics options, have more than the minimum computer specs, and have a stable internet connection you MIGHT have a point. There are many variables involved though.
How about: 3 Gig Processor, 1 gig RAM, Vid card with 256 onboard memory, and all graphics running at minimum settings via TweakCoH. And yet I still have to wait ages for the market to load initially, and after that, and/or 1-2 hours of play, I run the risk of long zoning loads and crashing/mapserving. Yeah, either the "minimum" specs need to be increased to take into account the actual current demands, or these features need to be looked at to be compatible with the published minimum specs.


Just my opinion, feel free to disregard...

 

Posted

Yeah... they really need to re-examine those recommended PC specs... I think those stopped being reliable benchmarks around the time CoV came out...


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Posted

I'm sure they'll fix 'em when Going Rogue comes out, since that completely alters how the game renders things. They should have updated the specs when CoV came out, and again when they did the graphics overhaul a while back (I10? I forget). Both times the minimum and recommended specs should have increased. Of course, Cryptic/NCsoft/Paragon Studios/City doesn't really have the best reputation for keeping manuals, knowledge bases, etc., updated. Hell, the knowledge base still says we have daily maintenance windows, with server downtime on Mons and Fris.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Peace View Post
How about: 3 Gig Processor, 1 gig RAM, Vid card with 256 onboard memory, and all graphics running at minimum settings via TweakCoH. And yet I still have to wait ages for the market to load initially, and after that, and/or 1-2 hours of play, I run the risk of long zoning loads and crashing/mapserving. Yeah, either the "minimum" specs need to be increased to take into account the actual current demands, or these features need to be looked at to be compatible with the published minimum specs.
I'm not saying the game doesn't have issues. Other than the processor I have about 4 times those specs(not bragging just truth) and I still crash during TF's and Basebuilding(freakin constantly). I just don't believe the minimum specs have much, if anything, to do with it.

I used to be able to delay the mapserves/crashes a bit with the /unloadgfx command. It doesn't seem to work much anymore. I seem to remember something about them disabling/changing it though. It might work for someone else though.

I'm holding out hope that they will fix most of these "memory leaks", or whatever they are, when the Going Rogue comes out.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazard View Post
That is very interesting. But, according to the Recommended PC System Requirements, all I need is 1 GB of RAM. So, is the several-second delay a bug or a feature?



According to the Mimimum PC System Requirements, the game should be fully playable with 256 MB of RAM. I'm not hating on you, buddy, I'm just pointing out that there is a measurable difference between we - as players - are being promised, and what is being provided. No disrespect to you intended.

Finally, after only 14 posts, at least 5 other people are reporting similar problems with the game because of this element. Clearly this issue needs to be voiced.
you do understand that the bare minimum means that you will be ble to play the game but it will not play that well? that means that you must be set to the absolute minimum video settings. this also means that you will have longer load times and lag in your game.

as for it being a bug or design, you show you aren't reaally sure how computers and online games actually work together. your comp(the client) and the server communicate sending info back and forth about the game. the connection has everything to do with your end and how well it can process the information and also how good your internet connection is. try /unloadgfx before interacting with the market. i have times where it lags also but oh well, i deal with it. of course there are times to when alot of people will be trying to access the same thing and that will cause lag also.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazard View Post
That is very interesting. But, according to the Recommended PC System Requirements, all I need is 1 GB of RAM. So, is the several-second delay a bug or a feature?
An unfortunate effect caused by the addition of the consignment house to the game since day one. But for the majority of players who are running with 2GB and higher systems, they rarely if ever encounter it. But for those who do see this the only suggestions I have is to shut down all apps but the game and your internet security apps, shop when you first launch the game, use CH and BM locations that are not swamped with other players and use /unloadgfx before talking to a market contact to flush out the texture cache.

Don't forget the market and IO enhancements are totally optional. You can always simply delete all your salvage and recipe drops or sell then at any store.

Quote:
According to the Mimimum PC System Requirements, the game should be fully playable with 256 MB of RAM. I'm not hating on you, buddy, I'm just pointing out that there is a measurable difference between we - as players - are being promised, and what is being provided. No disrespect to you intended.
Actually the minimum requirements were changed when City of Villains/Issue 6 was released. Someone at NCSoft really need to go back and check the copy on the side of the CoV box as well as their own support site and fix the specs listed at the store.

All I can suggest is to /bug the market when it dumps you (and this goes for anyone) out of the game. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is a side effect of the quick sort function in the C/C++ library, the number of items in the market, the game event loop and how the OS handles virtual memory/swapfile when the system runs out of physical memory.

Now they can't do anything about how the OS handles low memory conditions. They might be able to rework the whole select/sort/display routines in the market so even in a low memory condition the communications to the server doesn't stall out or they can simply wait the problem out as customers upgrade to more memory or newer systems where the problem doesn't manifest itself.

I'm not excusing this problem, I see it when I play while I'm visiting or house sitting for my parents on their system. But after 30+ months of this problem with the only fix was extending the timeout from one minute to two a few weeks after it was added to the game. I simply convinced my folks to up the memory in their system from 0.5 to 1.5 GB when I saw them this Christmas (only experience a 5-10 second delay once after playing for a couple of hours).

It's a Quality of Life issue for a minority group of players using an "optional" feature that was added to the game. So I say again, if you (group you) want the devs to be aware of or reminded of this problem then /bug it everytime you get dumped by the server when you click on a market contact. Note in your bug report how much memory your system has so the QA team can test it otherwise it'll simply be listed as unreproducible.


Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components

Tempus unum hominem manet

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Father Xmas View Post
But for the majority of players who are running with 2GB and higher systems, they rarely if ever encounter it.
I run on 2GB, and I do encounter it.


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Posted

Upgrading from 1 gig to 2 gig of RAM noticeably improved auction house lag for me. There's still a hesitation, but it's not 40 seconds of paralysis.


If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
----------------------------------------------------------

The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog