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1.6 Beta 4 on SDC

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1.6 Beta 4 on SDC

from GalCiv2 Forums

change log:

The biggest change in this beta is the optimzation work done on the ships.  You should notice improved framerates and improved loading times (the optimizations also accelerated the creation of ship thumbnails).  We had a save game where the framerate droped to 4 fps when we scrolled over sectors with ships, and with these changes it's now up to 28-34 fps.  Major kudos to Jesse (aka CodeCritter) for all the work that he put into this!  For those of you who like a little more  technical details, Jesse implemented a batching system for the ships, optimized the meshes for speed, and optimized the storage of the scene nodes.  If you want to check out your framerate, CTRL+F toggles the framerate counter on/off.

+ NEW: Added Starbase module to repair the starbase with Tech Requirement Advanced Hulls.  Will only show up if the starbase is missing HP, and can be 'installed' multiple times.  This module should not count towards the total modules.

+ CHANGE:  In the Ship Designer, when using auto-place to place a component, the component will use the current scale and rotation settings

+ TWEAK: You are no longer permitted to change your capital to another world, and bonuses for the capital city have been increased.

+ FIX:  Flushes resource manager’s resources when game exits
+ FIX: Fixed crash in invasion ground units
+ FIX: Fixed crash if memory does not allocate in ResourceGraphic
+ FIX: Fixed crash in ship design code if hardpoint data failed to load
+ FIX: Fixed bug where minimaps were not refreshing immediately when you started a new game
+ FIX: Added code to handle if you or your trading partner are in debt to fix flakiness with the money popup in the TradeWnd. 
+ FIX: Fixed bug in the function that calculates the morale of a colony to fix a longtime bug where your morale could permanently drop to 1%
+ FIX: Made it so that ships on the Governor minimap should show up larger when they are affected by the switch.  Also made starbases not show up on this minimap to reduce clutter.
+ FIX: Fixed typo in XML files that caused land and background textures in Invasion window to be black

UPDATE 5/21/07:  I am linking to a test build meant to address the memory issues, slowdown, and graphical glitches in this beta.  Please backup your existing GC2DarkAvatar.exe and Lib3D.dll files before extracting this zip file into your GalCiv2\DarkAvatar folder.  When making reports from this point forward, please be sure to state which version you are using.

UPDATE 5/22/07: I updated the link with a new test build that fixes the Governor screen lockup and makes the minimap stars bigger on Large and Gigantic galaxies so that they are more visible.

http://sd.stardock.com/carielf/da_1_6_b5_test2.zip



 

61,298 views 215 replies
Reply #26 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If that were indeed true, it would have shown up prior to the Beta 4 update, which as stated by Cari, include model optimization. The problem is not my graphics card.


Dual apologies tendered here:

1. I did not intend to sound so terse - my apologies for sounding "snappish."

2. For referring to Ms Begle in the familiar - she is not a personal acquaintance and I have no right to be so disrespectful by referring to her by first name.
Reply #27 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'll try when I get home, although I had no issue with any of the other downloads (DA, DL, Multimedia, Tutorial...)
Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles
Reply #28 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Formis,

You can send any bug-related information to [email protected].   I replied to your packet of images, so if you want to reply to that message, that would be fine. 

If a saved game reproduces it, please send the game zipped with your debug.err file.   That would really help me out.  Thanks.

Reply #29 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Also, for anyone experiencing the gfx issues, please make sure you do have the latest version of your video drivers.
Reply #30 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Great to see you working on 1.6!

Let me throw in three minor suggestions, mostly UI related:

(1) When clicking or double-clicking a planet on the colony list, the main map was centered on it in earlier versions (IIRC). I don't know when it changed, but it's no longer the case and I think it would be useful to get that little functionality back.

(2) One thing that is in the game since the very beginning: When you select a ship on a tile with several ships (or fleets) and move it away, the remaining ships stay selected on the little detail window at the bottom instead of the ship you just moved - this is confusing because actually you end up moving a ship/fleet that is not selected.

(3) Another oddity that exists since DL 1.0: When you go into the planet "details" (button) on the main colony screen, switch to another colony via the previous/next buttons and go back from there to the main planetary screen, you're back on the planet you first selected (instead of the one where you "moved" to) - that's confusing as well and can make looking for the right colony to do something tedious.

It might not be the best place to write down these suggestions, but I wanted to take the chance to get a little attention for these issues. Feel free to move them where you want, and thanks for considering to make these little (I hope) changes.
Reply #31 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

2. For referring to Ms Begle in the familiar - she is not a personal acquaintance and I have no right to be so disrespectful by referring to her by first name.

And here I smirk and try not to laugh every time someone calls me Ms. Begle.  I'm not entirely used to being "grown up" yet.    Seriously, though, I don't have a problem with people here calling me Cari.  If I did, I'd have hardly used it in my nick that I use both on the forums and on IRC.    I don't find it disrespectful for people to use my first name.   

Reply #32 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

2) In the governors screen, trying to switch from starport construction to starship rally points freezes my computer (as in I have to hit the reset button). This is repeatable for me and it's new with Beta 4.

OK, I can't get this to reproduce with a new game.  Can you please send me your save game so that I can try it with that?

 

Reply #33 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Also, for anyone experiencing the gfx issues, please make sure you do have the latest version of your video drivers.


I got hold of the latest ATI drivers this morning and installed them. Unfortunately, the translocated vertices are still alive and kicking in the DA beta. However I haven't seen any drop in frame rate or any other issues (with any games) since updating, which is always a welcome relief.

In addition I should note that it's possible to see this issue at a glance on the ship style selection panel. All ship styles are affected, but some more obviously than others - for example, the preview for the Korath style has port and starboard antennae which have coloured lights attached, and each of those lights has a streamer pointing down and backward.

Reply #34 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Please send (or post) your debug.err files.  I have been unable to reproduce the problem, even loading saved games that have reported the problem. The debug.err files will provide me with a lot of information useful in reproducing and fixing the problem.

Thanks.

Reply #35 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

A question about the gfx problem:

Does disabling ship textures fix the problem, complicate it, or no change?

 

Reply #36 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

e-stab,

Do you have the option "Move Camera to Selected Colony in Colonies List" set?

The third one should be easy enough to fix.  I'll have to discuss with the team about the desired behavior for #2.

 

Reply #37 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

A question about the gfx problem:


Does disabling ship textures fix the problem, complicate it, or no change?


 



I tried this very early in the morning (when I first tried the new beta) and there was no change. I'll try it again just now.
Reply #38 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Great feedback guys! Keep it coming! You guys totally rock!
Reply #39 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A question about the gfx problem:
Does disabling ship textures fix the problem, complicate it, or no change?


Having re-tested with the same Korath ship from the screenshot, there is a slight change - the anomalies lose any colour they might have previously had.
Reply #40 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Marvin, thanks for trying that.  Could you please post your debug.err file?  The file is located at c:/program files/stardock/totalgaming/galciv2/darkavatar/ 

Thanks.

Reply #41 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Marvin, have you tried reinstalling the game? 

Reply #42 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Formis,


You can send any bug-related information to [email protected].   I replied to your packet of images, so if you want to reply to that message, that would be fine. 


If a saved game reproduces it, please send the game zipped with your debug.err file.   That would really help me out.  Thanks.




I have sent a zip file to gc2bugs. It contains a savegame file, the debug.err file and a few screen caps. I also tried turning off the ship textures, but the distortions still appear (one of the screen caps shows this). Saving a game and reloading also does not remedy the problem.

I am starting to put together a list of the meshes that appear to be affected. I will try to send that later today.

Thanks for the quick response and attention to this (and other) issues.
Reply #43 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

2) In the governors screen, trying to switch from starport construction to starship rally points freezes my computer (as in I have to hit the reset button). This is repeatable for me and it's new with Beta 4.


OK, I can't get this to reproduce with a new game.  Can you please send me your save game so that I can try it with that?


 




Can do. I'll do it up when I get home tonight. While I didn't try Alt-F4, I did try Alt-Tab and Ctrl-Alt-Delete. After rebooting, I immediately loaded the game and tried it again with the same results. It did also look like I wasn't actually getting a mini-map in the mini-map area for the governors screen in there either.

It's actually the same game I sent in on the earlier mini-maps issues, just a little later in the game.

I didn't try with a new game, so hopefully it's a weird quirk with my game.
Reply #44 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
e-stab,

Do you have the option "Move Camera to Selected Colony in Colonies List" set?

Of course not - I wasn't even aware that it existed.
Problem solved, my fault.

The third one should be easy enough to fix. I'll have to discuss with the team about the desired behavior for #2.

Thanks for acknowledging #3, and #2 really is a little weird: Just move a ship/fleet out of a stack carefully to see what I mean. It's been like this since the first beta of GC2 I've seen and it always bugged me. I can't imagine it's like that by "conscious design".
Reply #45 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Cari

Following on from your post at Reply #24 re SDCentral. I noticed today I was having this issue, my last game update is 1.50.127 updated 4 May 2007. I regularly pop in via SDC to get updates, at least once a week, however having seen this thread it seems 1.62 is around. So it seems I have been missing a substantial number of updates.

I followed your advice on reinstall. On first look at Control Panel it claimed SDC rarely used, last in March 2007, clearly wrong as I do so once a week - at least. I put this down to the vagaries of windows, and tried to uninstall via the control panel entry. It seemed to go ok, but looking at the disc, nothing appeared to have been removed. The control panel entry also had now changed to 'used frequently last on 18 May'. So I tried again, this time it claimed it could not find the install log file. So I went to disc and manually deleted as you indicated (everything appeared intact, nothing appeared to have been deleted), leaving only the backup directory.

I downloaded the installer from your addy, and the install went fine. However, it still only shows as before, no change, still cant get past 1.50.127.

I have the show pre-release versions ticked, and reloaded the xml data, and tried changing server from us-2 to us-1, still the same.

Something wacky appears to be going on - anything quick and obvious? or shall I hit support with this one?

Regards
Zy
Reply #46 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Dual apologies tendered here:

1. I did not intend to sound so terse - my apologies for sounding "snappish."

2. For referring to Ms Begle in the familiar - she is not a personal acquaintance and I have no right to be so disrespectful by referring to her by first name.

Formis6, the best place to make up for your sins is this thread!
Reply #47 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The minimap is still broken. If zooming the minimap, the trapezoid still changes its position.
Reply #48 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Marvin, thanks for trying that. Could you please post your debug.err file? The file is located at c:/program files/stardock/totalgaming/galciv2/darkavatar/

Thanks.


I sent a debug.err to gc2bugs a few hours ago, it's been given a case ID of 37755.

Marvin, have you tried reinstalling the game?


Not yet, but I have tried rolling back to my archived beta 3 and the problem has disappeared. I'm going to re-install beta 4 and see if it re-appears.
Reply #49 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I sent a debug.err to gc2bugs a few hours ago, it's been given a case ID of 37755.

Thanks, I will take a look for that.

Reply #50 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Very strange. My game is significantly slower now that I've installed beta 4. Given how old my video card is (Mobility Radeon 9000 64mb) it wasn't all that fast before, but now I'm getting <4 fps when I start a new game (meaning there are only three ships visible). These frame rates are similar to what I used to get with multiple fleets on screen. I've done a reinstall, with no improvement. I'll submit a debug.err.

For the time being, is it possible to revert back to beta 3? Does anyone have a copy of it or know where I can get it? Thanks.