Weather System always on?

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Balthagor
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by Balthagor »

You can turn off the weather animations as well.
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amynase
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by amynase »

Balthagor wrote:You can turn off the weather animations as well.
I know I can turn them off so I don't see them, but my machine will still have to calculate them, right?
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by Rhaycen »

I think you're mistaking "display" with "calculation"

If it is winter, there will be snow on the ground, you will see this on the map. The computer doesn't require weather calculations for this, that is just a change in display on the map.

Calculations are the effect this snow has on units, fuel usage, visibility, ability to bomb & hit targets, etc.etc.

A minor visual change to the map won't use up a lot of computer power as it isn't a dynamic change for thousands of units. While calculating the effects of weather on each individual unit does slow things down a little.

When you switch the weather "off" ... this is a simple 0/1 (on/off - yes/no) setting. If it is off, it doesn't make those calculations.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by GreenGoblin »

Rhaycen wrote:If it is winter, there will be snow on the ground, you will see this on the map. The computer doesn't require weather calculations for this, that is just a change in display on the map.
No, you see detailed weather patterns flying across the map. Devs, please explain how this does not involve calculations.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by Balthagor »

I have not gotten any more information from George than "when it's off, it's off". I'm generally inclined to believe him.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by amynase »

Balthagor wrote:I have not gotten any more information from George than "when it's off, it's off". I'm generally inclined to believe him.
So he really said the weather ingame exists without any calculation? Thats not how Computers work. Please ask him about this once more.
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Balthagor
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by Balthagor »

The images would be handled but the graphics processor on the graphics card, so no CPU cycles.
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GreenGoblin
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by GreenGoblin »

Balthagor wrote:The images would be handled but the graphics processor on the graphics card, so no CPU cycles.
The images are of moving weather patterns. Even if the effects are not applied to units, the calculations to generate the patterns surely must be happening?
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by amynase »

GreenGoblin wrote: The images are of moving weather patterns. Even if the effects are not applied to units, the calculations to generate the patterns surely must be happening?
Exactly. And they are what slows down the game so much. Watching old Videos of pre Weather Supreme Ruler 1936, the game was about twice as fast. Right now, turning the weather effects off/on has basicaly no impact on the game's performance. I don't want you to remove the weather from the game, I just want it to not be calculated if I turn it's effects off. Please add this! :D
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Balthagor
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by Balthagor »

The images are of moving weather patterns. Even if the effects are not applied to units, the calculations to generate the patterns surely must be happening?[/quote]
Okay, fair point, but the game is multi threaded and there is nearly always 1 or 2 cores doing the main work. I understand the desire for optimization, but once George tells me it's optimized with a high level of certainty, I'm generally inclined to believe him. Ultimately any optimizations we do will do statistical analysis of all engine cycles and look for inefficiencies.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by amynase »

Ok if this really is as optimized as you say, what other feature that was added in the early development of SR1936 slowed it down that much? It is now slower than Cold War as I have already pointed out here: http://www.bgforums.com/forums/viewtopi ... 72&t=23279 I remember the game being a lot faster even than Cold War before the weather update or some other update close to that. Since you are not handing out old copies of the game, I cannot prove this, but I ask you to test this in a very early version of SR1936.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by Balthagor »

previously asked and answered.
Balthagor wrote:
GreenGoblin wrote:...I think he is making the point that the calculations are done for the weather regardless of whether you have the effects activated.
Which I have already checked with George who indicated they aren't.

@ amynase - there is no way to do an comparison like you suggest. A version that doesn't have the weather functions would also be missing optimizations made since then.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by mattpilot »

Well.. this thread explains quite a bit.

I too was surprised to see the weather system still 'functioning' after having turned it 'off'.

It seems all the toggle does is turn off the effects, but not the calculations. Clearly the weather map is still being calculated and generated even in 'off' mode.

The calculation itself may be 'optimized', but to optimize the game, a 'toggle' should remove those calculations entirely.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by amynase »

mattpilot wrote:Well.. this thread explains quite a bit.

I too was surprised to see the weather system still 'functioning' after having turned it 'off'.

It seems all the toggle does is turn off the effects, but not the calculations. Clearly the weather map is still being calculated and generated even in 'off' mode.

The calculation itself may be 'optimized', but to optimize the game, a 'toggle' should remove those calculations entirely.
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Re: Weather System always on?

Post by Kristijonas »

Calculations to create weather patterns are really very simple.

Calculations to create the EFFECTS of those patterns on various units, facilities, production, supply and what not - now THAT'S really processor time consuming.

So if ONLY the pattern is calculated, then I see no issue.

Question: Is only the pattern calculated? Or are pattern effects still calculated, just not applied to the world?
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