Friday 2011-02-04 Dev. update and Discussion

[JVM]

Originally Posted by luthier

Whoa.

I did post this on a Russian-language forum a few days ago.

The dynamic weather is extremely complex and done in-depth, more so than in any other sim. However its complexity is its downfall. It runs so slow, you can't fly with it on our large map. The physics kill the CPU and the complex clouds kill the video card.

Since complex weather was down the task list for the team behind FM, AI, various plane systems, and DM, we started on optimizing it too late and so won't have it working at sufficient framerate in time for release.

However we actually are shipping the weather in its current state with the game, accessible to the player via the FMB as a "play with it at your own risk" undocumented feature. And we will definitely be updating and improving it in the future.

Hello Luthier! Thanks a lot for this clarification! Google-translated Russian language is not always very straightforward...

I was wondering if the issue of weather dynamics killing the CPU would not be helped by having it running on other cores? Isn't one of your performance issues stemming from having to make sure it would be running on older CPU ?
I guess complex clouds will be helped later by optimization and bigger GPU

JVM

[Flyby]

Nice screens, nice video, nice Warthog HOTAS. Nice Stuka theme song : "You dropped a bomb on me, baby! You dropped a bomb on me..."
Flyby out
PS Luthier, those links show a twisted sense of humor; an admirable trait!

Originally Posted by luthier

Whoa.

I did post this on a Russian-language forum a few days ago.

The dynamic weather is extremely complex and done in-depth, more so than in any other sim. However its complexity is its downfall. It runs so slow, you can't fly with it on our large map. The physics kill the CPU and the complex clouds kill the video card.

Since complex weather was down the task list for the team behind FM, AI, various plane systems, and DM, we started on optimizing it too late and so won't have it working at sufficient framerate in time for release.

However we actually are shipping the weather in its current state with the game, accessible to the player via the FMB as a "play with it at your own risk" undocumented feature. And we will definitely be updating and improving it in the future.

Ah haaaaaaaaaa! So, in theory, you could a least show us in a still screen shot how complex clouds will look in the gameplay when it is optimized ?
Just for the fun of it ?
Thanks...And great job Luthier !

Salute !

[Luftwaffepilot]

I don't think something can be optimized from 1 fps to an acceptable framerate. That's utopia.

[Freycinet]

This really is the Sour Grapes forum... What a bunch of whiners, none of them deserving of a new-generation combat sim.

[kendo65]

Originally Posted by Freycinet

This really is the Sour Grapes forum... What a bunch of whiners, none of them deserving of a new-generation combat sim.

+1

[luthier]

Originally Posted by Luftwaffepilot

I don't think something can be optimized from 1 fps to an acceptable framerate. That's utopia.

Hello. I'd like to introduce you to a little project called Cliffs of Dover. About 9 months ago I had less than 1 fps while trying to fly a single plane. Same machine where today's video was taken.

[Luftwaffepilot]

Originally Posted by luthier

Hello. I'd like to introduce you to a little project called Cliffs of Dover. About 9 months ago I had less than 1 fps while trying to fly a single plane. Same machine where today's video was taken.

That would mean it's pretty much not optimized at all now. Thought this couldn't be because of the long dev time now. But if you get it the same with the weather, I'll be alright then.

May I ask again. I'm wondering if this is the pc the screenshots of this and previous updates were made on and if the gtx 275 was meant to be the "low end" gfx card?

[Romanator21]

Tell 'em like it is Ilya

Everyone seems to forget that the most important aspect is the core of the engine- get that right and every other cool feature will follow. Dynamic weather would be bogus if the FM's and DM's were only at the level of WoP, for instance.

[furbs]

Originally Posted by Luftwaffepilot

That would mean it's pretty much not optimized at all now. Thought this couldn't be because of the long dev time now. But if you get it the same with the weather, I'll be alright then.

May I ask again. I'm wondering if this is the pc the screenshots of this and previous updates were made on and if the gtx 275 was meant to be the "low end" gfx card?

Im guessing the stuttering and lowish FPS are more to do with the CPU Luthier is using