4.11: Some Missions Locking-Up

Aviar · #1 01-31-2012, 05:34 PM

I have a folder with 5 coop missions I built in 4.10 using the new Solomons map(s). I built, tested and hosted these missions with no problems in the past.

I just now became aware of a problem in 4.11 with 3 of these missions (the other 2 'good' missions do not have this issue). Basically, the 3 'bad' missions load and play perfectly fine, but at some point in the mission my screen just locks up (not CTD). The screen does not go black...there is no crash to desktop...there are no error messages...the screen just freezes. This happens every time with these 3 missions.

I then have to CTL-ESC to get back to my desktop, bring up Windows Task Manager and shut down the game from there.

Since I am not getting any actual CTD's, I am also not getting any error messages or hs_err error files from these lock-ups. So, I'm not really sure what is causing the problem.

Until these 3 missions, I have not had any other problems with CTD or lock-ups in 4.11....even before the hotfix.

My guess is that this is some kind of memory issue. The Solomons map is one of the biggest maps we have and we all know that the map size affects memory usage. When I was testing to try and figure out the problem, I realized that the 3 'bad' missions were 'bigger' (more objects, ships, planes, etc.) than the 2 'good' missions.

But remember, I never had any problems with these missions in 4.10, so I was wondering if maybe it was a computer problem on my end. So, since I still have a seperate install of 4.10.1 on my computer, I decided to run the 3 missions from there, just as a test.

Well, the missions ran fine. I had no lock-ups in 4.10.1. So what does this tell me? I'm not sure.

I assume that with all the new features and improvements in 4.11, there are more 'calculations' running in the background now. Because the Solomons map is so big, combined with these 3 'larger' missions and now the added calculations in 4.11, my computer has reached it's limit? I don't know what else to think.

The 2 'smaller' missions run fine. All of the other missions I have played/hosted since 4.11 was released also play fine. (However, none of the maps on those other missions is as large as the Solomons maps.)

Just for fun I also tested the 3 'bad' missions on UP3 RC4, which is of course modded and (generally) more resource-intensive than stock IL-2. The missions played fine with no lock-ups.

So, what conclusions can be reached here? I'm not sure. The missions play fine in 4.10.1 and UP3 RC4 but they lock up when played in 4.11.

PS.- I did not report this as a bug because I'm not sure there is actually any 'bug' involved. It could be specific to my computer or possibly a limitation in IL-2 itself.

**I decided to attach one of the 'bad' coop missions. The easiest and quickest way to test it is to load it into the FMB and let it run. I usually run it at 4x speed (it then usually locks up within 5 minutes).
If you decide to actually fly the mission yourself, I find that it usually locks up within the first 20 minutes.

Aviar

KG26_Alpha · #2 02-02-2012, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aviar

I have a folder with 5 coop missions I built in 4.10 using the new Solomons map(s). I built, tested and hosted these missions with no problems in the past.

I just now became aware of a problem in 4.11 with 3 of these missions (the other 2 'good' missions do not have this issue). Basically, the 3 'bad' missions load and play perfectly fine, but at some point in the mission my screen just locks up (not CTD). The screen does not go black...there is no crash to desktop...there are no error messages...the screen just freezes. This happens every time with these 3 missions.

I then have to CTL-ESC to get back to my desktop, bring up Windows Task Manager and shut down the game from there.

Since I am not getting any actual CTD's, I am also not getting any error messages or hs_err error files from these lock-ups. So, I'm not really sure what is causing the problem.

Until these 3 missions, I have not had any other problems with CTD or lock-ups in 4.11....even before the hotfix.

My guess is that this is some kind of memory issue. The Solomons map is one of the biggest maps we have and we all know that the map size affects memory usage. When I was testing to try and figure out the problem, I realized that the 3 'bad' missions were 'bigger' (more objects, ships, planes, etc.) than the 2 'good' missions.

But remember, I never had any problems with these missions in 4.10, so I was wondering if maybe it was a computer problem on my end. So, since I still have a seperate install of 4.10.1 on my computer, I decided to run the 3 missions from there, just as a test.

Well, the missions ran fine. I had no lock-ups in 4.10.1. So what does this tell me? I'm not sure.

I assume that with all the new features and improvements in 4.11, there are more 'calculations' running in the background now. Because the Solomons map is so big, combined with these 3 'larger' missions and now the added calculations in 4.11, my computer has reached it's limit? I don't know what else to think.

The 2 'smaller' missions run fine. All of the other missions I have played/hosted since 4.11 was released also play fine. (However, none of the maps on those other missions is as large as the Solomons maps.)

Just for fun I also tested the 3 'bad' missions on UP3 RC4, which is of course modded and (generally) more resource-intensive than stock IL-2. The missions played fine with no lock-ups.

So, what conclusions can be reached here? I'm not sure. The missions play fine in 4.10.1 and UP3 RC4 but they lock up when played in 4.11.

PS.- I did not report this as a bug because I'm not sure there is actually any 'bug' involved. It could be specific to my computer or possibly a limitation in IL-2 itself.

**I decided to attach one of the 'bad' coop missions. The easiest and quickest way to test it is to load it into the FMB and let it run. I usually run it at 4x speed (it then usually locks up within 5 minutes).
If you decide to actually fly the mission yourself, I find that it usually locks up within the first 20 minutes.

Aviar

Tested the attached mission 4 times and it runs OK no lock ups in 4x 8x and normal speed.

Some lag pauses from delay spawning ac especially Blue base patrol flight @ 10:00

HundertneunGustav · #3 02-02-2012, 09:27 PM

RAM check for hardware failure? OS environment? GC temps? stuff like that, hardware oriented?

Aviar · #4 02-03-2012, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HundertneunGustav

RAM check for hardware failure? OS environment? GC temps? stuff like that, hardware oriented?

Thank you for replying. However, did you read my entire post?

I did state that I have run (and re-tested) the 'bad' missions in 4.10.1 and UP3 RC4 without any lock-ups at all. I'm only getting lock-ups in 4.11.

*As an update, I have found another 'big' mission (Slovakia map) that locked up on me. Again, this mission has never locked-up in 4.10.1. So I'm kind of stumped, as the problem seems to be connected to 4.11....not my computer. Has anyone had the chance to see if there might be some sort of memory leak in 4.11?

Aviar

MicroWave · #5 02-07-2012, 05:41 PM

I can get the lock-up in 4.11 with the mission you posted.
We'll see what can be done about that.

Aviar · #6 02-07-2012, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicroWave

I can get the lock-up in 4.11 with the mission you posted.
We'll see what can be done about that.

Ok, that's interesting. What would be more interesting is if you could try what I did and run the same mission in 4.10.1. On my computer, all of the 'bad' missions ran perfectly fine in 4.10.1.

Aviar

KG26_Alpha · #7 02-07-2012, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicroWave

I can get the lock-up in 4.11 with the mission you posted.
We'll see what can be done about that.

What point did the mission lock up.

I have run that mission over 10 times now and it never locks up ?

Only a lag pause as mentioned in my above post.

Aviar · #8 02-07-2012, 10:14 PM

Still, there seems to be something strange in my 4.11. As I play more IL-2, I am finding more missions that are locking up. Just today I hosted a coop that locked up about 5 minutes into the mission.

Even right from the start I could see something was wrong. I was getting a slight freeze about every 10 seconds. This is unusual and never happened in 4.10. As I mentioned, it eventially just locked up. Now, this is a mission I have hosted dozens of times over the years with no problems at all.

I immediately fired up 4.10.1 and played the same mission. It was as smooth as ever and did not lock up at all. I completed the mission without any issues.

I don't know what it is, but there is some sort of paging or memory issue with my 4.11 install. Another thing that is happening is with the screenshot feature. In 4.11, sometimes when I press the key for a screenshot, the game will lock up. Again, this does not happen in 4.10.

Aviar

IceFire · #9 02-07-2012, 10:21 PM

That's really weird Aviar... before and after release I went through all kinds of missions testing them out with a variety of different sequences, scenes, and other scenarios and never did I have that happen.

Does this only happen when it's being hosted as a coop or does it happen if run through the FMB or a single mission as well? I skimmed through all of the posts and I didn't see that mentioned. My apologies if you did mention it. I'm going to test the mission in a few!

Aviar · #10 02-08-2012, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceFire

That's really weird Aviar... before and after release I went through all kinds of missions testing them out with a variety of different sequences, scenes, and other scenarios and never did I have that happen.

Does this only happen when it's being hosted as a coop or does it happen if run through the FMB or a single mission as well? I skimmed through all of the posts and I didn't see that mentioned. My apologies if you did mention it. I'm going to test the mission in a few!

Thanks for being concerned. I know my first post was a little long, but the answer to your question at the bottom of that post.

In short, it happens basically all the time. Online coops, offline coop testing and then simply running the mission straight from the FMB. The latter is the quickest way to test it. Just accelerate it to 2x or 4x and let it run. Changing views and scrolling through the different flights sometimes seems to accelerate the lock-up time. This is why it seems like some sort of paging or memory issue. Many times it will lock up as I am moving my mouse or zooming the view in/out.

I want to thank you for giving of your personal time in the testing of the beta. I know it's not easy. However, I played the heck out of 4.11 for weeks before I found the first lock-up. It was simply because I had not played one of these 'bigger' missions in my folder. It's just like a bug that gets by all the testers and gets released in the final. It happens....we all know that.

But even now I'm still not comfortable calling it a 'bug'. Maybe there is something unique to my computer and eventually I can resolve the issue.

Aviar