ID:259826
 
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BYOND Version: 341

Operating System: Windows 2000

Resolution: 1024x768

RAM: 256MB

Detailed Problem Description:

Sometimes, when I play a game, my CPU jumps to 100% making the emense lag unbearable. When I switch to "small" mode (small layout) it switches to 30 / 50, making the lag "just-to-be-endurable", and when I goto text mode it switches to 1%.

Does the problem occur:
Every time? Or how often?
Most of the time.
In other games?
Yes.
On other computers?
Yes.

I would like this 'problem' to be fixed! The client has emense lag while playing a game! I don't get this lag while playing a 3D game, so why should I receive it on BYOND?!

At the moment I'm confused because on BYOND I get 100 CPU, whilst on a 3D game I don't!
I'm currently experiencing a similar problem with DBTC...

I can run it for a while, and at a seemingly random point in time (meaning not always "5 minutes after start" or some other regular lifespan), it will spike my CPU uusage to 100%, and DS completely locks up... Nothing can be clicked, except for the titlebar buttons (Minimize, Restore, Close)... Even the menubar (File, etc) turns white and can't be used...

I've been hunting this bug, assuming it's a programming problem, but so far, I've found no likely candidates... I've removed all loops (I don't use many at all, and currently, only Deadron's EventLoop is running...and I took that out and it still happened)

I've tested it under many circumstances (sound, no sound, start a battle, or no battle... even not doing anything...), and nothing seems to be a culprit... It happens no matter what...

DBTC uses a rather large number of screen objects (it's been increased in the new version with the addition of a "Battle Grid" at the bottom of the screen), so that might have something to do with it... I've turned hardware video acceleration down, and then completely off, and it still happens, though...

The funny part is that it's extremely sudden... It will run 100% smoothly right up until the very last moment, and WHAM!

I can't pin it on BYOND yet, though (Murder Mansion, my second largest/complex project) seems to run fine... So I'm not reporting this as a bug... But when I saw a somewhat similar report, I figured I should add my experiences to the investigation just in case...

Once I've exhausted all of my programmatic bug candidates, I plan to roll back to a previous BYOND version and see if that does the trick... (I just recently upgraded, but I'm not sure if the problem arose at exactly that time or not)

But again, until I can suspect otherwise, I'll keep blaming this on my game...
In response to SuperSaiyanGokuX
I get the same problem, DS lags then freezes while my CPU changes to 100% and it really annoys me.
This is not a bug; it's a speed issue. The reason it happens is that BYOND relies on Windows routines to draw. Although we hope to eventually replace BitBlt(), which sucks, with OpenGL or something comparable, it won't be happening in the near term.

Lummox JR
In response to Lummox JR
Are you saying, then, that eventually all games will lock up and flood the CPU usage because of a fundamental bug in BYOND? If that is so, how come a year ago I often played Hedgerow Hall or MLAAS for hours at a time and it never happened once? If not, would you care to be more specific about what might cause this malfunction/speed issue in the drawing routines?
In response to Lord of Water
Lord of Water wrote:
Are you saying, then, that eventually all games will lock up and flood the CPU usage because of a fundamental bug in BYOND?

Of course not. In the game Phoenix Man was playing, it was at that time doing something drawing-intensive. Because changing icon modes is what made the difference in speed, drawing was clearly the problem. Obviously not all games have that issue, and those that do usually have trouble only occasionally.

Lummox JR