cavador_8 on 13/1/2015 at 14:31
Quote:
Dromed will recognize a max of 4 processors under ND
Really? I have been told by others that this engine will only recognize one core. What about missions not made with NewDark? I disabled threaded optimization on my Nvidia control panel it seemed to help the frame rate. Are you saying that I should be enabling threaded optimization now and that Thief is actually using all four of my cores on all FMs?
ZylonBane on 13/1/2015 at 14:51
Quote Posted by Ricebug
I have an 8-core CPU. Dromed will recognize a max of 4 processors under ND.
DromEd doesn't run "under" NewDark. DromEd and the Dark Engine are separate programs. The new DromEd uses multiple cores. The new Dark Engine does not.
cavador_8 on 13/1/2015 at 15:12
Quote:
The new DromEd uses multiple cores. The new Dark Engine does not.
That makes sense. So when I am playing FMS, any FM, even ones made with NewDark, my processor is only using ONE core, right?
baeuchlein on 15/1/2015 at 23:26
Contrary to what others have experienced, my laptop uses both cores of its Core i3-2350M CPU for Thief (version from Square Enix with ddfix), Thief II (vanilla v1.18 patched with TafferPatcher 1.03), and T2 NewDark (v1.22). Both cores will warm up when playing the game and cool down afterwards, and the elevated temperatures right after exiting the game are almost identical, but well above the temperature measured when the machine is idle. (Measurements taken with Core Temp v1.0 RC6.)
cavador_8 on 15/1/2015 at 23:51
So Thief 2 will use ALL cores? I'm so confused about this. I wish I knew for certain. It seems like the game runs smoother with threaded optimization turned off. Why would this be if it's using all cores?
Ricebug on 16/1/2015 at 00:30
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
DromEd doesn't run "under" NewDark. DromEd and the Dark Engine are separate programs. The new DromEd uses multiple cores. The new Dark Engine does not.
Wrong, ZB. Check your processors under Task Manager. Both the editor AND the game use 4 cores.
Like most other games with editors, Dromed
is New Dark. Perhaps the easiest way to understand is to see the editor as a fancy dev console. Bottom Line, they are not two separate engines.
Renault on 16/1/2015 at 04:07
Well, I'm not an expert, but isn't the better way to put it that...Thief 2 and Dromed are separate programs, and both use the Dark engine? In this case, the New Dark engine. But they both function separately. And that's what ZB said - they are separate programs, not separate engines. They run independent of each other, and neither relies on the other directly.
As far as the core(s) thing goes, I have no idea. I tried firing up my task manager, but I can't see where you can tell if an individual application is using 1 or 2 or 4 cores.
JoergA on 16/1/2015 at 10:29
Quote Posted by Brethren
Well, I'm not an expert, but isn't the better way to put it that...Thief 2 and Dromed are separate programs, and both use the Dark engine? In this case, the New Dark engine. But they both function separately. And that's what ZB said - they are separate programs, not separate
engines. They run independent of each other, and neither relies on the other directly.
As far as the core(s) thing goes, I have no idea. I tried firing up my task manager, but I can't see where you can tell if an individual application is using 1 or 2 or 4 cores.
If you are on Win 7 / 8, just follow the instructions in this tutorial to see how many cores an application is using : (
http://www.7tutorials.com/how-use-resource-monitor-windows-7) http://www.7tutorials.com/how-use-resource-monitor-windows-7 .
Kind regards,
Jörg
Judith on 16/1/2015 at 11:11
My system uses 4 out of 8 cores with Thief 2 running, but I don't think it's the game, it might be the other stuff in the background. It uses 13% of the cpu performance and about 1 GB of memory for fan missions like KoI. Still, it's 18-22 fps at the mission start. Modern games like Bioshock Infinite, Alien Isolation, or MGS Ground Zeros use much more complicated geometry and shaders while maintaining 60 fps at max settings. So it's hardly about "pushing the NewDark" and more about ignoring current engine limitations. If the engine needs so much resources just for opaque or transparent diffuse surfaces and geometry, there's clearly something wrong with what you did, not with your players' hardware.
[Edit]
And it's not like we don't have tools for testing performance, if we can't find testers. You can e.g. use virtualization tools like Vmware to install WinXP as a virtual machine and set system specs much lower than your current hardware.
SlyFoxx on 16/1/2015 at 14:14
Lots of sides to this issue. On one hand mission designers receive no consideration for their work save personal satisfaction and (hopefully the gratitude) of those who play their mission. On the other hand if someone designs a mission that the average player can't figure out and or flat out can't run on their hardware they shouldn't expect gushing reviews or be surprised if some frustration comes their way. After all when we see that a new mission is available we generally expect we are most likely in for a treat and it's only human nature to be disappointed if certain expectations aren't met.
To address Judith's point about performance testing...
All that is a lovely idea in theory. In practice it presupposes knowledge that many mission designers probably lack. (Like me!) It presupposes that even if a mission designer had such knowledge that he has the extra time and or the inclination to test something given away with such rigor. (I wouldn't)
So it comes down to a simple reality.
Designers would be wise to evaluate the impact of raising the bar and if in doing so are actually making a more enjoyable experience. After all what's the point of the extra work and eye candy if it doesn't fundamentally improve the enjoyment of the mission? "Because I can" is a poor reason. So really listen to your testers. If you have a half a dozen testers and one of them tells you something, that's like a hundred people telling you something. Also keep in mind that once you release your creation to the world, it's not really yours anymore. It's like an offspring that you'll never see or ever be able to influence again. So take care that you won't be disappointed with their behavior because that behavior reflects on you.
Players (most of whom have never opened DromEd) would be wise before hurling certain criticism at designers. A large modern FM with all the trimmings delivered to you via a few mouse clicks represents a STAGGERING amount of work. It's not just about the time invested. Nobody ever created anything worthwhile with DromEd without screaming, cursing, sobbing and generally wanting to chuck the whole thing out the nearest window in frustration. Just ask around. I think we could fill a 500 page thread with anecdotes.
;)
