BTTW-DratsaB

Modding it Well what about modding the current map to make it smaller, how hard would that be to do, is it even possible? I'd like to experiment just to satisfy my own curiosity. Could it be reduced in size by editing any config files or anything like that? I know ED has released some terrain tools. I think most people vote no beacuse they think ED might assume we all want smaller maps from now on, or some thing crazy like this. Or because they think I am asking to make the current map smaller. People need to think of this in terms of an aid to help performance so more people can enjoy the sim, rather than a new terrain like Nevada. Even you seem to kind of miss the point of performance and that its not about adding a new Theatre, maybe it's my fault for not explain myself clearly or choosing a badly worded topic title.

If DCS only loads part of the map at a time (I'm not convinced of this, I'm pretty sure its similar to the way arma{and many other games} work; eg streaming textures and LODing terrain and objects), how come there is a limit on how many objects can be on a map in DCS? Surely if it loaded everything on the fly you could have as many objects as you wanted, but their existence requires memory and cpu, so that is why there is a limit. Also what about terrain grid etc, all these things have a memory foot print no? ( also cpu for terrain grid) I would bet money that a map 1/5 the size of the current one would use much less memory in task manager :- and therefore suffer much less from stutter related performance probs. A small map uses less memory (regardless of how much LODing and distance fog and "precaching" is used {all games do this}), I'm no game programmer but that analogy seems pretty logical to me. :dunno: ps please don't see any of this as a rant. Some times it is hard to get across your tone of voice on the ol' internet :) . The tone of this is; Die hard fan desperatly trying to find solutions to performance problems :D Thanks

I get where your coming from and I too have limited understanding of how all this works. ...But I have not seen a game yet where the smaller game environment does not give better performance, especially where memory usage and stuttering type problems are concerned. And pretty much all of them use the above method you mentioned of not actually drawing the entire environment at once. There are many, many examples of this kind of performance gain in all kinds of games: Every sim flight I have ever played (expect lockon, DCS etc) has given a smaller terrain for dogfighting or quick missions. And they all run much better than their large versions. Arma: the smaller maps here perform far better and far smoother than the big maps. Any shooter (BF,HL) or Racing sim (Rfactor etc) also run better on small maps/tracks/environments etc. I don't think that map size has no effect on performance, otherwise they could make it as big as they like, and they very carefully limit the size due to memory restrictions etc. I'm pretty sure you cant just make a massive environment and have performance saving things like distance Fog and LOD to keep the performance the same as a small game world. I know I'll probably regret the comparison to other games (que people telling me Arma and race sims are different from DCS.. :music_whistling::D ) but, regardless of the game genre....if your suffering from the stuttering type of performance problem (which quite a lot are with DCS), a smaller game world always improves this. That's my view on it any way. I'll shut up about it if a Developer tells me it wont help (with stuttering) performance :D

lol, good pics ty Namenlos

I own TrackIR, but I am definitely interested to see how Kinect can be used with the PC in Sims. Shame they made it so much more expensive than the console version though.

Yes that's it, it wouldn't make sense to alter with the current, big map. Just provide an additional, small map. Ty for the support

Possible to mod it or do it myself? Well...seeing as no one else seems to embrace or "get" my fantastic idea...lol (baffled by the lack of interest to be quite honest, it's not like there is a shortage of people with bad performance atm :dunno:)... Is there any way that I could "hack" this myself..eg: muck with the game files in some way to make it only load a portion of the map? Or is that kind of thing completely impossible? Would I be better to ask that kind of question in the Mod section of the forum perhaps? Thanks I'd still really like a developer opinion on this suggestion.

Unsurprisingly, I would like a small map so I could play a mission with out the bad performance that constantly distracts me from enjoying any mission I try.

Hmm I don't know, for me that would probably cancel out any advantage of a smaller terrain? With regard to an increase in performance. I thought of some other idea's why a Small map cold be useful (aside for smoother game play): 1. It could be used as a demo map. Eg: its hard to limit a something like DCS for demo purposes (I.e. not much you an cut out unless you use time limits or something). But with a small map, that could be used for a demo version. 2. Air racing: With the P51 coming, I'm sure some will want to do air racing. Its a waste having a massive map for this. 3. Training missions: it makes more sense to have training missions on a smaller map. Quicker load time etc. 4. Black Shark: Helos don't need a large theatre to operate in. it would much more optimal for BS player to use a small map. 5. Did I mention it would make the game run better for us with mid range hardware and that every other sim has a small map...for good reasons. ? :D

I want to bump this again. I still load up A10 with a positive frame of mind and attempt to play my usually random quick generated mission (with just hand full of enemy ground units, and a couple of friendly ground units). ...But half way through the mission, it's the same old story....complete break down of immersion as my thoughts turn how damn choppy the game is running than actually enjoying the flight/mission. It's doing my head in. Why can't we please, please have a (additional) smaller map like other flight sim's do ? Are there not enough post about stutter and choppy game play to warrant a serious investigation into this? In the back of my mind I think maybe Nevada might run better, but in reality that is highly unlikely. What we really need is an additional cut down map (less than a quarter of what we have now). That would allow a lot of people who are suffering with this seemingly unsolvable stuttering (terrain/texture caching) to get some enjoyment from this sim with out spending the mission thinking: "how great it would be if only it ran smoothly". Would it please be possible for Wags or another developer to give their opinion on this? Thank you. Bare in mind that you guys who are running perfectly fine will not loose anything by having an inclusion of a map like this, so try not to be negative.

Excellent video, thanks very much!

Very impressive. Looks as though the days of needing a seperate engine for either a Simulator or a 1st Person shooter are nearing an end.

I don't really "get" this, but it will be interesting to watch develop. ATM I'm purely here for the modern aspect of DCS. Pretty sick of ww2.

I get spiking on this axis, in all games too. One short term method I have found for fixing it is to open the Saitek Control Panel and repeatedly move the rudder left and right a bunch of times. This seems to recalibrate it (smooth it out) for a little while. You may have the problem return after a while in flight though. One other thing is to put a slight dead zone on the rudder in the control panel to stop some of the spiking while in the centre position. I'd open it up a have a proper go at fixing it, but the internals of this stick are a nightmare. The functionality, ergonomics of this stick are fantastic. It's a crime that it is dogged so badly in the hardware quality department. Even more so when they repeated the same flaws with the updated Pro model. Ahhhh...if only M$ made a Sidewinder hotas.

Nice thread. I too find DCS (lockon) a bit too "washed out". I remember it was the same for OFP back in the day. BIS managed to fix this quite well with Arma1 and its sequels. I also agree RoF is pretty strong in this area too. Hopefully ED can improve on this with engine updates in the future.

:eek: woah, very lucky.

Agreed +1

Ahh right, thanks I have use that mod before :doh:

Not usre where else to ask this, but its a similar topic so here will do i hope: I noticed in the 1.1.1.1 patch that noise2PerSquare = 150.0; has been changed to noise2PerSquare = 75; Any idea what this will affect visually, or if it's a change for better or worse quality?

Good to hear, I personally think that the Black sea map is too big and is the cause of some of the performance problems.

I most interested in performance. If it doesn't run better than the current engine I'll be bummed.

I agree with the battery thing. This has been possible for a while now. If a tiny rechargeable battery can be put in Nvidia's 3D vision glasses, then NP could do it easily for few small LEDs. I believe the reason they don't is monopoly, but now thanks to Microsoft they will have some competition so they will have to innovate. It can only be a good thing for us customers.

yes, that's right, a plane landing in the rain..did I miss something ?:)

Yeah I think it would, A10 is not much faster than WW1 any way (jk :) ) you can really see it streaming across the glass here. It is on landing of course but they are still going quite fast.

Yep that Rain effect in ROF looks sweet. I would love it on our A10 canopy !