[SP] Pilgrimage

[doc. caliban 34]

I have an odd issue ... Churches/Chapels stopped auto-saving and being marked as searched ... a while later I noticed that I am also no longer receiving messages to purchase intel. It almost seems as though the code that runs every 10 seconds or whatever has stopped doing so? Not a big deal as I am still having fun and manually marking the places I've searched, but I wonder if I will find the body?

- Doc

[khugan 24]

I have an odd issue ... Churches/Chapels stopped auto-saving and being marked as searched ... a while later I noticed that I am also no longer receiving messages to purchase intel. It almost seems as though the code that runs every 10 seconds or whatever has stopped doing so? Not a big deal as I am still having fun and manually marking the places I've searched, but I wonder if I will find the body?

- Doc

Same thing for me. Playing with CBA, ASR-AI, BlastCore, JSRS, STHUD, VTS Wep-Resting. Gave myself AI mate, multiple camps, no items, and the rest default. I am no longer getting Icons showing loot, no messages, no church updates. I searched the better part of a town and found no crates at all. I think something is broken.

EDIT:

I reloaded the game and went back to places where I had killed AI and marked loot. The only thing that is still there are vehicles. The dead AI and marked loot are all gone. Even the static objects and weapons were gone. I'm playing on stable branch.

Edited March 8, 2014 by Khugan

[Rydygier 1317]

One of those weird issues, I never saw. And until I see, I can't do much about. I'm hunting them currently. You're, Doc, using stable branch of A3 too, right? What CPU, guys? Any sluggishness noticed (some odd delays when hitchhiking, opening door etc?). Object most probably aren't gone, there is no any code there to removing objects or bodies. Only to hiding them (caching). I wonder, if wait loong enough (like 10-15 minutes), these things would be back? If so - thesis about CPU overload will be confirmed, what would be big help in solving such oddities.

One more question: on what stage of gameplay issues was spotted first time? Beginning? 1/3? Half? 3/4 of map? How many hours of play it was?

Edited March 8, 2014 by Rydygier

[khugan 24]

The only lag I have ever gotten playing this mission (mainly 1.4) was at mission start, and I chalked that up to things initializing. I played 1.4 for 8 hours plus without issue. 1.51 is where these things occurred. There were some rpt entries referring to (I think) discription.ext, but I played more than your mission so I can't say for sure what the errors were about. I will start a new game and get a new rpt.

[Rydygier 1317]

Lags itself are not necessary sign of CPU overload regarding to script scheduler (part of CPU power allocated for calculating scripts). FPS may be great same time. Sluggishness, I'm talking about, will show up at scripted events, like delayed opening map during hitchhiking, delays during selling loot, phone calls etc.

[Rydygier 1317]

I'm thinking... One thing, that is accumulating during gameplay (as rest is spawned at init) are loot boxes. That may cause CPU overload eventually even, if cached, but if so:

- people, that carefully check and sell every loot or are playing with very low loot density should be not affected;

- issue would increase gradually, so at first player would observe rising with time script delays, not rapid problem occurence;

- in most cases first observation would be during travelling through big city like Kavala (lots of loot appear).

if this is the case, solution may be to sacrifice persistence of the loot, means far loot boxes will be removed. But if not... Then only perpas some mysterious, exotic circumstances or internal game bug, that occurs very rarely and break things come to my mind as alternative explanation. Any other kind of issue, means script error, would generate problems just after start.

[Alpha-Kilo 36]

Rudygier,

I have played several iterations of your mission and it is getting better and better. I like it because it involves a lot of sightseeing and some combat. One of my favourite features is the optional AI companion you recently introduced.

I have also noticed that the autosave at churches and the marking of places stopped. I think it worked fine for at least an hour, maybe more. Some info: My CPU is an Intel I5 4670K (not overclocked), I play the stable branch without any addons. I have not noticed any sluggishness, but I haven't tried the hitchhiking feature. Don't know if it matters but after maybe half an hour of gameplay I began to accelerate time when covering large distances on foot. I played around with the startup menu and chose a high loot density and many enemy patrols. If it helps I can advise all the settings.

Other things I noticed and again I don't know if they are related or not:

- In previous versions I found the enemy skill and accuracy was very high and combat was difficult and challenging, maye even unfair at times. The latest version on Steam workshop is the opposite: enemies react extremely slowly to my presence. They seem reluctant to take up the fight. My guess is that you changed the behaviour of the AI in response to possible user requests. But if you didn't change anything, slow AI may be a symptom for an "overworked" CPU.

- In previous versions I could not set my own waypoint by holding Left Shift and clicking at the map, at all. I thought this was disabled on purpose for a reason. In the latest version of the mission I am able to set a waypoint but somehow this waypoint is not accurately on the chosen spot, but a few hundred meters away. Usuallly it takes two or three tries to get the waypoint where I want it. Also, on setting the waypoint the map immediately closes. The map has to be opened again to check the waypoint position. I have never noticed this in any other mission.

I'll be glad to reply more precisely if it helps to sort out this problem.

[Rydygier 1317]

My guess is that you changed the behaviour of the AI in response to possible user requests. But if you didn't change anything, slow AI may be a symptom for an "overworked" CPU.

That would be the second. Not changed anything. I left tweaking skills for mods.

the map immediately closes

Small issue introduced in 1.5 together with "many hideouts" feature. Would be fixed in the next version (and should be again like in previous versions). Do not know, why setting waypoints is impossible, I'm using some onMapClicks under stackedEventHandlers for hitchhiking etc., but there isn't any code to disable waypoints. Some side effect due to Arma issue present, when onMapClick is used perhaps.

Thank you very much for such detailed feedback. So, thesis about CPU overload is strengthened. I will assume that then for now. Accelerating time may have impact here, I think. I'm currenty 4 hours far and on my i7 saw no sign of any such issues though so far. I think, I'll do, what I said, with far loot removing, and then we see, if this will help.

[doc. caliban 34]

Hello,

I have 26 auto-marked churches and then it stopped doing that. I forgot to mention that I am also not seeing anymore loot markers. I have not noticed any previous items missing, but it may simply be that I have not noticed it yet.

I am running an i7 970 OC'd to 4.4GHz. I have only noticed lag once when looking over a large town, so it could have simply been my system not keeping up with my graphics settings on that part of the map. There may have been other moments here and there, but I don't remember with enough certainty to say.

I am not playing with any mods ... just the clean, latest version of the game from Steam, and the 1.51 mod downloaded from dropbox.

Thanks for looking into it!

-Doc

EDIT: May be unrelated, but I very thoroughly traveled the area I was in and never saw any camps. A few times I saw 2-3 men sitting around on the ground, but there was no actual camp.

[Rydygier 1317]

While it is still very mysterious to me, why you people all have such issues and I do not, I'll implement following performance improvers in hope, this will change something:

- far loot deletion;

- far bodies deletion;

- additional caching via temporary deletion far units except TL and spawning them back only, when player close enough. (this should help most)

[doc. caliban 34]

I know how frustrating that can be. I worked as a software tester for years and many times heard the devs say, "Well, it works on my machine." :-) So many little variables to try to track down ... it's a lot of work! Thank you again for looking into these things for us.

I just went back into my game and went to look for a previously spawned vehicle. It was gone. So I went to try to find two more. Both gone as well. I hope that helps as a clue!

-Doc

[Rydygier 1317]

Thanks. Would be helpful also, if you try to stay there and wait 10-15 minutes just to check, if these disappeared vehicles, or whatever is gone, will be back with delay.

[doc. caliban 34]

Thanks. Would be helpful also, if you try to stay there and wait 10-15 minutes just to check, if these disappeared vehicles, or whatever is gone, will be back with delay.

I hung out near a mising vehicle for about 30 min. No joy.

-Doc

[Rydygier 1317]

OK. Thanks a lot. Lack of change is also valuable information. I think, soon I'll link here special testing version with described earlier changes, so whoever is willing may participate in my tests.

[khugan 24]

I started a new game and left the multiple camps off. I had normal game play once again. The only negative I can report is that 80ish % of all loot in a two story structure is spawning on the roof and is unreachable. I wish there was a console command in Arma to let me get on roofs that have no ladders.

[Rydygier 1317]

Do not know, what made a difference, but it is highly doubtful, if that was hideout mode...

Loot box spawning is interesting case by itself. Checked that today. As spawn positions are used building positions. Via debug log determined, that just before spawn - position is just fine. Yet, just after spawn sometimes (rarely to me) third axis of box position is absurdal, like 300+ or -1000. And no room for any my fault here. Just spawning line between both checks. That makes some boxes lies on roof, some are destroyed, and some buried deep under ground like treasure or something. Even saw once one box in fire flying like a comet... Tried attaching to another object, tried setposing in several ways - same.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Rydygier

[Rydygier 1317]

Of course there is also factor of Arma's own bugs hidden here and there. I can't be sure, what is caused by my mistake, what by internal errors. Loot box spawning flying circus looks like such hidden internal problem awaken in generated circumstancies.

OK. Here is special, testing version:

PilgrimageX

for anyone, who want to help me with tests...

What's special in this version:

1. Distant loot (>1000 meters) will be deleted;

2. Distant/old bodies (>2500 meters and > 10 minutes from death) will be deleted;

Caching by despawning/respawning all AIs except TLs not introduced. For now at least. Too many weird things began to happen, when I added such code. Not sure, if such method will be trustworthy enough at all, for now it is not working properly.

3. Two sidechat logs will be shown cyclically:

- "Delay" (there is running separate loop to measure delay between expected and real execution time in sec * 100);

- "Cycle time" (time needed to execute main loop, heartbeat of the mission's code, in seconds).

If someone want to participate in test, should follow such steps:

- Play vanilla,

- At init set all percenatages on 100 (to strain CPU as much is possible in this mission), rest at own discretion,

- play as usual you like. Pay attention on sidechat values and their long term change tendencies (are growing, stagnant or decrease with time), especially when infamous issues start to show up,

- play until these issues will show up and a bit more or until you've had enough :) .

What info I need: CPU, Arma branch, used init settings, what was typical values of delay and cycle time, what was tendencies of their changes, in what circumstancies, if any to name, these values tend to change drastically, how both behave at issues appearance and later.

If you are eager to do more, you can after first play try second time with all percentages set on 50%, rest - same.

I'll be grateful to all testers.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Rydygier

[zatoichi 10]

Anyone playing with the AI teammate having issues, for example; not warping with you upon hitchhike, if he joins you in a vehicle and you sustain even minor damage he is removed from your squad, and doesn't rejoin?

[Rydygier 1317]

As I do not play with companion, can't say about removal at damage in the car (what an odd and specific circumstancies) more, than there isn't any code in my scripts to remove companion at any circumstance. Tested hitchhiking though, and it is for sure working fine with companion... for me. :/ Perhaps some mod cause such problems?

[aseliot 2]

This is a lot better now with the random begin and auto-saves on after each chapel, makes save not dissapear anymore at least.

Only thing I think is missing is a day/night cycle maybe 30 min or one hour days and nights? ability to set the time at the beginning or just disable/enable it. I looted a night vision scope and there's no use for it now :D

I also thought maybe that there could be more people searching for your brother and that you could rescue them (as they got captured or something) and add them to your team as I do sometimes encounter groups that are pretty hard to take on alone.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Aseliot

[Rydygier 1317]

Thanks for feedback. :) Daytime you can set by resting at hideout (6 hours at the time), when you establish a hideout at cleared hidden camp's fireplace of course. This should be enough, I'll not speed up day/night cycle. Captured friendlies - do not know. I'll think about. It is not obligatory to defeat all enemies on map. You can elude challenges, you consider too difficult.

[aseliot 2]

Thanks for feedback. :) Daytime you can set by resting at hideout (6 hours at the time), when you establish a hideout at cleared hidden camp's fireplace of course. This should be enough, I'll not speed up day/night cycle. Captured friendlies - do not know. I'll think about. It is not obligatory to defeat all enemies on map. You can elude challenges, you consider too difficult.

You mean there is already a day/night cylce? because I played for 3 hours and it didn't change at all.

[tortuosit 486]

It has normal timecycle and skips 6h on resting.

[doc. caliban 34]

I will try this tonight ... I am working for another 5-7 hours today.

[khugan 24]

I know the test version is for "testing", but I like knowing I can mark some missile ammo on the map, or I can create a stash I can get to later if needed. In my opinion deleting boxes is best left to the player selling them. Or let me mark places as a stash that will not be deleted.

In 1.4 I started in the south and walked the whole portion and when I got to the main body of map I chose to move west in a vehicle. By the time I made it half way up the west coast it was evening, getting dark and thankfully I had found night vision equipment. This was in one sitting without quitting game and I never sold any items. I played for a very long time and had my map marked with lots of stashes/vehicles. I never once had a church not update or box land on roof. That all started with 1.5+.

Question... Are the boxes generated over the whole map on mission start? I ask because maybe if I leave off all mods on game start then the mission has my cpu full attention. Once I play for a few minutes, then save game, and load mods. Of course this wont work if boxes are generated as player nears locations.

What ever the case, I enjoy your mission very much. I like finding loot and selling it or keeping it. I like to know if I go west I must deal with APC and if I have no RPG, I go east instead. I start with no items because once I have a map and compass I must work out where I am by triangulation. (If only boat marker were gone) Do as you will, it is your mission and I am a fan of it. Thanks.