Volunteers Needed: Jerkstop Testing

Discussion in 'General Modification' started by Gaear, Apr 25, 2009.

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  1. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    Thanks for the save, Ag. Sorry for the mix-up, everybody else.
     
  2. blackwind

    blackwind Established Member

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    So far so good. Cleared the moathouse and haven't been able to trigger the jerkstop in either Homlet or Nulb. I usually get the jerkstop in Homlet after I've clear the moathouse and it remains in issue through out the game. Usually that is.

    Nulb doesn't start acting funky for me to later in the game. I'll see if I can trigger it in either town further in to the game.

    I'll post again once I've killed Hedrak.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2009
  3. Groo the Ambler

    Groo the Ambler Loot the Rot Grubs

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    My game is proceeding slowly - characters are lvl 7 but I've haven't made it to Nulb yet.

    I just had one freeze when exiting the Welcome Wench (party frozen in combat pose). I reloaded and exited again with no problem. No sign of jerk-stop yet.
     
  4. Emirkol the Chaotic

    Emirkol the Chaotic Proud Polytheist

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    My friend. THAT is the beginning of the "jerk-stop" phenomenon.

    Soon, especially in the areas surrounding the woodcutter, it will begin to manifest and grow progressively worse, but strangely, never in a consistent manner.
     
  5. Agetian

    Agetian Attorney General Administrator

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    Despite that, I'd like to ask you guys to keep testing. We may be talking about two different and possibly overlapping problems here, not just one. The game engine has many possible weak spots that may result in crashes and memory leaks. The hypothetical fix in this thread would not cure anything that would crash the game instantly - that's not the jerkstop phenomenon per se, but something else (that may, however, somehow lead to the jerkstop phenomenon later in the game - there's no denying that). Therefore, we need to see whether we're talking about one problem, two separate problems, or two chained problems one causing the other. Now it's clear that it's not just one problem - if it were, you wouldn't have gotten the instant freeze either. Right now we need to see if it's two separate problems - if so, then the jerkstop should be gone but the instant freeze will stay. It means that even though you got yourself an instant freeze, there's a chance that it will no longer lead to the jerkstop behavior later in the game. If worst comes to worst and you'll still get the jerkstop behavior, they're likely to be two chained problems, and that will leave a lot of unanswered (as of yet) questions, but will at least direct us a little bit in what exactly to try next.

    @ Groo: The most important question I'd like you to answer is whether you indeed get the jerk-stop behavior later in game this time or not after getting this instant freeze you've reported (the symptoms of the actual jerkstop being a progressive slow-down resulting in a hang, abnormally bright static lighting such as torches, etc.).

    - Agetian
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2009
  6. blackwind

    blackwind Established Member

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    I've progressed a bit slowly haven't been able to find the time to play much lately. Anyways, I've gotten to level 10 and cleared 2 floors of the temple. I still have not been able to trigger jerkstop in Homlet, Nulb or anywhere else for that matter. I have had the screen slow down on me in Homlet (the fire temple too but that's normal) when I move a bit away from my characters. But it was the screen slowing down and it wasn't a jerkstop. I haven't gotten an instant freeze yet but I can usually trigger that by using the teleport spell. I'll post again after I've killed Hedrak
     
  7. Groo the Ambler

    Groo the Ambler Loot the Rot Grubs

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    I have had one instance of jerk-stop. It occurred when I went to north Hommlet by world map, and walked south. The jerk-stop started when I reached the Trader's. There is a woman in a green dress who wanders around north of the bridge, and it started when I encountered her. She was frozen in combat pose.

    That was the only time. I have spent a great deal of time running around Hommlet, especially around the Inn, with no sign of jerk-stop. I do get an occasional freeze when traveling to the Inn by world map. When I reload and try again, it never repeats. I have had no CTDs at all. The party is lvl 13 and getting ready to go to the Greater Temple.

    So, one occurrence thus far. I hope this is not discouraging, because this is easily the least buggy game of TOEE I've ever played, so I have a strong feeling that the fix has done some good.
     
  8. blackwind

    blackwind Established Member

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    Beaten the game. I did have 2 instances where I was able to trigger jerkstop both times in Homlet on my way to see Tarim. I got the same amount of instant freezes as I did before. Not saying that they aren't connected but it didn't seem like the instant freezes were affected by this fix. I will agree with Groo and also state that this fix did do something about the jerkstop or at least you are on the right track.

    Thanks for all the work you folks do. Hopefully I've helped you guys in some small way.
     
  9. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    Thanks for the feedback, guys. There will probably be some form of tweak-a-fication and then another fix to try, since it doesn't seem entirely eradicated yet. Stand by ...

    @GA82 - have you dropped out or something? Just wondering.
     
  10. GuardianAngel82

    GuardianAngel82 Senior Member

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    Downloaded it. Applied a save game that already had the problem. No instances of jerkstop have occurred. However, I stop playing whenever the game overwhelms the cheesy on-board graphics chip on my Toshiba and locks it up. So, I haven't really tested for more than a few game hours.

    I wanted to try this before I start a new game because starting a new game requires that I erase all the old saves because of the secret door bug.
     
  11. Groo the Ambler

    Groo the Ambler Loot the Rot Grubs

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    I have now run the characters up to lvl 18, completing all but the Zuggtmoy level.

    Yes, I now get some jerk-stop around the Inn and north Hommlet. Hommlet remains playable, however. Before the problem progressed rapidly until you could not navigate Hommlet at all. I've had no CTDs at all. The last three times I've gone thru a game there were lots of late-game CTDs.

    I wonder if the jerk-stop is related to the addition of roving villagers. It seems to occur in and around their movement paths.

    So I've just about play-tested this to death, and I still think it's a definite improvement.
     
  12. Zero

    Zero Member

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    Allthough i dint try to get the jerkstop i think it happened to me yesterday. after butchering homlet i returned to the inn to rest. just to kill some more peasants. after i left the inn and returned several gamedays later there were piles of cheap loot on the floor and the game jerkstopped on me the lights were getting brighter and i could barely move my party. but i had to giv fragarach to the monk so i started to pick up some of the trash-loot. picking up a large portion seems to have fixed the problem. now im not having any problems with anymore.
    maybe asigning clothing itmes that are unlootable may help?
     
  13. GuardianAngel82

    GuardianAngel82 Senior Member

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    I think I've determined that the fix doesn't help games that already have the problem.

    All saves deleted; starting a new game. ;)
     
  14. GuardianAngel82

    GuardianAngel82 Senior Member

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    And it's final. The add-on doesn't prevent jerkstop in new games either. :tired:
     
  15. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    Attention! ;)

    It's time for another round of jerkstop testing. 3 or so brave volunteers will be selected to determine if the latest 'fix' indeed kills the dreaded jerkstop phenomenon, and if it does, the fix will be included in the next release and Co8 will have a parade for you.

    I'll repeat the application requirements from before:

    (just skip the saved game part.)

    Volunteers will be contacted in private and provided with the necessary files for testing. I'll just add that this test is quite a bit of a departure from the last round, so don't feel that you're simply adding to a redundant and pointless exercise here.

    Apply today! :)
     
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