Nodes slowdown issue: thoughts and conclusions

I am going to re-post here, the node fix files I posted when we first started tackling the node lag problem, perhaps some of you who are new here, or perhaps anyone else who has a save they can load in the nodes (without having killed everything in sight) can give these files a test run and post feedback?

Node-fix.rar contains the files that I found best reduce lag, Node pathnodes.rar contains new pathnode.pnd files and mobs for the nodes.

How to test
First add Node-fix.rar (for frontend users) to your ToEE instalation folder, and load the game, test the node maps - all 4 of them. (please have a stopwatch to time the length of any lags, and the number of lags if so inclined to do so)

Then add the Node pathnodes.rar file (for frontend users) to the ToEE install folder, overwrite the pathnode.pnd files from the Node-fix.rar and repeat the test process.

Then add the Node-fix.rar again overwrite the new pathnode.pnd file with the old one and test.

post your best combination, lag times, feedback, or just tell me to STFU as you see fit.

 

Yes, the mobs were taken from the 5.0.0 mod, and edited to remove any script overrides within them (not sure if there actually were any, but I know Blue didn't remove the script overrides).

 

Just to add to the knowledge base here (4 years later, lol ), I have tried a couple things:

1. Resectored the Earth Node so that there were no passages left whatsoever, just one big round earthen room: still got lag.
   
2. Added a bunch of additional pathnodes to the Earth Node: still got lag.
   
3. Mad an entirely new map for the Earth Node (by this I mean not map 5082 - a new map appended to the end of our current map list) and slowly added all the components back in, testing every step of the way: still got lag, but only after absolutely all of the components were added back in (mobs were the last).

#1 doesn't sit very well with the theory set forth above re: sectoring and pathnodes, and would likely mean (I think) that designing an entirely new map would not solve the problem.

Noting in #3 that it wasn't until the mobs arrived that lag came along too made me wonder if the mobs were ultimately responsible* ... but there is no commonality among mobs across the Fire, Air and Earth node maps that I'm aware of.

*Funny ... I'm sure that everybody who has ever undertaken to test the Nodes has identified a culprit this way, and probably every element of a map has been blamed at some time or other. "It's teh mobs!" "Noes, it's teh sectorz!" :giggle:

 

I think I tried once getting rid of the gems on that basis (or on the basis that a 'Node Guardian' was the one thing that set these maps apart from the rest of the game) and it didn'twork, but try again by all means.

The last consensus opinion was the pathnodes, before the mobs... :scratchhe

 

Yeah, strange that I had no issues with the pathnodes (although the Earth Node actually seems to work better without them - not much long range travel possible anyway).

@Ranth, I did not have the GS. If the gems were the culprit, they would have to be only partially to blame, as the the Water Node has no lag (but does have a gem I assume).

Anyway, I was mainly taking a shot in the dark at the new map possibility here, but nadda. At least we know that was Ag and Steve said was true: the maps themselves are not evil.

 

The laggy maps have traditionally been the Air, Earth, and Fire Nodes (not Water), and Temple Level 4, with a runner-up being the Fire Temple area of Temple Level 2 specifically.

Also, if you've never experienced 'lag,' it is really better described as 'lock;' the game will freeze for periods of time ranging from a few seconds to several minutes, then eventually it will come back to life.

It can be difficult to test and measure, because different systems do indeed seem to be impacted to different degrees. I never get it for more than a few seconds at a time myself.