Discovery 4.81 features, bugs & suggestions

[Malaclypse 666]

This may deserve its own "thread", but just an idea...

Lag: Maybe it's not the missions. Maybe there are just too many NPC's!

Disclaimer: I know nothing about modding/tweaking. Can barely fly. <g>

Several evenings ago, with light server load (4-8 players), on three separate occassions I encountered multiple NPC's. I was not running missions, just "rep-balancing". On each occassion, lag set in. At least one of these occassions, someone else commented on the lag as well.

So here's the rationale:

Do we actually need two to three squadrons of House "heavies" patrolling every House planet?

Space is BIG! Is it realistic to encounter other ships (NPC's) every three or four minutes, especially in the spaces between bases or planets?

On one occassion, I potted at a lone Outcast NPC, trying to advance my Hacker rep at Outcast expense. He got off a squawk for help, and before I could blink the Outcast had multiple help from his "allied" NPC's, even though I was green with the factions that responded.

Again, I don't know if it's possible, but could we try racheting down the NPC population a notch or six? Not their strength.. just their numbers? If it doesn't improve the lag situation, then nothing lost. They could just be cranked up again to their previous population level.

If NPC presence is made minimal, save for the numbers required for realistic missions, it may just help the lag situation. If it can be tried, why not?

[Nightfall]

@DO: Go find the Hacker Guard system...!? The guards should be tougher :)



edit: I didn't realise Mal posted before me, so I addressed this at the right person

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If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God? - from 'Nightfall' by I. Asimov
The Outcasts consider Siniestre Nube a sacred place for several reasons. Early explorers discovered a jumphole within the depths of the cloud that leads to a strange world of ringed stars and strange craft. All ships in the burrial ground are placed facing that hole to honor the Alien Spirits. - An Outcast rumor

[Dab]

Mala, if there were too many NPCs and it was causing the lag, then all other versions of Disco would have lagged. Its not the amount of NPCs.

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[DarkOddity]

Another thought.

Can we get "Guard" bases to buy pilots at high prices?

Example: (not exact numbers)
Outcast Base Buys Corsairs at 15,000
Outcast GUARD Base buys corsairs at 40,000

basicly any enemy would be sold for large amounts at the guard base.

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[Malaclypse 666]

Mala, if there were too many NPCs and it was causing the lag, then all other versions of Disco would have lagged. Its not the amount of NPCs.

[snapback]39360[/snapback]

Good point, Daba. (Put yer hat on, and nobody will notice.. <g>).

Just seemed very coinky-dinkal that it happened three times runnin'. Then, again, it could just be my client-side boat anchor causin' that... should be addressed within the week.

Chairs

[Winkie]

At some point perhaps we could get some freight missions, Station/planet X to pay regular plus healthy bonus to get cargo from station/planet Y through enemy infested space. yata yata yata...
Just a thought
Winkie :cool:

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My Lil' boats are
SS_Scorpion
SS_JackyBlue
SS_Guppy

[marauder]

@Winkie: thats been suggested before and it's apparently impossible.

@Dab: As we have little to no idea what equipment those other servers are using thats not much of an example.

Mal does have a point though, sometimes you can't move near house capital planets due to the number of capship patrols trying to fly past it.

Reducing the number of NPC capship patrols would be as realistic as hiking the prices for player capships was, after all theres only a limited amount of resources and shipyards to built the ships.

Also, to make running into an NPC capship patrol extremely risky maybe we should double the escorts?

[Winkie]

[quote=marauder,Oct 4 2006, 01:42 AM]
@Winkie: thats been suggested before and it's apparently impossible.

Sorry I missed that post, OK... got a small thing about Graves station, Take a mission ther and they will send you right out through the mine field where you die. Hmmm perhaps it is an inside joke since it is called "Graves Station" ha! :cool:

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My Lil' boats are
SS_Scorpion
SS_JackyBlue
SS_Guppy

[marauder]

The minefields will kill you most of the time, unless you have a fully kitted up VHF and then you can usually get away with flying though them.

Though don't trust the auto-pilot and don't try flying through minefields or explosive gas pockets during lag, you'll be dead and the first sign you'll get that your in trouble will be your ship blowing up.

Except the zone 21 minefield, that will kill BS's off easily.

Even fully out-fitted ones, so (unless your planning a suicide trip or know exactly where the gap is to get to the alaska JG), I strongly recommend you don't go near it.

So depending on what level your shield is and what ship your flying either:-

A) avoid the minefields,

or

B) fly manually on thruster power.

[XraYZ]

2) there is a jump hole in NY system, somewhere around 7E, that is labelled 'New York Jump Hole' When you go through it, you come out another hole in the NY system, around 6G I believe.

I know for sure the in-system jumphole is part of the SP...