UAW1.60 Becomes Non responsive.

[MarkEAW 63]

I was wondering if the 160 version , non responsive issue is gonna get fixed? (or if its something that can be fixed)

This is at the loading screen where the game more than not enters the flight screen, but often has the possibility to Crash to the Desktop (CTD).
The % loading or loading gauge will freeze and the thread becomes non responsive. (You can watch it on the task manger, but its easer to see it when your in window mode)
Most the time it recovers just before it closes or CTD's

Its not a huge problem but its bothersome as I have to reload the game again.

I don't know if this is a memory leak or something else. (I don't remember this issue in older versions , (I have more experience with 140)) 

I do realize this maybe beyond the current capabilities, but was hoping it would be possible tracked down to a change that shouldn't have been made.

Thanks.

[Jel 37]

More details are needed so that I can try to re-create the problem.

Which version of the exe?
Which theatre?
Which planeset?
Mission details: type, target, home base, aircraft (yours and the AIs)

Which operating system, and wrappers (if any)?

[MarkEAW 63]

It happens each time with the 160 Foundation exe I have. (not sure at the moment which version or build of the exe it is)

It doesn't seem to matter what parameters are used in single mission, then launch a quick mission.

DXWND wrapper on Win10.

 

I could try a broader range of test, but I'm sure I have tested it throughly. I even think I tested it in Win10 without a wrapper and it still happens.
It becomes non responsive, then just before a CTD it becomes responsive and finishes loading the flight screen. (Rarly does it make it to a CTD, but enough times)

Give me sometime to get back to you. Not sure if it will be later today or tomorrow.

[MarkEAW 63]

Looks like 160 Special and 160 Foundation all do the same thing. It hangs but if the cache has loaded previously, it seems to load smoother. (less halting and more response) I notice the FPS drop to 0 on the loading screens when they become non responsive.

It just must be loading all the eaw world and mission data thats keeping it from going through that screen with ease.

I tried 1.26 sydbod and it loads quickly, no drops in fps during the loading screen. (the thread stays active).

 

I didn't run it through Win10 because the loading of the flight screen is delayed 10 secs because of a Win10 change that MS put out, that you realized at one point. Thats why we or atl east me went with DXWND.

 

[Jel 37]

Does the problem occur when you set up a single mission with selected AI planes?

There are many imponderables with a quick mission. It uses some data from your single missions because when you fly a single mission mission data is saved in the "GameData" sub-folder of the theatre folder that you are using.

I checked this by setting up a single mission, and then flying it. When I finished I deliberately shut down EAW and re-started. it. This time I selected an instant mission, and I got the same plane. When I quit the instant mission the debriefing screen showed that I flew from the base I had flown from in the previous single mission.

I do not know what the exe does if you have a brand new theatre, with nothing saved in "GameData" when you try an instant mission.

Then there is the possibility that if you change a planeset after flying an allied plane there could be an axis plane in the same slot which might cause problems for the exe.

Finally, we have Roy's ini setting that allows you to fly different types of instant mission, which may add potential problems in terms of the exe generating AI planes from the current planeset.

I rarely try instant missions, and when I fly single missions I always set the AI planes and never use "Random".

140 had the planesets in the theatre folders, which was less complex, and in this regard I would anticipate fewer problems.

[Jel 37]

I should add that AFAIK nobody has modified the instant mission code in the 1.28 series since Roy did eons ago.

[MarkEAW 63]

I'll do some more tests in single player non random.

However I do get a slight drop too 0 fps (non responsive) on the first main screen when the 160 loads up. Not sure if thats related to the other loading issue.

Again just to make it clear, I'll be using DXWND wrapper, since win10 increased the delays of the loading screens I can't test it in plain 'native' compatibility to determine anything regarding this issue.

 

[Jel 37]

I have been checking the effects of Roy's code and the instant mission setting in the eaw.ini

0 = random
1= sweep
2=interept
3=protect flight
4=interdict
5=last type

I have not hit any problems having flown a single mission first, and sticking with the same planeset and theatre.

[Jel 37]

I had a look at the source code, and made a change to the "Instant Mission" routines.
It had struck me that nobody would want to fly an instant mission at night, so I limited the "time of day".

Normally
0 = random
1 = dawn
2 = day
3 = dusk
4 = night

So I tried hard coding it to "3" so that you get a dusk mission.
The upshot was a long wait with a black screen.

If I set it to "1" or "2" it was fine.

That was very curious as re-setting to "3" created the same problem.
It makes me wonder if the problem Mark refers to is related to the time of day value being used for an instant mission.

 

[MarkEAW 63]

eh, I get the drop in response whatever I do.

It makes it through most of the time though.

If I ever figure out the reason as far as the technical part of it, I'll post about it.

[Jel 37]

One thing I specifically asked is if you get the problem with a single mission when you set the AI planes.
I need to try to determine whether or not it is specifically a problem with instant missions, or if it is a more general problem.

Edited October 28, 2018 by Jel

[MarkEAW 63]

ooops, don't remember you asking, I missed the question. I'll have to try that specifically.. (I believe I did that before with no random) I'll try it though.

 

EDIT:
Just tried it again. With selected planes (no random) I still get not responding halfway through loading the flight screen. (instant action was off too).

I just thinking its resource hogging / memory usage is demanding of sorts. But IDK for sure.

Edited October 28, 2018 by MarkEAW

[Jel 37]

On 10/24/2018 at 1:47 PM, Jel said:

More details are needed so that I can try to re-create the problem.

Which version of the exe?
Which theatre?
Which planeset?
Mission details: type, target, home base, aircraft (yours and the AIs)

Which operating system, and wrappers (if any)?

As I wrote I need to try to re-create the problem, so I need all of the details

Has anyone else here encountered this problem?

Edited October 29, 2018 by Jel

[MarkEAW 63]

As I said loosely, Its defiantly all of the 1.60 exes and it doesn't matter the settings, I've altered many and tested. (IDK if an earlier exe and gamedata results in this).
I could try a 1.40 install, if I have one around here to test it, to see if it bottom outs the FPS counter and displays not responsive at the top in DXWND wrapper.

 

EDIT:
OKAY. I ran 1.40. It happens with that version too. I tried many settings and no random. It became non responsive about the same location of loading the flight screen but it was much faster recovery back to normal responsive thread...it loaded faster overall on the 5 run of single mission. I think its just the amount of game data it has to load and compute other eaw world data.

It could be simply I have the DXWND Wrapper configured wrong and it could be hogging all the resources. But it runs without this issue on v1.2 and 1.26 and EAWPRO.

(My system varies in that its components are from 2009-2016. )

Edited October 29, 2018 by MarkEAW
test 1.40 aswell-results

[Jel 37]

As it happens with the loading screen you should try without any wrappers. I have been doing my tests in W10 and no wrapper, and I do not get the problem.

[MarkEAW 63]

okay. I will test on Win10 without Wrapper.

I may ditch the DXWND wrapper as the medium range planes are jittery no matter how well the FPS are (I believe on all versions of EAW). I couldn't find the correct settings or  combination of settings as I don't know or better, don't understand whats happening. So in turn , I'm not sure which settings or workarounds need to be set or applied.

 

EDIT:
Okay, I got the 7217 error, so I had to reintroduce the registry entry for Win10, the DWM8And16BitMitigation value since win10 didn't reapply/apply it upon launch outside of the wrapper. I had to foloow my own directions in my troubleshoot help doc on my site. :)

So I don't get the not responding at the loading of the flight screen, I get 10 sec or more delay for screen transitioning as a result of win10's recent updates. I yet have tracked down what might have been set or changed by Microsoft that would cause this problem.

Anyway the 1.60 is responding steady loading on the load screen now.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by MarkEAW
tested on 'native' win10