Devnote Tuesday: Wednesday Edition II

[mcirish3]

2 hours ago, Lumicide said:

Actually, 64bit is a slowdown. The use of 64bit is either 1) to improve precision, or 2) address more memory*. Either way, your computer has to physically move, and store, a "number" that's physically doubled in size. If you have a 32bit word, and a 64bit wide bus, you can move two words at a time, or one 64bit word. And inside of your CPU you may be able to execute operations on either 4 32bit words, or 2 64bit words, at the same time. However, a lot of what a game needs to do cannot be parallelized, so the width of the word doesn't necessarily directly correlate to an increase/decrease in performance that's 1:1 of the theoretical performance.

IN short the best thing I could do to decrease load times in KSP is to install an SSD drive, The best thing I can do with x64 is to use more than 4GB of ram, and the only real thing I can do to improve actual performance in KSP is buy Intel's or AMD's very top of the line processor chip.  I am doing the first two but the last one is not likely to be do able for me for another 4-5 years and my PC is from 2006. (I am using the fastest processor AMD made in 2008 Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition )

Edited February 14, 2016 by mcirish3

[Temeter]

2 hours ago, mcirish3 said:

IN short the best thing I could do to decrease load times in KSP is to install an SSD drive, The best thing I can do with x64 is to use more than 4GB of ram, and the only real thing I can do to improve actual performance in KSP is buy Intel's or AMD's very top of the line processor chip.  I am doing the first two but the last one is not likely to be do able for me for another 4-5 years and my PC is from 2006. (I am using the fastest processor AMD made in 2008 Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition )

That's not to say 1.1 won't increase performance. A much more efficient physics engine, less impactfull thermal/ressource calculations and a more performant UI should do a lot to make the game more pleasant to play again.

And by god, the day Real Solar System/Realism Overhault/Realistic Progression run in 64Bit will be a great one. That stuff elevates the game to another level, but the amount of crashes takes a toll.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Temeter

[DMagic]

13 hours ago, lextacy said:

Even when it is released it will do no good as then we have to wait a few months for all the modders to make their updates. This 1.1 will destroy all mods since the GUI is overhauled. Late April sound about when 1.1 will finally kick off. SOrry to burst anyones bubble fantasy here.

I wish people would stop spouting this nonsense. Some mods will require lots of work, others a little, others maybe just a recompile or a minor change.

Old .mu files will supposedly still work fine, so I'm not sure why parts mods (outside of a few exceptions like wheel mods, of which there aren't all that many) would require some months-long amount of work to update.

Mods that interact with the old EZGUI will probably have lots of problems, but there aren't many that do too much with EZGUI. Most UI mods rely on the legacy OnGUI system (it is already legacy in the version of Unity used by KSP 1.0.x); nothing about Squad's updates to their UI will significantly affect those.

[StarStreak2109]

2 hours ago, DMagic said:

I wish people would stop spouting this nonsense. Some mods will require lots of work, others a little, others maybe just a recompile or a minor change.

Old .mu files will supposedly still work fine, so I'm not sure why parts mods (outside of a few exceptions like wheel mods, of which there aren't all that many) would require some months-long amount of work to update.

Mods that interact with the old EZGUI will probably have lots of problems, but there aren't many that do too much with EZGUI. Most UI mods rely on the legacy OnGUI system (it is already legacy in the version of Unity used by KSP 1.0.x); nothing about Squad's updates to their UI will significantly affect those.

Sounds sensible to me... Thanks for pointing that out...

[Red Iron Crown]

18 hours ago, mcirish3 said:

Yes but why does the 64 bit build have nothing to do with putting more through the processor, and everything to do with RAM address space?  My processor is 64 bit, so if it is running a 64 bit program it can in fact put twice as much information through, per cycle why does this not double the speed?

Bits are binary digits. More of them doesn't improve calculation speed, just makes the variables bigger/more precise. Think of it as being able to do a million multiplications of two ten digit numbers per second.* If you instead do a million multiplications of two twenty digit numbers per second, you aren't doing any more math, just the same math with a greater range.

The RAM increase is because the variables used for memory addresses have more digits. 64-bit is all about the digits.

*Numbers for example purposes. Do not try to do millions of multiplications per second in your head without installing an adequate heat sink.

[mcirish3]

3 hours ago, Red Iron Crown said:

Bits are binary digits. More of them doesn't improve calculation speed, just makes the variables bigger/more precise. Think of it as being able to do a million multiplications of two ten digit numbers per second.* If you instead do a million multiplications of two twenty digit numbers per second, you aren't doing any more math, just the same math with a greater range.

The RAM increase is because the variables used for memory addresses have more digits. 64-bit is all about the digits.

*Numbers for example purposes. Do not try to do millions of multiplications per second in your head without installing an adequate heat sink.

Thanks I think I get it now.  See below:

13 hours ago, mcirish3 said:

IN short the best thing I could do to decrease load times in KSP is to install an SSD drive, The best thing I can do with x64 is to use more than 4GB of ram, and the only real thing I can do to improve actual performance in KSP is buy Intel's or AMD's very top of the line processor chip.  I am doing the first two but the last one is not likely to be do able for me for another 4-5 years and my PC is from 2006. (I am using the fastest processor AMD made in 2008 Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition )

 

[LadyAthena]

On 2/10/2016 at 3:17 PM, Azimech said:

Actually I believe it's not about having emotion but the rational insight the customer just doesn't like such sloppiness and it could create the feeling more things might be wrong or worse.

"All your base are belong to us." A classic example of commercial suicide in the most extreme form. Five years after releasing their product, Toaplan went bust in '94.

 

Well, a tiny few punctuation's random here or there, or 1 letter missing is usually just a tiny little hiccup. If you're going to go apesh#$ over that and say the entire game sucks because of it, you have personal issues you need to work out. That was my point. Good grammar and spelling doesn't make you a good game developer, nor does it actually make you smart. I've seen plenty of people who had perfect typing skills and were some of the dumbest people I've ever met. If you're basing spelling/writing on how good a game is you need to seriously reevaluate your life.

I'm with you if its like serious screw ups constantly, but nowhere ever have I seen anything worth getting a hissy fit over in anyway.

Lets pretend for a moment their grammar and spelling was epic bad, and their game was suffering due to bad management, illiterate developers. Would you proof reading anything change anything? Not at all.

Besides, is you doing grammar, spelling checks with a fine tooth comb going to magically make anything better? No. Seems more like an ego epeen jerking to me than anything else.

My point was, their game is awesome. Squad is an awesome developer group making damn near every right call they should be, which is insanely hard in todays age with such opinionated A hole gamers running around, and their press releases, and content they release have well within the acceptable range of tiny little grammar, or punctuation typos. Again, if you're going to judge them and the game on that... You need to seriously get the stick out of your rear.

 

I don't want to start an argument or cause drama, but a few people earlier in the posts were prodding Squad about this, and I wanted to comment.

 

Edited February 15, 2016 by LadyAthena

[Vanamonde]

Let's please not attack each other over the relative importance of spelling mistakes. 

[KerbonautInTraining]

On 2/15/2016 at 7:11 PM, Red Iron Crown said:

Bits are binary digits. More of them doesn't improve calculation speed, just makes the variables bigger/more precise.

Does this mean we won't have to deal with the game acting funny after 68 years? I heard that's a 32 bit thing.

(the space center clock tends to break and display negative numbers after 68 years, among other things)

Edited February 16, 2016 by KerbonautInTraining

[Red Iron Crown]

Not sure, guess we'll have to wait and see.

[AlextheBodacious]

Can someone explain the delays with the comms system?

Is it coming next? ever?

[mcirish3]

18 minutes ago, AlextheBodacious said:

Can someone explain the delays with the comms system?

Is it coming next? ever?

It will be in the first update after 1.1.  It was a practical decision made to not delay 1.1 any longer than necessary.  Comms, will remake a large part of the science.  This is a big part of the game and it would have delayed 1.1 from coming out.  I am sure 1.11 or 1.15 or 1.2  or which ever is next will include the new comms.  I do hope the giant inflatable heat shields will be in 1.1 though.

Edited February 16, 2016 by mcirish3

[Tomperke]

Release the beast !!!!

I wanna bang something new towards the sky...

Come on and get on with it, biting my nails off !!! 

I ADMIT BEING A KSP-AHOLIC. SO WHAT?

A few more days and we Will need a helpgroup for kspjunks like me....

 

RELEASE IT !!!

[Padishar]

48 minutes ago, Tomperke said:

A few more days and we Will need a helpgroup for kspjunks like me....

Given it's still in QA, it will, almost certainly, be at least 3 weeks before release...

Edited February 16, 2016 by Padishar

[HafCoJoe]

I'm just hoping for some images this week.  Maybe a peek at the new landing gear again or something else you guys have sitting in wait.

[KerbonautInTraining]

If it comes before mid March I'd be more than satisfied.

I'm considering pulling a curtain over my eyes during experimentals so some of the UI changes come as a surprise. 

Come on, it would be no fun to install the update and just be like: "Yeah, this is exactly what I was expecting."

[godefroi]

If you're interested in the performance implications of moving to 64-bit, then Rico Mariani is the place to start: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ricom/archive/2015/12/29/revisiting-64-bit-ness-in-visual-studio-and-elsewhere.aspx

For those unwilling to read: all other things being equal, moving to 64-bit is a net performance negative.

[Tomperke]

10 hours ago, Padishar said:

Given it's still in QA, it will, almost certainly, be at least 3 weeks before release...

OK, after the nails... I Will start biting my Fingers. I Will need the interface to be controlled by eye movement If this Continues on...

[Dre4dW0rm]

On 10/02/2016 at 5:01 PM, parameciumkid said:

You guys still need to hire a proofreader (and I still volunteer). The KSPedia slides you just released have several spelling errors:
- Slide 2: "propellent" should be "propellant"
- Slide 2: "vessels" should be "vessel's"
- Slide 2: There appear to be two spaces between "in" and "docking"
- Slide 2: Period missing after "object"
- Slide 3: Missing "in" between "Ore" and "an asteroid"
- Slide 3: "So you have to rendezvous..." is a fragment
- Slide 4: The opening sentence is a horrible run-on. Suggestion: "Ore can be found on planets in addition to within asteroids. On planets, mining is all about gathering intel."

The list goes on, but I don't want to make you guys feel bad. I assume these slides are rough drafts anyway, but I'm happy to help sort out the writing as needed.

You missed so much!!!

In the S2 alone: Manuever => Maneuver (twice), Heres => Here's, Wheres => Where's

...

[SpacecraftX]

How is it that you are actually supposed to pronounce "TriggerAu"? I've been pronouncing it as "Trigger Gold" (assuming Au was meant as the representation in the periodic table for gold).

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

3 hours ago, SpacecraftX said:

How is it that you are actually supposed to pronounce "TriggerAu"? I've been pronouncing it as "Trigger Gold" (assuming Au was meant as the representation in the periodic table for gold).

Personally, I pronounce it "Trigger Aye You."

[nightingale]

3 hours ago, SpacecraftX said:

How is it that you are actually supposed to pronounce "TriggerAu"? I've been pronouncing it as "Trigger Gold" (assuming Au was meant as the representation in the periodic table for gold).

I always assumed it meant Australia ( especially given the dev notes talk about removing the koalas, kangaroos, kookabooras and other Australian things from KSPedia).

Also helps differentiate him with TriggerNZ, TriggerUK, TriggerFR and TriggerJP.

Edit - and in my head it's pronounced trigger-ow.

Edited February 18, 2016 by nightingale

[TriggerAu]

Au as in Australia yes. My nickname in real life is Trigger and I live in Aus - very hard to get Trigger on any system. Although gold plating might be nice - its not the right one in this case

I say it "Trigger Aye You" as well.

 

4 hours ago, Dre4dW0rm said:

You missed so much!!!

In the S2 alone: Manuever => Maneuver (twice), Heres => Here's, Wheres => Where's

...

 

For extra info. I went back after we did our spelling/proofing/sensibility pass and checked the things poeple noted in here and reddit. All those were picked up in that pass, and in fact that S2 screen in particular is now substantially different

Rest assured that lots of checking is being done on this stuff before release - including the good old grammar arguments in the test teams - these were shared to show style more than correctness

[Curveball Anders]

17 hours ago, SpacecraftX said:

How is it that you are actually supposed to pronounce "TriggerAu"? I've been pronouncing it as "Trigger Gold" (assuming Au was meant as the representation in the periodic table for gold).

Scrappy.

[problemecium]

23 hours ago, Dre4dW0rm said:

You missed so much!!!

In the S2 alone: Manuever => Maneuver (twice), Heres => Here's, Wheres => Where's

...

Well I did say I didn't want to make them feel bad
This does support my point though. I hope they get a serious overhaul before 1.1 is released, because that quantity of errors is going to make the whole game look bad.