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Author Topic: Embark Size  (Read 4618 times)

Durin

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Embark Size
« on: February 09, 2016, 10:54:43 pm »

I guess I must be delusional, but I sure thought I remembered maxing out embark sizes back in the day. Perusing the interwebs, it would appear that is a pipe dream.

I have a metric ton of memory, but just an i5 for a processor. Any info anywhere on max embark sizes? So far both 16x16 and 15x15 have crashed before they complete calculation and give me a map.

If anyone wants troubleshooting info on these crashes, please let me know where to look. I seem to be getting less and less computer savvy the older I get.
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MoonyTheHuman

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2016, 10:56:02 pm »

I guess I must be delusional, but I sure thought I remembered maxing out embark sizes back in the day. Perusing the interwebs, it would appear that is a pipe dream.

I have a metric ton of memory, but just an i5 for a processor. Any info anywhere on max embark sizes? So far both 16x16 and 15x15 have crashed before they complete calculation and give me a map.

If anyone wants troubleshooting info on these crashes, please let me know where to look. I seem to be getting less and less computer savvy the older I get.
without bin patches, df has a 2gb max

Durin

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2016, 11:01:54 pm »

I guess I must be delusional, but I sure thought I remembered maxing out embark sizes back in the day. Perusing the interwebs, it would appear that is a pipe dream.

I have a metric ton of memory, but just an i5 for a processor. Any info anywhere on max embark sizes? So far both 16x16 and 15x15 have crashed before they complete calculation and give me a map.

If anyone wants troubleshooting info on these crashes, please let me know where to look. I seem to be getting less and less computer savvy the older I get.
without bin patches, df has a 2gb max

So much for memory I guess. No advice for max sizes?

Also, it seems every time I start a game, it wants to count off a few days of calculation of SOMETHING. Can I not save it somehow so it can start without doing the extra calculations? Not seeing a save for that on the embark map anywhere.

FWIW, I seem to have gotten a 9x9 to at least start, though it cratered immediately upon hitting "enter" at the "Strike the Earth" prompt. 8x8 is running. Will try to actually play it tomorrow.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 11:38:10 pm by Durin »
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Bumber

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2016, 11:45:12 pm »

Also, it seems every time I start a game, it wants to count off a few days of calculation of SOMETHING. Can I not save it somehow so it can start without doing the extra calculations? Not seeing a save for that on the embark map anywhere.
World stuff happening. Battles, population growth, etc.

Isn't there an initial save setting in the .ini? Or does it crash before then?
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Saiko Kila

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2016, 02:44:06 am »


Also, it seems every time I start a game, it wants to count off a few days of calculation of SOMETHING. Can I not save it somehow so it can start without doing the extra calculations? Not seeing a save for that on the embark map anywhere.


The results of such calculations are partially random, they are different every time. When I have a heavy adventure world, and save it so I can revisit it in fortress mode, most of the time the game crashes just during calendar phase. But sometimes it does not, and I simply retry till then.

The more complicated world, the less chance it will go smoothly.
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Melting Sky

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2016, 03:06:17 am »

It depends on your system and settings, but I run DF on an i7 processor and for me the maximum size I consider smoothly playable amounts to an area of around 12 regional squares. Things like waterfalls and other forms of running water tend to put more of a load on the processor so if I am embarking somewhere with moving water features and a volcano I tend to cut back that size a little. 4 x 3 is a pretty big embark particularly if it is a site with a large number of Z levels. If you are looking to embark across multiple geographical features and or biomes it's easiest to accomplish this with long thin embarks. I am quite fond of 2 x 5. A smaller world with a shorter history will also help with the overall processor load. You can do stuff like turning off the weather to stretch things further, or you can keep your fort and pop cap small. I like to run big sprawling forts with lots of dwarves.

If you run a small lean fort and avoid things like rivers, volcanoes and sites with a lot of Z axis depth you can probably run a considerably larger embark than this without it becoming too painfully slow. I imagine you can probably get something like a 7 x7 to run decently, but the FPS death would come swiftly for such a fort if you let it get large.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2016, 03:22:11 am by Melting Sky »
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PatrikLundell

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2016, 04:16:17 am »

The larger the embark size the lower the FPS. Since DF is single thread adding CPU cores does nothing. Even if you were to succeed in embarking on a 7*7 embark I would expect it to crash after a while when the memory demand exceeds 2 GB (can be gotten around with a memory patch to give you 3 GB, but I wouldn't bet on that being enough for the fortress in the long run). Usually, a large embark means you'll just suffer from FPS death earlier.
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greycat

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2016, 02:23:04 pm »

without bin patches, df has a 2gb max

on Microsoft Windows.
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Rose

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2016, 02:27:50 pm »

Any operating system.
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greycat

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2016, 02:32:58 pm »

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/System_requirements#RAM

"[...] the memory usable to Dwarf Fortress is limited to 2GB or 3GB (depending on the platform)."
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Rose

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2016, 02:35:51 pm »

Still means that more than a 6x6 is kill.
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Sutremaine

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2016, 05:31:18 pm »

You can make the embark shallower still by cutting down the number of z-levels above ground and nixing two of the cavern layers. Possibly the very bottom layer as well if you have no interest in the metal it offers.

You can also make the world shallower by restricting the amount of z-levels available. A region set to only have levels between 275 and 325 should have very predictable, flat caverns.
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Durin

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2016, 10:37:17 pm »

Thanks folks.

I will run this 8x8 till it crashes then go back to smaller embarks. I guess maybe I am remembering things in terms of a smaller screen with lower resolution.

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Valkyrie

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Re: Embark Size
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2016, 10:40:40 pm »

You can make the embark shallower still by cutting down the number of z-levels above ground and nixing two of the cavern layers. Possibly the very bottom layer as well if you have no interest in the metal it offers.
Maybe it's just bad luck, but this hasn't worked for me in my 42.04  & 42.05 forts.  In pre-42.xx forts, with one cavern layer (and a few added levels between surface and first cavern), it'd typically be ~20-40z levels from surface to magma sea.  In my 42.xx forts, it's been over 100 z levels every time ><.  Identical world gen parameters, etc.  Might just be luck, but ... that *used* to be a very nice tip for cutting down load.
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