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[Goblin Dragoon 085]

Combining multithreading and framerate improvement is currently not really that smart, because one requires a certain piece of hardware (multi-cores) to take advantage of, while an improved a* code will simply make the game run faster on every machine.

[Lightman]

Is it useful to request something as code-specific as multithreading?

I think we all would like to see the game run faster. However, multithreading is not a simple change, nor is it a step in optimising code. It has to be planned and implemented carefully, preferably from the beginning of development.

I happen to have a multi-core CPU, as many (most?) of us. Toady probably knows that and it seems logical that he would consider it, as far as it's feasible. The people asking for multithreading want it for one reason: to make the game faster. So, isn't that what we should be asking for? Better performance?

What this really comes down to, in my mind, is not a suggestion for the game. It's more a user problem report: "the game runs too slowly".

Maybe we should be asking Toady about this?

[Devath]

1)RAWS
2)Transit
3)Lever connections (blinky)

[Dorten]

-More underground diversity
-Adventure mode: improved dwarven halls
-Excavate; Possibly via the "stone" menu

[Draco18s]

quote:Originally posted by Lightman:
<STRONG>...multithreading...

Maybe we should be asking Toady about this?</STRONG>

He's said "NO, QUIT ASKING!" repeatedly.  In fact, he doesn't even read threads that ask for it anymore.  I don't blame him.  Multi-threading is not a simple opperation, even for simple programs: what happens if one thread runs slower than the rest?  How do the others know to pause?

[Areyar]

I want to change one of my votes to

-increased raws-,
just because I'd like to have more access to the guts of DF for modding purposes.
(sub-request: scripting)

I'll supplant the -improved world gen options-,
seeing as Toady already is sufficiently obsessed with it as is.  

[Lightman]

quote:Originally posted by Draco18s:
<STRONG>

He's said "NO, QUIT ASKING!" repeatedly.  In fact, he doesn't even read threads that ask for it anymore.  I don't blame him.  Multi-threading is not a simple opperation...</STRONG>

Thank you. That was exactly my point (though I didn't know about his repeated response).

So, why is that even on here?

[zagibu]

@ Draco18s: Multithreading doesn't quite work that way. But you are right that it has indeed a rather large impact on the codebase and can require the rewriting of a lot of the code.

@ Areyar: You don't have to supplant anything, since your "fix dispersed stacks" vote is already in the definite list (it was the #1 top suggestion last round). Also, you are lucky that you changed one of your votes, otherwise I would not have seen your edit. Do you really expect me to go through all posts of the thread everytime I update the list?

@ Lightman: Even if Toady doesn't want to implement it at the moment, why should that stop us from asking for it? Maybe he will change his mind if it is requested countless times. Or maybe he will get angry and stop listening to requests at all. I don't think so, though.

[ May 23, 2008: Message edited by: zagibu ]

[Quitschi1337]

Okay, my choices would be:

1.Framerate Improvements, because i would like to create a nice fortress with a reasonable size and dwarf number, but i always ended up abandoning the fortress after a few years... playing at 9fps isnt really the thing everyone is haeding for ~~

2.Improved Sieges, because goblins should be something more than an additional iron supply

3.show lever connections / name levers / blink connected

[Lightman]

quote:Originally posted by zagibu:
<STRONG>
@ Lightman: Even if Toady doesn't want to implement it at the moment, why should that stop us from asking for it? Maybe he will change his mind if it is requested countless times. Or maybe he will get angry and stop listening to requests at all. I don't think so, though.
[ May 23, 2008: Message edited by: zagibu ]</STRONG>

That's fair, but if the author of the game has repeatedly denied the request and even asked people to stop requesting it, then it seems rather disrespectful (or at best, inconsiderate) to put it on a list like this. Especially, if this is meant to be a list that people expect Toady to consider.

[Fedor]

quote:Originally posted by Lightman:
<STRONG>

That's fair, but if the author of the game has repeatedly denied the request and even asked people to stop requesting it, then it seems rather disrespectful (or at best, inconsiderate) to put it on a list like this. Especially, if this is meant to be a list that people expect Toady to consider.</STRONG>

If Toady has indeed explicitly asked that that particular request not be made, then I support leaving it off this poll.

If his position is in any way vague, however, I support leaving it in.  Reason being that this poll isn't merely a list of requests, it also gives data on DF player priorities.  Which is new and useful information for Toady.

[Draco18s]

quote:Originally posted by Fedor:
<STRONG>If Toady has indeed explicitly asked that that particular request not be made, then I support leaving it off this poll.</STRONG>

Of the five threads on DF being multi-threaded here's what Toady has had to say (in the two oldest ones).

quote:Originally posted by Toady One:
<STRONG>I'm just not sure where to begin with this sort of thing, and things like multi-threading and so on, given that I have a giant mass of code that's currently being run in one sequence.  It seems like it would take a lot of effort to figure this out and the best ways to use it and so on, when I still have plenty of regular optimizations to take advantage of.</STRONG>

quote:Originally posted by Toady One:
<STRONG>Yeah, I really don't know the slightest things about threads or whatever.  Somebody showed me something once, but it didn't like something I could use, and even if I could, it seems like quite a project.</STRONG>

Looks like a pretty definate "I'm not going to do it."

[zagibu]

Sounds more as if he would do it as soon as he knew how and had time to. He just has currently more pressing things to implement.

But seriously, this is a full democratic vote, so if 20 people voted to implement pink badgers, it would be on position number 1.

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

quote:

(6) transport vehicles/animals, better hauling:

(5) resizeable viewport:

(3) material selection for materials used in workshops:

my 2 cents worth

[lastofthelight]

1. Ladders
2. Improved Seiges
3. More RAW's

I'd actually rather see the devs spend an ungodly amount time on the previously-voted things, such as job priorities - then anything in the above. (Though I have to admit, just having a small moat be an invincible goblin-stopper is a bit cheap.) Actually, I think that the job priorities bit from before is the single most important thing Toady could do, from my thus-far limited experience with the game - I think it would cut out half the questions I've asked and read about on the gameplay forums.

[ May 24, 2008: Message edited by: lastofthelight ]