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[Shades]

So, does the video card really matter much?  I realize the openGL/SDL port uses higher end features of a card, but I couldn't imagine overclocking my video card would help any.

Probably not, it's very unlikely your gfx card is a bottleneck for DF, and chances are if it is its due to poor OpenGL drivers rather than the hardware.

[Kuraudo]

I initially attempted to explore the cavern by setting up a cage, pulling the lever, and letting the tame grizzly bear out.  And he sat.  And did nothing.  Ever.

Slightly off topic I guess, but did you war train him?  War Grizzlies bears are pretty fun - no idea how useful they are on their own, but a small army of those with axedwarves can essentially clear out the HFS below the HFS.

[BubbaBrown]

So, does the video card really matter much?  I realize the openGL/SDL port uses higher end features of a card, but I couldn't imagine overclocking my video card would help any.

Nope.

I've run DF2010, setting it to a single core, and watched the game slow down, but CPU usage drop.  It ain't a hardware problem.  Also, the CPU usage for a paused game is a little frightening.  The game, technically, shouldn't be doing any simulations, but there's still a 1/3 of one core of my i7 920 getting constantly used during a paused game when the game window doesn't even have focus.  For 2D graphics, that's just not healthy.  I've got games (admittedly older games) that used full software-based 3d rendering engines that aren't this hungry.

I haven't seen the code, so I can't say much more.  And I really like the game, but something's seriously off.

[Dekon]

So, does the video card really matter much?  I realize the openGL/SDL port uses higher end features of a card, but I couldn't imagine overclocking my video card would help any.

Nope.

I've run DF2010, setting it to a single core, and watched the game slow down, but CPU usage drop.  It ain't a hardware problem.  Also, the CPU usage for a paused game is a little frightening.  The game, technically, shouldn't be doing any simulations, but there's still a 1/3 of one core of my i7 920 getting constantly used during a paused game when the game window doesn't even have focus.  For 2D graphics, that's just not healthy.  I've got games (admittedly older games) that used full software-based 3d rendering engines that aren't this hungry.

I haven't seen the code, so I can't say much more.  And I really like the game, but something's seriously off.

Yeah..  I honestly have always tried to defend to one of my friends that the reason the game uses so much CPU is that it's just so complex - there's so much going on at once, and so many individual aspects that are important that need to be dealt with, that it's required...

Lately, though..  I honestly think the game does need to be rewritten a bit.  I'm not a coder, so I guess maybe I'm completely wrong and that this really is how it should turn out.   But I can't help but think 'Maybe this just isn't done well'

[pbheadtemp]

if you notice.. 2010 is based on a version BEFORE the 40#d and such came out... in other words, the amazing speed and optimization from all that work is not currently in the most recent version...

that said, if you read the devlog, youll notice that the most recent entry is EXACTLY toady incorperating the 40#d elements into the game... so hopefully, we will see improvements shortly. 

just, give him a few days.

[BubbaBrown]

Yeah..  I honestly have always tried to defend to one of my friends that the reason the game uses so much CPU is that it's just so complex - there's so much going on at once, and so many individual aspects that are important that need to be dealt with, that it's required...

Lately, though..  I honestly think the game does need to be rewritten a bit.  I'm not a coder, so I guess maybe I'm completely wrong and that this really is how it should turn out.   But I can't help but think 'Maybe this just isn't done well'

I've got a masters in computer science with focuses in databases, parallel processing, and operating systems.  The feeling I get when I play DF I can liken to an experienced fireman smelling smoke.  I can guess what's burning and I don't know where it is, but the source of the smoke isn't good.  So, people are right to feel something isn't quite right.

if you notice.. 2010 is based on a version BEFORE the 40#d and such came out... in other words, the amazing speed and optimization from all that work is not currently in the most recent version...

that said, if you read the devlog, youll notice that the most recent entry is EXACTLY toady incorperating the 40#d elements into the game... so hopefully, we will see improvements shortly. 

just, give him a few days.

That's a very strange way to do development.  I've done similar way in the past, but now refuse to do such because of all the issues you run into.

[Shades]

That's a very strange way to do development.  I've done similar way in the past, but now refuse to do such because of all the issues you run into.

The 40d# changes were written by someone else and done after Toady started on the new version.

[BubbaBrown]

The 40d# changes were written by someone else and done after Toady started on the new version.

Tis' why version control systems and repositories were made.  I use some form of version control for any project I do.  I absolutely refuse to do any serious development without one... especially if it's just me.  Nothing like reverts and diff logs to make life easier when you try to figure out what inane act of programming dark magic you performed to completely fubar the works.

[Shades]

Tis' why version control systems and repositories were made.  I use some form of version control for any project I do.  I absolutely refuse to do any serious development without one... especially if it's just me.  Nothing like reverts and diff logs to make life easier when you try to figure out what inane act of programming dark magic you performed to completely fubar the works.

I would tend to agree but in this case I believe the work was done independently based on the battle chimps code (someone please correct that if it's wrong) and the new system has moved onto a different rendering system so it's not just a simple port. I don't know if Toady using version control but in any case the battle chimps code was just to give a framework that old system used. If the system has been redesigned and doesn't share interfaces no amount of source control is going to help solve that.

If the code was unit tested this would probably be a simple integration, but I doubt that is the case as we've seen the same bugs pop up multiple times. It doesn't really help at this stage either way, the code is as it is. With any luck this current process will mean it never has to be done again as the change is in the main code base rather than being an add on like thing.

[Jay]

Processor runs really cool.. its the other stuff..

Are you KIDDING me?
Before I put a watercooling kit in my rig, my i7-860 would gladly reach 100*C core temp if I let it...

[BubbaBrown]

Are you KIDDING me?
Before I put a watercooling kit in my rig, my i7-860 would gladly reach 100*C core temp if I let it...

The stock Intel heatsinks are badly designed and undersized.  The point where the heatsink meets is slightly concave to allow for the stock thermal interface media room to move around and a very small portion of the CPU's heatspreader.  It's a cheap modification of an older line's heatsink.  I had the same issues and couldn't chance running turbo mode on my i7-920 for tripping the TJMax down clocking when it approached a 100C.  Then I got a Zalman CNPS9900 and hover an average of 63C with all 4 cores maxed out, hyperthreading, and using turbo mode, which is about 2.8GHz for the stock clock.  At idle, I'm usually looking at 37-40C.  On colder nights, it gets lower.  My computer is designed for sensible performance and silence.

So, to the OP, if you get an i7 get yourself some aftermarket cooling ASAP.  I'd recommend the Zalman CNPS9900, I got.  It's a little large, but VERY effective and quiet about it.

[0x517A5D]

The 40d# changes were written by someone else and done after Toady started on the new version.

Tis' why version control systems and repositories were made.  I use some form of version control for any project I do.  I absolutely refuse to do any serious development without one... especially if it's just me.  Nothing like reverts and diff logs to make life easier when you try to figure out what inane act of programming dark magic you performed to completely fubar the works.

Various people have encouraged Toady to get under some form of revision control/code management system.  So far he has not expressed interest; I think he doesn't see the benefit.  (Which is my experience -- the light doesn't click on until you have actually used one for a month or two.)

He doesn't need much.  He needs a simple, lightweight system with integration into his IDE, presumably Visual Studio.  He needs branching and basic merging.  He doesn't need multiple users, file locking, conflict resolution, atomic operations, diff3, or distributed VCS.

But yeah, he needs more than zip -r 0.31.03.zip *
I just wish he understood that.

[Dekon]

Processor runs really cool.. its the other stuff..

Are you KIDDING me?
Before I put a watercooling kit in my rig, my i7-860 would gladly reach 100*C core temp if I let it...

No?  Have a very, very computer savvy friend who's stated that a -good- heatsink can get 99% heat removal as a water cooling system.  The main advantage of a water cooling system is that it's consistent - water cools much faster than air, so there's no quick rises in heat.  But a good heatsink still does just as well.

Besides, in overclocking, my point was still that my processor is limited by my -good- motherboard.  And it's happened with two separate motherboards.  I'm not as savvy as my friend, but I -think- it's called the northridge?  Whatever it is, it's some part on the motherboard that starts to burn up when I start overclocking my processor.  The processor sits at a very nice temp - it's other parts on the motherboard that limit me, and honestly ripping off the cheap heatsink on those parts and trying to find a way to install a second/third waterblock on them is too much work.

[Ivar360]

I'm currently running Dwarf Fortress 2010 on an Intel Core i7 920 with 6gb RAM, an Intel X25-M 1st Gen Solid State Drive, and a Radeon HD 4890.  I'm getting about 25-30fps with 144 dwarves and a whole bunch of other crap items in the game.

That makes me feel so much better about my laptop
I'm using an Acer Aspire 5715z  laptop with 4gig ram (3 being used because of my 32-bit os)  with an Intel Dual core T2390 1.86Ghz and an Intel video card (completely useless for gaming).
And I get roughly the same FPS on my fort with 107 dwarfes and assloads of crap.

However, I have not gotten a single siege in 6 years of the fort so that is probably a major factor in the amount of crap lying around.

[Hyperturtle]

the fortress I previously mentioned started to crash every five minutes, and after undoing my overclocking, it continued to crash every few  minutes.. to the point I gave up.  Something was causing it to go bad!

I made a new fortress, but this time I took the advice of whomever said they made their hallways five tiles wide for the main pathways.  I have 60 something dwarves now in the new fortress, no crashing and the frame rate is still around 100, occasionally dipping to  70 when the caravan first arrives.  I've had no ambushes yet.  But the main thing is that having bigger hallways helped immensely.  I had the challenge of making the fort look functional (yeah I am not an award winning fort designer), but everyone is running around at a decent clip.  I also made the stairways 3x3 to the main floors and outside, where before I might have used 2 or 2x2. 

I want to think it made a great difference!