We need 64bit exe

[taltamir]

i noticed distant worlds keeps on crashing with an out of memory error... well, I also noticed the executable is 32bit. As you probably know, 32bit application cannot address more then 2GB of ram. This game is ideal for 64bit executables. Any plans on making one?

[Erik Rutins]

Yes, that's the next step as far as these memory issues go. That will resolve it for certain on 64-bit systems, but we are still hoping to resolve it on 32-bit systems as well. In our testing with prior saves, 1.0.3 did resolve it, but apparently not in all cases.

The main cause of this in new games is simply the amount of "stuff" in late games. With the economy now fixed in several aspects and working more efficiently than ever, there is now more "stuff" being generated by all empires that's pushing things beyond what we'd seen before.

[taltamir]

Awesome. its good to know that a 64bit version would arrive eventually. I do understand the focus on decreasing the ram usage per object, as that will improve things for 32bit version as well (if successful enough might completely remove the need for a 64bit version).

I imagine a temporary solution for 32bit would be to limit the amount of colonize-able planets per galaxy (either via limiting the size of galaxy, or decreasing the incidence of colonizeable planets in each system). Now that the economy works right and there are more stuff going on "per planet" so to speak.

A custom sandbox game with only one empire where every planet in the galaxy is auto-colonized immediately and then run for a while would allow for more accurate examination of RAM usage patterns. (or maybe multiple empires on full auto each getting an equal share, but still making all planets colonized... thats actually probably a better idea...) i get a feeling that if i just played a galaxy two sizes smaller then max i wouldn't have anymore ram issues...

[Fishman]

I really find it hard to believe that the amount of "stuff" involved is the problem. After all, the game itself can apparently write all this stuff into a 100-meg file. If the game only consumes 100 MBs to store all this stuff, why does the RAM usage balloon so insanely? Other games have even more stuff running around, sometimes on the other of tens of thousands of units...yet they don't explode. Something must be leaking memory.

[BigWolfChris]

Bare in mind, 99% of commercial games use 32-bit exe, and stay limited to 2GB of ram, yet the only issue memories that tend to crop up are when memory leaks occur a 64-bit exe will only a faster game with use of extra ram available in alot of computers these days, but the step up might not be worth the cost or time yet

If anything, time would be better spent optimizing current memory usage, ensuring "repeat info" doesn't exist, and that graphics are optimized in file size while keeping image quality high

As someone who has done a fair bit of optimization work for PHP websites (I know, it's different, but the ethos is still the same), you'd be surprise how much you can optimize just by spending a couple of days on it, you will even see ways you didn't think of when you first looked at or wrote the coding

[sbach2o]

ORIGINAL: Fishman

I really find it hard to believe that the amount of "stuff" involved is the problem. After all, the game itself can apparently write all this stuff into a 100-meg file. If the game only consumes 100 MBs to store all this stuff, why does the RAM usage balloon so insanely? Other games have even more stuff running around, sometimes on the other of tens of thousands of units...yet they don't explode. Something must be leaking memory.

Have you tried to zip one of the save files? They are obviously in a compressed format (not zip though). This accounts some for the ballooning amount of data. Then there's all the support structures that must be built in memory to look up things and let the game run fast enough and so on.

[taltamir]

ORIGINAL: BigWolf

Bare in mind, 99% of commercial games use 32-bit exe, and stay limited to 2GB of ram, yet the only issue memories that tend to crop up are when memory leaks occur a 64-bit exe will only a faster game with use of extra ram available in alot of computers these days, but the step up might not be worth the cost or time yet

A significant amount of games have 64bit exes and do break the 2gb barrier... far more then 1%...

in fact, some break the 7GB barrier on 8GB machines... and that is on purpose... for example, X3 had a 64bit patch that allowed it to utilize more ram to increase performance. tested over 7GB used on 8GB machines (and much better performance) Supreme commander IIRC breaks 4GB for it alone in 64bit mode.

640kb is NOT enough for everyone... neither is 2GB.

[BigWolfChris]

ORIGINAL: taltamir for example, X3 had a 64bit patch that allowed it to utilize more ram to increase performance. tested over 7GB used on 8GB machines (and much better performance)

Being an avid X fan, this is news to me, could you please post where to find this? They altered the 32-bit exe to allow use of more than 2GB, but this was then removed again due to the extra problems it introduced (read patch notes 2.5)

[taltamir]

mmm, maybe i am remembering it wrong. I was sure they used 64bit to do so not an alteration to 32bit. how would they even go about making such an alteration?

[BigWolfChris]

It's called a LAA Flag

From wiki:

A 32-bit program, if linked with the "large address aware" option, can use up to 4 GiB (4,294,967,296 bytes) of virtual address space, as compared to the default 2 GiB (2,147,483,648 bytes; optional 3 GiB [3,221,225,472 bytes] with /3GB boot.ini option and "large address aware" link option) offered by 32-bit Windows.

You can actually put this in yourself with some tools Problem is, a LAA Flag can cause more headaches than it solves

Personally I reckon time would be better spent optimizing what currently exists

[taltamir]

this doesn't explain how some people were measuring 7GB for it though... I don't personally own X, I have been told by people on a forum (anantech) discussing examples 64bit gaming that they have done so.

[BigWolfChris]

Well, that's news too me There should of been no way to do with a 32-bit app without some major headaches Any chance of a link too specific threads so I can have a read for myself?

[Speedy2511]

Hi!

For 64bit systems you can use a programm, for example "explorer suite", i think. With this programm you can tell the exe to use more than 2 GB Ram, if you have more.

On my system it worked, no ctd. And this with the 1.02 version of the game.

Greetings Nico

[taltamir]

sorry i don't have a link handy... it will take way too long to find it in the anandtech archives.