EB loading time?

[AqD]

Hmmm just wondering, anyone tried to analyze why EB always takes forever to load?


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Just made a test, the second-time loading of EB is about 1 minutes and 20 seconds. The test is made after entire EB files are put into cache (no disk access during the loading)

My hardware spec: AMD Sempron 2400, 2GB DDR-RAM, nVIDIA 6200/256MB, on Windows Server 2003.


I'm going to make more tests and trace the files loaded....

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I used filemon and noted the following facts:
- animation packs take about 3 sec to load, while the engine-related stuff takes almost 0
- various packs take almost 0
- text\export_units.txt takes 12 sec (between first reading and close of the file)
- text\export_buildings.txt takes 30 sec
- ui\{CULTURE}\buildings.... take about 20 sec
- text\export_VnVs.txt takes about 4 sec
- ancillaries\* take about 2 sec
- settlement plans\* take about 5 sec
- sound & music take about 7 sec
- show_me scripts take about 5 sec

filemon does slow down the whole process by a lot - but reading on one file (text\*) isn't impacted that much and timing should be close enough.

I'll hack the text files now and try to see if it can be improved

[zooeyglass]

Hmmm just wondering, anyone tried to analyze why EB always takes forever to load?

big script i would guess......there's another thread about this quite recently.

or wait, do you mean between turns, or the game itself?

[AqD]

I mean the game loading time - not between turns.

The script file isn't loaded until you enter the campaign, so it should not have large impact I think.

[zooeyglass]

I mean the game loading time - not between turns.

The script file isn't loaded until you enter the campaign, so it should not have large impact I think.

of course - normally one gets the script going once the campaign map opens.

entering the game, i have no idea - mine loads reasonably quick.

[Paganist]

If I haven't misunderstood badly, it its because of EB has so big descriptions for every faction + all the pictures and other stuff at menu. Loading those takes for a while. But try EB with ALX exe. It made game to load faster - at least for me ;)

[AqD]

If I haven't misunderstood badly, it its because of EB has so big descriptions for every faction + all the pictures and other stuff at menu. Loading those takes for a while.

But not much more models or units - there are hardcoded limits and several other mods use up to the limits as well. So I'm wondering what's really making EB slow?

But try EB with ALX exe. It made game to load faster - at least for me ;)

Yeah much faster, especially the graphics. That's why I only ask for loading time now :)

[LorDBulA]

But not much more models or units

Are you serious?
We are quite close to the limit.

Its more of a guess but I would say around 5 times the number of original RTW.

[AqD]

I know but RTR and RTR-based mods are close to the limit too, and probably some others such as RS. So it proves the units/models alone can't slow down loading time a lot.

[Hax]

Takes about 4 minutes to load here.

Specs are:

-nVidia 7600+6600 Crossfire 256 MB each
-Pentium IV processor
-2 GB RAM

[LorDBulA]

Use filemon. It reads lots and lots of files.

From what I remember campaign Faction descriptions somehow have quite significant impact on loading time.
They where shorten to speed things up. Try delete them and check the difference.