Why Trion can't add more NPCs to Incursions / Sieges / Arkfalls etc

[Haifisch]

The following statement is true about all games: NPCs take lots of memory (RAM for those of you who aren't so tech savvy), to function.

Let's have a look at the current generation's hardware specs: (Reference: there are 1024MB in a single GB)

PC - anywhere from 2GB to 32GB of memory

XBOX360 - 512MB of memory

PS3 - 256MB of memory

Currently, because Trion made this game crossplatform, a fresh Defiance client running takes around 400MB to run. This is no problem at all for a PC, the Xbox can handle it, and somehow the PS3 has a compression or something to start this game up.

Upon playing for a few hours, this .EXE can swell to around 5, 6 or even 700 MB of memory.

PC - still running strong, Defiance game engine (not hardware) is beginning to lag, due to memory leak

XBOX - Has hit or exceeded its available memory

PS3 - Has long run out of headspace.

So what happens when a console hits its head on the roof? it either
1. has a critical error (Defiance returns you to main menu)
2. Crashes altogether (hard freeze)

And this is with the current game, no additives or anything of the sort. Any activity in the game increases your memory usage. Especially activities with massive amounts of players: Sieges / Arkfalls / Arkbreak / Incursion etc.

So, what would happen if Trion added 30% more NPCs to Incursions?

PC - wouldn't care, the the bodies would just pile up even higher

XBOX - Would begin to lag or even crash during the Incursion, if the process has been online for a while already

PS3 - Critical error outright, this system can't even handle back to back Arkfalls.


So, how do we fix this?
1. Don't do a thing, it's broken but it could be a lot worse.

2. Edit the NPC AI logic to dumb it down basically, thus we can stuff more AI in the same amount of memory. It's already pretty basic, so removing any more functionality would pretty much make the NPCs stand there and die.

3. Bring Defiance into the next-gen consoles, the XBone and PS4. Their specs are relatively the same as a midrange PC.

(Trion has already said they have no interest in next gen consoles)


So guys, I hate to say it, but more NPCs just aren't coming anytime soon. You guys should all come to the PCMASTERRACEYEAH

[Amack]

I like this thread. I just dread what comes next.

[MahChew]

PCMASTERRACEYEAHFTW!.

Develop for PC only and put a monthly sub on it. oh, and gives me high res textures.

but on a serious note, Xbox must hate Incursions.

[Haifisch]

There's a reason why MMOs have been PC exclusive for all this time... Trion steps outside of that box and this is the result.

[Amack]

I don't think it was their choice per se. It was more than likely a stipulation of the contract. They just did the best they could.

[rebtattoo]

I don't think it was their choice per se. It was more than likely a stipulation of the contract. They just did the best they could.

This precisely. It was the decision by NBCUniversal to be released cross platform. The execs. wanted to hit as big a target market as they could. Apparently, they didn't think the negative issues would culminate the way they did.