Civilization4 memory usage fix

[Harkonnen604]

I have just finished writing my own memory-fix which I started a month ago at another civ4 forum. It appears to solve a lot of CTD/swapping/slowness issues.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=3420615

[ghen]

Interesting ideas, is this a final release yet?

[Nikolai]

Great work! Have you posted this in the files forum too btw?

[Harkonnen604]

Not yet posted.

Well, according to effects this can be claimed as final, but there will be more releases during this week. Later today I will turn it into loader, so that 1.8Mb python24.dll won't be necessary.

Also there are some ideas how to decrease it even more.

[mike2h]

looking forward to your 'update', will definetly give this a shot. thx!

[Kuciwalker]

I have an even simpler fix! Exit the game and start it up again

edit: wtf? why did : p turn into

edit2: hm, they fixed it. Markos, add the damn santa hat to already!

[Zen]

Harkonnen,

I read your other thread (fanatics). You mention a memory leak thread of some sort.

My basic question is this:

what does your program/patch exactly solve (in very simple terms)?

Does your program simple reduce the amount of data coming from each plot? Or does it reduce the memory required to display each plot? or does your program somehow stop the "memory leak"?


Will your patch be helpful to those of us who don't have CTD and other problems, but do experience a HUGE slow loading time/operation time when playing on larger maps?

I say this because I have a map that I am trying to work from that is ~8000 tiles big. It takes around 2 min just to load on my computer. I fear this slowness may force me to reduce the map size to create the scenario I wish to create---which would suck.

thanks,

-Zen Blade

[StarLightDeath]

lol I love it. Fans fixing incomplete games.

[Bill3000]

Originally posted by StarLightDeath
lol I love it. Fans fixing incomplete games.

Better than not having the ability to fix it.

Trolling is bad, BTW.

[Harkonnen604]

Zen
The primary goal was to reduce memory usage. You may read first 2 pages at shown thread - there I explained basics when someone else asked.

Also it helped some people with CTDs - the thing I didn't expect from this patch It appears that CTDs were caused by memory overuse.

My aim with this patch was to make my savegame playable with my 512Mb configuration, and I've put it down from ~650Mb to ~480Mb. It still swaps a little, but generally works nicely.

All in all, yes - you should give it a try. This patch is driven towards reducing memory usage. Civ4 allocates identical items many times (e.g. many water squares), and I fight memory usage from this point.

[Solver]

Please keep in mind that, since this patch replaces game system files, you will not be able to play normal multiplayer games if you install that.

I definitely hope, though, that the next offcial patch has a performance increase such as this.

[dannyevilcat]

Originally posted by StarLightDeath
lol I love it. Fans fixing incomplete games.

As far as I can tell, this "fix" consists of pretty much turning off all the eye candy. Gimme a break, it would be unacceptable if this was coming from Firaxis.

[Harkonnen604]

Solver
1) python24.dll isn't game core DLL, and it's the only DLL coming with the game which is affected.

2) In my next release python24.dll won't be affected.

3) People tried to update binkw32.dll and mss32.dll (movie and sound subsystems) - I didn't hear anyone of them couldn't play multiplayer.

dannyevilcat
I am sorry, but you are wrong on this. You may leave your settings intact (highest or whatever), and it still will improve memory usage and speed it up if memory usage was critical for you before my fix. This fix DOES NOT eliminate any detail level. You may compare screenshots with and without patch if you want a proof

[Solver]

I think, though, that changing the Python DLL would still lead to MP incompatibility. If it's not so, though, then great.

Did you make the video memory unmanaged?

[Drachasor]

Nice work, this does make huge games playable on my computer. Before even after my many troubles in configuration huge games were very slow to respond, but now it's pretty darn good (still some long pauses between turns, but that's alright).

-Drachasor