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"EQPlayNice" (was EQCPU) download - Updated 3-25

Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2003 4:48 am
by Lax
http://teqim.sourceforge.net/?p=eqplaynice

This is a (very) chopped down version of macroquest that only does the CPU limiting that I implemented. Don't use alongside MQ, it's already built in to MQ. However, people that do not want to run MQ will want this... probably very badly :) I also have a little note in there maybe the EQ devs can pick up if many people want EQ to stop being a cpu hog.

Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2003 9:30 pm
by eq_freak
Good stuff! Being able to limit fps on the background instances is definately handy.

One question though:

I dont understand why anyone would want to limit the fps on the foreground instance of EQ?

Currently with the default settings, you do a sleep(20) in Pulse() if its the foreground instance of EQ. I am assuming you do this, to give up processor time to other threads in the system yes?

But could you not achieve the same effect by a Sleep(0), which will suspend the current thread and allow the scheduler to run other threads of equal priority. If no other equal priority threads are awaiting execution time, Sleep(0) will return immediately.

With Sleep(20) you will always end up waiting there, even if there is no other threads that need execution time.

Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2003 11:19 pm
by Lax
You're welcome to change it in your version, but the point isn't necessarily that other processes "need" it, but EQ is wasting cycles by running the loop endlessly without sleeping, and this disrupts the entire system including system services.. so those folks with Winmodems are not screwed if they use MQ or EQCPU. You can't physically see more than 60 fps and it's not necessary for EQ to process that often either. 50 max fps just seemed pretty handy and cut the processing time to about 50% on my system. 20 max fps for background cut it down to 30%.

I would rather my system run a little cooler and more idle even if nothing's in the background :)

More comments welcome, and especially let us know if something goes wrong

Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2003 11:33 pm
by EqMule
HOLY COW!!!! THIS IS THE SINGLE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO MQ AND EQ!!! #$%# YOU ARE GOOD!!!!

eqgame.exe runs around 42% when in focus and at a measly 5% when unfocused!!! and I can open up the mq project and compile in like 5 seconds, it used to take like up to a min to load that thing and compiling... I dont even wanna talk about the time that took! ;) THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO %$%$% MUCH!!! damn, now I cant go to sleep but I should since I have been up 22 hours staright... moving around in game is as smooth as ever... thoose BASTARDS at SOE... why have they not fixed the cpu hogging before... makes me wanna cry I spent the last 3 years in the dark... now I see the light.

Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2003 3:07 am
by GD
First thing I noticed was that EQCompanion was a crapload more responsive while polling and using speach events.

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2003 8:04 am
by skysurf
/does the happy dance cause this sounds like some way cool stuff!


Im just a novice programmer/eqplayer/aspiring college alcoholic. I get the gist of what this modification does. Basically stops EQ from being a CPU hog. What I need to know as an amateur though is do I need to do anything to enable/use this new mod other than to just download the new MQ and compile it?

Sky

P.S. BTW, I really do like EQ, but I have always had a deep hatred for the way they run their game, and when you brainiacs figure something like this out I swear it gives me a stiffy cause I feel like im on the winning team! =P

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:47 am
by TheColonel
And I love the handy-dandy right-click there... Always a pain to fire up IE click on favorites, scroll through the pr0n to find what I need, in the middle of a raid that's very helpful!

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2003 7:27 pm
by DreamKing
It seems the latest patch broke this as well. I get a total lockup when loading now. Damn Sony!

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:21 pm
by Lax
This will probably need to be updated each patch, just a warning in advance. I don't plan on including offsets ini's. I think people who don't want to feel like they're cheating are more likely to use it then, and that's what I'm aiming for. I'll probably have the source as a separate zip in future releases.

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2003 10:17 pm
by oNgoNg113
It seems the latest patch broke this as well. I get a total lockup when loading now. Damn Sony!
aye, I tried having it on b4 log on... and b4 I zoned.. crash each time

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2003 1:23 am
by /dev/n00b
Thanks Man you rock



/dev/n00b

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2003 1:27 am
by Lax
Fixed sorry

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2003 3:01 am
by Amadeus
So, MQ actually includes this by default, right? (ie, if we're running full blown MQ, then we're getting the better CPU usage?)

Just making sure :)

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2003 5:41 am
by EqMule
Amadeus: yes

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2003 9:49 am
by Doodman
n00blet!