We are looking for Performance Testers!
Author: Nexxtic,
published 2 years ago,
[b]We are updating the engine and need your help![/b]
We are looking for a number of people to help us test an engine upgrade. After launching the demo, the most common complaints were performance related, primarily stutters, and we are taking steps to eliminate these. A large amount of these happen because GZDoom is a single-threaded game engine, meaning your CPU is not being utilized to it's fullest potential. We have made adjustments to the engine to better utilize multiple cores with the intend to eliminate as many stutters as possible.
We expect this version to be ready [u]later this year.[/u] This is still the same demo level, albeit with numerous upgrades to the engine side of things.
Are you interested? Please join our Discord server and let us know in #Selaco-Lounge. We will assign you a Tester role and notify you with the version is ready. You can join the Discord using the following link:
https://discord.com/invite/selacogame
Once the test is complete, the upgrades will be rolled out to the Public version, but with more gameplay related changes.
[b]Requirements:[/b]
- A PC that exceeds the Minimum Requirements. (See Selaco's Steam page for more information).
- A PC that had stuttering issues in the current Demo version. This is a preference, but you are free to join if the Demo version ran smoothly on your machine.
[b]What are we looking for?[/b]
Information on whether or not stutters have been eliminated in the Testing Version. A stutter means that the game freezes for a couple of milliseconds (sometimes even longer!) during gameplay. This often happens in combat, when a scripted event happens, or when destroying objects. Play the test version when it's ready and let us know if things felt smoother than before. We *do not* need framerate reports! We only need data on stutters.
[b]MINI FAQ[/b]
Q: What about Linux?
A: This Engine upgrade is for both Linux and Windows!
Q: What does this mean in plain English? Why is it better?
A: GZDoom only allows one task to be executed at any given time. When you run around the level, your computer is working really hard to execute all kinds of code. Almost every modern system has a CPU that uses multiple 'threads', allowing multiple pieces of code to be executed at the same time. GZDoom currently does not utilize this properly, so whenever a complex task needs to be executed, the game will freeze until this task is completed. The most common cause for these kind of stutters is when brand new assets are loaded during gameplay. This happens often while exploring the level or entering a combat encounter. This new multi-threading solution will ensure that these new assets are loaded on a separate thread, significantly reducing the load on the main thread. This will eliminate the stutter and keep the game running smoothly!
Q: How do I know if I am part of the testing group?
A: Click on your Discord name in this server. If one of your roles says ''Tester'', you are in!```
We hope to see you in our testing group!