DoctorDR1 wrote:
Hi guys!
I know a lot of you miss the old canvas mode. When WebGL first came out, I had a hard time getting used to it as well. But after a while, I found that I actually liked WebGL. If you give it a chance, maybe you’ll like it too. As for those of you who can’t run it properly because of your hardware, you can try the low graphics mode, made especially to counter that problem.
Because WebGL is more graphically demanding (even in low-graphics mode), the system gets bogged down as the browser (tested on many browsers) keeps allocating more and more memory to the page. Since Bytro has never taken [full] advantage of "threading" for processor usage, the graphics keep bogging down, especially on systems that have graphics built in on the CPU, and not as a separate processor...this causes the slowdown as the memory allocation rises (there's no longer enough system resources to maintain performance).
Because Bytro doesn't properly utilize "garbage collection" in their design, the memory allocation for any given page keeps rising, and swallows up RAM to the point that the CPU has to spend more time moving memory blocks back and forth from active memory to virtual (HDD) memory. These allocation switches force the game to wait to run, so it gets harder and harder to do anything in the game without refreshing the page (and by that, I mean close it and then reopen it, not just an ALT+F5 refresh).
I have to kill the process-tree for my browser, at least once or twice a day, just to be able to play the game (killing it on Chrome makes it easy to bring back all pages (including the game's), upon restarting Chrome…but I shouldn't have to do this workaround).
Without killing the browser, the memory allocation for each page of the game climbs from around 200MB (initially) to as much memory as is available. On my computer, I typically see the game swallowing memory up to 4 GB and more — per page — while my system struggles and activity slows to a crawl. And THAT is how bad it is while playing only in low-graphics mode. In normal mode, the memory leak swallows allocation so fast as to have to kill the browser several times a day, at least.
My point is, that low-graphics mode is barely alright for slower systems, but only until the memory gets too full, which ALWAYS happens in ALL of Bytro's (and their sisters') games.
Please learn how to employ better threading for improved game performance, and…
* * * PLEASE LEARN HOW TO USE GARBAGE COLLECTION * * *
* * * TO ELIMINATE OLD, UNUSED, AND DISCARDED MEMORY BLOCKS! * * *
* * * TO ELIMINATE OLD, UNUSED, AND DISCARDED MEMORY BLOCKS! * * *
freezy wrote:
In regards to the shutdown of the old Canvas view mode, I will quote my own post made in a related thread:
freezy wrote:
Hey guys, to be completely honest with you: There is basically a 0% chance that the old Canvas mode will return, sorry.
But there is a good chance that we will keep improving the new WebGL mode further. Your feedback will help in that regard.
IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN CAREFULLY READ MY DETAILED RESPONSE BELOW THE QUOTE.
…one feedback is that players dont like the new map colors and want it like the old version -> we already have a political view mode which colors the map like in the old version,
THIS DOESN'T APPEAR TO WORK LIKE YOU CLAIM.
To give you some more reasoning:
From a usage standpoint Canvas users were a small minority nowadays, the vast majority already plays in WebGL (we tracked this and we wouldnt have done this step if this wasnt the case). I know it might feel different because long time players tend to favor canvas as they are used to it, and those players also tend to be more active in forums/chats and be vocal about their opinion.
THE PROBLEM WITH THIS^ THINKING IS THAT THE CULTURE OF THE PLAYING COMMUNITY IS ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED BY THE LONG-TERM PLAYERS.
WE SET THE CULTURE.
WE MAKE IT POPULAR.
WE ARE THE ONES THAT WILL COME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN, PAYING FOR HIGH COMMAND AND OTHER FEATURES BEYOND JUST TRYING OUT A GAME FOR A FEW DAYS, WEEKS, OR MONTHS.
WE ARE YOUR DEDICATED PLAYERS. IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO RESPECT OUR SIMPLEST OF NEEDS, THEN YOU WILL FACE A MASS EXODUS THAT WILL BOTH DESTROY CoW's CULTURE AS WELL AS DAMAGE YOUR BOTTOM LINE, BOTH CONSEQUENCES OF WHICH WOULD SEE THE EVENTUAL END OF THIS OTHERWISE-GREAT GAME.
THE REASON THAT NON-LONG-TERM PLAYERS TEND TO NOT BE VOCAL ON THE FORUMS IS BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE GAME.
WE CARE ABOUT THE GAME, AND WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO…BUT ONLY SO LONG AS BYTRO DEMONSTRATES THAT IT CARES ABOUT US.
(This is a bit long, so pay careful attention…especially the game devs.)
OK, Canvas Mode ain't coming back. So what? That can work out IF you make the following needed changes to the game, for the low graphics mode. (This will appease nearly ALL of your core players who are complaining about this change while not affecting everyone else.)
- Rename low-graphics mode as "Classic View" mode.
- Create a subset of buttons that ONLY become visible when Classic View is activated (so as not to bother other users with screen clutter).
- For the subset of buttons, once Classic View has been turned on (and the page is refreshed), there are these following options visible when the "Show Settings" button is activated:
- Activate/Deactivate Dynamic Zooming (use only tiered zooming). This option would make the game "feel" more like the original play style, without having to be maintained as the old "canvas mode" would be. This also reduces the demand on system resources by a small amount.
- Show/Hide Resources. This helps with screen clutter for game purists like myself.
- Show/Hide Units. This is a must for classic players. There are too many reasons in favor of this, and they're so obvious that I should not even have to state them.
- Activate/Deactivate Classic Color mode. This is an ABSOLUTE MUST for almost all players who are complaining about the lack of "Canvas Mode". Once implemented, like with the other options on this subset of button choices, it won't need to be maintained as new updates would almost never affect it. The current low-res version of WebGL does not retain the classic coloration as falsely stated that deactivating the "Display Relations" option would simulate…it does not. WE WANT THE ORIGINAL COLOR SCHEME. It doesn't have to be on a per nation per map basis, just make a simple conversion for every color that is used, in which "Classic View" would automatically translate the WebGL color palette to a simulated Canvas Mode palette (it's a lot easier to implement than it sounds). Once implemented, as a simulation of the Canvas Mode palette, then switching to morale view while in "Classic View" would naturally show the morale color schemes as Canvas Mode without having to add any programming.
- Activate/Deactivate Dynamic Zooming (use only tiered zooming). This option would make the game "feel" more like the original play style, without having to be maintained as the old "canvas mode" would be. This also reduces the demand on system resources by a small amount.
- Make Classic View playable ONLY on the Desktop version. This would serve to keep both new players and Mobile-only players from getting confused.
- Make the subset of buttons appear in a secondary column, to prevent overlap with the province list tab. This should actually be implemented on desktop for all versions of the game since the province list tab sometimes moves south and the expanded set of settings buttons tend to overlap it. Making the buttons form new columns is already a default behavior, so shrinking the height of the <DIV> element should do the trick, just so long as it doesn't overlap with the province list tab.
CL-55 wrote:
No one is playing Call of War for the graphics… You need to keep both options open for us. …WebGL can attract mobile players… But, I've tried it…the city font names are so large a unit can hide behind it. Zooming in and out is very difficult. The color scheme is…very annoying.
WebGLIt works on mobile. But for desktop players, it's just a bad idea. This is a strategy game. None of us are here for graphics. Bytro really needs to listen to it's core players, those of us that get a year of high command and keep the servers on. Please, do not ruin something that was a perfect test of strategy by trying to get more players on mobile. I can evolve to 1.5, but dropping canvas/classic graphics could be the end for me.
If they implement my "Classic View" changes as proposed further above, you will likely find this game easier to view and play. Regardless of whether you can enjoy the v.1.5 game rules, implementing the "Canvas Mode" changes would make this strategy game seem more "pure" for folks like you and me.
The post was edited 2 times, last by Stumpy Pete ().