One large beam, rather than individual beams

[Naiphe]

Basically what the thread says.

Right now having a large salvage array is terrible for fps. I presume its because the computer has to draw and light each individual beam (although thats a presumption) so what about if instead of linking individual salvagers to the computer and have them all fire a seperate beam, they link together to form a single?

so like:

B B B B B B B B
B B B B B B B
B B B B B B B B

(B= beam)

Becomes a solid beam like:

|------------------|
| B |
|------------------|

Maybe even change the way salvagers work. Have them form a square which created a solid beam and salvage anything within the square (and require them to be linked in an opposable shape like warp gates) rather than have to place them checkerboard style?

 

[Poofer]

the problem with that is that salvaging works by a single beam touching a single block "damaging" it until it eats it. a single large beam would be just like having a single small beam.
edit: I know this takes out the pretty light show, but you can turn off beams while mining, and on while fighting.

 

[aceface]

You can turn beams off in the graphics setting and it will still lag. It's probably because so many blocks have to be removed that it lags.

 

[hakkarin]

the problem with that is that salvaging works by a single beam touching a single block "damaging" it until it eats it. a single large beam would be just like having a single small beam.

But won't a more powerful beam consume a single block faster than a weaker laser meaning it can still cut through a overall larger amounts of blocks in the same time period?

 

[Naiphe]

I meant have the solid beam mine everything within it like multiple beams would.

Also changing the graphic setting and removing the beams lag fps even while not mining. Simply shooting space with the non visual beams kills fps. So its definitely the sheer amount of beams doing it. Or maybe something deeper within the code but I dont understand that part.

 

[hzzzln]

I assume you get fps drops because of the collission detection (which needs to happen even if you turn off beams in gfx settings). So unless salvaging (or beams in general) get a complete overhaul to how they work, simply drawing the beams differently will probably have no effect.

I guess performance could be improved if the beam does not salvage the block it hits, but rather a random block from the entity it hits, reducing the possible collissions from however many blocks that entity may have to just one, namely the bounding box of the entity. But this takes away a lot of interesting gameplay mechanics (what if I only want to salvage the shield capacitors of that cored pirate?).

 

[keylan118]

But won't a more powerful beam consume a single block faster than a weaker laser meaning it can still cut through a overall larger amounts of blocks in the same time period?

At some point adding more salvage blocks to the same beam does nothing as it is already too fast.

 

[hakkarin]

At some point adding more salvage blocks to the same beam does nothing as it is already too fast.

Any idea when that point is reached?

 

[CyberTao]

Any idea when that point is reached?

According to the config;

You need to inflict "200" damage to a block to salvage it, basic salvagers with no slaves get 2 damager per tick, a tick rate of .025 and a burst time of 2.5 and does 10ticks of 'damage' at the very start.

Using that, 20 salvage modules with no slave would give enough to instantly mine a block on first click (2damagepertick*10initialtick*20blocks=200).
Not sure on how many blocks after that you could mine, math says 20 in 2.5 seconds but that is annoying to test and check.

But yeah, 20 salvagers with no slave would be your magic number.

 

[Panpiper]

20 salvagers with no slave would be your magic number.

Of course that would mean waiting till the salvagers recycled after the beam ends. One could have two sets of salvagers and switch between them while the other recycles. Better still, if one married the 20 salvagers to 20 cannon slaves, one could gain the same effect without having to wait, you'd have only one beam that would never stop, digesting blocks on contact.

Another way that is more block efficient that is great for ships with a lot of power is to use pulse instead. Using pulse for a slave, one can digest a block on contact using only eight salvage blocks plus eight pulse blocks. This will however require a dual array as the recycle time for a salvage/pulse array is fifteen seconds, the same duration as the beam firing. The savings is 20% of the blocks one would use with a salvage/cannon array but with a much higher energy cost. Very effective, IF you have the surplus energy production.

 

[keylan118]

Any idea when that point is reached?

I normally stop at around 150 blocks per beam, but that is just preference.