Official Discussion Thread for "ESO's Performance Improvements Plan"

MrGarlic

As my household plays ESO on multiple computers, will the download be able to be copied from one PC to another or will it require a separate download on each machine?

Alternatively, would it be possible to purchase a DVD or USB flash-drive at nominal cost (plus postage of course) to those who already have purchased the game? (Might be too big for a DVD or two. )

sean.plackerb14_ESO

Back in 2015 this was said

"Yes, we are planning on a DX12 upgrade and expect that this will give us a number of graphics performance improvements. We cannot provide an ETA at this time, but it is something we’re working towards."
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/2257436/#Comment_2257436

I was wondering if this has any significance any more. Not DX 12 in particular, I'd actually prefer to see a Vulkan renderer added to the Windows client. Can you comment on if there are any plans to bring a Vulkan renderer to the Windows client (Mac is using it through MoltenVK) ? This could help significantly with performance by enabling much better use of multiple CPU cores along with the other low level benefits Vulkan offers.
(that's the end of my question, rest is my speculation why I think at some point Vulkan will be coming to the Windows client)

I have a hunch this might be a long term goal that just hasn't been talked about yet. Because the Mac client recently switched away from OpenGL to Apples Metal graphics API. But this was done not by writing a Metal renderer for the ESO Mac client. But by writing a Vulkan renderer. Even though OS X has no support for Vulkan, ZOS used MoltenVK. MoltenVK is a free open source library that translates Vulkan code/API calls to Apples Metal API.

"By building your application or game using the Vulkan API, you can run your modern graphics application or game unchanged across an entire industry of platforms and development tools."
https://moltengl.com/moltenvk/

The only reason I can imagine to write a Vulkan renderer and use MoltenVK instead of writing a Metal renderer for the Mac client would be plans to bring that Vulkan renderer to the Windows client. The VKMetal approach ZOS used for the Mac client means they are setup to have just one Vulkan renderer they have to maintain that can be used for both Mac and Windows.

Zacuel

*crying*

Stop lying to me!

JUST STOP!

I can't take it anymore...

*Locks self in bathroom and sobs*

Sinhalis

MrGarlic wrote: »

As my household plays ESO on multiple computers, will the download be able to be copied from one PC to another or will it require a separate download on each machine?

Alternatively, would it be possible to purchase a DVD or USB flash-drive at nominal cost (plus postage of course) to those who already have purchased the game? (Might be too big for a DVD or two. )

You can copy it from one pc to another and let the launcher "discover" the game files.

Corvalain

Personally I don't know about performance inprovements I would be happy with the ability to play the game at all. The downtime for maintenance is disgusting and I don't see any credits for lost playing time.
Come on sort it out once and for all.

Elsonso

Corvalain wrote: »

Personally I don't know about performance inprovements I would be happy with the ability to play the game at all. The downtime for maintenance is disgusting and I don't see any credits for lost playing time.
Come on sort it out once and for all.

Can I assume that this is not referring to the current patch maintenance?

Karivaa

I have heard from so many PVP players that they love this game and if only it worked correctly, they would return. Please fix it! PVP is dying.

Azurya

you are game so broken, you cannot even imagine how broken..........
you say you improve, probably only your wage improved, nothing else here

why can´t you make this working, are you so notorious,
you only take our money and give us something not working???
this is bad, very bad

StarMightyMaster

Being able to login would be a start lol

Hygiliack

So, after the patch I could not even log in, I had planned to spend my weekend doing witches festival, you ruined that, 1-2 days of witches festival gone, are you even going to extend it?

I have been playing ESO since Beta, stopped playing because the game plain sucked, came back in Morrowind, and I am seriously considering, even though the games has improved a lot, to plainly stop playing and just wait for TES VI, al TES games are buggy, but offline ones at the very least is fixed by modders, If you don't up your game a lot of gamers will stop paying for Plus or even playing, it has always been buggy but not at this level

I do hope you fix it as I enjoy it very much(alone) It is literally the only Online game so far that I have enjoyed

Hygiliack

And yet again, after the "fix" cannot login, was playing, got kicked out and now get login error or server error

Hygiliack

Hygiliack wrote: »

And yet again, after the "fix" cannot login, was playing, got kicked out and now get login error or server error

I give up, I guess we won't get to really enjoy the witches festival this time, most likely neither the New Life Festival as well -_-

StarMightyMaster

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

Hi everyone,

We've added the August update to the top of the game performance improvements plan article. In short, all work is coming along well and is still on track. You can view more details in the article here: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/56681

Will it all work as well as Update 24 one did ?

Balorah

I have been denied logon to the game, just as many others apparently are, but I am also denied the game store login. Are these the same issue or have I been suborned by whomever is diddling with ESO?

ZOS_SarahHecker

Hey all, October's update is here. As many of you know, we had to make some adjustments to the new Looking for Group system. Details for that are included in this article: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/56681

Aaxc

ZOS_SarahHecker wrote: »

Hey all, October's update is here. As many of you know, we had to make some adjustments to the new Looking for Group system. Details for that are included in this article: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/56681

Any plans on Looking for Trial system?

Azorean

Aaxc wrote: »

ZOS_SarahHecker wrote: »

Hey all, October's update is here. As many of you know, we had to make some adjustments to the new Looking for Group system. Details for that are included in this article: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/56681

Any plans on Looking for Trial system?

It is called Craglorn

VaranisArano

When you rework pets for Q2 2020, can we get some improvements on the twilight and bear due to their size?
A. Fixing them blocking interactions with tables, items, and doorways
B. Making it easier to dismiss pets when not wanted
C. Letting the twilight land when not moving around

I'm not in favor of blanket bans like removing pets in cities, because there are a number of city quests, the justice system, and dueling that allows combat in cities, and my sorc has always been able to use pets there since the beginning. But I'm also well aware of the pain points players have with pets when using crowded crafting locations.

KingArthasMenethil

Aaxc wrote: »

ZOS_SarahHecker wrote: »

Hey all, October's update is here. As many of you know, we had to make some adjustments to the new Looking for Group system. Details for that are included in this article: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/56681

Any plans on Looking for Trial system?

And that is something I don't see happening without it being a mess thanks to the frost staffs.

technohic

Server optimization & stability
This work has moved out to Update 26 (see below)

I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed in that or where there is only 2 items. Hopefully optimization of pets and finally making use of multi-core for character loading helps considerably.

Carespanker

Aaxc wrote: »

ZOS_SarahHecker wrote: »

Hey all, October's update is here. As many of you know, we had to make some adjustments to the new Looking for Group system. Details for that are included in this article: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/news/post/56681

Any plans on Looking for Trial system?

Yeah, no. Don't do it. it's killed communities in every game its been in.

Dusk_Coven

Pets – We are going to rewrite how pets are handled to be more performant (work better, more efficiently, and take up less overhead/resources on the server.)

Could we please have the option to hide non-combat pets and all Assistants that I cannot interact with anyway.
Not just cosmetically hide, but to "not exist" at the player's end so that they don't have to use up resources rendering, calculating their movement, etcetera.

Server optimization & stability
This work has moved out to Update 26 (see below)

Good. Don't rush things. Do it right the first time please.

Dusk_Coven

Merlight wrote: »

SantieClaws wrote: »

This one would just like to suggest that, during the month of everyone download again, that you might want to make the daily login rewards reflect that, for some travellers, they may lose several days on the downloading and installing again.

Negative, fur. None. ZOS outlines their plan to address long-standing technical issues, and some unravellers freak out over missing their daily fix of REWARDs.

I imagine people might freak out if it would mean losing out on, say, a really cool collectible.
So I'm with @SantieClaws on this one. I don't care if they fill the download month with 1000 gold pieces per day and push the cool stuff to the next month.
Not everyone can access a really good download speed where they are, nor does everyone want to shell out extra dollars to get that speed just for one month to do this one thing.
(And ZOS -- you DON'T want people to suddenly have the ability to download all sorts of OTHER games to try, do you? :P )

Or maybe ZOS could implement an auto-collection of daily deliveries like login rewards and hirelings for ESO+ subs.

Ash_In_My_Sujamma

@ZOS_SarahHecker @ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_RichLambert Hey, since you are moving the server optimization and stability for later in 2020, could you at least give us some info about it in the meantime? What should we expect? This is an issue that is crucial for a lot of players. For instance, at what degree do you expect/estimate those 2 changes (pet rework and player character loading) will improve the server's performance and at which parts of our gameplay are we gonna notice those improvements?

Dusk_Coven

MrGarlic wrote: »

Alternatively, would it be possible to purchase a DVD or USB flash-drive at nominal cost (plus postage of course) to those who already have purchased the game? (Might be too big for a DVD or two. )

I think this is an interesting option with the opportunity for some merchandising as well.
If that USB flash drive were shaped into something cool, like how Warhammer made a USB key in the shape of a power sword.
(Okay it was a usb key they put a rubber power sword sleeve over, sort of).

Elsonso

Um.

Q1 2020: Update 25

o Patching overhaul
- Work is ongoing and on track with internal bug fixing and asset clean-up as the focus.
o Faster loading fixtures and characters
- Work is ongoing and on track – no new major updates at this time.
o Behind-the-scenes combat ability improvements phase 2
- Work is ongoing and on track – no new major updates at this time.
o Frame rate improvements part 1
- Effects manager work is in progress and on track.
- We have identified some multi-threading work that is needed, and that is now in progress. This work will allow more game systems (specifically the fixture update process and renderer for this round) to utilize multiple cores, improving overall performance on the game client.
o Server optimization & stability
- This work has moved out to Update 26 (see below)


Q2 2020: Update 26

o Account Database “Cold Storage”
- This work is not yet started. Transfer system work (noted above) needs to be completed before we start this. We still believe this work will be completed in time for Update 26.
o Server optimization & stability
- Pets – We are going to rewrite how pets are handled to be more performant (work better, more efficiently, and take up less overhead/resources on the server.)
- Player character loading – We will make the player character loading process multi-threaded on the server to improve performance
o Frame rate improvements phase 2
- Work is ongoing and on track – no new major updates at this time.
o Additional bug fixes and other updates
- Work is ongoing and on track – no new major updates at this time.

Transfer system?

Circuitous

Dusk_Coven wrote: »

Pets – We are going to rewrite how pets are handled to be more performant (work better, more efficiently, and take up less overhead/resources on the server.)

Could we please have the option to hide non-combat pets and all Assistants that I cannot interact with anyway.
Not just cosmetically hide, but to "not exist" at the player's end so that they don't have to use up resources rendering, calculating their movement, etcetera.

I'd like to second this (and I actually sent a similar idea through /feedback in the past). There's no reason for me to see 20 Tythis Andromos walking around the crafting areas when I can't interact with any of them. There's no reason to tell me about the Daedric Artifact being used to HEAL. I should really only be seeing followers when I'm grouped with the person using them, or using them myself.

I get that they kinda work like advertising for the assistants, but you could just make them more prominent in the Crown Store or something. This could gain you a lot of performance in towns.

Vapirko

I like how "ESOs Performance Improvements Plan" is in quotations lol. We are rolling out "improvements" and there will be "performance improvements" for "some players." The Group Finder tool is being "worked on."

technohic

Vapirko wrote: »

I like how "ESOs Performance Improvements Plan" is in quotations lol. We are rolling out "improvements" and there will be "performance improvements" for "some players." The Group Finder tool is being "worked on."

Its "going great!"

Kittytravel

With Update 25 or Update 26 possibly will we see any standardization in reset timers?
Currently Fence resets at 10 PM EST
With Writs and other dailies resetting at 4 AM PST.
And a few other odd resets like Dungeon Finder triggers 20 hours after the previous first random dungeon has been ran.

It'd be nice to see all these reset timers just happen at the exact same time everyday so that whenever we ask ourselves "I wonder what dailies I can do right now" we aren't playing the guessing game of is it X time yet for X activity.