So after a lot of careful reading on the subject, both on the forums and in various internet searches related to the topic, it has become very clear to me, Zenimax, that you need to revert some recent changes.
To wit: Anything you have implemented that causes the client to attempt to allocate more than 2 GB of system memory. The reason this is standard practice is because a 32 bit OS (the norm when the standard for 32 bit programming was set) can only map up to 3GB of RAM. Therefore any program running on a 32 bit OS had to take into account the fact the OS had to also run alongside it, along with potentially other services and programs as well, leaving at least 1GB of ram mappable by 32 bit OS to be used for other things (inclusive of the OS itself).
Reasons.
1. The client is 32 bit with a hard cap of 2GB allowed to be allocated before it exceeds its design tolerances.
http://www.viva64.com/en/k/0036/ This is normal design practice and dates back over a decade. The fact you as an entity are deviating from this model is setting a horrible precedent.
2. A sizeable portion of your playerbase is still using 32 bit OS. In fact, according to
http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ fully 20 percent of all reported machines from this data sample are still using 32 bit OS. This value may or may not reflect a similar sample size of your own localized playerbase, though it forms a solid foundation to speculate as it is from Steam, which means many of those reporting are gamers. 1 in every 5 players of your game is affected by this DIRECTLY.
3. Even on a 64 bit machine, the memory allocation for this game is still locked via its 32 bit nature to 2 GB (and potentially 4 in some configurations) of useable system RAM, despite many of those systems having 8-16 installed.
4. The game is advertised right on the box as having a 32 bit OS as a minimum requirement. It is expected that at minimum settings the game would function within all playable and useable parameters, albeit at a loss of visual performance or speed. It does not mean that it should crash every five minutes because it is allocating over the limits the advertising clearly sets at the minimum standard.
Solutions.
1. Streamline your codebase to ensure at no time would the client attempt to allocate more than 2GB of system ram, as per its advertised specifications
2. Revert previous additions to textures and graphics, that while pretty and nice to look at, have steadily caused more issues to crop up over the last year.
3. Ensure that any additional features added to the game in the future remain within the 2GB design limitation, and never exceed it. Support for exceeding the limit for 64 bit machines could be looked at, but would require a 64 bit client to utilize.
4. Stop telling your players that it is their machines, as it is clearly not, it is your own design that is causing incompatibilities with user configurations that had previously been well within advertised limits.
5. Add an option to the settings menu to undo any of these graphical settings or new "fluff" added to the game, so that those who used to be able to play the game normally whom are now experiencing these crashes can return to a state where the game is again playable.
Note: This issue has nothing to do with your recent changes to VRAM requirements. Graphics card settings are not the problem, it is the game engine itself overloading system ram by using too much memory for a 32 bit client, and exceeding hard limitations thereof. In a nutshell you need to reign in the client so it uses at MOST 2GB of system ram, at any given time, in any given situation, always. Ensure that data no longer in actual use is being released from RAM promptly, as it may be taking up needed space (with the 2 GB design window) for new data entering. Otherwise the game crash issue will never be resolved, as it cannot be resolved any other way.
@rylanadionysis == Closed Beta Tester October 2013 == Retired October 2016 == Uninstalled @ One Tamriel Release == Inactive Indefinitely
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Forum LOL Champion (retired) == Black Belt in Ballista-Fu == The Last Vice Member == Praise Cheesus == Electro-Goblin