The Gold Road Chapter – which includes the Scribing system – and Update 42 is now available to test on the PTS! You can read the latest patch notes here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/656454/
Maintenance for the week of April 22:
• PC/Mac: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 22, 4:00AM EDT (08:00 UTC) - 9:00AM EDT (13:00 UTC)
• Xbox: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
• PlayStation®: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
• PC/Mac: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 22, 4:00AM EDT (08:00 UTC) - 9:00AM EDT (13:00 UTC)
• Xbox: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
• PlayStation®: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
Are there any PC guilds out there willing to organize some tests regarding Hosing Slots?
Woefulmonkey
✭✭✭
This is a contentious issue that seem to seep into a lot of threads out there and it should be something that the community can actually prove or disprove with testing.
Specifically we are talking about ‘Slot Limit’ testing, on low end client systems with mass object sets and multiple visitors in the House so it really needs a coordinated effort by a guild that can get 12 people to participate in something pretty boring.
Unfortunately I am on a Console and have no access to a test server so I cannot even perform the single user test cases described here without forking over a bunch of money for house objects I don’t need or want.
NOTE: These test may sound ridiculous and are definitely not how most players behave. However, when you are testing code you need to think of what ‘can’ be done not just what ‘probably will’ be done. Zenimax has to ensure that even if you do something like I have described below it does not cause you system to crash consistently or that performance is degraded to the point your system becomes unusable.
Ok here is a description of a set test case that become progressively more resource intensive as new visitors are added to the home.
TEST Setup Notes:
Ideally all client machines used in any test case should be running at as close to ‘Min’ specs as possible for all these test. Since zenimax is obligated to support those spec for existing customers.
The most important specs are probably CPU then Graphics Then System Memory for these tests.
Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel® Core i3 540 or AMD A6-3620 or higher
System RAM: 3GB
Hard Disk Space: 85GB free HDD space
GPU: Direct X 11.0 compliant video card with 1GB RAM (NVIDIA® GeForce® 460 / AMD Radeon™ 6850) or higher
Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
Internet: Internet Broadband Connection
The Specs Were Found Here:
https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3313
The Items used in these tests are also important as lighting effect, collision detection, and animations add to resource utilization.
Here are the ideal objects that should be used for these tests.
1. ) Lights object that you can ‘collide’ with which can be ‘activated’ and perform some kind of animation. I think there is a small lamp that swings that would probably be good.
2. ) If they limit the number lighting object start using as many collideable animated objects as possible. NPCs, Pets and Mounts would be good but also things like clockwork city object that animate.
3. ) If you can’t reach max capacity with those items type pick items that are at least collide able. So avoid rugs and tapestries you can walk through for the tests.
Case 1 – Single user with massive slot use
1. ) From a test server acquire a large home capable of the deploying the max furniture count which I believe is 700 items the new ‘Coldharbor’ house would probably be good.
2. ) From the test server acquire 700 items based on the items types described at the beginning of the test notes. (Make sure all lights have been turned on)
3. ) Place all 700 items in a pile somewhere in the center close enough that they are not overlapping and you can see all objects.
4. ) Log out of your house, then log back in and note the ‘load time’
5. ) Now move around the object while trying to keep them all in your view window and note the ‘Frame Per Second’ you are getting. (I believe there are PC addons that will give you slash command to see the FPS)
6. ) Now move so you will collide with the object, jumping on top of them would be good the more objects you can hit at once the better. Again note your Frames Per Second.
Case 2 though 13
1. ) Once you perform the first test, invite people into your house where you have place the 700 objects on person at a time.
2. ) Now, as each person enter you want to have them stand in a location where they can see as many other players and objects as possible.
3. ) Then start having people move in a circle around the objects and record the fames per second.
4. ) Finally have all players try to collide with the objects and each other. Think of a big mosh pit where you all are trying to smash into each other while jumping on top of the objects. Again record the frames per second.
Ok so the way I see it, if someone can perform all these test on a low end system and still have ‘Load Time’ under say 2 seconds and a consistent frame rate at least near 60 frames per seconds… then Zenimax is full of BS and they could up the furniture count in houses in a significant way.
If your load times are 5 seconds and you are maintaining 30 fps for these test that is not good. That means you are at the threshold of what is normally considered ‘acceptable’ performance. (Unless ESO has capped FPS, then it becomes more ambiguous)
If the test results are somewhere in between.. it probably means Zenimax has at least some wiggle room to increase the furniture cap, but it probably can’t double it.
Specifically we are talking about ‘Slot Limit’ testing, on low end client systems with mass object sets and multiple visitors in the House so it really needs a coordinated effort by a guild that can get 12 people to participate in something pretty boring.
Unfortunately I am on a Console and have no access to a test server so I cannot even perform the single user test cases described here without forking over a bunch of money for house objects I don’t need or want.
NOTE: These test may sound ridiculous and are definitely not how most players behave. However, when you are testing code you need to think of what ‘can’ be done not just what ‘probably will’ be done. Zenimax has to ensure that even if you do something like I have described below it does not cause you system to crash consistently or that performance is degraded to the point your system becomes unusable.
Ok here is a description of a set test case that become progressively more resource intensive as new visitors are added to the home.
TEST Setup Notes:
Ideally all client machines used in any test case should be running at as close to ‘Min’ specs as possible for all these test. Since zenimax is obligated to support those spec for existing customers.
The most important specs are probably CPU then Graphics Then System Memory for these tests.
Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel® Core i3 540 or AMD A6-3620 or higher
System RAM: 3GB
Hard Disk Space: 85GB free HDD space
GPU: Direct X 11.0 compliant video card with 1GB RAM (NVIDIA® GeForce® 460 / AMD Radeon™ 6850) or higher
Sound: DirectX compatible sound card
Internet: Internet Broadband Connection
The Specs Were Found Here:
https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3313
The Items used in these tests are also important as lighting effect, collision detection, and animations add to resource utilization.
Here are the ideal objects that should be used for these tests.
1. ) Lights object that you can ‘collide’ with which can be ‘activated’ and perform some kind of animation. I think there is a small lamp that swings that would probably be good.
2. ) If they limit the number lighting object start using as many collideable animated objects as possible. NPCs, Pets and Mounts would be good but also things like clockwork city object that animate.
3. ) If you can’t reach max capacity with those items type pick items that are at least collide able. So avoid rugs and tapestries you can walk through for the tests.
Case 1 – Single user with massive slot use
1. ) From a test server acquire a large home capable of the deploying the max furniture count which I believe is 700 items the new ‘Coldharbor’ house would probably be good.
2. ) From the test server acquire 700 items based on the items types described at the beginning of the test notes. (Make sure all lights have been turned on)
3. ) Place all 700 items in a pile somewhere in the center close enough that they are not overlapping and you can see all objects.
4. ) Log out of your house, then log back in and note the ‘load time’
5. ) Now move around the object while trying to keep them all in your view window and note the ‘Frame Per Second’ you are getting. (I believe there are PC addons that will give you slash command to see the FPS)
6. ) Now move so you will collide with the object, jumping on top of them would be good the more objects you can hit at once the better. Again note your Frames Per Second.
Case 2 though 13
1. ) Once you perform the first test, invite people into your house where you have place the 700 objects on person at a time.
2. ) Now, as each person enter you want to have them stand in a location where they can see as many other players and objects as possible.
3. ) Then start having people move in a circle around the objects and record the fames per second.
4. ) Finally have all players try to collide with the objects and each other. Think of a big mosh pit where you all are trying to smash into each other while jumping on top of the objects. Again record the frames per second.
Ok so the way I see it, if someone can perform all these test on a low end system and still have ‘Load Time’ under say 2 seconds and a consistent frame rate at least near 60 frames per seconds… then Zenimax is full of BS and they could up the furniture count in houses in a significant way.
If your load times are 5 seconds and you are maintaining 30 fps for these test that is not good. That means you are at the threshold of what is normally considered ‘acceptable’ performance. (Unless ESO has capped FPS, then it becomes more ambiguous)
If the test results are somewhere in between.. it probably means Zenimax has at least some wiggle room to increase the furniture cap, but it probably can’t double it.
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