I just read in the manual, a suggested value for the nexus in commercial games should be around 200 MB. But maybe 64 MB could be also okay. Sorry no time for testing this, but I think "Tropper" will check it. I'm sure!

COOL I'll delete the old files and re-upload this one I'll make sure I don't rewrite my old errors and tell you what I find out I think this will fix everything, lets cross our fingers

EDIT: LOL, just read your last post, almost missed it, yeah, i'll be glad to help, but I can't be the only one that tries, this, just because it might work on mine doesn't mean other configurations might mess up.

In the third level, your staircase to the ship has a messed up model, one of the inclines is not lined up with the rest.

ASTERIOD LEVEL:

When I was shooting into space (with my regular gun) waiting after the asteroid battle to warp to the next level, it crashed lol I think it was because I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be able to do, i'm not sure (this happened twice, I wait for a minute or two (beyond when its supposed to load) and then it bombs). Is the trigger at the stairs when you are prepared to warp to the next level, because if it is, I can surpass that trigger, and that would be why it messes up?

I bombed once or twice during the asteroid battle, but it seems to be significantly harder to do so, just a thought but what happens if you destroy an asteroid or it hits your ship just as you exit the minigame, what would happen? Would that cause it to crash by chance? This is a reach, but I notice you eliminate all asteroids as soon as the game ends, what if it tried to remove an asteroid twice (I just removed it one frame before from shooting it or by it hitting the ship) wouldn't that crash the game? Or what if instead of the asteroid, its the explosion sprite that is trying to be removed either once or in the same scenario?

Found out if you run up to the consul to shoot asteroids (decreasing your stamina, and start the minigame, your stamina doesn't replenish (stays at 75% or where ever it was at, until your done).

Alright, moving on to beyond the asteroid level, I think I bombed like 4 times out of around 10, not sure though.

Massive increase in FPS in all levels

MOVING ON:

I think you still might need to raise the nexus, I’m still having the same issues with level 5, 7

Thanks guys. Well to be honest except the few I message with, it looks like Trooper is the only one who's willing to help out. Its sad really since despite what it is, its the first 'major' gamestudio released game in a while.

Its also an example of what 2 guys can do without a team of 20. I would think little things like that would stir up more than silence from the forums. It's very surprising and very dissappointing to think, well, noone really cares. Whats worse is neither one of us is the type to attack other people's posts. Wer'e really nice guys.

Anyway, I can see large nexus size being 'better' but if the level is only using a nexus of 28-30, I wonder why it would need so much more than that to run smooth?

@ trooper.. The level change is at the bottom of the stairs indeed. Maybe we could time the asteroid game, then at the end of the alloted time, just stop spawning asteroids, let the existing asteroids run their course, then end the minigame. This should cut down on the various scenarios you pointed out.

NOTE: Just to check further without downloading another 73 MB RAR, below are 2 wmb's in a rar file. 1 for the logo scene and one for the first level. These were set to, and built at a nexus of 100, as opposed to the nexus of 40 last time. Its a rar file, but only with the two WMBs. Just replace the old ones. This will be faster to set up and test.

Thanks again for the help! Anyone who still has any of the downloads should be able to just replace these and test.
Please, please help us figure this out.

Jason

100nexuswmbs.rar

i couldn't beat the astriod minigame.

Ok didnt crash on the asteroid level this time around but crashed on the level after ... I made it thru the green door and couldnt figure out where to go next tho. It then crashed when attempting to shoot one of the new enemys who were on the lower level.

Few suggestions. after you open the blast doors I think a cutscene should take over. Prehaps show you flying off into space. Then it should give back control once youve reached the asteroid belt. Not sure what triggers the mini game there but I had waited almost 4 mins before they acctually came. I eneded running downstairs a few times on the last trip downstairs I noticed the asteroids out the window and when I went back I could finally take control of the gun.

Enemys spawn too slowly. On the level before entering the space ship. I Saw one of the black orbs appear. I figured Id wait for the enemy but it took like 20-30 seconds before it came out. I think this has cause to why I can run right thru most levels. From game start to before entering the space ship I shot only one enemy... and thats the one I waited for.

Other then that I really like the new enemys Keep it up... Really hope that you figure out whats causing all the crashes.

@bot190: Couldn't beat the asteroid game because it crashed? Or couldnt beat it because of it's dificulty?

@FeiHongJr: Im glad it finally didnt crash... Are you usng the 100 nexus wmb's?
The asteroids are triggered when you walk through the doorway at the bottom of the stairs from lower to upper levels.

The enemy spawning times were mentioned before, and we will be taking more time to fine tune all these aspects. As much as I like the spawning effect, maybe we'll reduce these and add some already existing enemies which are 'sleeping'.

It does seem like the crashes have been reduced greatly since the nexus size increase, so i think were on the right track! Keep up those test folks...

Thanks!!

Jason

because of its difficulty though that might just be me. the problem i had the most was the crosshair didn't move fast enough.

From bot's post you may want to add different difficulties (this might take a while so it's up to you), personally I haven't died once on the asteriods, but people who don't live FPS practically all of their lives would have a worse time at the game. My suggestion for the difficulties is to only change the spawn times for everything, difficult has really fast spawn guys (this makes lots of guys, so you might want to up the nexus some more on this setting) and easy would have very slow respawn times (very little guys, you could probably reduce the nexus a bit to compensate as well)

I'll try the 100MB nexus now

I don't think this will increase speed any, because I'm pretty sure its running seemlessly right now, but I'll go and see.

Playing:
Not sure about it being faster, but it hasn't crashed yet.
-You need to move the change of level to the top of the stairs or the doorway, if you jump off the stairs instead of going all the way down, you don't change to the next level
-I'm sure now, the asteriods only come out of the bottom right quadrent, it would be more interesting if they spawned across the whole screen
-You may want to change the order of your code in removing asteriods, once a asteriod hit my cockpit, it sat there for about a second or two, then disapeared.
-I see how it can be difficult for some, at times the asteriods spawn very quickly so that about 4 or 5 appear at once, if they have high health, at least one will usually get in, but if you really try its easily possible to kill (not really a bug)
-Not a bug again, but I'm having a really difficult time making this thing crash, no matter what I do, lol I gave up after 7 tries in the asteriod level, I can't get it to crash

Level 5: Mother ship
|-----|-----| <- If you jump right, you can walk inside the second row on the railing, or on top of it (this is just a bounding box issue)
|-----|-----|
-More collision issues, throughout the game, you have to run through the health several times before you pick it up
-If you press escape at the decontamination sequence, you can move again, while its still going
-Gave up on this level after a long while, no crashing

Level 6: Walkway
-To good to be true, this level still crashes
-I hope the mothership is moving, otherwise the stars are all changing places in the universe, ITS COMING TO AN END AHHHH

Level 7: Garden
-Never had any problems before, not now

Level 8: Cinema Entrance
-If you jump on the boxes, and jump again, you can walk in the ceiling
-Near, Hillen 3d Design, the smallest health pack is still solid, you can't pick it up, make that both of the small health packs
-I can't seem to crash as before in this level

Level 9: Cinema
-I thought everything was alright but after a while of goofing in the theater and shooting UFO's it simply crashed

Level 10: Reactor Core
-This level still crashes (frequently), although not nearly as quickly
-Previously I didn't remember any of the lights changing, or the sirens, I listend this time, and its all there.
-I fell again, (below the reactor) so I'm pretty sure your previous instant death thing doesn't work

Level 11:
-Still crashes

Level 12:
-Still crashes

If that was a bug Trooper, it'd be a good bug! LOL

Keep trying, I'm sure there's some other code adjustments which could be made, but wanted to try the nexus first to see if that helped at all (thanks to those who suggested it!)
So far it seems that the nexus was a big problem, but likely not the only problem. Well keep investigating of course, and eventually get to making it a beter game over all when we have time.

The spawning of the asteroids could be adjusted a bit I agree. I think the difficulty level is fine, but the spawning should be up higher so the 'sneaky' ones arent hidden by the gun as much.

We're also taking suggestions of all sorts still, so any CC's welcome as always!
Thanks!

Jason