Physx Engine Status

[kira-red]

I'm not sure why some people are so quick to think the problem is with the phys-x libraires. this is a commerical product and is in use elsewhere. the problem is with MA poor understanding of how it works. obviously, they need to work with the library developers to sort out what they did wrong (they tried to deflect this as not entirely their fault when it actually is).

it may be that the libraries were never designed to work in a server-centric environment such as PE/EU. if this is the case, then MA has made a grevious error. it's unlikely the library developers would make such a radical change (without a big bag of money to pay for it).

remember, we're talking about a company who frequently can't even place a decimal properly or get basic configuration tags correct.

I truly hope they will fix the problems and I fully accept that it will take them some time. I pretty sure there is a good deal of flogging going on in that office. I only hope the right people are being flogged.

 

[Donald]

I am glad I stumbled across this thread. It has cleared up some questions I've had lately. It seems to me, during the time just before The Madness took me, things were really quite nice in the EU. This would be about Sep. 9th or thereabouts. I recall making some trips into the snowy country, solfais crater and those dense woods all the way west on Amethera, as far as one could go. Even within those forests, the lag wasn't too bad and the venture was worthwhile due to the overall loveliness of the new areas.

Since my return I have hardly known how to react. Are things bad? Yes, I should say. If you wonder why I haven't been around much, even since returning, it is because the situation has me thoroughly stressed out. It hardly seems worth the effort. I feel badly for MA, having once been in their situation, in another real life job I once held. But I think I will limit my game-play somewhat until things get better.

I recently went to Ms. Pinky's apartment for a haircut (Infact I am still there... ). Since she was on an outing at that moment, I opted to nose about her place and rummage through her things. In other words, to kill time. As it happened, I was ping-ponging all over the room. One minute I am here, the next, I am over there... or just there. You get my meaning. Is this sort of thing going to continue for much longer? I hope not. I would be quite satisfied to return to the situation just prior to my 'holiday'.

I appreciate that MindArk was trying to do something to enhance the game. I am gratified, that they want to do something purely for their customers, and not merely to attract more business. With that being said, I intend to hang on and see what the outcome might be.

Sincerely,
Donald

 

[P-J]

I read the posts on this thread with growing dismay - a few people seem to be viewing this problem as: "the 'end of the game' as we see it and hey ho 'MA isn't going to recover from this mess' (chuckle chuckle about time the incompetent idiots got what they deserved)". They seem to positively reveling in MA's misfortune.

Just for the record - if MA gets hit by this type of negative critisism then the only people who are going to get hurt are the players that 'invested' , 'deposited' or dumped cash into the game as they see the value on their items slide away.

OH BTW those people who think they can dump on the forums and quietly sell out now (and still get their cash) need a reality check. If the BS and negative crap from the forums about this problem creates a run on this game then you will get NOTHING. MA counts deposits as INCOME - it doesn't put it in a bank account with your name on it - if MA suffers and crashes you will lose every pec you put into the game. To those who have already sold out ...just leave the game and the forums please. I am happy you made a positive decision to leave but please just sod off now and shut up.

So stop the 'fashionable' MA bashing and listen to what they are saying; THEY ARE SAYING SORRY, WE MESSED UP, HEY BUT WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST TO SORT IT OUT.

Oh for those that are surprised that MA is a smallish operation ...hmmm ... (sarcasm on) no really MA isn't a big company? (sarcasm off). I like playing MA because I AM NOT SUPPORTING SOME SODDING MULTI- NATIONAL LIKE MICROSOFT OR SONY. This is a medium sized company that has developed a great product and is taking on the big comapanies and winning. Oh and for those who think major companies don't make mistakes with coding or implementation of systems one simple message ' get real' ... take a look at:

www.computerworld.com/computerworld/records/images/pdf/44NfailChart.pdf

to see what a IT failure really looks like.

My view is that this is a temporary problem and MA will sort it out...I don't enjoy the lag, however, can still play. They are going through a rough time with this VU ..lets stick with them. The upside is that before the VU they were communicating with us and do seem to have continued to update us. All we have to do is wait...we will get a roll back or it will improve. We just need to stay with them.

 

[Com]

I propose Rule 34, to go along with Rules 5, 7, 12, and especially Rule 18:

Rule 34: "No telling others to 'sod off and shut up and leave the game and the forum' every time they post that they are unhappy with the current VU."

 

[P-J]

I propose Rule 34...

Rule 34: "No telling others to 'sod off and leave the game and the forum' every time they post that they are unhappy with the current VU."

I would agree...unless it relates to people who have ALREADY left the game are just seem to stay around the forums in a perverse desire to attack MA. These players really should just sod off

 

[Com]

You may have a point there. Please just remember this: I'm still here, and still playing. And I think this VU is absolutely horrendous.

 

[Darkaner]

So stop the 'fashionable' MA bashing and listen to what they are saying; THEY ARE SAYING SORRY, WE MESSED UP, HEY BUT WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST TO SORT IT OUT.

I could probably forgive them, if it wasn't for the fact that this is going to happen again. And it has happened before. They never learn.

Oh for those that are surprised that MA is a smallish operation ...hmmm ... (sarcasm on) no really MA isn't a big company? (sarcasm off). I like playing MA because I AM NOT SUPPORTING SOME SODDING MULTI- NATIONAL LIKE MICROSOFT OR SONY.

Well that's you. I can only speak for myself, and I would deposit a lot if this game was run by a real company that I could trust. Everything about MA just screams "stay the hell away from this company and its products". And as soon as there is another similar product on the market I will do just that (unless MA shapes up).

 

[Status]

I read the posts on this thread with growing dismay - a few people seem to be viewing this problem as: "the 'end of the game' as we see it and hey ho 'MA isn't going to recover from this mess' (chuckle chuckle about time the incompetent idiots got what they deserved)". They seem to positively reveling in MA's misfortune.

Just for the record - if MA gets hit by this type of negative critisism then the only people who are going to get hurt are the players that 'invested' , 'deposited' or dumped cash into the game as they see the value on their items slide away.

Alot of the feeling i see here is a kinda "told you so" mentality (including myself). Ma has seemed to work the same ways for years with what appears to be minimal improvements twords the communitys wishes. So alot of people have been saying a big problem would one day occur, and now people are kinda gloating to MA because MA has seemed to of never taken its customers seriously. Theres alot of us that are definatly not leaving but are on a serious vacation till they get better. Plus alot of people have said that everything they deposit is "spent" money and never expect to see it again. Kinda like blowing cash in a bar or drugs, but for entertainment.

OH BTW those people who think they can dump on the forums and quietly sell out now (and still get their cash) need a reality check. If the BS and negative crap from the forums about this problem creates a run on this game then you will get NOTHING. MA counts deposits as INCOME - it doesn't put it in a bank account with your name on it - if MA suffers and crashes you will lose every pec you put into the game. To those who have already sold out ...just leave the game and the forums please. I am happy you made a positive decision to leave but please just sod off now and shut up.

So stop the 'fashionable' MA bashing and listen to what they are saying; THEY ARE SAYING SORRY, WE MESSED UP, HEY BUT WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST TO SORT IT OUT.

Yes its great they are talking, but at the same time, look what it took to get them to do so about such issues. But i have noticed "slight" improvement in their communicating over past months tho

Oh for those that are surprised that MA is a smallish operation ...hmmm ... (sarcasm on) no really MA isn't a big company? (sarcasm off). I like playing MA because I AM NOT SUPPORTING SOME SODDING MULTI- NATIONAL LIKE MICROSOFT OR SONY. This is a medium sized company that has developed a great product and is taking on the big comapanies and winning. Oh and for those who think major companies don't make mistakes with coding or implementation of systems one simple message ' get real' ... take a look at:

www.computerworld.com/computerworld/records/images/pdf/44NfailChart.pdf

to see what a IT failure really looks like.

Glad i didnt see sony or other game devs on that list j/k we all understand tech issues, but I personally have yet to play a game with the type of "issues" Entropia has

My view is that this is a temporary problem and MA will sort it out...I don't enjoy the lag, however, can still play. They are going through a rough time with this VU ..lets stick with them. The upside is that before the VU they were communicating with us and do seem to have continued to update us. All we have to do is wait...we will get a roll back or it will improve. We just need to stay with them.

Agreed, wait and see I sure as heck am going to.

 

[P-J]

I could probably forgive them, if it wasn't for the fact that this is going to happen again. And it has happened before. They never learn.

I think you are starting from the wrong point, I would argue:

All companies make mistakes - most companies repeat the same mistakes - single loop learning in action. Is MA unusual because of this - no.

They haven't betrayed you - its not personal so there is nothing to forgive.

Anyway the mistakes that they make aren't fatal - irritating and a we may lose a few peds (and only a few unless we have a bit of lemming DNA in our systems) ....but they fix the bugs (or some of them) and they game goes on. The impact of the mistakes isn't that great... with a bit of imagination or effort you can cope. Most people just amend their playing strategy (or don't play for a while) until the problem is resolved.

I think the assumption that big gaming companies don't make make IT mistakes is incorrect... take SONY (just for example) ...anyone heard of Sony's Walkman Bean?

http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/16/sony-kills-walkman-bean-after-failure-to-sprout/

(the tag line often derided never imitated)

or the Sony Copy Protection fiasco:

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2005/11/the_sony_copypr.html

The article about Sony starts:

"Watching Sony BMG stumble from one fiasco to another over its copy-protection technology is like watching a silent-movie comedy about a bungling waiter...."

...I would deposit a lot if this game was run by a real company that I could trust. Everything about MA just screams "stay the hell away from this company and its products". And as soon as there is another similar product on the market I will do just that (unless MA shapes up).

So MA isn't a 'real' company? Define real...how many employees should it have? Is Microsoft a 'real' company...oh then that explains why 'real' companies like Microsoft never put out dodgy or buggy software

Look at the catalogue of games and gaming IT developed by big name companies that have failed:

Nintendo Virtual Boy
Nokia N-Gage
PSX (DVR) (another great Sony Product)

or the imaginatively named 'Grabbed by the Ghoulies' developed by Rarewear for Microsoft .... unknown because it bombed and died just after release.

{edited in response to Satus's post below}

Customer Support seems to vary from company to company. Many of the larger IT companies tend to outsource their 'support' function to a third party organisation ... which can cause all sorts of problems (see the problems Dell Customers had ...http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-5182611.html)

Just becuase its big doesn't mean that they will handle your support issues well. {end of edited text}



MA has only one product: ' Entropia' - which has a look a feel which is equal to if not better than most of the other games out there.

Nothing screams ' stay away from this company' - it has decent accounts (which it publishes) is reasonably profitable and has been trying to sort out its communication with the users (before the VU update)....so what 'screams' stay away?

 

[Status]

I think the assumption that big gaming companies don't make make IT mistakes is incorrect... take SONY (just for example) ...anyone heard of Sony's Walkman Bean?

http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/16/...lure-to-sprout/

(the tag line often derided never imitated)

or the Sony Copy Protection fiasco:

http://www.informationweek.com/blog...ony_copypr.html

The article about Sony starts:

"Watching Sony BMG stumble from one fiasco to another over its copy-protection technology is like watching a silent-movie comedy about a bungling waiter...."

But from what i see its a moral and privacy issues and a peice of hardware. Alot of games bomb and die, and if EU didnt have that magic formula (players+RCE+certin game aspects) it would fail on its own because of various issues, such as many games have.
The fact that MA only has one proiduct should make them that much more diligint about it

In the end a game is a game, people like and dislike them for different reasons, it does boil down to opinion and right now i guess alot of peoples opinions semm to follow the same thing and make it look popular I guess....

P.S. I think what darkaner ment by "real" company is the idea of a company with large resources behind it to resolve issues fast and have the support in place to calm the playerbase but youd have to ask him

 

[Darkaner]

About Sony and MS. They can afford to make mistakes, MA can not.

MA has only one product: ' Entropia' - which has a look a feel which is equal to if not better than most of the other games out there.

I agree, the world MA has created is really cool. This is also the reason for why I think it is so sad that they keep messing things up.

Nothing screams ' stay away from this company' - it has decent accounts (which it publishes) is reasonably profitable and has been trying to sort out its communication with the users (before the VU update)....so what 'screams' stay away?

Well, to begin with MA went bankrupt once and a lot of people lost a lot of money, people who believed in MA's amazing press releases and invested in MA shares. They are working together with Bridge invesment, a somewhat shady organisation. They ban people for talking on forums. They change ingame systems without a word... And while I'm writing these things (which are all true) I get the feeling that I should just erase it and forget about it, just so that they wont lock my account. Want more?

 

[Haxtor moogle]

I think this is going way out of the original topic....
Simply put:
1. there are bugs
2. MA is trying their best to fix them
3. hold onto your socks untill then and deal with it
4. quit your whineing
5. I mean it stop whineing like little kids!
6. Stop bashing MA for these bugs, poo hapens thats why man invented toilet paper. at least they are trying to clean up the mess




maybe it is time to lock this thread?

 

[P-J]

This is getting way, way of topic...but in response to Darkaner's post:

"Well, to begin with MA went bankrupt once and a lot of people lost a lot of money, people who believed in MA's amazing press releases and invested in MA shares".

One investor got cold feet and pulled the plug - just when the dot com bubble burst. At that in time point investors were pulling out of intenet companies and companies like MA were folding on an hourly basis. MA pulled through after a management buy out and the game continues. They seem to have spread the risk of investors since that point.

"They are working together with Bridge invesment, a somewhat shady organisation".

Bridge have too small a stake to count or influence the direction of the company. They have put money into the company but...heck a lot of people (nice and nasty , shady and honest) put money into companies. Some say Bridge are shady - others don't ...I don't know and care because Bridge won't influence MA.


"They ban people for talking on forums. "

They gave a two or three day slap on the wrist ban for one person who break the EULA... lets not overreact.

"They change ingame systems without a word... "

Yep ..irritating isn't it ...but its their game - they can do whatever they like. It doesn't mean that they are a 'dodgy' company.

 

[Chimp]

{edited in response to Satus's post below}

Customer Support seems to vary from company to company. Many of the larger IT companies tend to outsource their 'support' function to a third party organisation ... which can cause all sorts of problems (see the problems Dell Customers had ...http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-5182611.html)

Just becuase its big doesn't mean that they will handle your support issues well. {end of edited text}

When a company is small it has a tendency to value its customer base more than a large multinational that can afford to alienate one or two small countries-worth of customers before it sees a loss.

MA has a very large customer base for a small company, so it would appear to be caught between the two extremes were it not that it has an adequate way of reaching its users through this forum.

Bertha is a good way of communicating issues and I'm pleased to see her...but I do think her software could use an upgrade to allow a bit more detailed information to seep down.

Marco has not posted and that is frustrating but understandable. All he'd get is us shouting at him...not particularly productive. However that we are free to vent is important. Anyone reading the entire threads relating to this subject will have a reasonably balanced view of the general feelings held. Some leave...I reckon most of them will return when this is sorted. Others scream 'sweat'...some (self included) say they'll withhold deposits. I reckon that is their right and also shows that EU is on its way to becoming the community it wants to be with diverse views and the right to express them. We do the same with political issues.

btw: since I discovered the size of MA I am no longer withholding deposits...just praying they do more sensible tests in future

MA has only one product: ' Entropia' - which has a look a feel which is equal to if not better than most of the other games out there.

Nothing screams ' stay away from this company' - it has decent accounts (which it publishes) is reasonably profitable and has been trying to sort out its communication with the users (before the VU update)....so what 'screams' stay away?

Yeah, it does have a look and feel that captivated me for nearly six months so far; and nothing screams stay away to me apart from the ctd. That is able to be rectified usually in three or four goes with the use of a bit of ME to tp and some luck.

I, like all of us, am frustrated. I am also heartbroken to see the game in such a self-induced catastrophic state...unfortunately I am not qualified to counsel a company via forum so I resort to my human default and moan. That I am moaning says loud and clear that it matters to me. It's those that quietly stop and slope off somewhere else that should be the worry.

Noise is good

Oops...and to get back on-topic, I am going to get a PhysX card with my next PC as I am confident MA will have the issue sorted by then. 80 is an excellent age to consider upgrading my system

 

[Witte]

I just downloaded 2 new physx dll files. Lets see if its any better

 

[Steele]

POS Bugdates

Just Downloaded the latest one too, now i cant get in game, crashes soon as I hit Launch on the login screen, damn it

 

[Witte]

I tried TI, which was the worse for me. And so far everything seems to be all right. Looks like main the problem is finaly fixed.

 

[Esteeming]

Just Downloaded the latest one too, now i cant get in game, crashes soon as I hit Launch on the login screen, damn it

I believe I have received same error message when I tried to click the launch button on the login screen after downloaded the latest files.

I have already tried to cool-boot my system, but still receive same error message.

Hope this technical issue can be resolved soon.

 

[Numa]

Just Downloaded the latest one too, now i cant get in game, crashes soon as I hit Launch on the login screen, damn it

I believe I have received same error message when I tried to click the launch button on the login screen after downloaded the latest files.

I have already tried to cool-boot my system, but still receive same error message.

Hope this technical issue can be resolved soon.

Do either of you two run firewalls?

If so, remove the reference to any EU/PE programs in the firewall and try again. It could need refreshing with the Firewall to get it to load.

It works ok for me, and my firewall prompted me to add PE.exe(Find that funny, not called EU.exe ) and then I am able to login as normal.

 

[Steele]

Its not the firewall, dont use a software version.

Its somewhere in thier damn new PE.exe My guess something not compatible with XP SP2 or something

I rolled back the comp 2 days to a restore point, no help
I updated DirectX, no help (ran dxdiag, no problems listed)
Deleted the Cache files in PE, no help
Deleted latest MS updates (in roll back), no help
Rebooted, no help
Deleted all Dlls, and Exes, and auto updated PE, no help
Updated/replaced Physx Dlls directly from their site, no help


Soon as i hit Launch, PE client opens, then you get an MS error reporting message, saying PE.exe needs to close, it closes, but the Login screen stays open.
Sent in a support, but of course they are on vacation again it looks, or clueless and dont have an answer for me.

 

[Snuggins]

Sent in a support, but of course they are on vacation again it looks, or clueless and dont have an answer for me.

Man, the patch just came out a few hours ago, give support a little slack...

 

[Legion]

6. Stop bashing MA for these bugs, poo hapens thats why man invented toilet paper. at least they are trying to clean up the mess

and in that case MA has a diarea or however it's spelled.

I think a lot of people on this forum who is a bit semi new see me as quite a whiner. I dont whine or well in one way i guess i do but dont get me wrong. I love PE and has done from minute one since beta.

The thing is i whine cause i know this game could have been soo much better if MA just shaped up and did stuff the right way. But MA doesnt.. they repeatedly make the same misstakes over and over and over again. And they have never improved. They seemed to improve their communication after this patch but that seems to be a one time thing.. communication is a two way thing and not just a post from bertha and marco. Example.. the auction post.. marco said lets talk about the auction.. so far he made the initial post and since then havent said a thing. If he really meant to talk about it he should be making posts in that thread a few times a day and on other threads aswell.... and if he doesnt have the time MA need to hire someone to do that job for them. hmm oh well that was off topic i guess but anyway the key element that ma needs to do is to communicate and we the users wouldnt be so upset and this whining wouldnt occur.

 

[cacail]

Example.. the auction post.. marco said lets talk about the auction.. so far he made the initial post and since then havent said a thing. If he really meant to talk about it he should be making posts in that thread a few times a day and on other threads aswell....

/Little HS On
Just a little note about that, Marco also said that the thread was a mean to ask the community while waiting for the vote booth to be back ingame.
To me, it seems he was just asking the community its opinion about the Auction but not really starting a real discussion between the community and MA.

I don't say it's good... A real discussion would be better but, to me, it was clear that Marco wouldn't post in this thread after opening it.
/Little HS Off

 

[StrongMinded]

I think this is going way out of the original topic....
Simply put:
1. there are bugs
2. MA is trying their best to fix them
3. hold onto your socks untill then and deal with it
4. quit your whineing
5. I mean it stop whineing like little kids!
6. Stop bashing MA for these bugs, poo hapens thats why man invented toilet paper. at least they are trying to clean up the mess




maybe it is time to lock this thread?

And you have played for how many days? Some of us has put up with this for years!

 

[Numa]

And you have played for how many days? Some of us has put up with this for years!

Not long enough. Just wait, 6 months time, if he is still around, we will see him whining that the bugs are crap, the VU sucks, and MA support is rubbish.

 

[P-J]

Strongminded ....OH no we are going the for rubbish anything you don't like hearing as the 'noob view' approach (define noob as someone who has played less than you). Low blow.

I have been in the game a few years and am kind of active and I agree with Haxtors view (except point 4 and 5) - it seemed balanced and realistic.

 

[gekkegerrit]

What is AGEIA PhysX?

Delivering physics in games is no easy task. It's an extremely compute-intensive environment based on a unique set of physics algorithms that require tremendous amounts of mathematical and logical calculations supported by massive memory bandwidth. Simply put, it requires the AGEIA PhysX processor: a specialized accelerator dedicated solely to delivering rich immersive physical gaming environments with features such as:

Explosions that cause dust and collateral debris
Characters with complex, jointed geometries for more life-like motion and interaction
Spectacular new weapons with incredible effects
Cloth that drapes and tears the way you would expect it to
Dense smoke & fog that billow around objects in motion

The only way to get real physics with the scale, sophistication, fidelity and level of interactivity that dramatically alters your entertainment experience is with the AGEIA PhysX processor, which was developed from day one to accelerate the highly specialized physically based simulations. And the only way for serious gamers to get true mind-blowing physics in gaming is with a PhysX Accelerator add-in card available today from leading game system vendors such as Dell, Alienware, Falcon Northwest and leading PhysX accelerator makers BFG and ASUS.


Gaming Power Triangle


The AGEIA PhysX processor is the critical hardware element required for optimized game physics and is the third engine of the Gaming Power Triangle which will drive a new era in exciting and immersive gaming.



Got the above info from above the aegis website, so does this mean everyone has to buy a PhysX Accelerator add-in card just to play?

 

[Witte]

Got the above info from above the aegis website, so does this mean everyone has to buy a PhysX Accelerator add-in card just to play?

No, and probably never will. Maybe to see some extra neat effect.

 

[Legion]

Delivering physics in games is no easy task. It's an extremely compute-intensive environment based on a unique set of physics algorithms that require tremendous amounts of mathematical and logical calculations supported by massive memory bandwidth. Simply put, it requires the AGEIA PhysX processor: a specialized accelerator dedicated solely to delivering rich immersive physical gaming environments with features such as:

Explosions that cause dust and collateral debris
Characters with complex, jointed geometries for more life-like motion and interaction
Spectacular new weapons with incredible effects
Cloth that drapes and tears the way you would expect it to
Dense smoke & fog that billow around objects in motion

The only way to get real physics with the scale, sophistication, fidelity and level of interactivity that dramatically alters your entertainment experience is with the AGEIA PhysX processor, which was developed from day one to accelerate the highly specialized physically based simulations. And the only way for serious gamers to get true mind-blowing physics in gaming is with a PhysX Accelerator add-in card available today from leading game system vendors such as Dell, Alienware, Falcon Northwest and leading PhysX accelerator makers BFG and ASUS.


Gaming Power Triangle


The AGEIA PhysX processor is the critical hardware element required for optimized game physics and is the third engine of the Gaming Power Triangle which will drive a new era in exciting and immersive gaming.



Got the above info from above the aegis website, so does this mean everyone has to buy a PhysX Accelerator add-in card just to play?

No. read the info that is available, both here on ef and on the eu website.

 

[gekkegerrit]

No. read the info that is available, both here on ef and on the eu website.

Ok, i re-read the Version update 8.6..

Please note that the implementation of the PhysX engine does not require that particpants purchase the AGEIA PhysX Card. This update does however lay the foundation for extra physics features in the future which will benefit from the PhysX Card.

The AGEIA PhysX processor is the critical hardware element required for optimized game physics and is the third engine of the Gaming Power Triangle which will drive a new era in exciting and immersive gaming.

so MA say a PhysX Card is not required, while Aegis say it is critical requirement, now I'm confused