NEWSA+SIMBION_tweaked Support and Gameplay

[Grump642]

Had a little time, so I came back to my 2nd play thru. This mod is just FUN!!!

Edit- Had to take a break from fighting with Apache and Joomla.

[DooMike]

Fiznerpin 1962 wrote:

"I am so sick of the

CRASHES!"

In several posts. And it seems he´s not alone.

This mod is the biggest mem-hog i have experienced yet. I never had frequent out of memory CTDs before playing the Newsa-Simbion mod on this (struggling?) laptop:
2.5 GHz Intelcore2 duo T9300, 4GB Ram 332.6 MHz (8.5 GB virtual memory), Geforce 8600M GT 512MB, Vista Ult.64bit.

However, after some troubleshooting on this specific issue, i´ve discovered a possible solution, that just might kill your "out of memory" -errorserrors...

For Win Vista 32 & 64 bit.

If your system has more than 2GB of availiable ( virtual ) memory, you need to make the OS avare of this. It is wrongful to assume that the Vista 32 and 64 bit OS is not limited by the 2GB virtual mem-limit. It is most likely set at 2048MB per default, which is more than enough for most ( SP ) games released to this date, but Stalker SoC/CS are exceptions to this rule, as they´ll eat up 1.6 GB just to load the vanilla game.

As you are used to being warned, it is indeed a good idea to create a backup of things such as this BCDEdit.exe (Vistas boot.ini file) before making any changes to it. ( read: Make a backup before toying with stuff like this! )

And remember that "DooMike" can and will NOT in any way be held reponsible for any damage YOU do to any PC!

To create a backup: (from within the bcdedit.exe)
bcdedit /export "c:\temp\myBCDbackup"
To restore a saved backup:
bcdedit /import "c:\temp\myBCDbackup”

The fix:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=89138

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa906211.aspx

"Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> ( Right click on ) Run ( As Administrator ) It's important it says "This task will be created with administritive privileges"
Now enter: bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 3072 ( anything above 2600 and below 3072 will do )

Simply paste :- bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 3072 and click run ( hit enter ), you'll see a black screen pop up and disappear again quickly... reboot and you should be set... it's kinda like using the /3GB switch in XP.

After that you have to restart Vista. This is important!


This has not only (apparently) cured my out of mem-CTDs, but has also greatly reduced the well known in-game stuttering/hangs in general. I have played New+Sim for 5-6 real-time hours straight without a single crash, where there would´ve been at least a handful before, and is currently testing other "troublesome" mods with the same positive result.

Hope this will prove to be useful to other Stalkers ... Lost in Oblivion.

Edit: I forgot to mention that i had the issues with the New+Sim 3.0 horror-LITE version, tweaked the actor_damage to OL 2.2 levels to try to get some continuous play-time for the test. (and "yes, i´m a kitty-cat., miav miavmiav miav miav...) I still get some (fewer?) sound-related hangs in various mods though.

[Kaidonni]

I tested the mod again the other day in light of the computer memory issue (i.e. the knackered memory that was causing all the BSODing). Now, I'm curious...what is the value everyone else has for radiation_health_v? Mine is:

radiation_health_v = 0.00004

I only ask just in case, at some point, somehow, the computer changed the file or something weird happened. This is because that value does not lead to me losing any health, although I get all the disorientation effects and the radiation warning symbol. Higher values seem to work (reported on it a while ago), but my question is, should it have been a higher value in the first place, and maybe was it somehow changed by some error while installing?

For two other mods I have present, the value is at 0.004, a value which does affect me and take away from my health. I will test to see if, in those mods, 0.00004 affects me, just in case this computer just doesn't like Newsa Simbion (computers...only us Humans could have built such annoying things, and after all those thousands of years of civilisation too ).

[busetibi]

radiation_health_v = 0.00004

I would have no idea where to look for this, lil help?

[Kaidonni]

Oh, sorry about that. It's in config>creatures>actor.ltx.

[fiznerpin1962]

By the way... welcome to the forums, DooMike.

- I may try that fix when I playthrough again (#5 ?).... although mine didn't seem to be memory related.

- decided to change it up a bit for a while, went & bought Fallout 3. Kind of interesting.

[busetibi]

in NEWSA 3 Extreme mode I have.
radiation_health_v= 0.00004 ;-- Reduction of health at influence of radiation

[Nightwatch]

Hi DooMike, good catch there with that Windows memory issue correction.
bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 3072 switch indeed has been mentioned in the Mod's website on the Tips page, under Technical Reference
http://www.gamerspedia.net/help&tips.htm
But you've got into the matter in much more detail. Thanks.



Kaidonni

When I get better, I will post a picture which shows how everybody dies because of radiation if they do not wear anti-rad suits.
You are spamming this topic for months now with the same issue that you are claiming to have. We know this thing that you have mentioned dozens of times. It is your machine's problem that cannot be solved. There's nothing wrong there with the mod. Please do not play this mod, or stop spamming the topic with the same subject. You mentioned it dozens of times, you got your answer is time. You may have an (OCD) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as you yourself said before, but this topic cannot tolerate this never ending thing.
Further reference from you on this matter will be removed as of spam.

End of matter.

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----------------------------

GUYS

I have been quite sick for the last few days, caught by the Swine Flu that has taken the UK under its grips now. That is the reason if I'm posting more nowadays, but still reading. I'm on Tamiflu course and getting better, no need to worry, but requires a bit resting.

[fiznerpin1962]

_________________________________________________
Get well soon! I
I
I
_________________________________________________

Hope you are up & around soon, buddy.

[DooMike]

God damnit Nightwatch! The EC has worked really really hard and gone to lengths to rename swine-flu to H1N1 and try to erase the negative association with piggies, because a lot of EC members want to continue exporting their pork-stuff without too much totally irrelevant confusion about possibilities of health-hazards and such... As a Briton, could you really do without your Danish Bacon and sausages, alongside ye scrambled eggs?

Gross National Products in several countries depend on you using of the correct term! ( )

But please get well soon, regardless!

I did read the tips/hint section on the N+S site when downloading, but i guess it´s now evident that it didn´t really sink in then and there. Perhaps because i hadn´t had any real issues i related to lack of memory, before this.

On a side-note, i also had regular BSOD annoyances exclusively relating to playing Stalker, modded or not, but - knock on wood/forehead - they seem to have gone too after the edit!

[Wombat_70]

Get well very soon nightwatch we need you here

[Grump642]

Hope you get better soon.

[audioave10]

Nightwatch...pay less attention to us...I'm sure good ole Busetibi can moderate for a few
days. Get some rest.

[Wombat_70]

To all Stalkers using wide screen monitors

My 19'' monitor has been taken by the Zone probably caught up by some wirlygig the fact is I needed a new
replacement so I purchased a 24" wide screen not from Syd mind you the native resolution is set to 1920x1080, now if I play Stalker at that resolution npc's seem to be short and not right to look at.
also in play If I select my inventory the game CTDT with this error every time.
I never had a widescreen monitor before so I'm puzzled

FATAL ERROR

[error]Expression : 0
[error]Function : CUICellContainer::FindFreeCell
[error]File : E:\stalker\patch_1_0004\xr_3da\xrGame\ui\UIDragDropListEx.cpp
[error]Line : 508
[error]Description : there are no free room to place item

Now I'm curious to know how you widescreen guys manage your screen resolution so Stalker npc don't look like
short asses no insult intented I'm not very tall myself

End of Story

[rockingmtranch]

Flu? Yuck. Get well buddy

[Kaidonni]

Nightwatch, do get better soon.

Might see about this mod in the future, and if I can get the computer to accept it at some point. Real shame, too, because I really like your mod. It's always the best games that a computer fails on, never the rubbish ones...*grumbles something about Nvidia and Medieval Total War being a major example*

[busetibi]

summer flus are always the worst, even more so with it being swine flu,
get lots of rest keep your fluids up and get well soon

[mircislav]

Despite the errors and CTD's, this mod is still pleasure to play - you can't expect everything to work flawless - this is "home made" not developer release.

[audioave10]

Wombat - try setting Stalker resolution to 1600x900. Make sure to
leave the game completely after setting that. Restart and check again. I run that on a 1680x1050 22" & a 1920x1080 23" and both
are perfect.