BetterGrass Causes Lag

[Trenix 14]

Version #: 0.79.10.375SSP/SMP (Single/MultiPlayer): BothSuggested Name: BetterGrass Causes LagSuggested Category: SevereDescription: The BetterGrass feature causes client lag, both on a high end and a low end computers. I've went out of my way to personally test this. Now I could understand a low end computer lagging more from a feature like this, but definitely not a high end one. My high end computer spec is as follows...Processor: Intel Core i7 3.40GHzRAM: 16 GBSystem: 64-bit Windows 8.1, x64-based processorGraphics: GeForce GTX 660It may not be the complete best, but it's definitely WAY above average. You can't tell me that I should be lagging on Minecraft with those specs. After removing this feature all lag was removed from BOTH computers, entirely.Have you deleted your config files and are still able to reproduce this bug?: YesDo you have any mods other than Forge and TFC installed?: No

[Draco_X 4]

Please use the Bug report template in the sticky http://terrafirmacraft.com/f/forum-11/announcement-2-how-to-report-bugs-crashes/ or your topic will be closed, maybe you could provide some Data from shift+F3

[CHeuberger 9]

The BetterGrass feature causes client lag, both on a high end and a low end computers. I've went out of my way to personally test this. Now I could understand a low end computer lagging more from a feature like this, but definitely not a high end one. If that's the case, then ether the feature should be removed or optimized. My high end computer spec is as follows...Processor: Intel Core i7 3.40GHzRAM: 16 GBSystem: 64-bit Windows 8.1, x64-based processorGraphics: GeForce GTX 660It may not be the complete best, but it's definitely WAY above average. You can't tell me that I should be lagging on Minecraft with those specs. After removing this feature all lag was removed from BOTH computers, entirely.

It can be turned off in the configuration, so why should it be removed?Maybe someone wants this, despite of the lag - actually I play single player most of the time and I could not sense any lag (differences) due to BetterGrass, and my laptop for sure is not near high end...http://terrafirmacraft.com/f/topic/7251-remove-side-grass/#entry96677

[Hector49er 31]

It can be turned off in the configuration, so why should it be removed?Maybe someone wants this, despite of the lag - actually I play single player most of the time and I could not sense any lag (differences) due to BetterGrass, and my laptop for sure is not near high end...http://terrafirmacraft.com/f/topic/7251-remove-side-grass/#entry96677

 

Wrong thread mate, why are you posting this here? Here he only stated that the feature causes lag for him that was mitigated by disabling the feature.

[Trenix 14]

I've updated my post so it could be in the appropriate format. I'm not sure why some don't lag with this feature, but I know for a fact that it caused unnecessary lag for me and my fiancé. I just don’t see a reason to keep something that really doesn’t add little to anything to the game and additionally causes unnecessary lag. This can lure people away from the modification and cause a worse gaming experience. Yet I’d still be fine if this feature was only to be better optimized, but it shouldn’t be a defaulted feature currently since people like me and my fiancé, have experienced issues with it. I also personally believe that people would rather choose to have no lag than keeping a senseless feature.

[Hubertus 29]

You have 16GB of RAM (Very nice), but how much is minecraft actually allowed to use? Have you tried increasing the RAM allocation? I also had some lag issues with TFC in the beginning, which were completely fixed by getting fastcraft and by allocating more ram.

 

http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/support/unmodified-minecraft-client/tutorials-and-faqs/1871637-tutorial-allocate-more-memory-for-minecraft

[Trenix 14]

You have 16GB of RAM (Very nice), but how much is minecraft actually allowed to use? Have you tried increasing the RAM allocation? I also had some lag issues with TFC in the beginning, which were completely fixed by getting fastcraft and by allocating more ram.

 

http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/support/unmodified-minecraft-client/tutorials-and-faqs/1871637-tutorial-allocate-more-memory-for-minecraft

Well that explains it. I guess Minecraft in general is to be blamed. However if Minecraft restricts the amount of RAM we could use, why is this 'BetterGrass' feature defaulted so it can gaurentee lag for new players? Not a very good first impression...

[CHeuberger 9]

Wrong thread mate, why are you posting this here? ...

Why? because the OP has posted here and I would like to know why it should be removed - so if this is the wrong thread I believe it's not my fault... 

... Here he only stated that the feature causes lag for him that was mitigated by disabling the feature.

Only? he also reqested that, in his words, "...then ether the feature should be removed or optimized..."(this was apparently deleted when the post got edited to include the template; after I have replied)better keep my thoughts inside my head... [:-)

[Bunsan 323]

Fancy graphics for vanilla Minecraft is default. Render distance is default 10 (or is it 12 now). I could list all kinds of settings that are default on vanilla minecraft which contributes to the load on a system, which results in lag issues. The defaults are set to display the graphics level the developer feels shows the product they want and expect players who have less optimal systems to configure their client to suit their hardware, be it up or down from default.

As for allocating more RAM, this is good to a point. Too little or too much RAM can cause issues. Too little and it can't load properly. Too much and you give Java a big garbage bin (heap space) to fill with junk it no longer needs. A bigger garbage bin take more resources to empty and will lag game every time it empties. TFC seems happy with 1.5-2GB. Only reason to devote more afaik is for higher res textures/shaders.

[Trenix 14]

Fancy graphics for vanilla Minecraft is default. Render distance is default 10 (or is it 12 now). I could list all kinds of settings that are default on vanilla minecraft which contributes to the load on a system, which results in lag issues. The defaults are set to display the graphics level the developer feels shows the product they want and expect players who have less optimal systems to configure their client to suit their hardware, be it up or down from default.

Changing your video settings in Minecraft is easy to do and easy to find, unlike changing options in TerraFirmaCraft which was completely unknown to me until I found out recently. Knowing that Minecraft defaults to 1GB of RAM, I don't see why you would implement or default a very minor feature that barely contributes to gameplay at all, which requires more RAM and overly complicates things. For example, I remember getting GTA IV and the game came out optimized very horribly. There were ways to go around this, some ways didn’t work, but some did. All that complication pretty much killed that game one can argue. Some people don’t comprehend even the most basic programming.You can have the best game or Mod you could ever have, but all that people really care about is stability. Stability is what will keep a product alive and has everything to do with its reputation. I’m just saying, it would be better to keep things as simple as possible in the beginning so people can experience a stable client and change their experience if they like, rather than one that gives the impression that the Mod isn’t optimized properly.

 

[Kittychanley 1,002]

I'm going to need more proof than just "It lags for me when enabled, and doesn't lag when it isn't." I need screenshots of memory usage, fps, etc. It's extremely likely that this is not the cause of your lag, and it is something else entirely that just happens to appear to relate to it. From my point of view right now, you found a feature of TFC that you do not like, you want this feature disabled by default or removed entirely, so you are making up reasons to try and get us to remove it.

 

For reference, here is the only code in all of TFC that is affected by this single config option:

 

	@Override	public IIcon getIcon(IBlockAccess access, int x, int y, int z, int side)	{		if (side == 1)			return GrassTopTexture;		else if (side == 0)			return TFC_Textures.InvisibleTexture;		else if (side == 2) //-Z		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x, y - 1, z - 1)))				return isSnow(access, x, y - 1, z - 1) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		else if (side == 3) //+Z		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x, y - 1, z + 1)))				return isSnow(access, x, y - 1, z + 1) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		else if (side == 4) //-X		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x - 1, y - 1, z)))				return isSnow(access, x - 1, y - 1, z) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		else if (side == 5) //+X		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x + 1, y - 1, z)))				return isSnow(access, x + 1, y - 1, z) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		return iconGrassSideOverlay;	}

 

So there is simply a single check of the nearby block to pick which texture, which is hardly resource intensive. Unless you can prove that this is an extremely serious issue that is causing an excessive amount of lag making the game unplayable, there will be no change.

 

Edit: There are a great many things in TFC that cause lag, but having the feature and the lag was decided to be better than not having the feature. Just a few examples: terrain generation above y=128, being able to walk through leaves, a very large variety of blocks and item IDs, custom ore generation, custom chunk generation, etc.

[Trenix 14]

I'm going to need more proof than just "It lags for me when enabled, and doesn't lag when it isn't." I need screenshots of memory usage, fps, etc. It's extremely likely that this is not the cause of your lag, and it is something else entirely that just happens to appear to relate to it. From my point of view right now, you found a feature of TFC that you do not like, you want this feature disabled by default or removed entirely, so you are making up reasons to try and get us to remove it.

 

For reference, here is the only code in all of TFC that is affected by this single config option:

 

	@Override	public IIcon getIcon(IBlockAccess access, int x, int y, int z, int side)	{		if (side == 1)			return GrassTopTexture;		else if (side == 0)			return TFC_Textures.InvisibleTexture;		else if (side == 2) //-Z		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x, y - 1, z - 1)))				return isSnow(access, x, y - 1, z - 1) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		else if (side == 3) //+Z		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x, y - 1, z + 1)))				return isSnow(access, x, y - 1, z + 1) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		else if (side == 4) //-X		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x - 1, y - 1, z)))				return isSnow(access, x - 1, y - 1, z) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		else if (side == 5) //+X		{			if(TFCOptions.enableBetterGrass == true && TFC_Core.isGrass(access.getBlock(x + 1, y - 1, z)))				return isSnow(access, x + 1, y - 1, z) ? Blocks.snow.getBlockTextureFromSide(0) : GrassTopTexture;		}		return iconGrassSideOverlay;	}

 

So there is simply a single check of the nearby block to pick which texture, which is hardly resource intensive. Unless you can prove that this is an extremely serious issue that is causing an excessive amount of lag making the game unplayable, there will be no change.

 

Edit: There are a great many things in TFC that cause lag, but having the feature and the lag was decided to be better than not having the feature. Just a few examples: terrain generation above y=128, being able to walk through leaves, a very large variety of blocks and item IDs, custom ore generation, custom chunk generation, etc.

I'll try to get the proof by tomorrow since today I'm a little bit too busy. I do understand that I'm a little biased with this feature since it's VERY clear that I don't like it, but I'm almost certain that it's caused lag for me and my fiance.

[Trenix 14]

Well it looks like it's pointless to get proof, if you open up more RAM everything should be fine as well as just turning off the feature.