.

This is one of the analogies I’ve heard over the years when describing the problem of stutters in our favorite WWI combat flight sim. We have this wonderful, updated, thriving sim environment now, thirsty for the new water available to feed it, but still must pump all that fresh, sparkling water through a nearly two-decades-old supply main. The pipe just isn’t big enough, and because we have no way of making the pipe bigger or of bypassing it completely, (via the original and long-gone source code), we are forced to work with it, and around it when possible. We install new, bigger, and better pumps to move the same volume of water faster and faster through the old pipe, (better CPUs); we build fancy reservoirs to pump some of the needed water to a second supply location and feed it where it needs to go through an alternate, less-than-ideal-but-still-better-than-nothing, supply line, (newer GPUs and RAMs). And while this all works, and works incredibly well given the constrictions and limitations of the original supply pipe, it’s all still stop-gap measures. Because of this, when our wonderful, updated, thriving sim environment suddenly needs every last available drop of water right now without even a millisecond’s delay but can’t get it because of that dam’d undersized pipe, (despite our best efforts and work-arounds), well then here come the stutters.

Now some of the clever and savvy urban planners among us, with the knowhow and the budgets available to them, have been able to create supply systems capable of pushing all the fresh water absolutely as fast as it is needed through that tired, old, undersized CFS3 pipe, and to them I say “Bravo!” But even they may have the rare occasion when the odd stutter will rear its ugly head, due to the fact that the state-of-the-art system they’ve created is suddenly required to supply another district, (i.e. Windows processes, anti-virus scans, etc). This is no shortcoming in their efforts, only the reality that despite their best efforts, that outdated CFS3 supply pipe just isn’t up to the task under those conditions.

Ideally, we should rip out the old supply line completely and install a much, MUCH bigger one, but that is just not an option. All any of us can do is to keep building and operating around the primary restriction as much as possible and work to eliminate, or greatly minimize at least, the stutters caused by it. So, to that end, how about we all try to put aside our differences, disagreements, arguments, and egos, and strive together towards the goal. All of those involved in the discussions here have valuable input, despite that input being presented in a brusk manner from time to time. Civil discourse, debate, and discussion are going to move us all farther and faster along this shared road than is name-calling, finger-pointing, threats, and insults. If you’ve built a WOFF computer that runs the sim 100 percent stutter-free, my hat’s off to you, you’ve reached Nirvana and are drinking from the Holy Grail. For the rest of us, let’s keep trying to find what works in our respective situations and set-ups, and share those results with each other in the most pleasant and helpful manner we can muster. We’re all after the same thing in the end, a stutterless WOFF experience.

To quote the king of Swamp Castle: “This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let’s not bicker and argue about who killed who.”

.

Yes indeed!

.

Wasn't that the working title for "National Lampoon's Vacation"?

Thanks Lou, we needed that

Lou, in the words of one of my favorite villians,

Yup, well said Lou. That's exactly what I intended with the "Tweaker's Challenge" and your analogy is right on. I apologize to you and the other decent people on here for my recent and pointless back and forth with KK.

I-I-I ... I h-h-have an an an idea. Llllet's build an an an another p-p-p-pipe be be be beside the eg-eg-eg ... exsisting one! Let's r-r-run t-t-t-two s-s-s-s ... s-s-s ... s-s-s ... s-s-ses ... ses ,,, s-s-s-s-s ... sessions of of of of CFS3 con-con-con-concurrently!