Options
STT Steam optimization.
I'm just wondering, if the Steam client so badly optimized or is it doing something else, than just dealing with the game?
Sure, my HP Pavilion with i5-6200U @ 2.3 GHz and GF 940M isn't a powerhouse, but even when running in background and showing just chat or fleet screen, where NOTHING happens, the CPU usage usually oscillates between 30 and 40% and on GF never goes below 30% (and on integrated HD 520 rarely below 60%) with the main screen usually bringing GPU use to 80-99%.
This usage (you can check it for your comp using Task Manager) very often interferes with programs in foreground, at times freezing even Firefox for a few seconds and IMO is totally ridiculous for a game with such basic graphics, which has very few things to update, especially when it's in background. Unless, ofc, it's using our comps to mine BCs for DB, which some games do, but usually they inform players about this.
Title edited. ˜Shan
Sure, my HP Pavilion with i5-6200U @ 2.3 GHz and GF 940M isn't a powerhouse, but even when running in background and showing just chat or fleet screen, where NOTHING happens, the CPU usage usually oscillates between 30 and 40% and on GF never goes below 30% (and on integrated HD 520 rarely below 60%) with the main screen usually bringing GPU use to 80-99%.
This usage (you can check it for your comp using Task Manager) very often interferes with programs in foreground, at times freezing even Firefox for a few seconds and IMO is totally ridiculous for a game with such basic graphics, which has very few things to update, especially when it's in background. Unless, ofc, it's using our comps to mine BCs for DB, which some games do, but usually they inform players about this.
Title edited. ˜Shan
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
And they are doing so on Android too..
Turn it in to a feature for discounts !
I'd open a "mini game" where I'm mining Dilithium for the Federation, use all the resources on my tablet you want while in this mode so long as it equals out to gains for the player as well.
I assume you were kinda joking since BC mining takes a "little better" computer's full attention.
My understanding is, bitcoin mining uses a lot of memory. It is hardly scratching both system memory or GPU memory.
nVidia GTX 760 4GB - ~30-50% GPU usage, 0.5GB out of 4 GB RAM. That feels more like just the textures, instead of running the mining algorithm.
i7 -4771 CPU (4 core + 4 HT cores), 8 GB RAM - 7% usage and timelines is using about 200 MB of RAM.
Nope, not joking at all. Even some webpages are currently using Java to get some fractional BCs mined, when you visit them - How to Block Cryptocurrency Miners in Your Web Browser. Also, to hide the activity, those things can be programmed to use only the proportion, not all, of available CPU/GPU power.
And I see it much more as a general discussion subject, than just the engineering problem, hence I decided to post it here.
Edit:
@NivenFres: You may have a good point here. I don't actually know, how BC mining affects memory.
It absolutely destroys my phone's battery (I play it on my iPhone), and is much worse for performance, battery life, and heat compared to another more graphically/resource-intensive game I play on the same phone.
It's not coded efficiently, but then again, I've rarely ever played a game from a small-ish developer that was.
Cardassian wishlist:
Tora Ziyal - Thanks!
Natima Lang
Empok Nor Garak
Tekeny Ghemor
Mira
Makbar
Dejar
Ulani Belor
Or Tin foil bikini:
Ezri Dax: Oh, how to keep from breaking into tears for no reason...
The other telling sign (from what I've seen), is there isn't a lot of memory activity. The GPU Copy graph is basically zero. My understanding is this represents data going between system memory and video memory. I believe bitcoin mining apps would have a lot of activity here, since it has to read out data constantly from system to video memory and visa versa. In this case, textures were loaded and there isn't a lot of other activity needed.
[edit]
Fixed quotes.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, that is obtained from "mining" blockchains.
The simple explanation is, you can get bitcoins (or fractions of them) by having your computer process a bunch of code/functions, these can be exchanged for money. There's a limited amount of bitcoin based on the blockchain (the thing your computer is processing), this creates the "value" in them.
Most people who mine bitcoins have a dedicated computer that does all the crunching required to obtain ("mine") bitcoins from the blockchain.
But, you can theoretically distribute it by inserting bits of code into other things (apps, webpages etc.) so that the device that loads the page/app does a bit of "mining" (it does a bit of crunching, and generates a very small fraction of bitcoin).
Cardassian wishlist:
Tora Ziyal - Thanks!
Natima Lang
Empok Nor Garak
Tekeny Ghemor
Mira
Makbar
Dejar
Ulani Belor
Bitcoin Mining
It is basically how to find the next usable bitcoin, which takes a lot of processing power.
For those, that don't know, the censored thread title was: "Is STT a stealth BitCoin miner?" It's easy to change the title, but it doesn't mean, that the question stops being valid.
Ezri Dax: Oh, how to keep from breaking into tears for no reason...
And why exactly should people be more likely to quit? Whatever the reason, the overload on our computers is the same.
In my opinion, we should actually be more likely to quit, if we learn, that it's NOT a BC miner, but just so extreme and senseless programming incompetence, as this would put in serious question, if they will ever be able to cope with some other obvious programming issues affecting the gameplay, like the bugged success chances for shuttles during Faction Events.
Maliciousness is worse than incompetence in general society. If I break a laptop in the course of my job, I'll be forgiven and it'll be replaced. If I steal one and sell it, I'll be fired and arrested.
Ezri Dax: Oh, how to keep from breaking into tears for no reason...
No one is "giving" anyone bitcoins. That's why it's called mining. You are literally finding new bitcoins through the processing of the blockchains.
So by placing code in webpages/apps, someone can use your device's processing power to help find the bitcoins within the blockchain and "extract" them.
Cardassian wishlist:
Tora Ziyal - Thanks!
Natima Lang
Empok Nor Garak
Tekeny Ghemor
Mira
Makbar
Dejar
Ulani Belor
As I said on top I first thought you were kinda jokingly using the mining as a pointer to the games performance.... and so I believe this would have been better in engineering.
But to really go out and accuse DB of Bitcoin mining over our backs is just ridiculous. You don't accuse people of stealing without a shred of evidence (and no, high cpu load is not evidence of malicious intent).
1) We're not using your PC to mine Bitcoin.
1a) It's illegal to do so without your consent.
1b) If we were, we'd be mining Etherium, not Bitcoin.
1c) Consumer gaming graphics cards are not an efficient tool for cryptocurrency mining on any serious scale.
Civilian, Brand and Marketing
Ex-Disruptor Beam