Quote:
the zigzag pattern is much 'smaller' now. Ships now change course every few miles
...
I never tested whether the crucial point is the number of units or the waypoints. However, if you add a fine zigzag pattern to the complete stock campaign you will end up with an RND layer around 100MB
...
(Another solution would be to use a 'bigger' zigzag pattern. However, from my experience you do not gain much from a pattern with legs larger than around 25km)
|
I did something similar to this. Sounds like the exact same thing i did in TMO for SH4. If so, i can tell you that you CAN get over ambitious with this. The number of way points does effect system performance. PM Tater about this. He did more experimentation with this trying to get convoys to have a constant helming effect. So he could give you a more positive answer.
Long story short, I don't believe your going to get zig zag patterns without some compromise. In SH4, if memory serves me correctly, i used a 25, or 30 KM leg on my patterns (i forget which. If i had the files infront of me i could tell you though), with a 10KM random radius. I had to keep it small because the PTO has alot of geographical features to steer around. You could probably use larger for the ATO though i don't know if you want your waypoint radius's overlapping or not. Anywho, my file sizes for these convoy layers went from like 600 KB to 2 to 3 MB. It was the best compromise for little to no degredation in system performance.
That's another thing. SH3 loads the entire layer for all years at once. That may be a limiting factor in terms of performance. I don't know, but ill bet your load times get HUGE. One thing to keep in mind is that odds are, the player is not going to come in contact with a convoy at the beginning of a zig/zag leg. They'll encounter it, and have no idea how soon it might zig, until it does. At which point they may be right on the firing bearing, or they might not. Using larger random radius on your waypoints will add a level of unpredictablity while saving resources by using less waypoints to define your zig zag pattern.