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I know many of you are struggling with plots not completing in 3.1.6. I wanted to lay out a technical explanation for why this is happening, so you can approach the issue in a way that will best resolve it for you as even once I patch a better method in, you're still going to have some issues unless you are aware of what's going on.
Sim Settlements uses about 70 controller quests that handle the various systems. Prior to patch 3.1.6, many of the quests would each fire off logic whenever you changed locations, specifically when you entered or exited a settlement. Not only would the quests fire off events, but so would each plot.
This could result in Sim Settlements overloading the script engine and causing crashes. To combat this, I went way too far and basically pushed everything into a single thread for location change events. I did it in a way that would avoid stack dumps, but unfortunately, that means it runs incredibly slow.
The problem you are all running into, is that each time you enter a new settlement, you pile on another round of updates into the queue. Doing this 3 or 4 times before they complete, and then piling on things like calls to Refresh Local Plots backs up the queue to the point where you feel everything is completely broken - and once you get it to that point, the more you move between settlements, the more likely it actually is broken.
The solution for the moment, is to leave your character standing in a settlement, and let everything catch up. The more you tried to fix the issue yourself, the further backed up the queue will be and the more time you will need for it to clear up. Some users have reported having to wait 30 minutes for it to clear up.
Once you have things cleared up, and you'll know because the plots that seemed stuck will start completing, you then will want to slow down your trips to settlements. Each time you go to a settlement, take a peak around and make sure no plots are partially built, if they are, just wait there until they complete.
The Good News
Now that we know what Xbox can handle (after tons and tons of testing), I have a good knowledge base to work from to virtually eliminate all crashing and script backups from Sim Settlements. It's just going to take me a bit, as it's going to involve massive system overhauls in order to ensure that SS is leaner, but also remains backwards compatible with your saves.
In the next patch, I have things in a little more balanced state, so that you can at least avoid things like your IDEK's Logistics stations from getting stuck and breaking supply lines. I also am introducing a lot more tools for you to control the amount of resources Sim Settlements is allowed to use, these new tools will be integrated into the Performance Wizard, so you won't have to dive into them at all if you're not into that kind of nitty-gritty control.
My ultimate goal, with performance, is that every player, regardless of system, will be able to run Sim Settlements, build as many City Plans as they like, and be given a clear indication when they are pushing the limits on plot counts. You should be able to play Sim Settlements without constantly worrying about technical issues - and that's where we're headed.
While I can never eliminate crashing, because this is a Bethesda game, I want to eliminate Sim Settlements from ever being a likely cause. Most importantly, I want everyone to feel safe with Sim Settlements in their save files - corruption is unacceptable.
Thanks everyone for going on this rocky journey with me, as we ferret out the limitations of Fallout 4 and try and push the system to the limit for an amazing settlement experience!
-kinggath
Sim Settlements uses about 70 controller quests that handle the various systems. Prior to patch 3.1.6, many of the quests would each fire off logic whenever you changed locations, specifically when you entered or exited a settlement. Not only would the quests fire off events, but so would each plot.
This could result in Sim Settlements overloading the script engine and causing crashes. To combat this, I went way too far and basically pushed everything into a single thread for location change events. I did it in a way that would avoid stack dumps, but unfortunately, that means it runs incredibly slow.
The problem you are all running into, is that each time you enter a new settlement, you pile on another round of updates into the queue. Doing this 3 or 4 times before they complete, and then piling on things like calls to Refresh Local Plots backs up the queue to the point where you feel everything is completely broken - and once you get it to that point, the more you move between settlements, the more likely it actually is broken.
The solution for the moment, is to leave your character standing in a settlement, and let everything catch up. The more you tried to fix the issue yourself, the further backed up the queue will be and the more time you will need for it to clear up. Some users have reported having to wait 30 minutes for it to clear up.
Once you have things cleared up, and you'll know because the plots that seemed stuck will start completing, you then will want to slow down your trips to settlements. Each time you go to a settlement, take a peak around and make sure no plots are partially built, if they are, just wait there until they complete.
The Good News
Now that we know what Xbox can handle (after tons and tons of testing), I have a good knowledge base to work from to virtually eliminate all crashing and script backups from Sim Settlements. It's just going to take me a bit, as it's going to involve massive system overhauls in order to ensure that SS is leaner, but also remains backwards compatible with your saves.
In the next patch, I have things in a little more balanced state, so that you can at least avoid things like your IDEK's Logistics stations from getting stuck and breaking supply lines. I also am introducing a lot more tools for you to control the amount of resources Sim Settlements is allowed to use, these new tools will be integrated into the Performance Wizard, so you won't have to dive into them at all if you're not into that kind of nitty-gritty control.
My ultimate goal, with performance, is that every player, regardless of system, will be able to run Sim Settlements, build as many City Plans as they like, and be given a clear indication when they are pushing the limits on plot counts. You should be able to play Sim Settlements without constantly worrying about technical issues - and that's where we're headed.
While I can never eliminate crashing, because this is a Bethesda game, I want to eliminate Sim Settlements from ever being a likely cause. Most importantly, I want everyone to feel safe with Sim Settlements in their save files - corruption is unacceptable.
Thanks everyone for going on this rocky journey with me, as we ferret out the limitations of Fallout 4 and try and push the system to the limit for an amazing settlement experience!
-kinggath