Hunt: Showdown Performance Patch Now Available

[rgMekanic]

It's not secret that HardOCP loves Hunt: Showdown and we wrote on March 29th how it was getting a performance patch, and today is the day that it is available. The new patch comes in at only 164 MB, but packs a lot of optimization, including lowering the memory footprint, a number of CPU optimizations, as well as several other bug fixes that are too numerous to post here. but you can check out the full patch notes here.

 

[rgMekanic]

Full patch notes, would have been WAY too long for a news post.

General updates

Performance

CPU optimization and utilization

• Optimized a number of CPU heavy processes within the game that would lead to Hunt being CPU bound (especially on lower end hardware)
  
• Optimized rendering cost when particle effects are filling the screen space
  
• Optimized off-screen particle updates in most cases
  
• Optimized interior lighting volumes significantly
  
• Optimized a number of expensive engine calls (e.g GetWaterLevel)
  
• Reduced particle overdraw when many large particles in view
  
• First round of optimizations on CPU job manager (improves efficiency of thread queues)

Memory optimization

• Reduced Hunt’s overall memory footprint
  
• Enabled animation DB streaming to reduce memory usage
  
• Improved object streaming to reduce memory usage
  
• Fixed a memory leak in the AI proximity grid
  
• Reduced memory usage in various Hunt subsystems

Server/Backend

• Improved dedicated server allocation manager to be more reliable, especially if back end slows down
  
• Upgraded backend technology to pave the way for further improvements to debugging user reported issues (slow response times etc)

Bug fixes

Developer note: In this section we will be using the word “stall” a lot. In these cases, this term is being used to describe one of 3 possibilities – micro stuttering (small freezes that do not crash the client), frame drops and spikes

• Fixed a stall when using lanterns for the first time (slight micro stutter when picking up the lantern)
  
• Fixed a stall that could occur when using dark sight for the first time after loading into the match
  
• Fixed a stall that occurred when aiming fuses at the sky
  
• Fixed a number of stalls that could occur due to some shaders being loaded during gameplay. This was especially noticeable when aiming down sights
  
• Fixed a stall that could occur when the banishing phase completed
  
• Fixed a number of invalid file accesses during gameplay which was resulting in some stalls
  
• Reduced stalls that could occur with cloth simulation on hunter clothing
  
• Fixed a number of uncached resources
  
• Fixed a deprecated asset that could cause the game to freeze at Stillwater Bend (or as it has been affectionately called by the community “Crashwater Bend”)
  
• Fixed a bug that would cause the Depth of field to be triggered when others in the match were aiming
  
• Partial fix implemented for some objects not rendering correctly (e.g. large amounts of vegetation missing at the start of the match) **

** Developer Note – We will have a number of fixes coming soon that relate to invisible objects. Keep an eye on future hotfix/patch notes for details.


Known Issues

• We are aware of an issue that relates to the audio of gunshots not playing correctly. When this occurred, it would lead to the assumption that your hunter would drop dead without warning. This is currently under investigation and we will provide updates when we have more information
  
• We are aware of some geometry being invisible in certain circumstances (missing walls etc.). We are currently investigating the cause of this and hope to have a resolution soon
  
• In certain cases, when moving or aiming, you may notice objects fading and LOD (level of detail) popping. We have been actively working to resolve this and should be able to address this issue in a subsequent content patch
  
• We are aware of a potentially large stall that can occasionally occur when in game. In some cases this can cause your client (as well as others in the vicinity) to disconnect from the server. We are aware and currently working to resolve this as a priority
  
• We are aware of a FPS drop that can occur when rapidly switching through your inventory or when entering the mini map
  
• We are aware that in some cases, players will not receive the 5 minute warning towards the end of a match