Update: 04/17/26 -- Game patches and upcoming fixes
Hello everyone! 👋
TL;DR: I have three updates in the works to address issues that have be brought to my attention since these last couple game patches. These updates are also rewritten to use my new faster core scripts. The script mods in question right now are RCS, PF Config, and Better Winch. I hope to have the RCS beta uploaded in the next day or so, with the PF Config and Better Winch updates close behind.
As most of you know, there have been a couple of recent game updates. These updates were, in part, to address performance issues with previous versions of the game.
Somewhere along that process, the way gdm and grle files are handled seems to have changed somewhat. This has caused some scattered reports regarding RCS and/or 16X maps.
I'm currently looking into what I may have to address on my end. I actually have a RCS beta update nearly ready. This one is updated to my new core, so it should be a little quicker and more compatible with other things than previous versions. While I am in here doing that, I am also experimenting with new ways to go about the system in the hopes of making it more forgiving when it comes to patches like this.
Just a reminder, RCS maps are basically 16X worth of fruit/ground pixels in a 1X (or 4X) map area. This allows greater pixel resolution on those layers, which is what allows the rows to curve and act the way they do. In other words, RCS maps do not use any more resources than a normal 16X map would.
The performance issue is a couple of factors. One, the "closeness" of each crop or plant. The more plants you put on the screen at once, and the further you push out the LOD distance, the more high end rendering the game has to do. Eventually (if you push the LOD way out beyond what the game allows), the game can lock up. That's just a limitation of the game itself. I have worked on cutting down the foliage i3ds as much as possible to get around this, but that is another area that takes time and trial and error. I'm just one guy so I work on them when I can.
Two, and this is both 16X and RCS equally, is PF. To work around the allocReg limitation, I have to increase the sizes of the PF grle files. That uses a lot more resources. Plus, PF itself does some things here and there that, on larger maps, takes a lot longer to do to begin with.
Three, my code had to be more optimized. When RCS was first written, its main intent was a way to provide full row crop functionality without all of the performance drawbacks. At the same time, providing features that old RCR could never do. Both objectives were achieved for the vast majority of people. However, we're getting to a spot now where even the RCS is slowing things down, so I have to spend time making my code as optimized as possible. That's why I rewrote the core.
Anyway, I plan on posting a couple of betas in the near future. One for RCS in the hopes of making it run better with the newer game, and another PF Config beta that should address issues people have been having again with things like liquid lime not working. The problem here is I have to work around static constants in the lua code. Instead of having a "currentSprayType" table (or similar), parts of the game reference spray or fill types directly. For example, "if sprayType == SprayType.LIME". It only ever checks for lime, so I have to temporarily remap SprayType.LIME to whatever the vehicle is holding, then swap it back right after. If those constants move or change, I have to go into PF Config and update. That's why that happens. Nothing I can do other than update and adapt my code to the changes. There is no "future proofing" that specific work around in other words.
Finally, I did find some issues with Better Winch not wanting to apply custom attach points to certain vehicles. The issue is in the way certain FS22 converts are set up. They are missing some things that Better Winch looks for, so I'm writing an update to work around that as well.
I have one more appointment in Manila from the 19th to 21st, so I will be on and off during that time. I hope to have at least the RCS update ready before then, possibly the PF Config update as well.
I'll keep you posted as things progress. Just wanted to let you all know what I'm working on. Later!