Are there any New Mac Games out?

Renegade_Turner · Post by **Renegade_Turner** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:16 am

I've rarely experienced this "memory leak" problem on the PC and I've played quite a few games. Not noticeably annoying anyway. It's not really much of a problem. Doesn't really happen with Far Cry, and the maps and stuff in Far Cry are HUGE.

Or else I just don't really notice things well.

Colicedus · Post by **Colicedus** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:01 am

Over all I have put my Computer though allot of the High end games, and it performs like a drop dead gorges lady with a Doctorate in Prostitution.

I would like to ask, dose Memory leakage occur from crappy programing or crappy computer or a combination of the two?

Renegade_Turner · Post by **Renegade_Turner** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:58 am

You talk about sex too much.

Well I'd imagine mainly it's the games that do it, since BWS said that one game was apparently notorious for memory leakages? It's obviously not with all games, I guess.

Colicedus · Post by **Colicedus** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:08 pm

Renegade_Turner wrote:You talk about sex too much.

Im sorry, believe you me, you don't want me to start going into whiny emo mode over the same subject, so just leave it as

You talk about sex too much.

Renegade_Turner · Post by **Renegade_Turner** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:28 pm

Okay???? *Confused*

Anyway I'm pretty sure memory leakages are gonna happen for any computer, and contrary opinions are probably just a case of Mac fanboyism or PC fanboyism.

BunnyWithStick · Post by **BunnyWithStick** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:00 pm

Colicedus wrote:I would like to ask, dose Memory leakage occur from crappy programing or crappy computer or a combination of the two?

From what I've gathered, partly from the tools available to the programmer(s) which generally change for every OS that comes out, but mostly due to crappy programming. (Ever notice how memory leaks are "Fixed" in the bugfix log buried in the readme/manual?)

Post by **David** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:03 pm

Memory leaks are always caused by poor programming or by relying on libraries that are themselves poorly-written.

BunnyWithStick · Post by **BunnyWithStick** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:22 pm

Thanks for confirming that for me. I am (And always will be, at least until I learn to leetly code in objective C what no man has coded before, which will never happen. At least until I learn to leetly code in…) a quasi-geek with no programming skill besides making random sentence generators in AppleScript. Yes, I once recreated the random sentence generator in Harry the Handsome Executive, another great game I can't play on the iBook… Stupid iBook.

Grayswandir · Post by **Grayswandir** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 12:24 am

HAHA!!! You can't play Harry the Handsome Executive...I mean...er...oh, how sad.

BunnyWithStick · Post by **BunnyWithStick** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 12:34 am

Actually, I can. The only problem is A: It runs set to "Tortoise", and B: It's all jumpy and leaves the random stuff you get when no canvas is around to draw on.

Basically, I can't.

Makrond · Post by **Makrond** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:29 am

Well, so much for Mac fanboyism... I said Macs don't have memory leak problems and I'm a diehard PC fan. So that kinda blows your theory David.

Okay, I will admit, mostly it's the programming that causes memory leaks.

The problem is, most of the libraries that games rely on are coded sloppily. Especially commercial games.

Memory leaks are MOST noticeable on less powerful computers. Like mine. After a couple hours, nearly all the commercial games (and some of the free games too) I play slow to snail's pace. Some more than others (Morrowind has always been infamous for leakage. Underground 2 does it as well, faster than Morrowind but doesn't slow down as much, and doesn't crash while saving. But after a few hours, loading times can be anywhere up to 45 seconds to a minute).

Most newer computers with fast processors, lots of RAM, and a decent graphics card will probably never notice the difference after hours of play.

And, David, I know you've probably had more experience than me, but I have never, not EVER, had a problem with not having enough processor power for games. Ever. RAM makes a difference, graphics cards, sound cards, they all make a difference, but I have never experienced a situation where a game has slowed down because of a less powerful processor.

To prove it: up until March of this year, I've had a PIII 1000MHz (it's actually 933, but you know), with 512MB of RAM and a GeForce 2. I've played games that have stated (real example):

Recommended Requirements:
P4 2.0GHz
512 MB RAM
64MB 3D video card

(The minimum requirements were a 32MB 3D card).

This game ran quite well on my computer, despite lacking in the processor department.

Nearly all my gaming life I've ignored the processor requirements and just looked at the RAM and video card requirements. And I've never really had a problem.

Now, David, you've probably had different experiences, and for all I know I was sacrificing performance by ignoring the processor requirements, but if there was a difference purely in the processor, it's been negligible, as far as I could tell. Like when I upgraded to my new 1.6GHz P4. It barely made a difference in the performance of NFS Underground 2, and yet it was the difference, as far as processor goes, between the minimum and recommended requirements.

So, we might have to agree to disagree on this, but I have seen very little in terms of performance boosts just from a processor upgrade.

However, on that note, IF a game has an intensive physics system, and there was significant slowdown when objects were moving, then there is quite a great deal of performance to be gained from a processor upgrade, and I will cede that point. But there's also performance to be gained from a physics card, so...

Post by **David** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:22 am

Makrond wrote:Well, so much for Mac fanboyism... I said Macs don't have memory leak problems and I'm a diehard PC fan. So that kinda blows your theory David.

What theory?

Nearly all my gaming life I've ignored the processor requirements and just looked at the RAM and video card requirements. And I've never really had a problem.

I am sure you are telling the truth. However, your experience is unusual, and if you keep upgrading your RAM and video card and ignoring the processor, soon you won't be able to run games very well. The framerate of any game is limited by a bottleneck. I.e., if the game has high graphics requirements and you have a weak graphics card, then you will get a low framerate no matter how fast your processor is. On the other hand, if it has complex or inefficient code and you have a slow processor, you will get low framerate no matter how fast your graphics card is. Framerate is always limited by your weakest hardware. It doesn't make sense to say that any one component is more important than any other.

Makrond · Post by **Makrond** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:22 am

Okay, maybe not a theory; but you said that the whole thing of memory leaks was due to PC or Mac fanboyism... anyway, moving on.

I do see your point about the fact that there will always be a bottleneck in the weakest component... That's probably true, and it's probably also true that I've never had a problem because my graphics card has always been the bottleneck.

But I don't think I've ever upgraded the RAM and GPU (simultaneously) without upgrading the processor.

EDIT: And I'm fairly certain I didn't say one component was more important. If it came across that way, it's not the way I meant it. It's just that I've never really had a problem to date with an inferior processor. That said, I can also see why - in some instances, at least, and probably not as many as you see - it would be feasible to upgrade the processor.

EDIT2: I agree with
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Grayswandir · Post by **Grayswandir** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:25 am

Mmm....
Battle for Wesnoth 1.3.4
You should check that out, great game.

Post by **David** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:27 am

Makrond wrote:Okay, maybe not a theory; but you said that the whole thing of memory leaks was due to PC or Mac fanboyism... anyway, moving on.

I said no such thing; you must be confusing me with somebody else.