Recently, I've noticed that, the multiplayer "SAVE and EXIT" saved file becomes larger and larger with each "SAVE and EXIT" and the missions takes more time to be RESUMED each time (sometimes up to 40 minutes).
Description
Description
Details
Details
- Severity
- Major
- Resolution
- Open
- Reproducibility
- Always
- Operating System
- Windows 8 x64
- Operating System Version
- Windows 8.1Pro - 64Bit Operating System (also tested in Windoes 10 21H2) same results
- Category
- Multiplayer
Steps To Reproduce
Host a multiplayer mission (that uses community Mods).
Play with your friends for a while and then "SAVE and EXIT" that multiplayer mission.
Exit Arma3.
Restart Arma3.
"RESUME" that saved multiplayer mission and play a bit more.
Repeat the process a couple of times.
As result, the saved file size increases and takes longer to be RESUMED next time.
Additional Information
This "Arma3" behavior was noticed, since last January 2022.
We believe that something was broken after a game update.
After a couple of "SAVE and EXIT" and "RESUME" of a multiplayer mission, the waiting time for the mission to start becomes unbearable.
I've done a couple of obvious checks and one odd thing is that, most of the RESUME "waiting time", the total host CPU load is not greater than 13%. This was tested in "Windows 8.1 Pro" and "Windows 10" computer Hosts with the same results.
I'm aware that community MODs are not considered by Bohemia support but there's a detail that may help troubleshooting the problem: We were forced to stop using the "Task_Force_Radio" or "Task Force Arrowhead Radio (BETA)" or "ACRE2" MODs, because we've noticed that after the first multiplayer "SAVE and EXIT" and subsequent "RESUME", such radio MODs do not work as expected anymore.
We believe that the game "SAVE and EXIT" operation is ignoring MODs/scripts states and such MODs stop working after the next RESUME, yet, if instead of "RESUME" the host "RESTARTs" that same mission, the radio mods start working again.
Also, the saved file size becomes smaller and the RESUME time becomes shorter.
In attach I'm sending an Eden Editor mission file, that same multiplayer mission PBO file, 2 saved files of that mission (from 10 and 11 SET 2022) and the list (in html) of mods used to edit /play that mission. If you try to RESUME that multiplayer mission saved at 11SET2022 you'll be able to verify the long time it takes to start.
Event Timeline
This comment was removed by BIS_fnc_KK.
Comment Actions
As most complex and well developed MP missions and scenarios had to develop their own MP saving systems I would deduce that the reason for that is that the default saving system for Arma 3 is not MP compatible/optimized enough for it to be reliable/usable.
Otherwise Overthrow, Antistasi and/or Vindicta for example would have just used the vanilla saving system instead of spending hours scripting and coding their own solutions.
A MP compatible saving system in the game by default has been asked countless times by the community so they can focus on making compelling and immersive missions instead of having to worry about the technical aspects of a saving system yet the request hasn't been taking into consideration.
Perhaps the devs consider the feature too hard to make on their own or maybe they just don't deem it important enough, even thou it is the COOP/MILSIM community keeping the game alive and their missions taking hours on average to complete would greatly benefit from a vanilla MP saving system.
So to sum things up, don't get your hopes up. There is even a CDLC that would've greatly benefited for such system and it still wasn't developed despite the CDLC bringing extra money to potentially finance such development.
I guess BI operates in mysterious ways
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@LSValmont
I hear you but at least Bohemia should not break what was previously working.
I play Arma, with my local clan in multiplayer mode, since "Arma 2" releases.
The multiplayer saves used to worked just fine until an update along the way messed it up.
We have some bad jokes in my clan about such update policies, it goes like this:
"Welcome to a new Arma3 update, enjoy new and improved bugs."
"If something is not working, don't worry, it all be fixed in "Arma 4", if not 4 maybe 5, if not 5, certainly one day. The trick is to keep buying it and hoping."
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I hear you too! Indeed a lot of things broke at least partially over the years and many things are still unfixed to this day. I jumped to Arma 3 from Arma 2 quite late and so for me the vanilla save system has never worked correctly/reliably in a MP environment.
Luckily there are still some very talented devs on board the Arma 3 team and so things have been slowly but steadily improving.
But yes, some of the bigger and more complex issues/fixes are quite "dodgeable" by the devs (previosly modders) who sometimes seem focus the bulk of their efforts on fixing issues that would only mostly benefit their beloved modding community and not the WHOLE of the Arma 3 players. (Because those features require that the modders make use of them and so they are not immediately deployed to all players and require an intermediary for the benefits to show up).
Hopefully at some point their focus/motto changes from "pleasing the modding community fist" to "improving the experience for ALL arma 3 players", regardless of them being tech savy with mission/mod making or just some regular player who just wants to have fun without mods. It is pretty clear that focusing too much on modding related fixes narrows the reach of most of those very specific fixes to the users of said mods and not the whole spectrum of players.