Dominions 3 on Dual Quad core machines

[Loren]

Griefor said:
While converting the entire application to multicore might be a huge amount of work, I'd think that converting just the battle resolution (which is the only thing that takes a lot of time anyway) shouldn't be that hard. As long as you know what you're doing (this is probably not a good first attempt at multicore usage) and the battle resolution is programmed the right way in the current state.

I mean, think about it. Every turn there is a bunch of battles, and they're all mostly independent from each other. The flow of the program might have to be changed somewhat ( prepare all battles first, then resolve them all), but the subsequent multitasking is basically just resolving multiple battles at the same time rather than one at a time.

Nope. Battle resolution isn't independent when there are battles next to each other.

[MaxWilson]

Loren said:
Nope. Battle resolution isn't independent when there are battles next to each other.

Yes. I've occasionally had units do a HALO drop (via Cloud Trapeze) into one province for a strike on an attacking army, then run away and wind up in the province the army attacks. Thus, taking part in two battles on a turn. You also have to consider assassinations and fortress assaults. Within the magic phase, a unit could suffer an assassination spell attack and then fight off a teleporting attacker, and if it survives could teleport elsewhere to attack someone itself.

Battles are not independent, and figuring out the dependencies would be nontrivial.

-Max

Edit: typo fix.

[thejeff]

I was about to concede on magic phase battles but argue that movement phase battles were independent, but then remembered the obvious counter: 2 different nations attacking the same province.

So, you're right. Battles are dependent on each other, spinning them off into parallel threads would be a major challenge.

[lch]

Not a major challenge, you'd just have to evaluate a graph, which battles could have any influence on others and then run the seperate battle simulator threads on the distinct connected sets. Still all this talk won't change that such a thing will never get implemented in any way, at all.