To many Timers?

BaDDApple

I have been reading posts about optimization and having to many timers can be bad. I have spawner with at least 10 timers that launch different actors randomly on screen the player must avoid. The actors do destroy themselves when they reach a certain height. I wonder if having this many timers is bad or should I come up with a rule set where I have one timer that spits out a random numbers and than based on the number launch the actors. Would that be better? Thanks to the community for their help. I have learned a lot by reading the forums.

BaddApple

quantumsheep

My spawners consist of a set of rules governed by one timer.

So, you have a timer actor that counts up.

Then, in your spawner, have a rule that says:

When timer = 10, spawn fighters at X,Y

When timer = 20, spawn battleships at X,Y

and so on.

The last rule says:

When timer = 240 (or whatever)

Spawn 'Level Complete' Actor
Destroy Timer.

Does that help?

QS

BaDDApple

Is there a way to check FPS or do you have to have the Pro version?

POM

sorry for the bump but i didn't want to start a new topic,
@tshirtbooth,
in my new game i have a lot of timers, the thing is that the FPS is above 40,
but before i added the timers the RAM was about 20-25 and now its about 40-45 !!
the FPS is still 40 + ..... is it ok?! what is affecting RAM usage?
(its 40-45 and even without sounds and full graphic )

chosenonestudios

Graphics, rules, everything affects ram... I think 45 mg of ram kills the 1st gen devices.. So your probably going to need to do some heavy optimization on those timers...

POM

HOLY SHI.......... COW..
i just discovered a very strange thing, i have a timer (after 2 sec spawn actor)
with this time the RAM is 43 usage at initial start, without this timer its 38!, a single timer increase the RAM 5 mb more !?!?

firemaplegames

Its not the timer, it the spawn behavior. Whatever actor(s) you are spawning are adding to the RAM usage.

POM

well this information is priceless ! how do you know this facts?! thanks a lot .
i just confirmed this, but why is this happening? the actor that is spawned is not heavy ruled ,
i mean , 5 mb of RAM ?! why?

AfterBurnett

quantumsheep said:
My spawners consist of a set of rules governed by one timer.

So, you have a timer actor that counts up.

Then, in your spawner, have a rule that says:

When timer = 10, spawn fighters at X,Y

When timer = 20, spawn battleships at X,Y

and so on.

The last rule says:

When timer = 240 (or whatever)

Spawn 'Level Complete' Actor
Destroy Timer.

Does that help?

QS

Dude, so simple, yet so elegant... wish I'd done it this way! I shall for the current project ;-)