Turn generation issues

[Epaminondas]

Ok, I am having a severe turn generation problem even with the new computer I got. I clocked my recent turn (on the Parganos map with 1 AI opponent left, on the year 12th), and the "Thinking" part of the turn generation alone lasted 9 and a half minutes. This is extreme obviously and seriously hampers the game experience.

So is there anything I can do about this? Should the computer be "Thinking" that long?

The best advice I got thus far was when someone once suggested that I run 2 games simultaneously and play one while the other game is in its turn generation mode. But here's the problem with that solution. It seems like the Alt-Tab does not always work properly when the Dom III is in its turn generation mode and I cannot get out of the game until turn generation is complete.

Any solution? I am very frustrated. And I'd have to say that the turn generation speed (or the lack thereof) is the biggest problem in this otherwise novel and excellent game.

[NTJedi]

Epaminondas said:
Ok, I am having a severe turn generation problem even with the new computer I got. I clocked my recent turn (on the Parganos map with 1 AI opponent left, on the year 12th), and the "Thinking" part of the turn generation alone lasted 9 and a half minutes. This is extreme obviously and seriously hampers the game experience.

So is there anything I can do about this? Should the computer be "Thinking" that long?

The larger the map the more time AI opponents need for "thinking". I've played games where processing the turn takes 30+ minutes on new systems which were built during 2006. (example=dual core processor, 2GB RAM w/ 7600GS)

Epaminondas said: It seems like the Alt-Tab does not always work properly when the Dom III is in its turn generation mode and I cannot get out of the game until turn generation is complete.

You want to use Ctrl-TAB... not Alt-Tab... Alt-Tab is buggy.

Epaminondas said:
Any solution? I am very frustrated. And I'd have to say that the turn generation speed (or the lack thereof) is the biggest problem in this otherwise novel and excellent game.

When it's taking this long to complete a turn I use the time to get other tasks done such as eating a meal, visiting family, laundry, dishwasher dishes, etc., . It's actually more healthy to walk away every so often. I've played some RPGs and RTS games on the PC which are so demanding it's not possible to even answer the phone.(multiplayer)

Solution = Use Ctrl-TAB

[Loren]

About Alt-Tab: Yes, it doesn't work right while the AI is thinking. It appears to me that the system doesn't relinquish the display unless it's writing something to it. It's easy to circumvent this problem, though: Run the game in a window. This avoids all the problems with control of the display because it never has control, it's merely an ordinary window that the system can deal with even if it's unresponsive.

About long thinks: I think I've figured this one out. I abandoned one game because of it and I've seen signs of it a couple of other times but it didn't get insane. The probelm seems to be LA Ermor (and this would apply to any other undead empires, I haven't played enough to know if there are others.) getting insane armies. When you have some armies with a few thousand units each stomping around the battlefield it takes the game an insane amount of time to figure out what to do with them.

[Epaminondas]

Loren said:
About Alt-Tab: Yes, it doesn't work right while the AI is thinking. It appears to me that the system doesn't relinquish the display unless it's writing something to it. It's easy to circumvent this problem, though: Run the game in a window. This avoids all the problems with control of the display because it never has control, it's merely an ordinary window that the system can deal with even if it's unresponsive.

About long thinks: I think I've figured this one out. I abandoned one game because of it and I've seen signs of it a couple of other times but it didn't get insane. The probelm seems to be LA Ermor (and this would apply to any other undead empires, I haven't played enough to know if there are others.) getting insane armies. When you have some armies with a few thousand units each stomping around the battlefield it takes the game an insane amount of time to figure out what to do with them.

Loren,

How do I run the game in Widow mode? I apologize but I am one of those people who know nothing about computers or programming...

Also, I have this problem even when there are no AI Ermor or any other undead AI nations.

[Manuk]

The strangest thing is that when I play SP it takes always a lot to think, but when I play blitzes over internet it´s real fast even at turn past 15.
I wonder what happens if you create a MP server and log yourself with only AI as other players.

[llamabeast]

How to run the game in a window:

From the main menu, click "Preferences", then "Video Preferences". Then uncheck the "Fullscreen" option at the top.

If you then maximize the window, it's almost like having it full screen only much more convenient (a lot easier to check e-mail and so on or look at other things while the turn's processing). Since I discovered this option I've had it windowed the whole time.