64bit support ?

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » Sun, 2. Oct 11, 18:00

Hi all.
I didn't see this question yet :
A read that the game will take care of multiprocessing. That's great. But another limitation of X3 was the memory.... and this limitation is linked to the Operating System limit. Thus my question : will there be a 64bit version of the game to unleash it and be able to handle more than 3GB of RAM ?

Shootist · Post by **Shootist** » Sun, 2. Oct 11, 18:27

Kitty wrote:Hi all.
I didn't see this question yet :
A read that the game will take care of multiprocessing. That's great. But another limitation of X3 was the memory.... and this limitation is linked to the Operating System limit. Thus my question : will there be a 64bit version of the game to unleash it and be able to handle more than 3GB of RAM ?

LargeAddressAware (32bit) games already access more than 3GB (on 64bit system with more than 4GB installed).

As for true 64 bit support? No, I cannot imagine Egosoft will go that route. The list of 64 bit games hasn't grown much, if at all, since 64bit XP was current. And I have to imagine that much additional coding would be required.

caleb · Post by **caleb** » Sun, 2. Oct 11, 18:29

Good question, we have not received any info on that.

If I had to make a guess, I would say "probably not". 32-bit OSs are still used far too much out there, and the cost of developing the game for both 32 and 64 bit is probably not worth it.

I hope I'm wrong, I would love a 64-bit version for the game, but it would force too many people to change OS to be able to play the game (if made exclusively for 64-bit).

ThommoHawk · Post by **ThommoHawk** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 02:30

I suspect that game developers generally will resist making 64 bit games for the PC as long as 32 bit operating systems are being sold in the market.When MS finally decides to drop its 32 bit version of its OS, then we may finally see a mass migration from developers to 64 bit games - but even then it may take some time....

softweir · Post by **softweir** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 02:50

ThommoHawk wrote:I suspect that game developers generally will resist making 64 bit games for the PC as long as 32 bit operating systems are being sold in the market.When MS finally decides to drop its 32 bit version of its OS, then we may finally see a mass migration from developers to 64 bit games - but even then it may take some time....

It would take even more than that, since Microsoft's 64-bit OSs support 32-bit applications, and are highly likely to do so for a long time.

apricotslice · Post by **apricotslice** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 13:57

softweir wrote:
ThommoHawk wrote:I suspect that game developers generally will resist making 64 bit games for the PC as long as 32 bit operating systems are being sold in the market.When MS finally decides to drop its 32 bit version of its OS, then we may finally see a mass migration from developers to 64 bit games - but even then it may take some time....
It would take even more than that, since Microsoft's 64-bit OSs support 32-bit applications, and are highly likely to do so for a long time.

Thats not quite true. Win7 64 bit wont run all 32 bit programs now, which is why I ended up having to install Vista 32 as a virtual box in order to be able to run several things. Vista 64, also didnt run a good cross section of XP made games, some of which I was pretty sure were 32 bit and should have run under vista 64.

So Microsoft havent made the newer operating systems completely backwards compatible.

There is no guarentee that future 64 bit versions of windows will play any 32 bit made game. Not unless Microsoft specifically have a stake in it and ensure it runs.

Kor'ah · Post by **Kor'ah** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 14:10

Well they're using DX9.0c API, so it's going to be a 32-bit app at heart. Yet, I'm sure the ES team will make sure it'll function on 64-bit vista/win7 and be LargeAddressAware right from the start.

scritty · Post by **scritty** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 14:53

It does start to get anachronous after a while.

Neither Intel nor AMD have made a mainstream 32 bit chip for 7 years.

64 BIT OS's have been available for 10 years plus

I doubt if more than 2% of people on this forum who intend on playing the game have 32 bit only hardware.

Yet we still have almost every new game and apps coming out 32 bit only.

Still, as long as it plays well - it's not an issue for me.

Scritty

apricotslice · Post by **apricotslice** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 15:00

Does anyone actually deliberately buy 32 bit any more ? Last 2 computer purchases have both been 64 bit versions of windows, pre-loaded, and I wasnt given a choice. One before that was a choice, but thats 4 odd years ago.

Post by **Cycrow** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 15:05

scritty wrote:It does start to get anachronous after a while.

Neither Intel nor AMD have made a mainstream 32 bit chip for 7 years.

64 BIT OS's have been available for 10 years plus

I doubt if more than 2% of people on this forum who intend on playing the game have 32 bit only hardware.

Yet we still have almost every new game and apps coming out 32 bit only.

Still, as long as it plays well - it's not an issue for me.

Scritty

sounds like your just pulling figures out of thin air

while there have been 64bit OS's for awhile now, most of the older ones were server based OS, not the ones u'll be playing games on.

the first windows desktop os was released only 6 years ago, which is XP 64bit But its support was lacking, so it wasn't really used.

it wasn't until Windows 7 that people actually started using 64bit OS's properly.

alot of prebuilt computers you buy are still coming with 32bit.

if you check the steam surveys, only half of gamers are actually running 64bit and only about 20% are using more than 4gb of ram.

apricotslice · Post by **apricotslice** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 15:09

I went from XP 32 bit to Vista 64 bit to Win7 64 bit.

Only reason I even have a copy of vista 32 is because another family member had it.

I bypassed vista 32 completely.

Troglodyteus · Post by **Troglodyteus** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 16:47

IMHO the main advantages in running a 64-bit OS comes from being able to use the many physical advantages of a modern tech 64-bit CPU.

32-bit CPU is really, really, really, OLD technology.

From my experience, the main issue with the X3:TC was to do with laaaagggggggiiiinnnngggg, and sssstttuuuuttteeerrriinng, and memory leaks. These were fixed when <3GB RAM used on 64-bit system.

I still can't understand why I can't get good frame rates whilst simultaneously modelling; the entire x-universe, a full blown Khaak invasion, my entire battle fleet of >300 ships, and all engaged in combat inside the Xenon main sector, with every NME ship bearing down on me personally. And as for missiles - forget 'em, faster to ram the target! (Oh, and I forgot all my cockpit mods etc.)

64-bits? I'd rather have 4-bits!

IF it meant I could actually fight a pirate incursion attacking my main complex factory complex, while I swing in and out of the connecting tubes, like some frantic motorcycle dispatch rider late for the Christmas party!

More GFX scaleable options in graphics menu?

Not bits rate, but frames rate rule!

I definitely need X-Rebirth to add to my complete X-series. I just hope, in order to build anything, I also don't need billions of microchips (64-bit or otherwise.)

2012. Need to wait only a bit longer?

Shootist · Post by **Shootist** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 18:25

There is one caveat.

WinXPVista7 32-bit will run native 32-bit applications significantly faster than WinXPVista7 64-bit will run those same 32-bit apps using Windows on Windows (WoW).

Much depends on how much advantage the extra 1.2GB provides. Otherwise, if you want the best performance, use Win32 to play Win32 games.

Mightysword · Post by **Mightysword** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 18:30

apricotslice wrote:Thats not quite true. Win7 64 bit wont run all 32 bit programs now, which is why I ended up having to install Vista 32 as a virtual box in order to be able to run several things.

I'm on Win7 64 myself, and I have tons of program on 32. Hell, I would about 4/5 of the programs on my machine is 32bit application because 64 bit is ... well, rare. The only time I have problem with is when I try to run some obscure third party dependent. Although with some modification to the source code it's possible to run it. Most of the time in my experience it was the macros in the code that causes problem.

I don't think MS will try to hard to push the change though, last time they tried it I think they fail pretty badly, remember the Game for Window thing on Vista with the push to DX10. I think it tanked pretty badly.

Sometime there is some advantage to run 32bit app on 64bit though, mainly to take advantage of the extra memory. For example even though it's a 32app, running Sots on a 64 machine helped with the minidump crash

robalexhall · Post by **robalexhall** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 18:53

I haven't found any game that I can't get working on win 7 64bit.

Either one of the compatability modes takes care of it, or some helpful soul out here has written a patch/installer.

What's been more problematic is my 4xx series nvidia card.

temetvince · Post by **temetvince** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 19:12

I think everyone is forgetting something relatively important but slightly off topic:

Video game consoles are 32 bit aren't they?

While not directly related to egosoft and the x-universe, most game companies make games for consoles. When pc games are released, many times there is also a console port. So I suspect that the entire gaming industry will wait until consoles switch to 64-bit before a move is considered. And even then, it will probably be a slow move since any 64-bit console will most certainly be designed to still be able to play 32bit games.

Consoles own video games today. Where goes the console goes the industry as a whole. Then again, egosoft has also repeatedly defied the industry norm.

robalexhall · Post by **robalexhall** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 19:55

Well, the current consoles all have non-x86 risc processors and the have limited memory compared to PCs.

Whether they're 64bit or not is kind of irrelevent (in fact they are 64bit).

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 20:36

Well, my question is simple, but can only be answered by Egosoft by now.

The different considerations on what's the best between X or Y OS is not my concern here. The fact that Win7 64bit is well spread is interesting, as well as "some PCs are sold only with 64bit OS". It's just not my question.

The console market is also out of scope. For example we can notice that Civilization, e.g., has a "console" version - but it's a shadow of the original. It's not just a port.

The question remains for a game that will obviously need more and more memory. Given all the very intersting game features, given the fact that X3 was already short on memory, the quesion remains. Egosoft shows us many great ideas in this game. I would find very sad if their creativity were jailed by an old memory limitation.

As a sidenote, being a devlopper myself, I know that if the program is designed for it, going to 64bits is just a compilation and test thing.

temetvince · Post by **temetvince** » Mon, 3. Oct 11, 21:40

robalexhall wrote:Well, the current consoles all have non-x86 risc processors and the have limited memory compared to PCs.

Whether they're 64bit or not is kind of irrelevent (in fact they are 64bit).

You're totally right. I think I was thinking of the last generation on accident. A very dumb mistake.

ThommoHawk · Post by **ThommoHawk** » Tue, 4. Oct 11, 03:25

apricotslice wrote:Does anyone actually deliberately buy 32 bit any more ? Last 2 computer purchases have both been 64 bit versions of windows, pre-loaded, and I wasnt given a choice. One before that was a choice, but thats 4 odd years ago.

My PC is setup as a triple booting raid10 machine, with 64bit Vista Premium, 64bit Win7 Ult, and 32bit XP Pro and I did get XP Pro specifically to have a 32 bit OS available . May be a bit of overkill, but I wanted to be sure I can play any windows based game there is on my PC.

I have XBTF and XTension on the XP OS, and X2, X3R, X3TC on my Vista OS.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

64bit support ?

64bit support ?

Re: 64bit support ?