Console Screen server-client communication is extremely inefficient.

[AzraelUK]

Let's look at one function here, shall we?

function ENT:SendPixel()
	if (self.Clk >= 1) && (self.CharX >= 0) && (self.CharX < 30) &&
			      (self.CharY >= 0) && (self.CharY < 18) then
		local address = math.floor(self.CharY)*30+math.floor(self.CharX)
		self.Memory[address*2] = self.Char

		local rp = RecipientFilter()
		rp:AddAllPlayers()

		umsg.Start("consolescreen_datamessage", rp)
			umsg.Long(self:EntIndex())
			umsg.Long(self.Clk)
			umsg.Long(1)
			umsg.Long(address*2)
			umsg.Float(self.Char)
		umsg.End()

		self.Memory[address*2+1] = self.CharParam

		local rp = RecipientFilter()
		rp:AddAllPlayers()

		umsg.Start("consolescreen_datamessage", rp)
			umsg.Long(self:EntIndex())
			umsg.Long(self.Clk)
			umsg.Long(1)
			umsg.Long(address*2+1)
			umsg.Float(self.CharParam)
		umsg.End()
	end
end

• Don't send two usermessages when your usermessage structure allows you to send the data in one. (The 'umsg.Long(1)' is how many datamessages are in the usermessage.)
• Don't use Long() with the entity index, use Entity() with the entity itself.
• Don't use Long() for booleans, use Bool()
• Don't use Long() for addresses unless they can get really big -- Short() can go up to 32767.

[Black Phoenix]

1) That function get's called rare enough
2) Highspeed link interface uses caching
3) It's a long value, not bool. They can get really big. Entity is 100% same as entity index, I like it more this way

Long value - it's size of cache, 1. Console screen uses ugly caching, because data that gets written to it is usually terribly sequenced anyway

You see, saving 2 bytes when this gets used only max 20 times a second is not nice. Even more, saving 2 bytes in 254 vs 256 bytes is not nice too.

I'll stick those two usermessages in one later, it's code from long time ago before caching was there

[AzraelUK]

It wasn't how the function was doing it that was my complaint, it was the usermessage format in general.

Also, get rid of caching in singleplayer plzplzplz?

[Black Phoenix]

Originally Posted by AzraelUK

It wasn't how the function was doing it that was my complaint, it was the usermessage format in general.

Also, get rid of caching in singleplayer plzplzplz?

Can't, the limit is 100% same for singleplayer, if you try sending a lot of info it will drop its legs at the same rate as MP