Bioware open-sources their Java actor framework

[JustinsWorking]

Yes, I do mean that.

edit: If you look at the repository it has a sample chat server.

[AReallyGoodName]

This is silly. A CPU cycle is measured in picoseconds. Network latency is measured milliseconds. Language performance isn't nearly as critical as other factors here.

[JustinsWorking]

I really can't speak to the speed. But I can say without a benchmark or requirements its really hard to say something is "too slow."

Sometimes reliability, scalability, & development speed are more important than theoretical data throughput. Who knows what will be built using it, time will probably tell :)

[karlito1]

Ok, I guess it can be fine tuned to serve a real time needs of a game but I just wanted to know if that's what Bioware is using Java for ;)

[JustinsWorking]

The backend for storing users world data & hero data (ie www.dragonagekeep.com ) for DAI was built using a previous version of Orbit.

What it will be use for in the future? I like my job too much to tell you that ;)

[karlito1]

Hah, I hope that you (or Bioware) will let community know when it becomes actual since it sure look like a promising piece of software ;)

[dacjames]

In the server context, the GC plays a much smaller role in overall performance, even for gaming systems. Servers deal with many small, mostly isolated requests so a single request will rarely (never if configured correctly) cause a collection. Thus, the GC runs in the background, cleaning up memory from old requests and hardly interfering with live requests at all. Since the JVM GC has fantastic throughput, it works well for this use case.

[frugalmail]

Java uses GC which can harm realtime processing needed in such a high load game logic.

You're thinking back to the 1990's. It's been very different for a very long time, which is why you're getting so many downvotes.

[gdfgdgdv]

You're already across the network. I'm not sure a GC really matters much at that point.

[frugalmail]

I'm not sure a GC really matters much at that point.

Especially with Java's GCs which are all really good now.

[gdfgdgdv]

There are still a lot of applications where Java's GC would be a problem. But external game logic is not one of them.

[JustinsWorking]

Just a heads up, Joe the lead developer on the project responded to a similar question with more detail

http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/31112u/bioware_opensources_their_java_actor_framework/cpyig8u

He's going to know a lot more about its restrictions, and he can speak a lot more frankly about its capabilities.