acdream/docs/research/2026-07-24-retail-streaming-retirement-pseudocode.md

Retail landblock/object retirement and portal blocking — pseudocode

Purpose: Oracle boundary for Modern Runtime Slice E.

Named-retail sources

• CLandBlock::destroy_static_objects @ 0x0052FA50
• CLandBlock::Destroy @ 0x0052FAA0
• CObjectMaint::DestroyObjects @ 0x00508C30
• CObjectMaint::AddObjectToBeDestroyed @ 0x00508F70
• SmartBox::UseTime @ 0x00455410
• gmSmartBoxUI::UseTime @ 0x004D6E30

The Sept 2013 named pseudo-C is the behavioral oracle. WorldBuilder has no equivalent live-client teardown scheduler; its extracted mesh/cache owners are implementation references only.

CLandBlock::destroy_static_objects

for i = 0 .. num_static_objects - 1:
    object = static_objects[i]
    if object != null:
        object.leave_world()
        delete object

num_static_objects = 0

The operation is synchronous in retail. Each object leaves the world before its memory is destroyed.

CLandBlock::Destroy

destroy_static_objects()
destroy_buildings()

if landblock_info != null:
    landblock_info.Release()
    landblock_info = null

closest = invalid
lbi_exists = false
direction = unknown

if draw_array != null:
    delete[] draw_array
    draw_array = null

draw_array_size = 0

Retail does not expose a partially active destroyed landblock. The visible, spatial, ticking, and memory lifetimes end in one call.

CObjectMaint::DestroyObjects

for every physics object:
    object.exit_world()
    object.leave_world()
    remove object from object_table
    remove object from null_object_table
    remove object from destruction schedule
    object.unset_parent()
    object.unparent_children()
    delete object

for every weenie object:
    remove from weenie tables
    delete object

destroy all object/null/weenie/inventory tables
destroy lost-cell table

Again, execution is complete once begun. Parent/child and spatial withdrawal precede physical deletion.

CObjectMaint::AddObjectToBeDestroyed

remove any prior destruction schedule for object_id
deadline = Timer.cur_time + 25 seconds
destruction_table[object_id] = deadline
destruction_priority_queue.Insert(deadline, object_id)

This queue delays when complete object destruction begins. It is not precedent for leaving an object active while destroying it one field at a time. Acdream's 25-second nonresident live-object lifetime already ports this separate behavior.

SmartBox::UseTime

if cell_manager.blocking_for_cells == false:
    if not all_cells_available and CheckPrefetchStatus():
        CellManager.UpdateLoadPoint()

    if player exists and player has a cell:
        CellManager.ChangePosition(player.position)

    if player exists and not waiting_for_teleport
       and not position_update_complete:
        position_update_complete = true
        has_been_teleported = true

    ObjectMaint.UseTime()
    Physics.UseTime()
    GameTime.UseTime()
    LScape.UseTime()
    Ambient.UseTime()
else:
    CellManager.CheckPrefetchStatus()

SceneTool.Think()
drain inbound SmartBox event queue
CommandInterpreter.UseTime()
Render.CalcDegLevel()

While retail is blocked for destination cells, the old world does not advance object maintenance, physics, landscape, game time, or ambient sound. UI/event dispatch and the portal presentation continue. This is the retail basis for Slice E's immediate old-generation quiesce.

gmSmartBoxUI::UseTime portal wait presentation

The portal CreatureMode remains live while SmartBox is blocked. Its camera continues one random roll segment at a time:

if now >= rotationStart + rotationDuration:
    currentAngle = rotationEndAngle
    rotationStart = now
    rotationDuration = RandomUniform(0.6, 1.8) seconds
    rotationStartAngle = currentAngle
    rotationEndAngle = RandomUniform(0, 360) degrees
    ECM_UI.SendNotice_DisplayStringInfo(
        channel = 0x1A,
        text = "In Portal Space - Please Wait...")
else:
    level = UIGlobals.GetAnimLevel(
        (now - rotationStart) / rotationDuration)
    currentAngle = Lerp(
        rotationStartAngle,
        rotationEndAngle,
        level / 1024)

CreatureMode.SetCameraDirection_Degrees((0, currentAngle, 0))

The notice is a centered UI display string, not chat. Slice E's asynchronous adaptation delays its first projection until the recorded five-second reveal stall threshold, then repeats it on the same rotation-segment boundary while the authored tunnel keeps animating.

Acdream asynchronous adaptation

Retail performs each teardown synchronously and can synchronously block cell loading. Acdream prepares content on a worker and must not spend an unbounded render/update frame reproducing that transaction. The faithful observable contract is therefore split at a different boundary:

begin destination generation:
    mark prior world generation unavailable
    replace normal world viewport with portal presentation
    freeze old-generation object/static/effect simulation
    silence old-generation audio
    reject old generation from collision, picking, radar, and targeting

over later update/resource-maintenance frames:
    detach old landblocks through exact retry receipts
    release scripts/effects/lights/plugin projections
    release CPU owners
    admit renderer retirement; physical GL release remains fence delayed

in parallel, under reserved destination budgets:
    admit destination completions
    publish collision and required Near render state
    request/upload required assets

reveal only when the one destination-generation readiness state proves:
    collision root ready
    required Near scene ready
    required composite textures ready
    camera/player identity belongs to destination generation

if the portal reveal is still incomplete after five seconds:
    keep the DAT-authored portal scene animating
    display the centered retail wait notice
    emit one generation-scoped diagnostic
    do not materialize early

Release-later never means run-later: an old owner may retain memory until its cursor runs, but it cannot keep simulating, colliding, rendering, targeting, or emitting audible work after the generation-quiesce edge.

Port constraints

1. Preserve existing exact retry receipts; successful stages never replay.
2. FIFO is stable within priority and generation.
3. A time limit is checked between atomic owner operations. If one atomic operation itself exceeds its ceiling, diagnostics name that operation; it is then split at its natural cursor rather than interrupted mid-mutation.
4. No deferred callback may mutate GL from a worker.
5. Destination-critical work receives a reserved share of each frame; it does not bypass all budgets.
6. A reveal delay beyond retail's five-second fade ceiling keeps the portal tunnel active and displays the retail wait cue. It never reveals an incomplete world.