I actually noticed this during beta 4, but it was the first time I noticed buildings, on my new laptop, so I thought they just needed some optimizing, which would be done for the release.
I get a constant max framerate (limited to 90 in my case, for example) over all the map, on a bare ground, units for example are ok. But as soon as a small 3D object enters the field, it decreases. A tree in the corner? 45 fps. A city (not a big one, just the first settlement) visible? 15 fps.
I tried to change the various settings, deactivated soft lighting, AA, shadows, resolution, it's still doing the same. It works good on the cloth map, without a problem, though, as there are no such elements.
Now I would understand such thing on my older laptop, but I'm surprised to see this on the new one. Specs:
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 720 @ 1.60GHz (8 CPUs), ~1.6GHzMemory: 8192MB RAMVideo Card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
So I'm guessing there is somehow a problem with drivers (though latest ones from ATI), or at least some incompatibility somewhere. Because the objects are nice, the cell shading effect too, but it's hardly something to bring this computer to its knees.
ps: I understand that a game like this doesn't need to run at 90fps. But 15-20 is actually unpleasant on the long term.
Edit: To make a complete (more or less) analysis, I tried at a high and low configuration, similar effects:
LOW Settings:
- Video Configuration
- Over a city: 20 fps
- Without objects: 138 fps
HIGH Settings:
- Over a city: 18 fps
- Without objects: 80 fps
So it doesn't seem to be related to the video settings. I also tried windowed, same.
It is really related to these 3D objects, as shown by these two other screenshots:
- Full zoom, empty ground: 99 fps
- Same place, just a bit higher to have one tree in the view: 29 fps
So far, the only thing which seems to improve performance is to force the game to run only on one core (physical one, so two virtual cores on Core i3/5/7), as suggested by thebigJ_A in this answer.
It should be the other way around, clearly, so maybe it's giving a hint on where the problem could be. Note that this doesn't solve the performance problem, there is still a big decrease on framerate when passing on cities, but less than when the game is authorized to run on all cores. I noticed however that doing this since the 1.05 version makes the sound choppy, probably because it was expecting to run on a different core to begin with.
I brought up the bug numerous times during beta testing but was (obviously) ignored.
OK so there's the big update post. can we stop the histrionics now? this is issue #1.
I was always big into theater. It seems you were too, with how much you seem to care about mine and others personal decisions regarding a computer game. I hope to "grow" some patience, maturity and become way less emotional by following in your example.
On a more serious note, it is good to see this all laid out in writing. I question the wording of Issue number 1 in the above mentioned thread.
1.) Late game Slowdown!!!! (I don't know what threads they have been reading but pretty much everyone in this one has repeatedly mentioned that the slowdown is darn near instantaneous upon building a single town. That's like turn 4 or 5, definitely not late game.)
Hopefully it is just poorly worded.
The problem is the 3d objects in the cities themselves, it doesn't matter how many there are, just 1 is enough to completely destroy your fps.
I'm also worried that they're phrasing it simply as "late game" slowdown. It's slowdown from the second you build a city.
Until this is resolved im unistalling impulse and going back and re-installing my box retail Arma:II OA and HOI III.
But if by Friday this is not sorted out then I am requesting a refund for EWOM.
If anything, I'm saying a company like mine that has money to burn would still not stand for a software release like this. Instead of giving us a chance to patch our software to functional, they would fire us all and find someone competent to develop their software in our stead.
This "game" just doesn't get the job done.
Since my "Metro 2033 Maxed in DX11" rig is not powerful enough for this game I must consider a refund too but I will wait after the big September patch.
I do not want optimization only but I want the game to actually use my hardware.
My 5970 is so unused that it go randomly in 2D desktop only mode.
It's also not just "we're showing a bunch of objects, thus we need to show fewer of them." It's the game refusing to utilize GPUs to any noticeable level. Seriously. It's easily verifiable (through hardware monitoring programs) on any machine with the problem. Fix it. Showing a few less polygons isn't a solution.
+1
They already fixed this issue.
I quote:
"2. Performance IssuesPeople with awesome rigs are getting crummy performance. This is the next major ‘bug’ on our list, and we’ve made some major headway. Most of the issue lies with the LOD on zoom technology that fades things out as a zoom percentage is reached. As overall zoom range, specific LOD levels, and new tile diesigns are tweaked and added, the game seems to be displaying many objects, in general, when zoomed out. Code is being tweaked to make batching faster and tile designs are being tweaked to simplify better as the user zooms out...
Debug Message: *** TD Details: F_Town_02 ***Closest:0Closer:0Close:19Mid:44Far:14Farther:3Farthest:17Total Objects:97
The fallen Town, for instance, clocks in at 97 objects, many of these being dupes that get batched together. Unfortunately, we don’t start fading out objects until the ‘Mid’ zoom level...right before the cloth map is enabled (at its default value), so even zoomed out pretty far we’re still displaying all 97 objects when we could probably get away with 40-50.
So while there’s no ‘silver bullet’, improvements across these areas of the LOD system should help performance issues considerably.
Oh, wait, Jesse just fixed some code and is now seeing a 10-20 fps boost...so apparently there WAS a silver bullet...and apparently he’s saving the details for his own change log But good news, regardless! (jesse: so hovering over a city that used to give me 25fps now gives me 42-43)"
That is progress. That is not a fix, and hardly a silver bullet.
1.07 will not be tonight it seems, kryo said no.
He did however just say that the poor fps due to towns bug was fixed and will be in the next patch, they are currently testing.
a 10-20 FPS increase is not a fix? I think your pushing it now. I don't know what your going through honestly, because I don't experience any slowdown at all but a 10-20 fps increase is huge.
seems too slow right away to me, although building a city/later game makes it even worse.
Does "next patch" mean 1.07? Or the next one after?
OhpleaseOhplease be 1.07!
When the cities get big, we're getting LESS than 10fps, so a plus 10 increase still only gets us to the teens.
The fps isn't the actual issue. It's a symptom. The real problem is that our GPUs aren't being used. Getting our cards working, that would be a full fix.
Now I don't know, maybe that's what they're doing, but in that big fix-list post, they didn't even mention our problem.
I don't think it's a LOD problem. A single 3D object on the screen is sufficient to take away half of my framerate, even when zoomed in.
In the worst case scenario:
If you're Australian, cannot play the game because of technical issues, and Stardock refuses to refund the game, read up on the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission website.
ACCC provides a guide to the statutory rights of consumers in regards to refunds here: http://bit.ly/b5mChk
Here are a couple of quotes:
Statutory rights apply to all consumer purchases. These rights are: • the goods must be of merchantable quality (they must meet a basic level of quality and performance considering their price and description) • the goods must be fit for their purpose (they have todo what they are supposed to do) • the goods must match the description you are givenor the sample you chose.
Statutory rights apply to all consumer purchases. These rights are:
• the goods must be of merchantable quality (they must meet a basic level of quality and performance considering their price and description)
• the goods must be fit for their purpose (they have todo what they are supposed to do)
• the goods must match the description you are givenor the sample you chose.
Later:
You have the right to seek refund if the goods you bought have defects that were not obvious or were not brought to your attention when you bought them.
You can also lodge a complaint through their website.
i will agree, and i don't see how anyone can think differently who is experiencing this problem, the 10-20 FPS is just an improvement. I dont know why but i sometimes get the feeling that everyone has this problem, at least to a degree, and their just being too optimistic about it or trying to shrug it off. idk, to think what i see on my screen is actually running perfect on some other computers for no reason at all just boggles the mind.
especially when the diagnosis (again, i really agree with thebigJ on this one, its almost like the problem's being downplayed or ignored) pretty much implies everyone should be having with the performance issue. well, i can only hope it seems worse than it is and stardock's got it under control, haven't bothered with the game in a week or so.
I am 100% certain my game has not experienced any slow down from cities. I do experience the end turn taking longer later in the game though.
strange, well, i can tell you i never thought of it as "slowdown from cities", but apparently that's what causes it. Building more cities adds things to the game, and it can't handle it and everything slows down. I mean, if I zoom in on a town, everything looks and moves fine (little builder guys, etc.)
It's when moving your character anywhere, ending turns, zooming in and out, scrolling the map, the framerate drops to nothing causing any sort of movement like that to be erratic and slow. lol, maybe that's stupid to mention, i'm pretty just explaining what low FPS is, i guess.
Well for me it building more cities doesn't make much of a difference, it's from the get go of creating your first settlement that your fps is instantly raped. But it's hard to notice a difference between 5fps and 3fps.
Yeah my game starts out humming at 100+ fps. The very second I create a single town it drops to 25ish fps. Then with each other city, OR as my single city grows the framerate will continue to drop into the 2-10fps range.
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