Ploblems with jumpy gameplay...

[AKHog]

I run a solid 50 fps during most play with my resolution and details maxed out. I never notice it drop below 35, and thats in smoke. But sometimes especially in furballs I get hangups. Like when I look back or look up it might freeze for half a second then snap to that view. Or today I was about to take about an 80degree snapshot on someone and as they were passing I pulled the trigger and I had about a 1 second pause, the plane stopped right in front of me but I coudlnt do anything, then it fastforwards or snaps back to realtime.

I turned down some settings and my fps went up but I still have the same problem. Besides the normal computer trouble shooting (latest vid card driver, updates, ect.) what could be the problem? I run a solid 75 fps in most first person shooter type games with no problems, so I know my computer is up to par. Something in game I can change?

[Wolf14]

list your specs right quick and somebodies bound to be able to tell ya something useful

[Skuzzy]

My first guess is you are not pre-loading textures into system memory.  
Second guess is you have the texture size to too high in the "Video Setup" causing your video card to thrash for a moment when it has to swap out textures.

Without details about your system, we are left to guess.

[AKHog]

ok specs...

AMD 64 3700+ (2.4gig)
1 gb ddr sdram (2x512)
64mb NVIDIA GeForce 4 440
I have a 15.4 inch WSXGA+ that will go 1680x1050 (high aspect ratio laptop)

I'm no longer running at 1028, I went down to 512 and I think everything is at a decent speed...  Also I'm at 1280x1020 because I cant support 1200 in the 1600x1200.

I started playing with 1280 and 1028 and it was running great, then I was browsing the website and noticed in the DL section the texture pack or whatever is needed to run 1028. So, even though I had no reason to make the change I thought I'd download and install the exe since it said i'd need it to run 1028. Next time I started the game it was super chop, so I knocked it down to 512 and its been solid 50fps since. If I could just figure out this pausing bull**** I'd be good to go.

[AKHog]

Originally posted by Skuzzy
My first guess is you are not pre-loading textures into system memory.  
Second guess is you have the texture size to too high in the "Video Setup" causing your video card to thrash for a moment when it has to swap out textures.

Without details about your system, we are left to guess.

I think the preload is going ok. When I loaded AH for the first time and when I make vid setting changes I always have to spend a few minutes loading the textures or whatever, is that what your talking about? If so I dont alt-tab out of it or anything, I just let it load and it appears to work fine.

if I have my texture size too high do you think it would cuase this problem even though  I'm still seeing 50+ fps?

[RedDg]

With that CPU, I'd say your video card is going to be a bottleneck.

[AKHog]

In the video settings menu should I have under textures "preload in sys mem" or "preload skins" ticked? Both?

[maddog]

Sounds like the old audio acceleration issue.......yet again

[AKHog]

Originally posted by maddog
Sounds like the old audio acceleration issue.......yet again

???

[AKHog]

I was just back in the MA and with the two items I mentioned before in the vid setup both ticked I get some new messages when I start the game, more things pre-load... but still exactly the same issue. I think my FPS actually went up a bit, I was getting 55 or so, but I still have the same jerky feel. I notice it most when I check my 6 or fire a first shot and my view freezes for a split second and then snaps back.

[StarOfAfrica2]

With only 64MB of video memory of course its going to get choppy.  Even with a CPU like that one it can only swap textures back and forth so fast, and drawing is going to be a problem.  Plus the fact that the video card you have is a Dx 8.0 card at best, and the CPU is going to have to take all the shading processes on itself.  Do yourself a favor and buy even a low end DX 9 compatible card with more memory on it.  If you cant do that, drop your max textures down to 256.

[OOZ662]

Originally posted by AKHog
Originally posted by maddog
Sounds like the old audio acceleration issue.......yet again



???

If this is really the problem, run DxDiag (Start>Run>DxDiag), goto Sound tab, and move Sound Acceleration to 3/4

[AKHog]

Originally posted by OOZ662
If this is really the problem, run DxDiag (Start>Run>DxDiag), goto Sound tab, and move Sound Acceleration to 3/4

I was one step ahead of you...  I figured it'd be something to do with the sound acceleration so I went in the control panal and somehow found the same adjustment.

At 3/4 I notice improvement. Its about 95% better, I suspect the only remaing laggyness is due to normal factors. I'll try 1/2 to make sure.

Thanks!

[Skuzzy]

With that video card you need to run the following in-game settings.

Resolution: 1024x768
Max Texture Size: 256 or less
Preload textures to memory should be checked
With the maximum textures size set to 128 or 256, you can also check the preload skins option.

And yes, the sound acceleration should be at 3/4.

This should yeild smoother gameplay.

[AKHog]

Originally posted by Skuzzy
With that video card you need to run the following in-game settings.

Resolution: 1024x768
Max Texture Size: 256 or less
Preload textures to memory should be checked
With the maximum textures size set to 128 or 256, you can also check the preload skins option.

And yes, the sound acceleration should be at 3/4.

This should yeild smoother gameplay.

Update: I've been playing with these settings except one step up in resolution and I've been playing with the texture at 512 with and without preloading skins. At 256 its butter, at 512 its decent.  The 3/4 sound acel did the trick with the skipping

Thanks everyone for the help.