Losing perks with disco and screen freezing.

[No9Squadron]

I've optimized my graphics, my windows, the game, everything I could think of doing to my PC I have done. It has made some major improvement in my frames per second, but still there is one brutal experience I am having.

I must have lost 10 out of the last 12 B-29s to disconnection, or screen freezes, which occur either on take-off, or when I am in the bombsight, or on the bomb run. I'm losing score, perks and my sanity.

Sometimes there is just no warning, especially on take-off, "The AI crashed your plane into the ground".

Even with drones, if you lose the lead plane, the drones for some ungodly reasons start with engines idle, which at 100 feet on take off in a B29, well they might as well be switched off, by the time youve hit WEP, the plane has lost altitude and you lose the drones as well.

At best, I am losing drones and perks. At worst, I can not really fly the B29 70% of the time.

I fully admit I am a new player and already whining about it, I have to admit to being a lesser mortal, because I do actually want to cry sometimes and inflict violence on my computer.

[Skuzzy]

Send me a DXDIAG output, or post it here and let's make sure your game settings are matching your computers capabilities.

[No9Squadron]

Sorry for the wrong section. Dxdiag attached.

I do only have 1 mb ram, usually 2, but I increased my paging file by double and other tweaks and fps is good now.

Until last week, there was always a massive drop in fps, then fps at 0 frames, before lag. Now it happens instantaneously as well.

Warning signs occur, such as map is open, radio box is open and fps is dropping. Another warning sign would be vox channels interrupting each other and vox becoming unclear or intermittent

Another warning sign is just seconds of screen freezing, and barely keeping my drones, combined with poor fps.

It's mostly with B29s only, since I optimized windows and other stuff and like I said, on take-off or approaching strats, or entering the bombsight, or when an enemy ftr is 6.0k distance at strats, these are the danger times.

Trees as well low level at certain times/bases were causing problems, but I've not had any since fixing my fps.

Other things I considered... I dont fly B29 very often I wondered if it was some sort of cache/preloading issue. Previously I was blaming my router/wireless, but since moving the router and fixing the PC a bit better, particularly program updates, it's still happening and especially with 29s.

I know I need a new pc, but if there is any useful info to minimize the issues that would be fantastically appreciated.

I might have some films of disconnections over the strats in B29s. I started filming because someone said I might be able to get some perks and I do love flying B29s.

Because of this problem, it's very rare that I can fly 3 planes, I'm usually farming perks just to get 1. I did crash 2 on the runway myself this week, but then I can remember 3 I lost due to screen freezing in one mission. Would love to fix this issue, if it is an issue.

[fuzeman]

If something like that was happening to me, the first thing I would do is not fly the B-29. But that's just me and my wacky way of cogitating things.

[Skuzzy]

Your computer has less than 1GB of system RAM and it is running Vista, which requires 1GB of RAM for itself.  Then you also have a video card which only has 64MB of dedicated RAM and is stealing system RAM away when it needs more.

There is simply not enough free resources available to run the game with anything more than the basic settings.  

You need to reduce "Maximum Texture Size" to 128.  
No anti-aliasing.  
Uncheck every option in the Options->Graphic Detail->Advanced panel.
Check every option with the word "Disable" in it, in the Options->Graphic Detail panel.

I am not going to say the game will get stable with those settings, but it is the only way you will have a chance of it being stable.

[Chalenge]

If something like that was happening to me, the first thing I would do is not fly the B-29. But that's just me and my wacky way of cogitating things.

I'd shoot the salesman that sold me that underweight anchor that doesn't even make a good anchor. One look at that DXdiag and I decided it was up to Skuzzy to break the hard news.

Too many times we give them the story and they hit us with "I'd like to hear it from the HTC guys."

[No9Squadron]

Right. Time for a new computer.

Thank you. I guess the system is doing pretty well to run AH as well as it does then.

I've unchecked all this, but not sure if I was on 128 texture size or not, might have changed it for filming...

Will pop 2mb ram in the PC asap and see what happens.

With detailed terrain I get 30fps, everything unchecked I'm getting 60-75 fps.
Detailed terrain, detailed water + horizon, I get about 20fps if that, probably less.

Thanks for looking into it. I shall show this thread to Santa Claus and ask for a new pc.

[SEraider]

Vista??   

I would have thought that OS would have been uninstalled by everybody by now. 

[No9Squadron]

Got win 7 on the laptop, just too busy to upgrade my PC, been telling myself I will buy one.

I'm grateful for finding out the ram issue, since then I haven't had any b29 discos, just crashing them all the time through rushing/over-excitement at flying them.

Yesterday I had to clean up windows, because the only thing connecting to the net was AH, except in networking/safe mode. Today I played for hours and got lots of score, I definitely landed two assists in p38s, but when I logged off, it crashed and the desktop was odd, wouldn't refresh, I had to restart. I logged on several times, but there are no assists nor have any ranks changed in any category as far as I can see, which just doesn't feel right, yesterday was the second only time I flew attack. The previous time, my attack rank jumped several hundred places.

So my question is, if the game crashes, do u lose all score generated during that session?

The only time I have fps issues now, is when there are more than 40 aircraft in visual range, but this is minor and lasts a few seconds as the system adjusts.

[Skuzzy]

Your video card is still going to be overwhelmed, rather easily, in terms of resources.  You really need to make sure you keep the game at its bare minimums, graphically.

[No9Squadron]

ok thanks Skuzzy for a quick reply.