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Massive Framerate Problems


Guest Daggon
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Guest Daggon

Amd Atlon 950Mhz

128 pc133 ram

Voodo 3-3000 latest available drivers

(using the voodo drivers from this site download section)

Turtle beach montego 2, latest available drivers

Win 98se, have all critical updates from autoupdate feature

Ok long story short, bought the original back in 96, never got it to run. Found the interplay vs. (2.0) in my local eb bout a month ago. wink.gifwas very excited wink.gif

Patched to 2.08 then 2.09, have the maps patch, voodo patch and have I think im up to date as can be.

The game runs fairly well, have had a few problems but the faq and the boards fixed all of them but two.

1. I have seen people mention this on the boards but have found no real answer. My framerate is a steady 90-100 when I fart around the sol system. I go anywhere outside and if there are just a few ships in my current system my framerate will roll. By rolling i mean it goes from 100 to 5 and back up to 100. It nevers stops, ive tried traveling back to earth/sol and alpha centari, saved/quite, hang out in tacops, dock at a starbase for a while and do repairs. Nothing works, I left my computer run the other night as I went to work and when i came home 4 hours later it was still "rolling". Ive turned off all the graphics and sound and midi, used the memeroy setup in the faq and am now just getting frustrated. In this board if you do some searches for framerate, slow framerate, variable framerate you will see some people have had this problem but I cant see any real solution yet.

I have the faq and the manual printed out and have studied both for clues and whatnot related to the framerate but im stumped.

All in all its a great game, but this rolling framerate thing makes it impossible to play. I was thinking back when I first got this game in 96 there was alot of talk about the AI. From what ive read here and elsewhere im sure its the most advanced in gaming, maybe any software out there, is there anyway to turn it down if that is what my problem is? My system is no slouch but im willing to try anything.

Hope I havent missed something obvious option to check but ive checked and rechecked everything.

In the faq it talkes about memory allocation, ive set them to what it recomends but is there a setting that would be optimal for my system? (im not real computer savy so english if possible wink.gif

I have the program leave the msdos window open after i shut down the game. Nothing is in it when i shut down with this problem.

I have 612 conventional/free executable size memory so I dont think this is the problem. In my systray I have that stupid task schedular disabled, my clock and my profiler software for my MS sidewinder joystick. I alt,ctrl delete and close everything non essential.

Many thanks in advance!!

[This message has been edited by Daggon (edited 03-19-2001).]

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I believe that what you are getting is slowdown because of AI processing. If you are running ACM you will get it in a few of the missions, but in Free Flight you should be fine.

------------------

Commodore Kyle Antilles

ICV-Eclipse, Destiny Starstation (Nevuela)

Commanding Officer, Destiny

Spectre Fleet

External Beta Tester

Battlecruiser Millennium

"You can only love or hate something you truly understand"

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Guest Daggon

I havent even tried ACM yet. I figured I would get comfy witht he controls and everything.

So im really bumming since I am in FFM.

Im not gonna start spamming all my system specs. I know that this gmae dont use direct x and ive already fixed my mouse/cdrom driver conflicts, the video seems to be working fine, (i was crashing when i went to tacops but a post from a year ago fixed that)

The Game itself runs just splendid in 3dfx mode. Just the rolling framerate is my problem. Im guessing if it was a driver or config problem the game would crash/lockup or whatnot. Like I stated earlier im not real savy on computer configuration but the faq has made it VERY easy to follow and to set your computer up.

Im assuming that everyones computer has some small quirks with this 2 year old but VERY advanced game that would be a support nightmare. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated and ill keep screwing around with my memory setting on my 3dfxbc3k.exe and pray that I get it to stop rolling my framerate.

My other problem i forgot to state in my first post is that when in tacops computer in space when i try to assign waypoints my mouse disappears and i have to click "blind" then it reappears and I can try to set number 2. Is this normal? I cant find anyone else having this problem. It acts fine when im on a planet. I can place waypoints to my hearts content. just in space its a ***** when you cant see where you are actually placing them.

[This message has been edited by Daggon (edited 03-19-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Daggon (edited 03-19-2001).]

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Daggon

I play BC3K 209 on a lower spec machine than you and I will admit that on occasions for no apparent reasons I do get a sudden slow down which I can not explain these normally disappeared after a few minutes but I can also have dogfights with more than 60 objects (missiles, carriers, cruisers, fighters) all in one region with only a small amount of slow down..

Before you give up try the unsupported windows patch for 209 (BC3k209win.zip) I know its still available at ftp://ftp.zdnet.com/gs/strategy/battlecr/bc3k209win.zip it seem to work ok under 98SE DX8 but I've not used it much when I play dos games I play them on an older machine with full dos support for all hardware.

edited to hilight unsupported

quote:

From BC3K209WIN.txt file

"This is program is unsupported and is not a patch to the DOS version. Use at your own risk."

Thanx Gallion for reminder

------------------

Commander Pugwash

IVC The_Black_Pig

Balor Fleet

External Beta Tester

Battlecruiser Millennium

ICQ 111523790

[This message has been edited by Pugwash (edited 03-20-2001).]

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If you download and use the unsupported bc3k209win.zip file and copy/unzip them to your Bc3kad installed directory you will be able to play both the dos version and windows version (I think from the same saved game files) it is not a patch as such but a replacement with a different name so will not over wright the original exe file, it uses the windows sound drvs with software rendering. You will not need to uninstall just unzip the new files .

added unsupported to BC3k209WIN

------------------

Commander Pugwash

IVC The Black Pig Sygan Starstation (Sygan)

Balor Fleet

External Beta Tester

Battlecruiser Millennium

ICQ 111523790

[This message has been edited by Pugwash (edited 03-20-2001).]

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which game are you talking about? We must know this.

Anyway, all of it. Kill the whole thing. Uninstall. Kill the folder. re-install. Check downloaded patches for correct file size. (you could very possibly have had a bad download) then patch.

Now; if you are talking memory allocation you are talking BC3k. All disclaimers apply

There is a very old post (no I didn't look just remember it) that indicates you must change your shortcut memory settings to some mutliple of available memory at or about 63000. Forces Windows to use this amount of mem for you. You must manually type this into the window. You must also not (well shouldn''t be) be running anything else other than Explorer and Systray.

Best I can do.

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Guest Daggon

Ok I was looking at my memory configs in the bc3k3dfx.exe and I cant manually type in memory settings. I set them up like the faq said to but that didnt work. Are you talking about editing .exe with command line paramaters?

I dont have anything running but systray,explorer, and joystick controller software( i cant use my joystick with out it ingame), i even turned off the clock and got rid of task schedular and volume control.

Anyway I just did a couple searches for that thread you were talking about and couldnt find it.

Ive also checked the file size of my downloads and they all check out. Im going to do a clean wipe here in a bit and reinstall everything.

On the downloads page it tells in what order to install patches on but...does it matter if i install the mappak before or after 2.09?

Ohh and thanks Pugwash for the link to the ftp site. getting that file now so ill try that as well and hopefully I can get this figured out tonight.

But if you oculd further explain on how you manually put in the values for memory I would appreciate it. My system basically acts like its bogged WAY down, so im guessing its a memory issue but why the faq advice dont work for me I have no idea.

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the reason I suggested trying the unsupported windows version is that it will use your resource in a different way and may solve the problem.

Have a read of the following thread http://www.3000ad.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000473.html print it out if useful and follow the steps described

although your problem is not the game crashing due to memory these posts will tell you the settings you require

Also read the thread http://www.3000ad.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000560.html especially what SpacePhish has to say it sounds like this is the issue you are experiencing.

The search function is very powerful and on initial searches I normally use one word searches and depending on the results redefine.

Hope the links work this time

------------------

Commander Pugwash

IVC The Black Pig Sygan Starstation (Sygan)

Balor Fleet

External Beta Tester

Battlecruiser Millennium

ICQ 111523790

[This message has been edited by Pugwash (edited 03-20-2001).]

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Windows version of BC3K is not supported.

TTFN

------------------

Rear Admiral Gallion

ICV-Graf Spee, Spectre (Antis)

Executive Officer, Spectre Fleet

"You can only love or hate something you truly understand."

Official Tester, Battlecruiser Series

Leader, Team 1

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  • 6 months later...

Hi,

I'm having similar problems.

I bought the original BC3k 1.00 back in 96.

I downloaded the demo for V2.00 and when I saw those nucleur reactor spreads on ship distruct - I had to have it!!

But I couldn't get a copy of Ver2.00 anywhere.

So I was delighted to see the whole BC3K ver2x for free.

Filename = BC3K209FREE.exe

I downloaded using Get Right with a few pauses about 8hrs DL time in total.

Installed 'er and away I went.

Freeflight mode...Everything runs fine..apart from some Frame Rate slow downs that occur occasionally in big battles - and thats with everything maxed out but still quite playable.

But I went into ACM and the slowdown is massive on the 1st mission (the 3 diplomats)

It becomes unplayable.

I tried the usual things like re-booting, loading a saved game etc but its still seriously slow.

I haven't tried memory re-alocation or anything like that yet as I'm abit like Daggon when it comes to computers.

But I'll try to follow those suggestions.

Since everything else runs fine - I hope thats all it is.

I was also thinking this...

I usually would have all - thats at least 20 - Marines on shipsearch duty all the time.

Would this heavily impact AI and cause the massive slow down on this mission?

My system:

AMD 450 K6

Voodoo Banshee

64 Meg RAM

6 Gig HD

SB live (no sound problems)

I presume this system is adequate for BC3K ver 2.09

Thanks

Ausraider2.

[ 10-15-2001: Message edited by: ausraider2 ]

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I've been running the Freeware 2.09 DOS version for a while now. I usually get around 15-30 FPS, but after like 10 minutes, or when I start venturing out into other regions, it starts to crap out to what the game marks as 5 FPS, but it seems to freeze for a few seconds at a time (the mouse doesn't move, when you click, the menu doesn't come up like it's supposed to); more like 5 SPF (seconds per frame)..... I'm not in debug, and I used the intro animation patch. No playmods or cheats either.

I don't really care anymore (I'll be playing BCM and all), but I thought this was relevant.

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quote:


Originally posted by Cmdr Nova:

......Please don't do that. I'm not SC... I'm new to having power and all that stuff. (I don't like titles.) Addressing me by
Nova
will do just fine.

[ 10-15-2001: Message edited by: Cmdr Nova ]


What the hell are you talking about?

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quote:

Originally posted by Cmdr. P. Laracuente:

I get the same problem but not so fast (like after 1 hour) but like The Newbie Wagon said i don;t care because i'll be playing BCM very soon.

Sorry can't help.

Laracuente out.

I think this is what Nova was reffering to. He does not appreciate being refered to as "The Newbie Wagon"

just my two cents.

"Don't kill the messenger because you don't like the message"

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quote:

Break out the medikits and call in the shrink.

I was high on medpacks again..... That'd only make it worse.

Hmmm... How to say this....

I don't like to make myself differentiated by a rank (Welcome Wagon isn't even a rank; shouldn't I be called Public Relations?), or stuff like that. The jist: I don't like getting my ass kissed, in words (and in reality I might add).

quote:

He does not appreciate being refered to as "The Newbie Wagon"

Yes and no. Hmm.... I think it should be used just in front of n00bs, at least. Perhaps if I were given the title, Public Relations Officer, by Orion Fleet..... Then again, common and active users don't address each other by rank, like FC Blades (just Blades, dropping the rank title), though so it wouldn't matter. It's just a matter of preference, and mine isn't a biggie, so no thank you. (Gosh, each time I get high on medpacks, I find my errors are huge, and have to bail myself out later. It's like having an evil, second personality....)

buckthesystem, welcome to the community. Ask me any questions if you need help. Fleets, game-wise, community-wise.... I'm pretty wise.

quote:

(Laracuente's Sig)

Do you know that i was born on a September 11. Really!!!

LOL!!! I know a couple other people with that same birthday......

---

Hmm... Back on subject: there's still that performance problem, in BC3k. Oh well. I'll just sit and wait for BCM anyway.

[ 10-16-2001: Message edited by: Cmdr Nova ]

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Ok Nova, i'll just call you Nova.

Also i want to test you: if you really are the newbie welcome wagon you must receive every newbie, OK. If you don't show up i will, so be prepared.

Back on the subject: I will wait for BCM. No need to play BC3000AD.

Laracuente out.

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