Slowdown

[Jimbo]

Love the game, yet it won't work quite right. Note: I've read the FAQ in and out and I've done a search of this forum yet haven't found a problem quite like this. My problem? I get a very timed slowdown. 2 minutes of normal frame rate then 1 minute of slowdown. This pattern constantly repeats itself no matter whats going on in the game (# of ships, the sun, combat, etc.)

Specs: PIII 500, 64Mgs RAM, Intel 810 Vid Card (4mgs).

Version: 2.09.

I've tried to reinstall but get the same thing, everytime. I checked the memory settings, they match those on the FAQ. Note that I am a converted MAC user and just bought this system so I am not as keen on possible Window related problems. I assume that since the system is brand new, the drivers are up-to-date.

Also, the game would only play after editing script to read: /v1. It detected my vid card, but would not run.

Help!

[Supreme Cmdr]

Yes, for that video card, you need the /v1 in the BC3K.BAT file.

As for the slowdown, it could be any number of things, though I don't know what a 'timed slowdown' is. Did you activate the FPS counter to see the frame rate??

[Steve Schacher]

Did you shut down any other processes that are running? They could be competing for CPU time and getting slices of time periodically.

[Jimbo]

I'm sorry, my meaning for timed slowdown is a very patterned sequence of normal play, then --frame, frame, frame-- normal play, then --frame, frame, frame.

Make sense? Where do you get the frame counter? I'll try that.

[SpacePhish]

Yes.

Hmmm....

Yes, read the tweeker's guide if you have to. But it dosen't help all that much. Some-times the game will do that (on my machine anyway), it will go away after few minutes.

Probably because some A.I couldn't sleep, turning and tossing in bed and stuff.

[Steve Schacher]

CTRL-V will display the frame rate.

[Scotty]

This may help.

Last year sometime I read in this forum about a similar problem. It has to do with...fast find(?) or something like that. I think it has to do with MS Office. If I remember correctly, it automatically searches all files on your hard drive on a regular basis (every 30 mins?), and that really puts a load on your CPU.

Anyway, I tried to find the posting, but no matter what I searched on, I couldn't find it.

I know someone out there knows what I'm talking about. So they can be more specific.

I don't have MSOffice on my box right now, so I can't give more info.

Hope it helps.

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

Scotty

"AARRGGHH, Beam THIS up!!"

[Rattler]

Ok, time for "Uncle Rattler" to step in here and clear this up......Hopefully! I've just finished running V2.09 for about 2 hours.

My system specs are as follows:

IBM Aptiva w/ AMD K6-II 400Mhz 66 Mhz FSB

80MB Ram,

Diamond Monster Fusion 16MB Banshee Card

32X CDRom

Office 2000 Installed.

Drivers are Original drivers set by Diamond Install CD

Only, and I repeat the ONLY slowdown I see is when the op area is overloaded with other AI's in the game. Then it slows down from 37fps to roughly 17 and higher. Most people wouldn't know the difference unless they had their eyes glued on the Speed readout. I know, I've seen the reports of this slowdown, and had other testers tell me that they are seeing it as well. I can't right now duplicate it. I WILL keep trying though. I don't believe it's an Office 2000 issue though. Could be wrong but, as I've just said, I'm not seeing it.

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

Rattler, Insurgent One

Spectre Fleet

Spectre StarStation

ICV Necromancer

Official BC3K Tester

[email protected]

ICQ 12894104

"Long Live The Insurgency, Long Live Mother Earth, And Long Live Battlecruiser Developers and Fans!"

[Supreme Cmdr]

The entire game runs on an AI based OS, that is why it slows down when there are a lot of NPCs around.

However, the slowdown experienced on a PIII should be virtually un-noticeable unless another process is running on that machine. For instance TCP/IP stack (if you're on a network, disconnect all shared folders), Fast Find (which can be disabled in Control Panel) etc

[Guest]

I too experience this same problem and it can be reproduced EVERY time by simply starting the first ACM mission. When DIP1 gets to about Tramis the game slows down in a cyclical manner ie. watching the frame rate counter it cycles up and down from around 70 down to 1 or 2 FPS. This continues to happen until a few minutes after DIP1 docks. The frame rate then returns to normal. The amount of activity on the screen bears no relation to the slowdown. I have myself posted this same query before. My system specs are Ver 2.09 + map pack. PIII - 450 128meg RAM with a Voodoo 3. and plenty of drive space - WIN 98. I too have read the FAQ tried all the tweaks but this problem continues to infringe on a otherwise wonderful experience. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Steve Schacher]

Jimbo, you didn't mention if you were playing the ACM or Free Flight when you noticed the slowdown. If it was the ACM, then the slowdown is likely to be caused by the number of AI hostiles in the neighboring region. You wouldn't see it on your screen until you jump to the region, but they are active none the less. Killing them off will increase the frame rate.

[Guest]

Steve - when this slowdown happens mouse and key input become so lagged the game is unplayable - it becomes jerkland.

[Steve Schacher]

As I recall, this slowdown only occurs in the first mission of the ACM. Killing off the hostiles (or waiting for them to dock) will end the problem. Once you move past this, the speed picks back up.

Otherwise, play Free Flight. You won't have this problem there.

[Guest Ulysses]

I am running BC3K 2.09 on a PII-400 64m ram and an ATI RageIIC AGP. I can't run the game in 3DFX mode so for the most part the game runs fast and smoothly. I am running in free flight mode and the frame rate is great... right up until I get into the Credian quadrant. When I reach Antis and the Spectre HQ (only the star station and the orbital defense system, no other ships) my system slows down to an absolute crawl, around 1 to 2 fps. Even after I leave the sector the fps stays 1 to 2 and I have to reload and start over. The game runs absolutly fantastic even when taking out other star stations in the Terran and Syrion sectors (too many missles to count and lots of fighters and capitol ships). No slow downs that I can see, only when I enter the credian sector. I can't get to the gammulan sector because of this.

I do not have ms office loaded on this pc,so no fast find is operating, this is a strictly games only pc. I have read the FAQ and will try the cacheman program but I don't understand why the game only slows down when I go to antis.

Otherwise I truly love this game and it will probably be the cause of a divorce. Oh well I will miss her when I stop playing this sim. if I ever stop.

Ulysses

GCV Nomad

[Rattler]

Use your F1 key to reduce the amount of bridgeview. You'll be able to speed up your frame rates a bit. This might help you get by Spectre. From there have fun in Gammulan space.

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

Rattler, Insurgent One

Commander-In-Chief,

Insurgency

Official BC3K Tester

[email protected]

ICQ 12894104

"Long Live The Insurgency, Long Live Mother Earth, And Long Live Battlecruiser Developers and Fans!"

[Guest]

Yea, I noticed mine does the ACM slowdown thing too. I'm in the first mission and about midway through my frame rate goes from 30fps down to about 4fps then back up again. Of course, I always attributed it to the fact that I was making all those jumps to Majoris and activating all those reigons, plus the fact that I'm operating a 266mhz pII .

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

Commander Parker

GCV Exeter

ICQ# 38644032

"Gracy is Pregnant"

[Guest]

Aah so other commanders DO get this ACM slowdown problem too. I have carried out some checks;- and playing mission one from the start, even if you do nothing at all, just let DIP1 begin its journey towards Majoris at game time 17.08 the frame rate drops to as low as 1FPS turning it into a slideshow (on my system). I have refrained from playing ACM further because although the frame rate does pick up again when DIP1 docks I find it hard to believe that this problem ONLY happens on the first mission - what does seem strange is that only a couple of people seem to have reported this on the forum and I see no common denominator as regards system specs.

[Supreme Cmdr]

If didn't only happen on the first mission, nobody would have been able to progress past the first ACM mission.

[Valkyrie]

Scotty is on one track and i have to agree if you do have ms office the fast find is a problem as i was having the computer running and not doing anything then the computer hard drive goes ape shit for 20mins so if you computer does this even when you leave it idling it,s the ffind.exe (i think)or a similar file and the h/drive goes nuts is it tries to reorganize the msoffice index and the bigger the h/drive the longer the delay (eg my h/drive is 10.8Gb and it hits the skids for about 20mins then comes back up again)it may or maynot be your problem but after seeing it on this bb i though it may be important enough to put on the board

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

Commander Jason "Valkyrie" Oppermann

UCV Sothern Star

"Lest We Forget"

4/7th Australian Independant Recon Forces

ICQ :14948747

[email protected]

"Smile---It Keeps Everyone Wondering What You've Been Up To"

[Guest]

My PC is strictly games only no office stuff. I can forgive the odd glitch but mission one becomes unplayable on my PIII within minutes of dip1 launching. Scanning this board I notice others are having similar problems. I can assure Cmdr Firehawk that even with a PIII and a Voodoo 3 slowdown to 3FPS will still occurr - it happens to me. Its got nothing to do with the jumps being made by the BC. Just start mission one - park the BC outside Galcom HQ - switch on the frame rate counter - wait for DIP1 to launch -wait till it gets to about Tramis and watch the counter start oscillating between your normal max frame rate and about 2FPS. This goes on until DIP1 docks or is destroyed en route.

[Supreme Cmdr]

It is probably activating a lot of regions. Why don't you try following it and see what the heck is going on?

[Guest]

SC. I had wondered about "activated" regions slowing things down. However - I note that if you prevent DIP1 going anywhere (destroy it in SOL system)and keep the BC in SOL system also, the game will still slow in the manner described at 17.07 and then begin to speed up again at 17.13 (game time). This follows exactly what happens if you allow DIP1 to proceed on its journey! As a matter of interest I tried the trip to Antis described in this thread by Cmdr Ulysses in FF mode and noted none of the slowdown problems he described even when I was attacked by a large squadron of S Fighters in that sector.

I have never noted slowdown in FF at all which is why what happens in ACM is rather a intrigue to me.

Brilliant game though - I find most other games rather limited after playing a lot of BC3K.

[Tyrn]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brandon:

SC. I had wondered about "activated" regions slowing things down. However - I note that if you prevent DIP1 going anywhere (destroy it in SOL system)and keep the BC in SOL system also, the game will still slow in the manner described at 17.07 and then begin to speed up again at 17.13 (game time). This follows exactly what happens if you allow DIP1 to proceed on its journey!

---

It doesn't matter if you detain DIP1 or not, the other DIP ships and their escorts also draw heavy fire from the fighters based at Tulon in Arima system not to mention various assassin ships in Majoras system. As Steve Schacher suggests, killing off fighters will quickly resolve the situation. I also find that "cleaning up" (destroying or towing all SOS ships) tends to lessen the slow down in any of the later missions.

quote:

---

I have never noted slowdown in FF at all which is why what happens in ACM is rather a intrigue to me.

Brilliant game though - I find most other games rather limited after playing a lot of BC3K.

---

FF has no "characters" other than those you directly control and so most activity naturally centers around your current location. In the ACM, scripted ships trigger events whether you stay in one location or not.

I agree that this has to be the most efficient time vacuum I've ever found!

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

Randolf Carter

Commander

UCV

Kadath

[Supreme Cmdr]

quote:

---

FF has no "characters" other than those you directly control and so most activity naturally centers around your current location. In the ACM, scripted ships trigger events whether you stay in one location or not.

---

That statement, in its entirety, is incorrect.

[Gordon]

These issues that we all have faced at one point or another seems mute since BCM is around the corner. SC posted this statement on the GNN

=============================================

BATTLECRUISER MILLENNIUM PUBLIC TEST COUNTDOWN

The countdown to the first public compatibility test release of Battlecruiser Millennium is now officially underway. By September 15th, this version will be released to the public. The test, while feature complete, will not be a demo of the final product. A demo will be released only when the game goes gold and is primed for manufacturing. This ensures that the demo will be based on the actual product being released. For the official demo, we will also be setting up private multiplayer public servers as well as servers specifically setup for press reviewers.

=============================================

For now just get used to the controls and before you know it you will be scraping v2.09 for BCM. I know how you feel as I too wanted v2.09 to run perfectly but I was at least able to learn the game and controls better. Awaiting the demo release...

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

rgordon434