Sekra

So I managed to use the kit to get some performance ratings using the Performance monitor supplied with windows XP. Here are two screenshots: The graphs are explained in both pictures. Again I was running "Allahs Fist" and not even on full graphics settings. Vert sync: Off 3d model quality: Better 3d texture quality: Better Antialias/Multisample: Off High priority access: Off On the first picture the game is running but on the picture below that there it is waiting in the setup phase for me to press play. As you can see from the purple line the average FPS is around 8 when I'm in the setup phase. Of course there are a few spikes here and there but the thick green line indicates I'm using 100% cpu time almost all the time.

Well it seems the PerfKIT installs its own "instrumented driver" which gives special access to the GPU. Anyhow here is what I was able to dig up: Windows XP SP2 Driver Provider: NVIDIA Driver Date: 2.8.2007 Driver Version: 6.14.11.6316 Digital Signer: Not digitally signed Before installing I had forceware 162.18. I tried installing the newest beta Forceware 163.44 but then I couldn't run the PerfKit.

Oh silly me! I will check the driver version right away.

Dirtweasle: propably the easiest way to measure FPS is installing fraps although it is known to slow your computer down a bit sometimes, but you dont have to run it all the time.

Also thinking the big picture here a bit further and putting some pieces of the puzzle together I think this problem has been noticed to be closely related to the mapsize so I believe there is something wrong with code in the landscape. The bigger the map the smaller the framerate naturally because it would seem that the ground is being software rendered instead of using our precious high-end gfx card to do that. Edit: The only thing that strikes me odd here is the fact that as Steve has stated the problem is more likely in the nvidia driver. Because if the error would be in the game code everyone running the game with nvidia cards would have problems and the slower your processor is the slower frame rates you would get. I also browsed the open Nvidia Developers forums in which someone reported memory leak propblems with nvidia opengl drivers. Try here: http://developer.nvidia.com/forums/index.php [ September 04, 2007, 07:04 AM: Message edited by: Hotti ]

And there is one major difference between the OpenGL and DirectX.. And thats licensing. Afaik OpenGL is free and DirectX is not. But another thing, I think I've managed to find out the WHAT is happening for the 8xxx series to run so slow. Unfortunately can't say WHY its doing it. More on my findings here: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=000356

I think I've found the WHAT but not the WHY.. check my findings from here: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=000356

The problem with this is that I've only found WHAT is happening not WHY it's happening. But I hope this can help them find out the reason too.

I've found out that for some reason Shock Force switches to software rendering and that is the reason for the problems. More about what and how I found out here: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=000356

I did some poking around myself and I think I actually found out why the performance is so low on some system but I don't know if you can find out what is causing it to do so. More on the issue here: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=000356

As I've seen no reports of what the situation is with the problems with the nvidia 8xxx series I decided to do some poking around myself. And I think I've found something. I found this PerfSDK package from nvidia which I downloaded hoping it would give me some clue about what is causing the problems with the OpenGL driver since I am one of those poor buggers having to view "Allahs fist" -battle as a slideshow in realtime mode with my GF8800 GTS 640mb card. So I installed the PerfSDK package, did some configuring and fired up CM: SF (BF.com version 1.03). I told the GLExpert (which is a program in the PerfSDK to check problems of OpenGL applications) to post the errors in "console". This is what I got when I fired up allahs fist and ran it in realtime for a minute or so: </font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">OGLE: Category: 0x00000002, MessageID: 0x0081002 Falling back to software because RenderMode != GL_RENDER (null) </pre>

I think they still are not able to reproduce the problems in their rig. I know you guys at Battlefront are trying your best at getting to the problem but it's been over a month since release and since you're apparently not able to reproduce the problem yourself could there be any chance to get the problem to come to you? I know this has allready been suggested in the forums but there seems to be a specific part of your clients that cannot play the game with satisfactory performance on a high end machine. Sure there is a part of you running your high end setup with no bigger problems (as is the rig that you got for your programmer). Seriously, map out some people near your programmer who are having performance issues since I can bet anyone of them would gladly help to solve the issue. Or are you going to try the russian roulette of buying a new rig again and wait another 4 weeks for it to arrive and hope it has a problem? I remember Steve saying that once the problem can be reproduced, it will propably take only a few hours to make the fix for it. And I think some people should be warned about their behaviour at this thread since this is a serious issue that a part of us is having and not some debate about is there a problem in the first place.

And.. these fixes are for Vista only.. Many of us having problems are running XP..

Hey Steve, whats the latest on the patch? It's getting late in here and I'm wondering should I wait for the patch to arrive in the next few hours?

nailing the gf8xxx series problems would be nice..

Unless theres a fix for the gf 8xxx series I think you're promising a wee(-wee) too much

(when) are we there (yet)?

Got my package here in eastern Finland today too.. And in perfect shape though it seemed like the package had been opened and then taped back together but nothing was missing so it must have been the US customs officials. I hope they liked the attack plan of Syria!

Dirtweasle: I had that same problem but installing the MS hotfix did the job for me. I'm not running any power management either so it will help you still I think. I've never also had any problems with other games until now.

Still waiting for my package here in Finland..... Edit: I also never received any email about anything being shipped to me. Altho I regularily clean the contents of my spam folder which my ISP nicely does for me. Could be that the email was there but its too late to try and find it from there too. [ August 28, 2007, 02:32 AM: Message edited by: Hotti ]

I too would like to give my thanks to BF for really listening to the community. I know I don't participate much on the discussions here but I do tend to read many posts and it really makes you feel appreciated to see Steve and the others taking part of the discussion. It's impossible these days to get a game working 100% on release but you really show the dedication to make things work as they should. You really makes me feel like you care (and maybe its because you do?). Thank you for a good game and I'm really looking forward to what it will be in the future.

I've noticed this same problem many times now in urban areas.. But some of the time when the troops refuse to move its not about the AI going crazy, its about poorly made maps or rather poorly made buildings. I've seen that in most cases when your troops refuse to go to a building (or a part of a building complex) its simpy because the doorway is blocked for one reason or another. As you might have noticed, many of the bigger "buildings" are actually a collection of smaller buildings put right next to each others. And the troops can only enter a building or a part of a bigger complex through the wall of the house or room which has the door. Carefully examining the buildings I have had trouble with I have seen the following situations: -The part of the building you are trying to access has only 1 door and that door should be accessed inside another part of the same building but there is a very small gap between the building parts so the troops cant fit in that few cm gap and there is no other door so no path inside. -There is no door to the complex from the outside. I can't remember which map this was but there was a house which was made out of 2 smaller buildings. But the only doors in the "rooms" were facing each other, so no door from the outside. -Again only one door and a large fence/wall surrounding that side of the building. This also makes the AI not find a path inside and thus doesnt know what to do. And many many other related situations I can't remember now. Usually these problems are not so bad inside smaller building but when it comes to the multistory multipart buildings the problems go up like the CO2 levels in the last 40 years. Now these observations cover only the part where you have trouble entering a building. I have no idea why in some cases the teams split up and get stuck. That happens to me too quite often and the only remedy I've found is to place a waypoint somewhere on the side of the icon which should be halfway between the split squad. And that usually causes casualties. So my word goes out to all of you scenario designers and map makers; PLEASE be VERY carefull when placing buildings and doing bigger complexes. The only way from one part of the building to another is through a section that has the door in it. I had some hudge losses in that airfield mission early in the campaign because the Special Forces HQ or whatever that cross-shaped building was was rather poorly "built" and when accessing it my troops moved from very idiotic places from one block to another.. Specially in the 2nd and 3rd level of the building.

Well now this was interesting to see.. I've had at least 2 confirmed cases in different battles when I have noticed this happening. The situation has been more or less like this on both occasions: I have an infantry unit in the roof of a building. Then I order them to Quick to another building rooftop nearby and then the guys start running in the air from rooftop to rooftop! I only managed to notice this when I wondered how the hell my troops got to another rooftop so quickly and then watched the replay of it. A few battles later it happened again! I think on both occasions there were telephone poles between the houses. I think both times both houses were 2 story buildings. Anyone else noticed this? Or could someone test this out with the editor since I can't play for a while now.

Other Means: It would seem that you have the same problem that I have if you are using Windows XP. Its the thing with multi core processor and power saving bug or smth like that with XP.. Try finding a post by me around the day CM: SF launched and there will be the direct link to the update from MS.. I never had had any problems with any games but it solved all my problems with CM: SF.

So I've been playing a while for now and getting the feel of the new engine. Here are things that I've noticed so far: I've noticed that the troops wont fire their javelins at bunkers or buildings when they have only 1 javelin left. When I did the training all the guys fired all but one javelin leaving one bunker intact. None of them would fire the last javelin and then I tried again targetting the bunkers first and then the guys shot all the remaining javelins at the tanks. Another annoying thing I've also noticed that you cant change crews of vehicles. For example in some mission the gunner from the stryker with the 40mm grenade launcher was killed and I had another stryker immobilised but the crew was 100% ok. So of course I drove the operational stryker next to the immobilised one and tried to switch the crew to the functional one but they would only go to the crew compartment. Something that obviously needs to be adressed. And then theres the replay phase.. Lots of small things there.. Like for instance if your troops enter a vehicle you can only see the icon in replay phase, not the guys themselves. Also if you kill every man of an enemy unit their icon wont show up in replay phase. Also you can "spy" enemy units in the replay and action phase just by selecting them when they're visible and then keeping the selection even though they would hide and your troops lose LOS. Also it would be a very nice feature if you could select the replay phase to either start at the beginning as it does now OR just stay in the end of the turn. I'd say theres usually about 1/3 of all turns where I just dismiss the replay phase totally or many other turns where I just want to see the last 10 seconds or so. I also noticed that at least in the wego system when the enemy receives reinforcements you get a very quick glance at them arriving. Like 1/10th of a second their icons are shown. Then theres the obvious pathfinding issues specially in areas that are a bit tight. Sometimes I find my units going on a detour half the map away just when theres a choking point somewhere. I also tried the realtime first of course since I figured it would be more "realistic" when you couldnt stop to think you moves every minute. But those experiments usually just end up in total chaos and disaster, issuing the wrong orders all the time with the wrong order tab selected etc. In realtime I'd _REALLY_ prefer the old CMx1 system where every key had basically just one command and scrolling the map from keyboard was done from the keypad. I know there are people playing with laptops that would hate this kind of setup but couldn't it be optional? For me I get so messed up with the keys when theres much action that I cant play with realtime. I need the option to issue orders without looking which tab I have selected since my eyes are focused on the battlefield, not some UI tab. So for me wego is the only way to go for now. Other than those this new engine has HUGE potential of totally being in its own class as a strategy game. It took a while but I think I'm slowly starting to get the hand of operating a stryker platoon without getting everyone killed all the time Keep those patches coming and keep up the great no excellent work! I know you won't let us down! [ August 04, 2007, 05:28 AM: Message edited by: Hotti ]