Choppy FPS Issues

[PTM]

First, my specs:
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CPU: Intel Intel Pentium P4 1.8 Ghz, 512KB cache
Graphics Card: PNY 128MB GEFORCE4 TI4600 DDR; Nvidia Video Driver 44.03 Detonator FX (latest)
RAM: Ingram PC800 ECC 128MB X 4 RDRAM (512 Total)
OS: Windows 2000 Professional
DirectX: v.9.0a

My Problem:
----------------
I've done many, many things. I've editted every concievable aspect of rise2.ini (or at least everything I've found on the internet, and in multiple variations for those A-F;Auto overrides). I've tried DirectX v.9.0 and v9.0a. I've tried the last 6 video drivers. I've turned all the settings in the game to the lowest. I've played on minimum resolution. I editted rise2.ini (or maybe it was rise.ini) to make it so I could manually disable/hide all the graphics in the game.

I've turned on/off anistropic filtering, anti-aliasing, software acceleration, etc. in multiple variations. I've allotted more memory to virtual memory, I've allotted less memory to virtual memory. I reinstalled RoN 5 times. I reinstalled my graphics card. I turned off VSYNCH, I ran it on 16-bit and on the lowest resolution.

I have basically made it so RoN thinks my system is a cardboard box powered by a hamster in a wheel.

AND YET IT PERSISTS ON SPITTING OUT AN FPS THAT'S 30 AT BEST (and I'm talking like me vs. 3 [at most] comps during the first 5-10 minutes of the game) AND 4 DURING BATTLES.

I've even had it go down to 1 FPS and then eventually freeze.

I have never, ever had an issue with choppy graphics that (that I couldn't fix) in any game on my computer. I run HL, CS, SC, AoE, AoE2: AoK, Matrix, etc. I run developer tools like Maya 4.5: Unlimited. I've run Maya, Photoshop 7, Flash MX, AIM, Word, Excell, IE, Outlook, and a few other programs simultaneously before with less slow down than RoN gives me.

I have NO PROGRAMS ON IN THE BACKGROUND. Or at least, all the programs that aren't vital to my computer's functionality are off.

Can somebody, ANYBODY help me out? I've been on the internet, I looked on several tech support forums. Nothing can solve my problem so far...

Haha, and a funny side note: It's so bad that I can't let myself go to anything past enlightenment age because the armies start becoming so large (and nukes come into play as well as bombers and an asortment of static defenses like SAMs) that the game is rendered unplayable. I have to finish it up in enlightement and even then the FPS starts to max around 12-14 (me vs 1 comp, easiest, enligthenment age, 12 tercios, 4 cannons, 6 musketeers, vs no enemy troops [Just standing around]).

- PTM

[dearmad]

Driver issue. Try uninstalling down to standard VGA deleting all the nv .dll's you can find, reboot, then reinstalling the 44's.

[jbestimt]

Try getting all the latest windows updates and security patches. Looks like you already have the latest drivers.

Try that and we'll go from there.
Thanks!

[jbestimt]

Also, while it doesn't address the slow down, you can get the game to initially run faster by turning off the vsync setting in rise2.ini (or increasing your monitor refresh).

[PTM]

Originally posted by jbestimt
Try getting all the latest windows updates and security patches. Looks like you already have the latest drivers.

Try that and we'll go from there.
Thanks!

OK, I downloaded all the things that windows update had to offer (relevant things anyway, who needs a Euro converter) when I ran windows updater. There were "critical updates" and stuff so I thought that might have been it, but it wasn't.

No change.

- PTM

[PTM]

Note that, interestingly, the newer drivers for my card (my GeForce 4 ti4600) actually degrade game performance. If I use the new Detonator 44.03 my FPS falls ~3 frames, on average, and caps lower (only ~37 FPS, even when the game starts on Nomad vs 1 comp and all I have are 3 villagers and no map revealed on the lowest video settings).

I'm using the drivers provided by the windows update, labeled 2.9.4.2. Released on 5/3/03.

Still, +3 FPS is worthless, and battles at ~7 FPS are a joke.

- PTM

[wilebill]

I also get 30 fps max with or without vsync, rise2.ini features config all set to "A" all options turned to high. Toshiba 1955-801S with latest BIOS all upgrades, newest Detonator drivers, all upgrades from Microsoft except Q811493, defragged disk, 2.2 GHz P4 with 512 Meg RAM, Nvidia GeForce4 440 Go / 32 Meg RAM, 1240 x 768 x 16, and many other excellent features besides.

RON is quite playable 1 vs 1 comp which is all I want to do. But I am seeing fps drops to 5 or less during battles in modern age. AOM (1.05) runs about 10 times more smoothly with no fps declines noticeably by eye at least. I run WarCraft III, C&C Generals, all run very smoothly.

There has got to be something in the RON graphics engine that is not set properly for Nvidia graphics cards?

[jbestimt]

What audio card do you have? What driver set is it using?
We have seen performance degradation due to some audio card configurations.

[wilebill]

Audio card is a RealTek ALC 202A Codec Chip, Software Sound, 16 bit stereo, 3D Sound Support with HRTF 3D positional audio, Direct 3D Sound supported by sound driver; DirectSound and DirectMusic (supported by hardware acceleration); Full Duplex and MIDI playback support with 64 voices.

The latest driver I find for this card is dated 10-16-2002, which I am sure is about 6 months newer than the driver I have.

Any problems with RealTek? Diagnostics in DirectX package have hitherto not complained. I do not mind upgrading the sound driver if you think it will help?

[jbestimt]

Getting the latest drivers is always a good practice

Try setting your "Sound Enabled" to 0, and see if you still get the performance degradation.

[PTM]

I turned off the hardware acceleration for my sound card last night, which is a Sound Blaster Live!. No change.

I have all the latest drivers for it too, and I tried a good old fashioned uninstall/reinstall deal for it two days ago. No change.

When I get home I'll turn off the music through rise.ini (or rise2.ini, I'll find it). I have tried running it by disabling music and the like through the in-game GUI menu. No change there.

I'll report back on the rise2/rise.ini modification on sound later tonight.

Oh and by the way: Thanks for all the help so far, hopefully we can fix this!

- PTM

[jbestimt]

Some drivers on the Sound Blaster Live! did cause perf issues. Let me know if the sound setting in the ini file changes anything.

You are welcome for the support . Just want everyone to have fun with the game.;

[pe0n]

I dont think its your GFX card holding your FPS back, it sounds like its your CPU.

[PTM]

Well I turned sound off in rise2.ini.

No change...

Any more ideas?

- PTM

[PTM]

I don't think it's my CPU either though pe0n. My friend has RoN and he's running a GeForce 4 ti4200 and has an AMD chipset with a clockspeed of ~1.4 gHz, or thereabouts.

He averages 50 fps during normal gameplay and 30fps during battles.

By that measure, I should be doing at least that or something better, considering I have better system specs than he. I asked him if he had any problems and he said he had slowdown but it went away with the new Nvidia drivers. Well that solution didn't work out for me.

Besides, I can run WCIII on maximum settings without any noticeable slowdown and with any amount of opponents. Since WCIII and RoN have nearly identicle system requirements I don't see why I should have such an issue, and why my friend Mark should have the same issue as well.

So, any ideas?

- PTM