Atrocious frame rate?

[Keyser Soze]

I just got a new computer, one of the reasons was to be able to play Rise of Nations . This is top of the line stuff (3.0 Ghz, 1 GB RAM, Radeon 9800 with 256 MB video RAM), so I should be able to play RON easily, right? Well, it does for the most part, but...


I was playing a 1 v 7 AI Barbarian at the Gates Battle w/ a Big Huge Map. The frame rate is a smooth 60 fps for most of the game.

That is, until I build the Space Program.

Bam, it drops to 2 fps and stays there for the whole game. I could barely play it. For some reason, I don't think it's my PC - Command and Conquer Generals, while smaller in scale, is much more graphically intensive, and that is smooth as silk.

And it's not a problem with the video - watching a 100 unit melee on screen and looking at empty water produces the same frame rate.

Anyone else experiencing this, or is it really a technical issue with me (in which case this is in the wrong forum)?

[Q Classic]

could be anything. latest drivers and dx9? or the latest ms patches?

unfortunately, i haven't been able to replicate anybody's problems myself. ^^; it's been running rock-steady on my main comp, and all i can say is having the latest drivers, dx9, and ms patches might help.

[bhg_paul]

Things to try (in order):

1. Make sure you have the latest RON patch.

2. Make sure you have the latest and greatest video card drivers from your card vendor's website.

3. Make sure your DirectX install is golden. For best results just visit the MS direct X website (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/) and reinstallf from there.

4. Try setting your desktop resolution to 1024x768x16 then running the game at that setting just for comparison. If this works fine, work your way up to a higher res and see where the falloff is.

5. On a good system like this turning vsync=0 in rise2.ini will usually give a performance boost, but this won't help much if your problem lies with one of the items above. Seriously - I'd try these in order.

Hope this helps.

-geek

[DanDun]

Ok so what system is recommended for playing RON reasonably? I am thinking of getting the game, but I don't like to upgrade my machine! I have 1Gz Duron with 512 MB RAM and a Geforce2 MX with 32MB of Video RAM. Any taker? Thanks

[bhg_paul]

I guess what is resonable for one person isn't always resonable for another. I play RON with some frequency on an almost identical system (1Ghz, 512MB) but with a Geforce3 and I find it to be totaly fine. I'd think that with a Gf2 you'd probably want to disable some of the high-end graphics options but that it would be ok.

[Carch]

You forgot SOUND drivers.

Updating my soundblaster drivers made a huge difference (like 20% or so) in my RoN framerate!

[bhg_paul]

Good point! Actually network drivers can also sometimes be an issue. Video, sound, and network drivers get used heavily during a multiplayer game. If any are not interoperating with the game well they can cause poor performance.

[Sava]

and not to mention ATI sucks

[SkalTur]

Originally posted by bhg_paul
...
4. Try setting your desktop resolution to 1024x768x16 then running the game at that setting just for comparison. If this works fine, work your way up to a higher res and see where the falloff is.
...

Hya.

Yes, I always have a bug when doing this. Any Conquer The World battle makes RON to crash. I don't understand that. Any other kind of battle goes fine, but if I try to play a CtW battle on 1024x768x16 the game crashes...

See ya.

[Grond]

Actually ATI tends to blow nvidia away in D3D games not too mention the 9800 is an absolute beast.

[fsume93]

the only game I built that wonder I also had a decrepit frame rate afterwards. 0-1 FPS after it was built. I was thinking i couldnt play with that many other AI's but in reality it may have been the wonder.

[Carch]

Weird ... the space program wonder kills frame rates?

I rarely build it ... time for some testing perhaps!

[Grond]

I'm not sure if Space Program gives a big hit to framerates but it does make sense. In fact if it doesn't cause a big hit to framerates then something is seriously wrong.

[Maskirovka]

asdf;jkl

try starting the game...exiting it...then restarting it.

i dunno if they fixed that with a patch yet (i haven't had the game that long) but i know if i play...then stop...then play again...my framerate improves drastically.

if i reboot, it goes back to crappy...unless i close the game and start it again.

i think it actually says to try this method in the readme :P

[SkalTur]

Re: asdf;jkl

Originally posted by Maskirovka
try starting the game...exiting it...then restarting it.

i dunno if they fixed that with a patch yet (i haven't had the game that long) but i know if i play...then stop...then play again...my framerate improves drastically.

if i reboot, it goes back to crappy...unless i close the game and start it again.

i think it actually says to try this method in the readme :P

The patch was not suposed to fix this and it doesn't.
I think it is only to fix multiplayer often lags...

Nut anyways, this method is still working