Frame Rate Drop Over Airfields

[Baywing]

I have started a new campaign for the British flying F2b's for RFC 48 April 1917 from Bellevue airfield. I've been noticing that on final approach, my frame rates drop to 6-9 fps, where in flight, they run 30-40 fps. I did some test flights in QC and Campaign, results are similar. It also happens when I overfly an airfield at lower altitudes, as soon as I clear the field, the rate jumps back up into the 30's. I tried a different airfield, same result. I went back to Jasta 21 in an Albatros and generally the same thing, though the FPS is consistantly higher (50-60 in flight, 15-20's over any airfield).

System: Dell E521 upgraded to AMD Athlon X2 5600+ (2.8), Win XP SP2, 4 gb ram, 9800GT, 500W PS.

OFF sliders at all 3's except clouds at 1.

Other than around airfields, things seem ok, but around any airfield, things get choppy especially turns.

Any settings changes to improve things?

[sitting_duck]

I have started a new campaign for the British flying F2b's for RFC 48 April 1917 from Bellevue airfield. I've been noticing that on final approach, my frame rates drop to 6-9 fps, where in flight, they run 30-40 fps. I did some test flights in QC and Campaign, results are similar. It also happens when I overfly an airfield at lower altitudes, as soon as I clear the field, the rate jumps back up into the 30's. I tried a different airfield, same result. I went back to Jasta 21 in an Albatros and generally the same thing, though the FPS is consistantly higher (50-60 in flight, 15-20's over any airfield).

System: Dell E521 upgraded to AMD Athlon X2 5600+ (2.8), Win XP SP2, 4 gb ram, 9800GT, 500W PS.

OFF sliders at all 3's except clouds at 1.

Other than around airfields, things seem ok, but around any airfield, things get choppy especially turns.

Any settings changes to improve things?

 

Looking at your system, i cant see why you would ever get that low fps, even in rain. Did you do the tweaks in cfs3config?

[Baywing]

I think I remember checking and unchecking some boxes there. I really didn't notice flying for the Huns, it seems like the F2b has a higher demand than the Alb series, maybe because it's a 2 seater?

[sitting_duck]

http://www.overflandersfields.com/Tips.htm

 

Even if this is not your problem, these are the settings that you should have in your cfs3config.

 

hope something there helps

[BirdDogICT]

Other than around airfields, things seem ok, but around any airfield, things get choppy especially turns.

Any settings changes to improve things?

Baywing,

 

It's like that old joke. Patient: "Doctor, whenever I bend my elbow, it hurts." The Doctor replies "Well, stop bending your elbow."

 

Low FPS at airfields is not uncommon. You'll find the same over the frontlines. It's due to the number of ground objects that heve to be rendered, especially troops, artillery pieces, AA batteries, MG nests, and vehicles that require computing power to complete some action.

 

I've found that reducing ground objects in Workshop helps. So does flying at a higher altitude.

 

Cheers

[Baywing]

Thanks folks, seems to have helped a little. Very few stutters now, just have to make it back from a mission to try landing. I thought the Allies were on top of things in the spring of 17.......just got jumped on the ground by over a dozen Albs.

[Mr. Lucky]

I think we're stuck with the fps drop over airfields. It's a CFS3 thing and has plagued us since Phase I and even more so II and III.

It's a shame too because there are so many airfields and so many grouped close together that the problem is multiplied in some places. It's like Birddog said, and also throw in a town plus the other aircraft and nice.....and.....slooooowww......

 

But, Allies on top in spring of '17?????? Ever heard of Bloody April? It wasn't the Germans who called it that.

[BirdDogICT]

I think we're stuck with the fps drop over airfields. It's a CFS3 thing and has plagued us since Phase I and even more so II and III.

It's a shame too because there are so many airfields and so many grouped close together that the problem is multiplied in some places. It's like Birddog said, and also throw in a town plus the other aircraft and nice.....and.....slooooowww......

 

But, Allies on top in spring of '17?????? Ever heard of Bloody April? It wasn't the Germans who called it that.

 

Baywing,

 

 

Mr. Lucky's post reminded me of another setting that you might try...reducing the level of Regional Air Density in Workshop can help some.

 

Our systems are pretty similar...I'm also getting 30-40 FPS, but never run below the low 20s in 10 furrballs over the airfield. Have you applied all of the graphics tweaks? They should be considered mandatory.

 

I had to reset my CFS3 files yesterday due to upgrading my graphics drivers, and decided to fly without applying any tweaks, and guess what? Same results you describe...30-40 at altitude, but like a slideshow above the airfield.

 

Cheers

[Baywing]

I think I have most of the tweaks already, though it seems there are lots of differing opinions on what works best. The latest round of adjustments seems to have helped some. I still get lower fps over the airfields, but if as said above it's a cfs3 thing, then I don't think there is much I can do about it. Currently, I have only a minimal stutter around the airfields at low altitude and it's livable. I got word at work last month that my hours may be cut (and 15% loss of pay) so I've been holding off on non-essential purchases. If I get word that I'm ok for another year, I'm planning on building my own computer but it looks like it will run $1500 or so.

If you find any other tweaks that work, please pass them on.

[BirdDogICT]

I think I have most of the tweaks already, though it seems there are lots of differing opinions on what works best. The latest round of adjustments seems to have helped some. I still get lower fps over the airfields, but if as said above it's a cfs3 thing, then I don't think there is much I can do about it. Currently, I have only a minimal stutter around the airfields at low altitude and it's livable. I got word at work last month that my hours may be cut (and 15% loss of pay) so I've been holding off on non-essential purchases. If I get word that I'm ok for another year, I'm planning on building my own computer but it looks like it will run $1500 or so.

If you find any other tweaks that work, please pass them on.

 

 

Baywing,

 

Join the club...after getting BHaH and making big plans to upgrade my PC, I've been "staff adjusted" to 24 hours/week since January. Explains why I've gone to such pains to get the best performance from my current machine. Just like being retired: all the time off in the world and not enough money to enjoy it (at least that would be so without BHaH :yes: ).

 

There IS some difference of opinion on which tweaks work best, and most of the BHaH tweaks have been around since CFS3 first came out: http://www.combatfs.com/index.php?loc=tweak&page=index

 

There seems to be some consensus that setting Full Screen Swap Effect to Flip helps quite a bit with stutters. And after all other recommended tweaks are applied, checking Disable Chat, Disable Advisor Messages, Disable Simulation Warnings, and Disable Warning Boxes can help a lot. Before I checked messages off, everytime a message appeared while I was flying over an airfield, the game became a slideshow. No longer.

 

Cheers