Frame Rate drops on campaign map SS 6.2

**10shi** · February 04, 2010, 11:38 PM

Usually, when I play ss 6.2, the game starts off with normal fps for a while. Eventually, at the start of a new turn, My frame rate will drop to almost unplayable levels (around 10 fps i would guess). Sometimes, my frame rate will recover if I load a saved game but it happens almost every turn. I searched around the forums and I can't find an answer. I'm using a geforce 8600 GTS. Frame rate in battles are fine as long as i keep my settings low. I have campaign tree shadows off and I turned everything to lowest except for vegetation and unit textures (they're at medium).

**Caesar Clivus** · February 05, 2010, 12:02 AM

What are your other system specs?

**meese** · February 05, 2010, 12:56 AM

Chances are it's the CPU. MTW2 doesn't support multiple cores so you may be at a disadvantage there. Also, the graphics card probably doesn't work too hard on the campaign map

It's the battles where the graphics card may be the culprit.

**10shi** · February 05, 2010, 02:47 AM

Intel(R)
Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz
2.79GHz, 1.00GB of RAM

the funny thing is that the fps is usually stable when i start and suddenly the frames drop at the start of a new turn. if i save and load my saved game, the fps is stable again.

if it's a system spec issue, wouldn't the frame rate be consistently bad instead of just occasionally? Cause there are times when I have decent fps for hours while playing SS 6.2

another thing is that sometimes when the frames drop, i'll enter a battle (and fight the battle with pretty good fps) and after the battle, the game runs fine again.

**Caesar Clivus** · February 05, 2010, 02:51 AM

It's your RAM. If you only have 1Gb then you will have problems. RAM is very cheap these days. Grab yourself 4Gb and you'll be sweet.

**10shi** · February 05, 2010, 03:05 AM

I still don't understand why is my frame rate occasionally fine but it breaks down all of a sudden. until i load a game or enter a battle screen.

**Navajo Joe** · February 05, 2010, 03:32 AM

10shi,
On my rig I have Steam installed and for no reason it seems to enable itself, even when I am not playing a Steam based game. The problem it usually does it when I am in the middle of non-Steam game, but it certainly slows everything down.
You might also try Gamebooster, it shuts down non-essential processes within the PC, I have read good and bad, for me it works ok.

**Swordthrower** · February 05, 2010, 09:11 PM

I play on a 2.8 pentium with 1 gig of ddr ram laptop- and gamebooster not only prevents some random campaign map slow downs, (although different regions do scroll at different speeds which might make it seem random, it should be noted,) but also seems to cut down on campaign map CTD's. I am playing a 25 player hotseat right now and when I forget to stop my background processes I am lucky to get 10 fps on the campaign map. (More like 4.)

**10shi** · February 06, 2010, 10:40 PM

can someone confirm if getting more ram can speed up campaign map? how much can i expect? I've been considering a ram upgrade for a while now and if getting a 4gb ram can speed up the campaign map, I'll go and pick up one right now.

another thing i noticed is that the fps drops to unplayable levels when i turn campaign tree shadows on. Another thing worth noting is that I have pretty decent fps whenever I reload a game and when i alt-tab myself onto desktop and back into the game (the campaign map "reloads" sorta) even if I'm scrolling through the same region.

**meese** · February 06, 2010, 11:28 PM

I can't really say for sure. 1 GB is the weaker part of your computer, but it's odd that the frame rate only drops sometimes. That sounds like something else unless you've got stuff running in the background.

**10shi** · February 06, 2010, 11:42 PM

i use selective startups and my computer loads with very few things. I usually have less than 30 processes in the background. The only thing I can think of is norton antivirus. Maybe i should turn it off or something.

aside from RAM, what else should i upgrade? The graphic card I'm using right now is probably the highest end graphic card my cpu can support at the moment (or so I was told). I tried upgrading to 9800 but my computer guy warned me against it saying that it'd be pointless and my computer might overload or something.

**Ichon** · February 07, 2010, 01:55 AM

I'd guess RAM might help because if it was your graphics card the battles would be poor FPS. Random slow downs do sound like some high requirement process and more RAM is the cheapest and easiest solution if that is the case. Just make sure you buy the RAM online and not in some store unless they give you a close to equal deal as online prices.

As well keep in mind if you do have some high requirement process running even getting more RAM might not eliminate the slowdowns as your CPU also devotes cycles to running whatever it is but the RAM is the most obvious possible cause of slowing.

Another issue could be virus/spyware which Norton might or might not catch. If you don't open the stranger emails from that guy in Nairobi or visit the warez/porn/limewire sites that usually isn't an issue but it can be otherwise. Or you can have 3 computers... 1 for work only, 1 for games only, and 1 for surfing/downloading opening forwarded emails. I do that by age- newest is for work, my last work comp I upgrade a couple things and game with and my old gaming rig is for the risky stuff.

**nimrod123** · February 08, 2010, 08:01 PM

what turn are you on?

In my game as the turns build up the number of trade ships on the sea become increasingly high, and my frame rate drops, a quicksave, quickload removes the ships and the frame rate restarts so this might work for you.