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View Full Version : Patch Issues: Parum has mega slowdown now?!?



AlMcFly
Nov 17, 2006, 09:55 AM
Ok, I know one other person experienced the same thing. All the Parum missions have extreme slowdown now. To be clear: "Not Lag, but Slowdown". Anyone wanna shed some light on this?

GeoHolyhart
Nov 17, 2006, 10:10 AM
I didn't notice slow down, but then again my party was only 3.

Krltplps
Nov 17, 2006, 10:38 AM
I've noticed it on the PC. It is only while in a mission, not running around town. Stuff in missions now runs a little slower and looks kind of grainy.

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 10:39 AM
It happened to me on the Japanese version from the first update (althought Mizuraki was much worse), but then they fixed it as well as increasing the general performance an update or few further down the road from that.

On the title screen, what does it say the current version is?

Schubalts
Nov 17, 2006, 10:57 AM
Lemme check that.

Edit::
Ah, it doesn't say what version the game is on the title screen. If the options version is the same as the game, though(doubt it), it's version 1.07.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Schubalts on 2006-11-17 08:02 ]</font>

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 11:15 AM
That's... odd. The Japanese version did. Although I remember one of the buttons triggered it on/off.

I do remember though that the performance increase was with the same update that the first story mission was made available. This (http://boards2.sega.com/psu_board/viewtopic.php?t=5736&start=0) thread on the Phantasy Star Universe forum should be a good indication of when we can expect this.

EDIT: I forgot to say, the versions of the options menu and the game itself are different. Online and offline are usually different as well. They just seemed to stop updating the offline mode after ver. 1.0004, but the online mode went further.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Saphion on 2006-11-17 08:19 ]</font>

drakkula
Nov 17, 2006, 12:37 PM
same problem here....i have lowered down my graphic settings and i can play it properly now.....but the game gets frozen, its happened twice so far.....

GeoHolyhart
Nov 17, 2006, 01:03 PM
The weirdest thing happened while fighting Ragan that never happened before. The screen game turned pitch black for 2 seconds and Ragan was on the other side of the field.

Auronp
Nov 17, 2006, 01:12 PM
I havent noticed it, and i went through the new set of missions. But it may be because i was on uni6, with one other person in my grp.

PaladinRPG
Nov 17, 2006, 01:30 PM
There's definitely a lot of freezing when loading an area on missions.

Mystil
Nov 17, 2006, 01:32 PM
I noticed no problems here.

Lovejuice
Nov 17, 2006, 01:50 PM
You can display the client version on the title screen by pressing whatever key/button it is you use to switch through Names/Names+Level/ID Number above character's heads within the game.

The client is reporting that the US game is currently running 1.0010.5.

I have experienced some slow down on the new Gol Dova mission in Parum since the update, but that's it so far.

Icecold
Nov 17, 2006, 01:53 PM
I've noticed that it takes longer to load a new block when running through the missions, that's about it as far as problems I've had with the new patch.

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 02:02 PM
The ultimate test is the Mizuraki Reserve missions. I remember they used to slow my machine down to a crawl unless I was running at 640x480 before the update that fixed it.

UPDATE: I just updated the JP client and it's 1.0010.4.

I'm speechless. Apparently they broke something in the first JP update, fixed it in the next one, then broke it again. At this point, I haven't a clue what the deal with the US client is. It looks like the US client has just skipped forward to a patch with the slowdown issue - and then some.

...everything's gone a bit pear-shaped, then.

Nemosvalkyrie
Nov 17, 2006, 02:10 PM
yeah, i had the same problem... and yes, im pretty sure its only happening to the PC people atm. What i did to correct it was lower my settings for the time being until Sega decides to fix it. Havent had a problem since

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 03:14 PM
Unfortunately I think the only plan of action you have is to lower your settings until whatever has been done gets un-done again.



On 2006-11-17 07:57, Schubalts wrote:
If the options version is the same as the game, though(doubt it), it's version 1.07.


Interestingly, the JP client's option menu is 1.05.
Odd, no?

EDIT: Also, has anyone with the Parum slowdown tried the foresty levels on Neudaiz?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Saphion on 2006-11-17 12:17 ]</font>

Schubalts
Nov 17, 2006, 03:22 PM
Pretty odd, indeed! And I'd test the slowdown myself, but I'm waiting for an email from my college. =/ Wonder what ST broke?

Flamingo99
Nov 17, 2006, 03:26 PM
LoveJuice.... holy freakin' crap..... your sig is amazing.

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 03:27 PM
I'm pretty sure it's something to do with the transparency effect on the trees and bushes and suchlike. Or, more accurately, when they overlap each other. The 'shrubbery' corridors on Parum are a prime example of this. Also, the countless trees on Neudaiz...


EDIT (Again): For those struggling to run the game efficiently due to the patch, I found the best things to do back when it happened to the JP client were either lower the resolution (but that's a given), turn off post effects or lower the SCENE clipping. These, for me, yielded the best results.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Saphion on 2006-11-17 12:30 ]</font>

ViciousXUSMC
Nov 17, 2006, 03:43 PM
if lowering your settings fixed it, sounds like somthing is eating up more computer power/resources.

Also since I have not had any issues that backs up that guess since I have a computer that plays the game at high very easy (60fps constant)

But thats not for sure what it is, it can always be other things like compatability problems or an error in coding.

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 03:46 PM
Hmmm, it struck me as odd at the time.

At first, the game ran fine, even at the higher settings. Then, after the first patch, it was impossible to play Parum and Mizuraki missions without crippling slowdown. With the next patch, it ran even better than it did at the beginning.

It's probably one of those things that effects some graphic cards and not others, I expect.

etlitch
Nov 17, 2006, 03:49 PM
Highest settings, getting abit of slowed down framerate during some of the neudaiz and moatoob missions. Perhaps I should lower it.

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 03:50 PM
Why they can't just patch in some sort of auto-frameskip I'll never know...

Ogni-XR21
Nov 17, 2006, 03:59 PM
When I got on earlier I noticed that the ground textures weren't smoothed out (Kego springs) and grainier than before (kind of seemed like no antialasing applied), but didn't notice any other differences - but I haven't played missions parum or neudaiz...

SpikeOtacon
Nov 17, 2006, 04:56 PM
Well SEGA just lost my money, because I can't even play the game anymore. Even with all settings turned to the lowest, I can't even get over 10 Frames a Second. It's disgusting. And don't tell me to add frameskip, because I did. Doesn't work. Don't tell me to buy a new graphics card, because I just don't have the money to buy a $300 piece of equipment that's going to be obsolete within a week. Don't tell me 'just deal with it', because i've been dealing with having to have the camera stare down at the ground while moving from place to place since I bought the damn thing. Now even THAT doesn't work.

Way to go Sega, WAY TO GO. I was trying to stay as neutral as possible about the many, many issues this game has, but you really fucked it up now.

PMB960
Nov 17, 2006, 06:26 PM
I doesn't matter even if you buy a good graphics card. I have a X1800 and Moatoob runs horribly. I shouldn't have to turn on frame skip or lower the resolution because games much better looking run alot better than this. I really hope they fix these issues. This has the potential to be a very good game if Sega actually put effort into maintaining their servers.

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 06:28 PM
I'm fairly confident that this issue will be addressed in the next update, as it was with the JP client. The JP version (for me) had this exact same problem with the exact same update, and was not only fixed in the next update afterwards (featuring the first online story mission), but the overall game performance was actually improved over what it was before.

Although there was only a week delay between updates... I hope this is still the case for the US version!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Saphion on 2006-11-17 15:31 ]</font>

Para
Nov 17, 2006, 06:34 PM
I noticed a slowdown too... randomly the loading screen, the game tends to 'freeze' for a few seconds before seeing the load animation unfreeze and finish the load.

Schubalts
Nov 17, 2006, 06:34 PM
Hmm, I got to test this slowdown, and on Moatoob, I only had the usual slowdown I get. Usual as in, being within the effect of a Ra* technic or a shotgun blast, but having it happen throught a mission. Wonder why the severity of the slowdown varies for everybody?

PMB960
Nov 17, 2006, 06:56 PM
Yes but you would figure they wouldn't just give the US the same update if it caused the game to run slow. They should have fixed the problem for the US servers, it wouldn't have been hard to do.

-Ryuki-
Nov 17, 2006, 06:57 PM
I have my settings on low, 640x480 resolution (that's the normal settings I play with), and it was lagging like hell in the Parum missions. It didn't, however, lag in Mellvore.

That place is awesome <3

AlMcFly
Nov 17, 2006, 07:06 PM
i'm glad to hear that it was effecting a lot more people than I. (Glad that it wasn't something I would have to just deal with instead of seeing some action.) Before update i had no slowdown ever aside from "Hakura Temple" and the occasional 6 person tech spam. Now, oddly, Moatoob runs super fast but I can't even touch Parum or Neudaiz. I already had it on the absolute lowest settings w/ post effects turned off. Now it's just ridiculous.

SpikeOtacon
Nov 17, 2006, 07:25 PM
On 2006-11-17 15:34, Para wrote:
I noticed a slowdown too... randomly the loading screen, the game tends to 'freeze' for a few seconds before seeing the load animation unfreeze and finish the load.



I have noticed this as well. It doesn't bother me as much as not being able to keep up with the rest of my team.

EDIT: It's affecting the great McFly as well? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_eek.gif This does not bode well.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SpikeOtacon on 2006-11-17 16:32 ]</font>

Kanore
Nov 17, 2006, 07:40 PM
Noticed it too. Did Moatoob before it and experienced no such slowdown (except for the usual 'too many enemies and too many spells being casted' slowdown)

SpishackCola
Nov 17, 2006, 07:47 PM
Noticed a huge increase in slowdown. If what I'm hearing is true about the JP servers having the same problem you'd think Sega would fix it so it didn't happen here too...

Saphion
Nov 17, 2006, 08:12 PM
Clearly, we have a cruel and merciless God.

Either that, or as I've heard before the updates are on an auto-delay, so we're getting the JP updates exactly as they were, warts-and-all. Although if the auto-delay theory is true, the next update, which addesses it, should be in exactly a week! (Although this is probably just wishful thinking on my part.)

SUPER EDIT: Also, in the update afterwards which magically fixed everything, mip-mapping was enabled which cleared out the shimmer effect and blurred the textures nicely without having to force antistropic filtering. When it was broken the patch prior, this wasn't the case and the textures looked awful at a distance.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Saphion on 2006-11-17 17:19 ]</font>

SpishackCola
Nov 17, 2006, 08:30 PM
Thinking about it for awhile, I'd believe you're probably right about the auto-delay updates Sap http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

Weak
Nov 17, 2006, 08:37 PM
Yeah, I noticed the textures are a lot clearer now. I still run 60 FPS, though.

The increase in detail probably is messing with some people, for sure.

Dihnekis
Nov 17, 2006, 08:39 PM
It looks uglier to me.

Parn
Nov 17, 2006, 08:50 PM
The latest patch restored some of the lighting effects, in particular the lens flare effect that was randomly working/not working.

But it also brought in some decreased framerates, it seems. Also, I turned off my 16x AF to see if anything else changed, and it seemed like the mipmapping filter's not doing its job properly. Immediately turned it back on, of course...

That's all I can say from my side of the house.

PMB960
Nov 17, 2006, 10:00 PM
The problem is the patch caused a memory leak on Parum in certain areas. If you notice if you turn the camera to face to other direction the game plays normal but looking at certain spots will slow way down. This same glitch happened with certain ATI hardware in KOTOR I & II on Dantooine. I haven't figured out if it is only affecting ATI hardware but I do know not everyone is experiencing the glitch. Luckily this can be easily fixed by patching it again. Other than the memory leak the game is playing slower than normal so there are other issues to although again this may only affect certain hardware setups. If anyone else can tell me their hardware setup to figure out if thats the problem we can send the data to Sega to help them fix it faster. Some people said the same thing happened on the Japanese servers so one would assume they would have already know about the problem.

GeoHolyhart
Nov 17, 2006, 11:58 PM
On 2006-11-17 10:53, Icecold wrote:
I've noticed that it takes longer to load a new block when running through the missions, that's about it as far as problems I've had with the new patch.


This is my most noticeable problem also.

It surprises me that Sega makes a mistake in Japan then fixes it. So they they can make the same mistake here and the fix it, rather then fixing it from the start.

@Parn: Lens Flare effect? Must have been "randomly" not working a lot, because I never noticed it.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: GeoHolyhart on 2006-11-17 21:00 ]</font>

Capril
Nov 18, 2006, 01:27 AM
I have a PS2, and my husband and I each have our own disk, and we each experienced a sort of 'hanging' at the block loading screens of a couple of places. My screen hung for over 20 min on the Block 1 loading screen of the new mission on Parnum. My husband's screen hung on block one of the Linear line mission and on the Block 3 loading screen of Mad Creatures C on Parnum. This only happened to us today, after the morning shutdown.

So I dont think it's just a PC problem.

PMB960
Nov 18, 2006, 01:47 AM
Hanging during the load time is due to lag most likely from the massive traffic of people downloading the update and going online to try Moatoob. The slowdown on the PC version is a frame rate issue which would not be cause by the server. I this case it is a programming glitch that results in a memory leak.

MonomateJunky
Nov 18, 2006, 01:54 AM
On 2006-11-17 15:56, PMB960 wrote:
Yes but you would figure they wouldn't just give the US the same update if it caused the game to run slow. They should have fixed the problem for the US servers, it wouldn't have been hard to do.

My sentiments exactly. If this is really the same thing that plagued the first JP update, and they've since fixed it, then this is just utterly shoddy work on Sonic Team's part.

Parum missions and field bases are both far lower framerate than they should be, and ansiotropic filtering has suddenly decided not to work.

onami
Nov 18, 2006, 02:26 AM
Getting the slowdown on Parum also.. De Ragan lags so bad now :/

DoubleJG
Nov 18, 2006, 06:13 AM
Not a big deal to me...yet. Hopefully it'll be addressed.

Saphion
Nov 18, 2006, 06:55 AM
Thinking on the auto-delay for updates, I really wouldn't be surprised if two updates down the line, the US servers got the Halloween event. Like, in December.

It really would not surprise me in the least.

PMB960
Nov 18, 2006, 09:11 AM
In case the udates aren't on auto delay I was wondering if people could tell me what brand of parts they have in their computer since this is the same problem KOTOR and KOTOR II had on Dantooine with ATI video cards. That way we could help Sega ix it sooner.

Schubalts
Nov 18, 2006, 10:38 AM
Well, I have an NVIDIA graphics card and an AMD Athlon processor, and I get the slowdown, if that helps.

onami
Nov 18, 2006, 12:02 PM
ATI card and AMD CPU.. still running like molasses on Parum!

Parn
Nov 18, 2006, 12:15 PM
NVidia Geforce 7600GT, Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 processor. The framerate is less consistent when I run 60 FPS at 1280x1024 than it did pre-patch. I always run at 16x AF with a frameskip of 1 so the change doesn't affect me directly.

Also, I was premature regarding the lens flare effect. The bug that causes it to only work sometimes is still in place. I think I've figured out that the lens flare effect stops working if you transition different areas a few times... if you login directly to Parum and look up in the sky, you'll see it, but if you leave Parum and come back, it'll stop working. This applies only if you have the detail level of effects in your graphics settings set to high. If you have it set to medium, the lens flare always works, but objects and the environment that should obscure it do not, and you'll see the lens flare even when inside buildings or when mountains are in the way during missions, which looks really silly.

If you don't know what the lens flare effect in PSU looks like, click here (http://synbios.net/games/PSU/screenshots/us_release/0040.jpg). While it's a simple graphical effect, the fact that it works intermittently is annoying since I'm a big fan of consistency.

shojumaru
Nov 18, 2006, 02:21 PM
Runs horrible for me as well. Reinstall fixed nothing. Tech support isn't being helpful, they think it's a problem on my end.

PMB960
Nov 18, 2006, 02:22 PM
Okay so it seems like it doesn't matter what your setup is. I could be because a certain setting is turned or just some other strange thing that causes this memory leak. As a temporary fix you can run with the camera facing towards you character since this will not cause the memory leak to occur. As long as you keep the camera facing away from the spot that makes the memory leak occur the game will run fine. Other than that you can just send Sega an email to tell them about the problem. If enough people complain maybe they will release the next fix sooner.

OMGTank
Nov 18, 2006, 02:57 PM
I'm on PS2 and for awhile now anytime there's more than say 7 things on screen it lags to hell. Now I don't know if this is because my PS2 is old and decripid or what but it's hella annoying and the reason I stay away from large parties.

Pikku
Nov 18, 2006, 04:00 PM
I just did what you guys told me to do (lower the settings) And Oh god the game looks like crap >< Ill stick to the 2 missions of Moatoob, The Onmagoug Path and Colony until they fix it because I never had problems with those places and they are my favorite. @.@

MonomateJunky
Nov 18, 2006, 07:00 PM
On 2006-11-18 06:11, PMB960 wrote:
. . . I was wondering if people could tell me what brand of parts they have in their computer . . .

NVidia GeForce 6600 on WinXP (Win MCE, technically). It rarely gets unbearably bad, though occasionally it will toward the end of a Parum mission. It's mostly playable, just at a noticably lower framerate, and without ansiotropic filtering (not sure what that one's about). I notice every map takes a couple extra seconds to load, with the animation of the light that travels accross and illuminates the PSU logo stopping dead for several seconds and then continuing to display normally. It never did that before.

At any rate, it sounds like Sega already has a fix for this, but they just rolled out the update verbatim without even including it. I suppose we're just supposed to sit on our hands until the next update (or two).

PMB960
Nov 18, 2006, 08:35 PM
Yes I don't think massive amounts of people telling them there are problems will get it done any faster. I assume the updates are on a time delay and will come out the same number of weeks after launch as they did in Japan. It would be nice if they actually put some effort in though, I mean they should atleast try to atract people other than PSU fans to the series and things like this don't really help.

myomer
Nov 20, 2006, 11:27 PM
Well it looks like they are at least aware of it (http://boards2.sega.com/psu_board/viewtopic.php?t=9426&highlight=slowdown). Usual response from companies with probs like these online. Hopefully they resolve this soon. Parum and Neudaiz are both unplayable for us. My wife and I have the same config. AMD CPU and Nvidia 7600GT.

Will try the lowered resolution and skip settings, though I really don't like doing that http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif