Game stuttering/Sound quality reduction since second update

VipMattMan · #1 11-24-2010, 08:34 PM

I didn't play the game enough after the first update on 11/23 to notice if this problem existed before the sound fix update was released, but since the update I've been having game stuttering issues. The game speeds up and slows down about every second at a consistent rate. It's not so bad that the game is totally unplayable, but is still very noticeable. Other people in the servers I've played in have said they've been having the issue since the update as well.

Another issue that I'm sure I've only had since the sound fix update is that since that update it actually seems as though the sound quality is lower than it was before. I'm on 32bit Xp and didn't have the same sound issues after the first patch that the 64bit people were having, and everything sounded normal to me then. Since the patch various sounds are a little more hollow, particularly deep sounds like the Explodet's missiles which also seem to have a lot of dissonance when many of them are going off at the same time now.

lamster · #2 11-24-2010, 08:46 PM

We will continue to look into the sound issues -- I'm hoping to have a full solution (restoring old sound functionality) this weekend.

Regarding the stuttering -- have you tried disabling sound? (Options -> Sound -> uncheck Sound Enabled)

Have you tried updating your video card drivers (from ati.com, nvidia.com, or intel.com -- Windows Update does not provide suitable OpenGL drivers)? What video card are you using?

VipMattMan · #3 11-24-2010, 08:58 PM

I just tested going with no sound for a couple of minutes and it looked like the stuttering was still there.

My video card is a Radeon 4670. I'll update my drivers later tonight sometime and see if that helps.

SkyTiger · #4 11-24-2010, 10:05 PM

i also find myself with stutter problem.
Didn't have it right before and now i have it right after patching.

tried everything. vsync, buffering, sound off, texture detail and particle counts to low, even 800x600 resolution.
Still stutter!

several others did mentions "slight stutter", but maybe they got a better system.

Wyrd · #5 11-24-2010, 10:56 PM

Same here.

Radeon 3650.

Oh, hmm, I think it's gone now. I had set my texture and particle count to medium to see if it helped, and it seemed to lessen the stutter. But just now I set both back to high again (wanted to test out if sound affected it) and it seems to be gone...

lamster · #6 11-24-2010, 11:11 PM

We are looking into these reports -- please continue reporting if you are having similar issues. Hope to have a fix this weekend.

VipMattMan · #7 11-25-2010, 12:55 AM

I tried Wyrd's fix, and also updated my graphic drivers. Neither fixed it.

I can load the game and play perfectly smoothly for a few minutes, and then it seems like it starts to degenerate from there.

[tm]demon · #8 11-25-2010, 06:21 PM

my game is also stuttering. i'm playing every day so i can say that this problem starts with the last update

ledow · #9 11-26-2010, 01:44 PM

Er... yes, I think I have this problem too.

32-bit XP but a new machine (only a month old). Not had any problems and the altitude config carried over from my previous computer (in fact, the whole XP config did - not virtualisation, just copied hard drive) - latest NVidia drivers and a more-than-adequate graphics card (Gefore GT130M).

Was working absolutely fine but now I get a sort of... well, it's not a lag so to speak, more of a buffer-catch up. It's like it *knows* that it needs to draw, say, 60 frames but sometimes that gets hindered and so the next 120 go twice as fast (or whatever) to catch up. It would be fine if it wasn't just very inconsistent - sometimes it jerks, sometimes it doesn't but it *really* throws off your aiming / timing when it happens and there's no pattern to it. Sometimes minutes go by without it happening, sometimes it's all the time and it doesn't *seem* dependent on server.

Sometimes even at the start of the round, it's like the loopy I'm driving is moving at twice speed, and other times it just slows (but still shows 40-50 fps - I don't know what that used to be but I see no reason for this machine not to do 60 fps because the CPU, I/O and graphics card don't seem to be struggling at all). No java upgrades here (for fear of Oracle-crap in them) so it's exactly the same setup - and Altitude has it's own JVM, doesn't it?

I can't pin it down, and I doubt recording would show it properly, but it's only since the last update. A few people on my server complain about the same thing but *not* everyone.

VipMattMan · #10 11-26-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ledow

Er... yes, I think I have this problem too.

My game hasn't had the stutter issues since the update today. Check it out and see if you're still having the same problems.

lamster · #11 11-26-2010, 05:48 PM

Yes Altitude includes its own JVM so no worries about that -- please try the latest update which has mostly reverted the library changes.

ledow · #12 11-28-2010, 11:22 AM

Yeah, I've just given it 24 hours or so play-testing.

Seems to be back to working properly.

I know the pain of being a programmer though - support legacy libraries that work or risk upgrading to something new that doesn't for a small percentage of users. It can be a nightmare.