Extreme lag when entering/exiting gorge tunnels

LeoPhone

Every time I enter/exit gorge tunnels my game freezes for several seconds.
If I use the same entrance twice in a short amount of time there is no lag.

I believe reducing texture quality reduces the lag. I currently have the setting on high.

Does anyone else experiences this lag? Is there anything I can do about it? (I don't want to reduce my graphics settings, the game runs perfect other wise, above 60 fps)

I added my dxdiag in the attachment. I've also installed windows and this game on a SSD.

soccerguy243

i experience the same. I have at least a 2 second delay before the tunnel appears. again another delay at the exit before the real world appears again.

Moroder

I have the same problem, running all on high, 1440X900, any fix for this?

LeoPhone

Help?

IronHorse

have you tried the latest patch? i no longer have any delays when entering the gorge tunnel now, personally

LeoPhone

maybe its a bit better. But still uncomfortable.

IronHorse

Delete your Cache folder in your hidden %appdata%\Natural selection 2\ folder, Restart your PC, (this will make you compile shaders for the first time, so go make a sandwich :-P)

Then load NS2 and when you're in the ready room, type loadtimes true in the console (~ key) and then join aliens and make a tunnel and then JUST BEFORE you jump in it... type r_loading true in the console. Enter it now.

Right after you enter it, and the pause is gone, go to the console and type r_loading false.
Exit NS2 and do not load it again, Until after you go back to that hidden appdata NS2 folder and find a "Log.txt". (else you will overwrite this log file)
Please copy and paste it here in this thread with spoiler tags so it doesnt take up the whole page.

If this fails to yield anything i have another something up my sleeve.

LeoPhone

Thanks for the help.
I did my best following your guide.

First I tried doing it in explore mode, but surprisingly the tunnel didn't lag at all in explore mode so that wasn't of any use.

Next test I joined an online server. everything what happened on that server:
- During joining the server and loading the map the server switched to a different map.
- In the ready room of the different map I joined aliens and went com waiting for the round to start/
- I then realized I didn't do the loadtimes true console command so F4ed, did the command and rejoined aliens as com.
- The round starts, I research gorge tunnels. a moment later a teammate builds a tunnel.
- I get out of the chair, do the r_loading true console command, enter the tunnel. Inside the tunnel I do the r_loading false console command and exit NS2.

This time there was a bit of lag entering the tunnel. It wasn't as bad as the ones I remember tho. Maybe because I just restarted my PC and the NS2 round just started as well.
The log.txt is attached as a file. It was too much text to post in a comment.

IronHorse

Got it.
So here's the culprit i think:

Accessing texture 'cinematics/vfx_materials/vfx_water_drip_05.dds' which was not loaded
Accessing texture 'cinematics/vfx_materials/vfx_water_foam_01.dds' which was not loaded
Accessing texture 'cinematics/vfx_materials/vfx_screen_droplets_01.dds' which was not loaded
Accessing texture 'cinematics/vfx_materials/vfx_ringsmoke_01.dds' which was not loaded
Accessing texture 'cinematics/vfx_materials/refract_water_01_normal.dds' which was not loaded

I've seen this before when we were diagnosing the black infestation / rifle hud / scoreboard issue that was fixed last patch.
Has to do with streaming textures.

Assuming your card and drivers are operating correctly, try changing your Texture Streaming to something else (if on, turn off, and vice versa)
And then run this exact test again please.
Thanks!

Rich_

turn texture streaming off. the lag jump is because the server will render some textures when entering new rooms instead of your pc, it's suppose to help server load time. No reason to use it unless you have slow HDD.

LeoPhone

Texture streaming was on, I turned it OFF now.

Reran the test on an online server. log.txt attached.

It seemed the lag was almost completely gone. I will need to test a few more times to know for sure.
Thanks for all the help so far.

IronHorse

No prob.
Yea it used to say "(Experimental)" next to texture streaming, not sure if it still does.
If you're low on GPU VRAM, it can cut down the size from 1.2 GB of vram to 300 mb.. very useful if GPU bound.

But if you have the vram to spare, theres no need for it... and there's now evidence that it can negatively impact things, too!
Thanks for helping diagnose!


p.s. this was the only thing not loaded in time:

Accessing texture 'models/marine/powerpoint_impulse/powerpoint_impulse.dds' which was not loaded

Far better.