Strange performance difference

dePARAdePARA Join Date: 2011-04-29 Member: 96321Members, Squad Five Blue
edited November 2011 in NS2 General Discussion
Today i see some really weird effect on my server (14ppl playing):

I go spectator and flying around with net_stats and thought "wtf, always over 100 fps", then i thought: "why is my graphics card louder than normal in ns2?"

I mean, i had over 100fps outside the map, were i can see MUCH more than in 1st person view.
If i fly to an fight with 6 ppl, it drops to 70 fps.

In 1st person view i get around 60 with spikes up and down. Can go to 30-40 in closefight.

My System is an 2500k@4,3ghz and a 5870@default

Small analysis:
Outside map - Graphic card load at 65%
1st Person - about 45%
CPU use is about 20% more in specmode too.

So, small question to the devs:
Is this a bug? (for me, it seems like that)
Can we get that "turbo" in 1st person too?

Comments

  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited November 2011
    it's probably because when you're in FPS mode, the game has to do collision calculations and animations on you alongside showing you weapons (with animations). In spectator mode those things are not present.

    From this example it becomes quite obvious it's not the graphics (or settings), but indeed the game code and physics, also this is a known issue :)
  • SkvateSkvate Join Date: 2002-11-25 Member: 9892Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    and draw the HUD.....
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    <!--quoteo(post=1887161:date=Nov 27 2011, 02:52 PM:name=Skvate)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Skvate @ Nov 27 2011, 02:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1887161"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->and draw the HUD.....<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I don't really see a difference when using r_gui true/false though. Perhaps a ~1FPS change, I guess...
  • AsranielAsraniel Join Date: 2002-06-03 Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
    you can check with the profile 1 command what is going on if you know how to use profilers in general :)

    Space gives you a snapshot. [ and ] move left and right in the snapshots.
  • dePARAdePARA Join Date: 2011-04-29 Member: 96321Members, Squad Five Blue
    <!--quoteo(post=1887160:date=Nov 27 2011, 03:45 PM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Nov 27 2011, 03:45 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1887160"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->it's probably because when you're in FPS mode, the game has to do collision calculations and animations on you alongside showing you weapons (with animations). In spectator mode those things are not present.

    From this example it becomes quite obvious it's not the graphics (or settings), but indeed the game code and physics, also this is a known issue :)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Im sure ure right, cause im not a programmer, but:
    In your example the client has much more to do, wich ends in higher cpu and gpu load. So, why we have more cpu and gpu load without that collission stuff.
    Maybe it isnt very effective, hmm. But that mean, its a huge slowdown for the engine, cause over 100fps ingame are possible.
  • SkvateSkvate Join Date: 2002-11-25 Member: 9892Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    <!--quoteo(post=1887163:date=Nov 27 2011, 10:59 AM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Nov 27 2011, 10:59 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1887163"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't really see a difference when using r_gui true/false though. Perhaps a ~1FPS change, I guess...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Havent tested on my system yet, but i also get a major FPS drop when going from spectating to spawing. Like from 70 to 40ish.

    In many other games the HUDs can have a major impact on the FPS. I would also guess that you would get higher FPS as alien than marine since the HUD for aliens is so much simpler.

    Ill jump in again and use the r_gui command and check.
  • DrakoDrako Join Date: 2009-06-30 Member: 67980Members
    Hi, I'm expierencing the same from about 100fps in ready room or spectator to about 40ish as player.

    My System Phenom X4 955 , HD5850.

    Greetz
  • tyrael64tyrael64 Join Date: 2010-02-13 Member: 70551Members
    edited November 2011
    disabling the gui has no change in fps. enabling r_aa is free too!!
    In other builds i have avg 60 fps but now i have avg 30 fps...
    the fps now are more solid only go down when tick rate is low.

    lowering the resolution from 1080p to 720p and got the same fps.
    the only way to get more fps is overclocking the cpu.

    spectator 60 fps
  • SkvateSkvate Join Date: 2002-11-25 Member: 9892Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver
    edited November 2011
    well, i experienced at least 5 fps gain disabling the marine gui, but nothing noticable as alien.

    Edit: Make that 3-4 fps. Nothing much. Thats on an empty server though.
  • SewlekSewlek The programmer previously known as Schimmel Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16247Members, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Developer
    <!--quoteo(post=1887161:date=Nov 27 2011, 09:52 AM:name=Skvate)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Skvate @ Nov 27 2011, 09:52 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1887161"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->and draw the HUD.....<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    people were suspecting already on first day that the hud could be the source of an fps issue: it's not. i disabled it entirely (also the whole gui animation system) to compare and there was not a single fps difference.
  • FloodinatorFloodinator [HBZ] Member Join Date: 2005-02-22 Member: 42087Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited November 2011
    We would need a benchmark for NS2. It impossible to say if you gained FPS by doing something when there is over 100 FPS difference depending on so many thing. If it is not to much work a little demo that saves your specs and FPS achieved in this demo would help alot in development IMO. Just something like the HL2/CSS graphics test.

    In RR I can get around 140FPS and in Xroads it still drops from very well to very bad.
    Also it feels like each ent cuts 0.5FPS. Also like Swalk mentioned if I am waiting to spawn at the IP i get around (after the 1. Death) 75FPS, and as soon as I spawn it drops to something like 55.
    Changing atmospheric to false didn't, just a guess because of mentioned above, affect my FPS. But in this build a bad Tickrate damages the game more than in build 187 and also high pingers are horror. Around 15 Ticks explode animations stop playing.

    A thing that is strange to me is, that after playing some rounds of MW3 (on PS3) Playing Skulk feels like playing in slomotion. The Marines seem to be faster than the "mobile" Aliens. Maybe it is because of the FOV difference but it feels weird and I will never play both games on 1 day again.

    Ah anyone also gets some barcode looking shadows? For example the rockwall shadows in the RR of summit.
  • playerplayer Join Date: 2010-09-12 Member: 73982Members
    It is quite the opposite, CoD:MW3 has a nauseatingly low field-of-view, which amongst other things causes you to percieve the environment as very slow moving.

    But you are right nonetheless in stating the NS2-skulk is slow, it is. Painfully.
  • FloodinatorFloodinator [HBZ] Member Join Date: 2005-02-22 Member: 42087Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    So a smaler FOV means slower movement than greater ones (on the same screen) sounds logic and thats weird. But a bigger FOV means more to render because you actually can see more objects. Maybe thats the reason why the skulk seems to be slow (I noticed some builds ago that the skulk speed depends alot on the gameperformance client and server side. Could also be worth a test.
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    edited November 2011
    You can't really compare PS3 vs PC, with the PS3 you're far away from you TV and the lower FoV is preferable. On a PC where you're up close and personal with your screen, a high field of view is needed or else your peripheral vision gets all confused and has been know to cause headaches or nausea for some.

    Also NS2 does some weird stuff with 4:3 vs 16:9/16:10 apparently, where other games tend to show more on the sides when using a wide screen format, NS2 crops the 4:3 to widescreen. So on widescreen you actually see less (top and bottom are cropped). Found that out while testing a few different resolutions to see if I could make NS2 crash (which it didn't :P )
  • FlayraFlayra Game Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment San Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
    I'm guessing this is because as a spectator you're not doing any client-side prediction.
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