Bluescreen, NS2 mode filter bug and server improvement suggestions

GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
edited July 2013 in Technical Support
I often can play the game with 30+ FPS, but almost every time when next round starts I get severe permanent framerate drops, so 3 to 4 games and then it's either 7 FPS or Bluescreen, looks like it could be a Video memory leak. It started quite some time ago, maybe around 210th build. The bluescreen sometimes say that it's something like nv4_disp.dll. Please, almighty UWE programmers, need help =)

Hardware report(generated by Wolfire's Overgrowth)
OS:
Windows XP SP3(about 1.5 y.o. without reinstall)

MEM: Total memory: 3263 MB
MEM: Free memory: 2035 MB
CPU: Number of cores: 4
CPU: Mhz: 2493
CPU: Model: Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz
CPU: Vendor: Intel
SYS: OS common name: Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3

Vendor: NVIDIA
GL_Renderer: GeForce 9600 GT/PCIe/SSE2
GL_Version: 3.3.0
Driver version: 31090
VRAM: 512 MB
GLSL_Version: 3.30 NVIDIA via Cg compiler
Shader Model: 4.0 or better

Maximum uniform vertex vec4s: 512
Maximum uniform fragment vec4s: 1024
Maximum vertex attributes: 16
Maximum varying vec4s: 15
Maximum vertex texture samplers: 32
Maximum fragment texture samplers: 32

Benchmarks (higher is better)
Geometry VA: 99
Geometry VBO: 307
Simple fillrate: 117

There is a mod filter, that's supposed to filter NS2 mode from the rest. However it filters everything that starts with ns2(e.g. ns2249, ns2c). Guess the filter is "ns2", need to be changed to "ns2 " or something to lock the postfixes.

Server slots. Reserved slots. It's very annoying when you try join a server with only reserved slots left, could you make these slots handled separately, so players can be sure if there are any normal slots left. And maybe show the reserved ones too.

Server refresh. Sometimes when I refresh a single server it just disappears, so I have to refresh entire list in order to get it back. Could you please make it so that the server doesn't disappear, instead showing blank fields for unknown data(ping, players etc). Also could you make selected server auto refresh itself constantly(with a reasonably small delays between refreshes).

Server mods. Could you allow to manually disable and skip download of some server mods. Often I'd like to disable serve cosmetic mods, sometimes they are an overkill. Or "megakill" ;)

Hopefully all this gets a reply =)

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Comments

  • ObraxisObraxis Subnautica Animator & Generalist, NS2 Person Join Date: 2004-07-24 Member: 30071Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, WC 2013 - Supporter, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts
    Honestly if you are blue screening your hardware is probably dying. I would suspect your GPU as it's around 7 years old.
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    Hm, I think my Videocard it's max 5 y.o., PC it'self like 3 y.o. And this doesn't happen in other games. Though a possibility still. Thanks for the reply, Obraxis =)

    Now I'm confused, I found tech support thread but it's in "Getting started" while I'd expect it in General. Also I think I could have split the suggestions from bug, not sure if I need to now though, apologies for mixing stuff.
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  • zimzumzimzum Join Date: 2004-09-02 Member: 31200Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Google wrote:
    The Nv4_disp.dll file is used by Nvidia graphics card drivers. It is used to increase the performance of Nvidia components

    Latest Nvidia drivers for 9 series - v320.49

    Try updating your driver first.
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    I was told that there's no use to update the driver for 9 series, but will try, already forgot about it, thanks for reply =)
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  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    GreenFlame wrote: »
    Hm, I think my Videocard it's max 5 y.o., PC it'self like 3 y.o. And this doesn't happen in other games. Though a possibility still. Thanks for the reply, Obraxis =)
    NS2 is probably one of the best stress test programs out there ironically. Your system is likely dying and NS2 is the first program to identify the problem.
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    Awww, it can handle L4D2 on max without any issues, I know it's not the newest, but to me it seems to be absurd for a game to require more than 512MB Video memory, any other game with even better visuals runs pretty good on my machine.

    Updated the Driver, so far working better, need more time to make sure.

    Hope there will be developers to answer that and see the suggestions, and Thanks for the interest and replies, guys! =)
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  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    To be fair, L4D2 is almost 4 years old now. At some point, game requirements are going to exceed your hardware. The problems your having with NS2 are pretty much a forewarning that time is coming sooner rather than later.
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    Just don't get why it needs more, it doesn't look "more" to justify the requirements(Imo). Well, you may be right.

    Random side question:
    where do people get these circle face avatars? I've seen plenty of same style but different looking smileys, did people get them at random when forum was overhauled?
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  • dePARAdePARA Join Date: 2011-04-29 Member: 96321Members, Squad Five Blue
    Is this happen on every server or only on your hacked 30 slot spamfest one?
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  • dePARAdePARA Join Date: 2011-04-29 Member: 96321Members, Squad Five Blue
    Forget my last post, the admin of the 30 slot server has a different name.
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  • DC_DarklingDC_Darkling Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18068Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver
    nv4_disp.dll. is a nvidia dll.
    SO yes either graphics driver or the card for sure.
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    edited July 2013
    Hehe, btw you have good ones, dePara =)

    Updated driver, need some more time to test, but further suggestions are welcome =)
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  • MestaritonttuMestaritonttu Join Date: 2004-07-29 Member: 30229Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    Combat + 20 players + umbra/spores = A sure recipe for BSOD.

    I know it's my system, but man does NS2 punish it hard. :P Remember when extractors used to explode with like 23242 particle effects? Dat sh*t was sure to crash your comp if you put yo face in it, yo!

    Anyways - don't you just HATE bluescreens? Seriously, an error that says "something is wrong, might be your memory/gpu/drivers/virus/processor/bios/mouse/keyboard/bad wiring/... Best of luck finding out! ;)
    X( X( X(
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    Yea, kind of not a nice feeling, missing days when I could just play NS2, thanks for understanding =)
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  • MavickMavick Join Date: 2012-11-07 Member: 168138Members
    The most decent thing you have in that machine is your processor and it's probably the sole reason you can even run the game enjoyably at all tbh. Overlooking the fact you're still running XP (which probably isn't that big of a deal and maybe even helpful when it comes to just running a game), all the other hardware looks like it might have actually came from something in the Vista era. The Geforce 9 series hit the market 5 years ago. I'd look at adding some RAM and getting a new card for sure.

    And I'll tell ya, as good of an OS as XP was back in the day, I can tell you from having to work on them almost every day they can get downright cranky with newer applications these days. Get 7, avoid 8 for now. 8 might eventually be good, especially later this year when 8.1 comes out (it actually does run lighter then 7 believe it or not), but right now it's a pain in the f'ing ass to deal with. That is if you're looking upgrading your OS, which you really, really should lol.
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    Don't get people are so racing on upgrading PC, I find it irrational as long as other games run good, don't feel like upgrading. And as to RAM, to my taste even 2GB is pretty much enough. Maybe I could get a new card if the reason lies within it, but still it works pretty much good in any other game I play.

    So you mean, basically, Windows 7 provides better performance? I'm just very used to the trusty XP and don't want to reinstall loads of things again.
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  • zimzumzimzum Join Date: 2004-09-02 Member: 31200Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    You would need to get used to the layout of Win7, but it isn't difficult - it is still Windows.
    I would suggest doubling your memory if you chose to upgrade to Win7 32bit.
    Fortunately, video card and memory prices aren't what they used to be so you could upgrade those components without necessarily breaking your bank.
    But, if you're comfortable with the performance you have then I see no reason to push an upgrade on you. Keep an eye on that bluescreen if it comes back - get the code for it and a quick search will point you in the right direction. They aren't cryptic and each BSOD message will tell you what is wrong.
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  • GreenFlameGreenFlame Join Date: 2011-03-17 Member: 86860Members
    The bluescreen usually says something about NVidia .dll, but since I updated my driver game runs pretty much good and so far only one bluescreen(still I'd like to have none since it's not quite normal, compared to all the other games I have).

    Thanks for the help, guys, I will keep that in mind when upgrading my PC next time, see you in the game, hopefully =)
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