[NO BUG] Bad optimization

[fl0w]

Just a complaint really, it hurts to try and play the F-14B in SP and MP, and especially MP is more prone to timeout disconnection because of memory running out loading. Not sure what the exact issue is, between the JESTER AI, systems, and/or textures. I can load every other module just fine with a 4-5 second time, but this one takes almost 30 seconds to 90!

 

Really hoping that this gets fixed for people with the 8 or 12 GB RAM. :)

Edited April 13, 2019 by IronMike

[NineLine]

8-12 GB just meets minimums. Need to keep that in mind.

 

Minimum system requirements (LOW graphics settings): OS 64-bit Windows 7/8/10; DirectX11; CPU: Intel Core i3 at 2.8 GHz or AMD FX; RAM: 8 GB (16 GB for heavy missions); Free hard disk space: 60 GB; Discrete video card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 / AMD R9 280X or better; requires internet activation.

 

Recommended system requirements (HIGH graphics settings): OS 64-bit Windows 8/10; DirectX11; CPU: Core i5+ at 3+ GHz or AMD FX / Ryzen; RAM: 16 GB (32 GB for heavy missions); Free hard disk space: 120 GB on Solid State Drive (SSD); Discrete video card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX VEGA 56 with 8GB VRAM or better; Joystick; requires internet activation.

 

Recommended VR systems requirements (VR graphics settings): OS 64-bit Windows 8/10; DirectX11; CPU: Core i5+ at 3+ GHz or AMD FX / Ryzen; RAM: 16 GB (32 GB for heavy missions); Free hard disk space: 120 GB on Solid State Drive (SSD); Discrete video card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD Radeon RX VEGA 64 or better; Joystick; requires internet activation.

[Flagrum]

Just a complaint really, it hurts to try and play the F-14B in SP and MP, and especially MP is more prone to timeout disconnection because of memory running out loading. Not sure what the exact issue is, between the JESTER AI, systems, and/or textures. I can load every other module just fine with a 4-5 second time, but this one takes almost 30 seconds to 90!

 

Really hoping that this gets fixed for people with the 8 or 12 GB RAM. :)

 

My experience is similar so far. I suspect it's the radar code and Lantirn probably as well. FPS drops to 1-2 fps in the RIO pit with Lantirn active and when new terrain is ahead. Flying back, over already loaded terrain, it is a bit better. Need to test more, though, but double-checking with a quick jump into the FA-18 (same mission, same route, no lantirn though ofc) gave me the expected 30-40 fps.

[NineLine]

Have you guys deleted yous shader folders as well? Be interested to know if that has helped anyone.

[fl0w]

Have you guys deleted yous shader folders as well? Be interested to know if that has helped anyone.

 

I'll attempt to delete, administrator mode repair and then do my usual.

[Pougatchev]

For me this was the trick to improve performance, those file make f-18 display buggued as well as performance drop with the Tomcat, after deleting them, fine, but loading time stay far longer than last OB version...

Edited March 14, 2019 by Pougatchev

[Japo32]

I am great in desert but Vegas y 14fps... Some considerations that could be done to improve performance:

 

1. Someone or Heatblur give us options to install reduced resolution textures (2K?) so we could safe memory. I know we can use medium textures, but it is going great in terrain with high textures and I want to preserve them!

 

2. Deactivate Mirror in pilot side when you are RIO. I don't need to see 3 mirrors plus mine.

 

3. Deactivate HUD display and screens when in RIO of the pilot side.

 

I think with those the fps will increase and we can have good graphics also with 2K textures.

 

Thanks!

[fl0w]

Have you guys deleted yous shader folders as well? Be interested to know if that has helped anyone.

 

Attempted to delete fxo and metashaders2, did a repair in administrator mode, and ran a MP server for the F-14B. Timed out. :(

[Flagrum]

Letting DCS rebuild the shaders made no real difference for me. It is still the same: the more terrain around the plane, the choppier everything gets. (Persian Gulf map)

 

I now suspect it is indeed a memory issue rather than the radar code. The pagefile, although managed by the system, was 100% full (but not growing!?). I need to check that more in detail later/tomorrow. But an option for medium size cockpit textures would probably be a good idea - the almost 4 GB video RAM of my GTX970 is probably 90% filled up with 4K F-14 textures ...

[Cobra847]

Hey guys. 8-12GB of RAM and a 970 (3.5GB of effective VRAM) is unfortunately significantly below the standard of high performance gaming today.

We recommend 16Gb for SP or 32GB for MP in the F-14 at present.

 

I know this looks like we're passing the buck; but there's a limit to how much we can optimize a 2 person, animated crew, complex jet. We'll continue to try and improve performance of course!

Edited March 14, 2019 by Cobra847

[fl0w]

Hey guys. 8-12GB of RAM and a 970 (3.5GB of effective VRAM) is unfortunately significantly below teh standard of high performance gaming today.

 

We recommend 16Gb for SP or 32GB for MP in the F-14 at present.

 

Do you know when you can knock it down for us not-to-qualified in specs guys?

[lunaticfringe]

The one possible option for 16 GB users (such as myself) or lower is to make certain that Windows is not managing virtual memory, but instead working a locked virtual memory value. I personally run 32 GB custom size (32768 MB min/max under the VM settings menu) and am able to connect with MP servers 95+% of the time without issue, and did so during F-14B group testing.

[Galf]

Hey guys. 8-12GB of RAM and a 970 (3.5GB of effective VRAM) is unfortunately significantly below the standard of high performance gaming today.

We recommend 16Gb for SP or 32GB for MP in the F-14 at present.

 

I know this looks like we're passing the buck; but there's a limit to how much we can optimize a 2 person, animated crew, complex jet. We'll continue to try and improve performance of course!

 

32gb ram is a first in the gaming world just so y'know... if you guys can't get it working on 16 for mp then you're going to have pitchforks nearby soon enough :/

 

edit: alright you know what, I'll try as soon as I can, if it seizes up on 16gb of ram it's really the first time ever for a game I think...

Edited March 14, 2019 by Galf

[fl0w]

To be fair, some of us do not have the ultimate elite top of the line rigs. I appreciate the hand, blood and sweat work done here but it hurts with the MP experience. I will most likely overclock my AMD Ryzen to achieve better performance or wait further updates for some form of a "downgrade."

 

I did test texture settings to see if the textures were a big issue. I did not see any noticeable change in loading times. So either the texture maps themselves are too big or maybe a fault of JESTER AI loading in MP being turned off via. RIO interaction.

[Banzaiib]

Lower the texture resolution to medium. It still looks great, but uses like 1/2 the memory.

[fl0w]

Lower the texture resolution to medium. It still looks great, but uses like 1/2 the memory.

 

I attempted to lower textures to lowest setting of Low, and I could not find any noticeable difference at all.

[F14luvr]

For some reason, whenever I first boot up DCS and load a mission, I can get a solid 50-60 FPS (according to the in-game FPS counter).

 

However, if I try a different mission, the entire game either freezes up or if I can get it to load, it turns into a slideshow.

[Schmidtfire]

16GB RAM is standard nowdays, anything below that I wouldn’t even consider a modern gaming computer.

 

DCS is a demanding simulator. It is very complex and does not have the same optimizations as big AAA games that run on older hardware. Im sure Heatblur is doing what they can, but bottom line is that you need to invest in hardware that are considered ”high end” by 2019 standards.

 

16RAM and a 1080 GTX is DCS entry level 2019 in my opinion.

[aaron886]

If you have a Ryzen 5 and less than 16GB of RAM, you are not doing enough research before upgrading.

[Vander]

Hey guys. 8-12GB of RAM and a 970 (3.5GB of effective VRAM) is unfortunately significantly below the standard of high performance gaming today.

We recommend 16Gb for SP or 32GB for MP in the F-14 at present.

 

I know this looks like we're passing the buck; but there's a limit to how much we can optimize a 2 person, animated crew, complex jet. We'll continue to try and improve performance of course!

 

 

A question: Why do you need more memory for MP? Just curious, because from a mission making perspective I don’t see the difference. Or do you mean when flying the F-14 as a team in MP?

[Supersonic]

I've turned off all Antialiasing and Anisotropic in DCS and turned on FXAA and Anisotropic 16x in Nvidia control panel, it's made a big difference to performance, 60 fps with v sync on. I'm running a GTX 970 and 16 Gb RAM, the F 14 is running sweet now.

[cercata]

and especially MP is more prone to timeout disconnection because of memory running out loading.

Sometimes I have time-outs, but then I connect again, and since things are cached, it goes fast.

 

But yesterday, when trying to connect to servers with the F-14B, after the timeout, the menu didn't show up again.

 

BTW, I don't have the F-14B, so maybe it's something related to the base game, or to the F-14 in CodeModules.

[mrkline]

VRAM seems to be a larger issue than before. When I load into a busy server (DDCS), my 6GB of VRAM is nearly pegged:

 

 

I haven't been able to make it through a flight without crashing. (This is using the same graphics settings that have been very stable since I started playing DCS this past July.)

The rest of my system is fine:

 

[Galf]

I've turned off all Antialiasing and Anisotropic in DCS and turned on FXAA and Anisotropic 16x in Nvidia control panel, it's made a big difference to performance, 60 fps with v sync on. I'm running a GTX 970 and 16 Gb RAM, the F 14 is running sweet now.

 

Thanks for the tip, that's a good one. But remember FXAA blurs textures!

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

Load's a slog, but I'm getting good performance in game on a 970.

 

Using 2x aa ingame

16x Aniso and fast Vsync in nVidia control panel.