View Full Version : Sh3 Loading times
Hi, I was just wondering if there was any mods or patches or whatever that could decrease the loading times of sh3. As it is now, my system is above the recommended settings, and it still loads very slowly. Any tricks to this?
there is no patch to decrease loading times
just upgrade your pc
personally i dont have a problem with loading times since i have 4 gigs of ram and 2x2.40 GHz processors:arrgh!:
Jimbuna
09-29-07, 10:41 AM
Not really....everything is dependant on your PC specs and what mods if any you are using :yep:
Spruence M
09-29-07, 12:45 PM
Although, there are plenty of MODs that will increase your loading times. :huh:
melnibonian
09-29-07, 12:50 PM
As a rule of thumb if you load mods via SH3Cmdr (like the GWX Skin Pack for example) you will see longer loading times. As Jim stated though a fast computer should load the game really quickly.
KrvKpt. Falke
09-29-07, 01:09 PM
Its not normal that game from 2005 needs 4gig of ram to load faster. in my opinion it has not much to do with how many mods you are using - its about sh3 engine. i have both games installed (sh3 and sh4) and sh4 loading times are 10xfaster than sh3s. My system isnt new (gf6600gt w/256mb, athlon xp 2600 and 1 GB of memory) - like i said - sh4 is loading much much faster than sh3 (but runs slower). The devs did some engine optimizations and switched from tga to dds format. The same can be done to sh3 but not without developers tools...
Canovaro
09-29-07, 01:17 PM
It's just slow. Get used to it.:cool:
Have a comic or magazine ready and you will be fine.
It's just slow. Get used to it.:cool:
Have a comic or magazine ready and you will be fine.
No kidding; you already should have those, or at least _War and Peace_ or _Les Miserables_ or _The Karamazov Brothers_, at hand for the patrolling.
skookum
09-29-07, 03:26 PM
On my computer SH3 takes 6 minutes to load from desktop to conn. It's worth every second. I only play SH3 when I have the entire afternoon to devote to a patrol. I'd rather be totally immersed in the game for five hours once a week, than play in half an our chunks every day.
Previous system (AMD64 3200+, 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz) - loading time = 7 minutes.
After upgrade (Intel Core2Duo E6750 2.6 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 @ 800 MHz) - loading time = 4 minutes.
Same HDD and OS before and after upgrade. Always loading via SH3Commander, GWX 1.03.
Jimbuna
09-29-07, 03:50 PM
Previous system (AMD64 3200+, 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz) - loading time = 7 minutes.
After upgrade (Intel Core2Duo E6750 2.6 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 @ 800 MHz) - loading time = 4 minutes.
Same HDD and OS before and after upgrade. Always loading via SH3Commander, GWX 1.03.
Pretty similar specs :up:
Pretty similar specs :up:
And the loading times, are they similar as well?:)
Previous system (AMD64 3200+, 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz) - loading time = 7 minutes.
After upgrade (Intel Core2Duo E6750 2.6 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 @ 800 MHz) - loading time = 4 minutes.
Same HDD and OS before and after upgrade. Always loading via SH3Commander, GWX 1.03.
4 minute load time ?!?!
ive got 4 GB DDR2 ram
and 2x2.40 GHz processers
slower than your system
yet i load in or around 1 minute
and i have GWX with around 10 mods enabled with JSGME
4 minute load time ?!?!
ive got 4 GB DDR2 ram
and 2x2.40 GHz processers
slower than your system
yet i load in or around 1 minute
and i have GWX with around 10 mods enabled with JSGME
Well, I really don't know why mine is so slow. Possibly it's because I've JSGME'd into my GWX every hi-res texture I could find, even those taken from other hi-res supermods.
New skins, new ships (some taken from SH4), better sounds, DD's open hatch mod with the highest textures, the improved scope, the bigger version of the radiolog, RB's SH4 effects for SH3, also RB's exhaust smoke and pennants, plus a few other mods...
The higher res texture, the better; and the wait is really worth every minute, as Skookum previously said.:yep:
Jimbuna
09-30-07, 05:21 AM
Pretty similar specs :up:
And the loading times, are they similar as well?:)
Yeah....pretty much so. It all depends on what extras you've got installed vis JSGME as well as anything else running in the background (anti virus etc.) :yep:
does anyone know which mods imporve loading times? i looked, but couldnt find any
Jimbuna
09-30-07, 09:14 AM
Previous system (AMD64 3200+, 2 GB DDR @ 400 MHz) - loading time = 7 minutes.
After upgrade (Intel Core2Duo E6750 2.6 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 @ 800 MHz) - loading time = 4 minutes.
Same HDD and OS before and after upgrade. Always loading via SH3Commander, GWX 1.03.
Just to be 100% crystal clear........I'm talking about the time it takes to get into game as in inside your boat in the pen or at sea right ? :hmm:
Not just to the options screen :nope:
Just to be 100% crystal clear........I'm talking about the time it takes to get into game as in inside your boat in the pen or at sea right ? :hmm:
Not just to the options screen :nope:
Of course. Savegame loading time included. That's what I meant in the first place.:yep:
andylegate
09-30-07, 12:31 PM
Celron 345D (3.2 GHz) CPU
Nvidia GeForce FX 5500 with 256 Mb DDR
512 DDR 333 MHz RAM.
As you can see, older system.
Loading with SH3 commander, only the GWX mods, to the games Main Menu takes approx 2.5 minutes.
Loading up a saved career that's at sea or starting a new patrol: approx 4.5 to 5 minutes.
So, even though my system is a lot older than ones I'm seeing on here, kinda neat that it's taking only 6 to 7 minutes to load completely (I use the time to get my coffee ready, etc.)
Still planning on upgrading my RAM and video card in the near future though.
SmokinTep
10-01-07, 06:21 AM
GWX made my load times considerably longer, but it is worth the wait.
Jimbuna
10-03-07, 07:19 AM
:roll: .....luncheon :dead:
danurve
10-03-07, 03:48 PM
Upgrade - memory pound for pound is probably the single best change, imo 2 gigs should do it.
No fan of load times here, but it does give me time to clear the foot mines out of the way into the kitchen. :yep:
are there any mods that improve loading times?
melnibonian
10-04-07, 03:48 AM
are there any mods that improve loading times?
Yes they called Memory Upgrade and CPU Upgrade ;) :rotfl: :rotfl:
On a serious note the only way you have to see quick loading times is to upgrate your computer. If you get any new Dual Core machine with 2GB of RAM you should be able to load the game in less than a minute.
times? Yes they called Memory Upgrade and CPU Upgrade ;) :rotfl: :rotfl:
I would also add a faster HDD to the list. IMO, HDD speed is at least as important to loading times as the CPU, because what is taking so much time is precisely the operation of reading files from the HDD into memory. So, I'd say: Go for SATA 3Gb, or SATA2, as it is also known.
times? Yes they called Memory Upgrade and CPU Upgrade ;) :rotfl: :rotfl:
I would also add a faster HDD to the list. IMO, HDD speed is at least as important to loading times as the CPU, because what is taking so much time is precisely the operation of reading files from the HDD into memory. So, I'd say: Go for SATA 3Gb, or SATA2, as it is also known.
Just a guess but maybe de fragging your HDD may help as the it won't have to seek out your mods all over the place.
melnibonian
10-04-07, 06:57 AM
Just a guess but maybe de fragging your HDD may help as the it won't have to seek out your mods all over the place.
That's correct. Defragment of the HDD will decrease the loading times. Not a lot but it will still make a difference
KrvKpt. Falke
10-04-07, 07:25 AM
are there any mods that improve loading times?
If you are using some supermod like gwx or wac then you can always use stock textures with them or resize those shipped with the mod. Smaller textures - less work for your graphic card.
If you are using gwx there are a lot of emblems - delete those you dont want, and game wont be loading them.
And - like guys said earlier- you can defrag your hdd. I am using UltimateDefrag as it allows me to sort files on my hard disc in whatever way i want: you can put your sh3 folder at the beggining of hdd (cause its faster there), Windows folder next, and files you dont use/need you can put at the end of disc/partition.
And defrag you RAM right before launching sh3 (auslogics boostspeed can do it).
But mods made to improve loading times - as far as i know there arent any.
danurve
10-04-07, 09:35 AM
Just another 2-cents; the stock sea floor helped a little bit. Now you might be thinking why would you want that since stock sea floor is very bland, plain. I spend very little time actualy looking at the bottom of the ocean. [.] view underwater at times sure but just to watch the depth charges blast around me, open hatch view is still king.
bigboywooly
10-04-07, 04:03 PM
Its not normal that game from 2005 needs 4gig of ram to load faster. in my opinion it has not much to do with how many mods you are using - its about sh3 engine. i have both games installed (sh3 and sh4) and sh4 loading times are 10xfaster than sh3s. My system isnt new (gf6600gt w/256mb, athlon xp 2600 and 1 GB of memory) - like i said - sh4 is loading much much faster than sh3 (but runs slower). The devs did some engine optimizations and switched from tga to dds format. The same can be done to sh3 but not without developers tools...
Not just the TGA to DDS switch
SH4 campaigns are also split into areas\years so the game isnt loading 6 years worth of campaigns as in SH3 but 1
For testing I use minimal campaign files and SH3 loads in a flash compared to normal
Plus SH4 has 98 folders in the Sea folder compared to SH3 and GWX 1.03 of over 170
SH4 air folder has 13 aircraft where as SH3 cw GWX 1.03 has 45
All those are loaded on start up
Thats where the faster loading comes into it
iambecomelife
10-04-07, 06:26 PM
Does anyone know if it would be worth it to upgrade from 2GB to 4GB of RAM?
KrvKpt. Falke
10-04-07, 06:35 PM
Sure ;)
If others components of your pc (motherboard and cpu) are good and if you have enough money - then go for it.
Not just the TGA to DDS switch
SH4 campaigns are also split into areas\years so the game isnt loading 6 years worth of campaigns as in SH3 but 1
Didnt know that. Is it possible to make sh3 to behave like that?
Spruence M
10-04-07, 09:21 PM
are there any mods that improve loading times?
Yes they called Memory Upgrade and CPU Upgrade ;) :rotfl: :rotfl:
On a serious note the only way you have to see quick loading times is to upgrate your computer. If you get any new Dual Core machine with 2GB of RAM you should be able to load the game in less than a minute.
Then what the heck is wrong with mine?!
Seems to take forever. I've got a pretty darn good system, better than most average joes.
Then again, I have never actually timed it, and to borrow Kpt. Lehmann's works, "Watching the coffee brew always makes it take longer."
Maybe I'm just impatient and it seems to take a long time. I will have to time it one day.
johnno74
10-04-07, 09:54 PM
Loading SH3/GWX on my desktop (athlon @ 2ghz , 2gb ram) took an AGE, but when I got my new laptop ( core 2 duo @ 2ghz, 2gb ram) and copied my game over (easiest way to get it running on vista - just copy the whole directory. No install hassles :rock:) I found it took way less than half the time to load. It was so fast at first I was sure it wasn't working right.
Pretty sure sh3 is all single threaded my core 2 duo wouldn't be much faster than the old athlon2k, the load seems to be more bound by disk io than CPU anyway.
So, vista's disk cache must be MUCH smarter than XP or something. Vista does have the updating of last access date on files turned off by default though, someone could try turning that off on XP (find out how on google, its a registry setting) and see if that makes much difference?
Actually, that might make a significant difference. Can someone with XP try this and see if there is any speedup? (instructions here:http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=6&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fresources%2Fd ocumentation%2Fwindows%2Fxp%2Fall%2Fproddocs%2Fen-us%2Ffsutil_behavior.mspx&ei=QacFR9egBZiugAPO27GnCA&usg=AFQjCNHz4A9F1pdRCOoT8Un1MsBmzDg9aQ&sig2=xJLm8RFl5iDmVkXbC4LOXA) (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=6&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fresources%2Fd ocumentation%2Fwindows%2Fxp%2Fall%2Fproddocs%2Fen-us%2Ffsutil_behavior.mspx&ei=QacFR9egBZiugAPO27GnCA&usg=AFQjCNHz4A9F1pdRCOoT8Un1MsBmzDg9aQ&sig2=xJLm8RFl5iDmVkXbC4LOXA)
melnibonian
10-05-07, 01:26 AM
Does anyone know if it would be worth it to upgrade from 2GB to 4GB of RAM?
It will not make that much of a difference mate. If you have 2GB of RAM you're sorted as far as the game is concerned. I saw significant difference in performance with the new Graphics Card (more RAM basically) and the new CPU.
Erwin Schulz
10-05-07, 01:43 AM
I'm currently running SH3 w/ GWX on an older computer, (1GB RAM, 2ghz & 128mb Graphics Card), and it takes roughly 6 minutes to get from the desktop and into a sub, which seems a reasonable length of time to have to wait.
I thought I'd chime in...
My system is pretty old:
AMD Athlon XP 1600
512 MB RAM
Maxtor 7200 RPM 40 GB disk (on which the game lives, more disks in the system)
NVidia FX5200 with 128 MB of RAM (budget card)As you can see, my system is pretty outdated. Still, I manage to run SHIII with GWX. Load times are not too bad, about 7 - 8 minutes from desktop to being in the game (save game loaded). Not bad for such an old rig, eh? :up:
Just have a book/magazine and coffee ready.
I just keep the system fit:
Regular defrag
Don't load too much in memory (no virusscanner, etc)
Plenty of space for the XP swap file (with 512 MB, I NEED SWAP!)Okay, I should upgrade my system, I know. It's starting to look pathetic when I see the rigs some of you have... :huh::cry:
But since we just moved to a new house, the "admiral" thinks now is not the time to buy something new... :D
predavolk
03-15-08, 10:55 AM
Threadsurrection here, but I am frustrated with the ridiculous load times I'm getting on my machines. Yes, it's not the latest and greatest, but it should be more than able to handle a simple Sub simulator. I can load a comparable flight simulator, with much better graphics, more dynamic graphics, and a more dynamic engine, in 1/10th of the time!
It takes me FIVE minutes to load to the menu, and 15-20 minutes to load a saved game!! No joke about bringing along some reading material for the wait! :o
My specs are:
Athlon 3200
1 GB RAM
ATI 9550 256MB
It looks like at 20-25 minutes beyond even slower rigs out there, somethings wonky with my set up. GWX 2.0, not much else added. Any thoughts or suggestions beyond upgrading?
The one positive thing about these attrocious loading times- they highly discourage reloading to fix tactical mistakes! ;)
vBulletin® v3.8.11, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.