Graphical Glitches and other problems

Greatgraddage · 02-13-06, 12:34 PM

Hi all,
I got a copy of SH3 a week ago from amazon (only a tenner in the uk, bargain!) and I'm loving it, the atmosphere has me hooked. I've been having a few small problems though that sometimes occour, not always but now and again. The biggest problem is that intermittently my periscope won't work for an entire session of the game, I can go in the room, raise it but as soon as it its the surface it messes up, major slowdown, I just hit f2 multiple times till I get back to the command room and then just live without it. Attacked my first convoy without it, surfacing, firing a salvo then crash diving. At dusk. How I survived I'll never know. But that's another story.

Also recently there's been numerous small graphical glitches ranging from this:

To the whole crew in the command room dissapearing.

Has anyone experianced anything like this before? I did a search and couldn't find anything. Cheers in advance for any help!

trenken · 02-13-06, 12:40 PM

For some reason the periscope require more resources to use. Something with having to show the interface of it, AND the outside world. So if you dont have a pretty beefy computer, you could experience some slow down. I think it has more to do with your video card than anything. If you dont have a great one, you will experience various issues throughout the game.

Wolfram · 02-13-06, 12:50 PM

Anytime I read a graphics issue I have to ask:

What is your video card?

What drivers are you using?

Sometimes might ask about other specs also.

I am not being critical just wondering and want to help.

Typically a reinstall or upgrade of drivers solve a lot of problems but it helps to know what we have to work with first.

g/l

Greatgraddage · 02-13-06, 12:50 PM

That's a point, forgot to post my specs. Not brilliant but above min. Laptop with:
Athlon 64 3400+
GeForce FX Go 5400 (the weak point)
512mb RAM
XP SP2

I understand the graphics card will be the weak point but why does it only happen sometimes? Odd!

Edit: driver version 6.14.10.5670

trenken · 02-13-06, 12:54 PM

"GeForce FX Go 5400 (the weak point)"

Yeah you need to up that a bit. You could use another 512 of RAM too.

trenken · 02-13-06, 12:55 PM

"I understand the graphics card will be the weak point but why does it only happen sometimes? Odd! "

It's not odd. This is a complicated game. There is a lot going on.

Greatgraddage · 02-13-06, 12:59 PM

I'd love to beef it all up but it's near to impossible with a laptop!

Game still looks great though, got some nice screenshots, the only other problem with playing on a laptop means no keypad, therefore no numpad delete to remove the GUI, not the end of the world but annoying. Is there any way to change the key settings? Can't seem to change it in game.

trenken · 02-13-06, 01:00 PM

Yeah the laptop is a problem. Don't have a desktop? These games are really not built for laptops for the reason that you mentioned. Every 2 years they come out with more power graphical engines, so even if it ran OK with SH3, it will never play SH4 when that comes out.

trenken · 02-13-06, 01:01 PM

I think there is a mod to change the key settings. I saw it but havent played with it. Youll have to search the mod forum on this site. I think I saw it there, or on the u-boot.realsimilator.com site.

Greatgraddage · 02-13-06, 01:03 PM

I do, but that won't have a hope in hell of running 3. In university so portability took over from graphics performance. Do you know if it is possible to upgrade graphics cards in laptops with any ease?

Cheers for the quick replys!

trenken · 02-13-06, 01:06 PM

I dont know much about laptops. But I do know that if you are really into PC games, then you really should look into getting a desktop. I know why you need the laptop, but like I said, they arent ideal for PC games because of how quickly they change. By the end of this year you wont be able to play too many of the newer games on that. It will become more andmore difficult as time goes by.

You can upgrade your desktop for faily cheap. You can get a 2 gig processer for maybe $70. A great vid car for I guess around $150-200. And 1 gig of RAM goes for about $70. Just estimating these prices. So maybe for like $350 you can upgrade it and it should be good for a couple years.

Greatgraddage · 02-13-06, 01:09 PM

I would do in a flash if I had the money! University eats my cash so I'll have to make do with what I have for a few years yet! May start slowly beefing up my desktop. But I can't really justify spending that much money just for games....

trenken · 02-13-06, 01:12 PM

Yeah I know what you mean. Money is always tight when you're in school. Well in the video option, try taking down the particle density to 50 rather than the default 100. Or try taking it all the way down if you have to. That might help with the bow spray which while looking through the scope, can cause some slow down on lower end vid cards. Might help a little.

trenken · 02-13-06, 01:14 PM

Also, check your video card settings. You card should have some sort of control pane. Check the different settings in there. For example, make sure the anti-aliasing isnt all the way set at 8X. Thats too high. Try 4 or 2x. Or turn it off completely if you have to. But I believe every time you change this, you need to restart the game. You cant just keep changing it while the game is running. Im pretty sure it doesnt see the change until it restarts.

Wolfram · 02-13-06, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greatgraddage

That's a point, forgot to post my specs. Not brilliant but above min. Laptop with:
Athlon 64 3400+
GeForce FX Go 5400 (the weak point)
512mb RAM
XP SP2

I understand the graphics card will be the weak point but why does it only happen sometimes? Odd!

Edit: driver version 6.14.10.5670

Driver may not be latest - I use a ATi card so not familar with Nvidia drivers but go to:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_13953.html

Be sure to clean old drivers first, if not sure how to clean go to forum section of Guru3D.com look for section specific to Nvidia - search they have instructions.

Next intermittent artifacting typically indicates heat issues, there are extenisve resource intense components of SH3 these tend to drive GPU to extreme even if only briefly.

Not sure of notebooks but helpful is physical cleaning of case interior - blow out the interior with compressed air (canned air) NEVER USE LIQUIDS.

If you use a vacuum (not recommended btw) be careful not to make contact nor even get too close, static electricity is present - use grounding techniques. Warning Be Careful! Yet dust and lint can collect on fans and the case interior that keep heat sinks and cooling fans from working properly.

A driver update will help but mobile technology not my strong point in particular Nv products. Urge a checking of the Nvidia home page and or Guru3D first and the Laptop/Notebook manufacturers page.

All are free of cost.

g/l

02-13-06, 12:34 PM	#1
Greatgraddage Watch Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 26 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Graphical Glitches and other problems Hi all, I got a copy of SH3 a week ago from amazon (only a tenner in the uk, bargain!) and I'm loving it, the atmosphere has me hooked. I've been having a few small problems though that sometimes occour, not always but now and again. The biggest problem is that intermittently my periscope won't work for an entire session of the game, I can go in the room, raise it but as soon as it its the surface it messes up, major slowdown, I just hit f2 multiple times till I get back to the command room and then just live without it. Attacked my first convoy without it, surfacing, firing a salvo then crash diving. At dusk. How I survived I'll never know. But that's another story. Also recently there's been numerous small graphical glitches ranging from this: To the whole crew in the command room dissapearing. Has anyone experianced anything like this before? I did a search and couldn't find anything. Cheers in advance for any help!

02-13-06, 12:40 PM	#2
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	For some reason the periscope require more resources to use. Something with having to show the interface of it, AND the outside world. So if you dont have a pretty beefy computer, you could experience some slow down. I think it has more to do with your video card than anything. If you dont have a great one, you will experience various issues throughout the game.

02-13-06, 12:50 PM	#3
Wolfram Weps Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: periscope depth Posts: 354 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Anytime I read a graphics issue I have to ask: What is your video card? What drivers are you using? Sometimes might ask about other specs also. I am not being critical just wondering and want to help. Typically a reinstall or upgrade of drivers solve a lot of problems but it helps to know what we have to work with first. g/l

02-13-06, 12:54 PM	#5
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	"GeForce FX Go 5400 (the weak point)" Yeah you need to up that a bit. You could use another 512 of RAM too.

02-13-06, 12:55 PM	#6
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	"I understand the graphics card will be the weak point but why does it only happen sometimes? Odd! " It's not odd. This is a complicated game. There is a lot going on.

02-13-06, 12:59 PM	#7
Greatgraddage Watch Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 26 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'd love to beef it all up but it's near to impossible with a laptop! Game still looks great though, got some nice screenshots, the only other problem with playing on a laptop means no keypad, therefore no numpad delete to remove the GUI, not the end of the world but annoying. Is there any way to change the key settings? Can't seem to change it in game.

02-13-06, 01:00 PM	#8
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yeah the laptop is a problem. Don't have a desktop? These games are really not built for laptops for the reason that you mentioned. Every 2 years they come out with more power graphical engines, so even if it ran OK with SH3, it will never play SH4 when that comes out.

02-13-06, 01:01 PM	#9
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I think there is a mod to change the key settings. I saw it but havent played with it. Youll have to search the mod forum on this site. I think I saw it there, or on the u-boot.realsimilator.com site.

02-13-06, 01:03 PM	#10
Greatgraddage Watch Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 26 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I do, but that won't have a hope in hell of running 3. In university so portability took over from graphics performance. Do you know if it is possible to upgrade graphics cards in laptops with any ease? Cheers for the quick replys!

02-13-06, 01:06 PM	#11
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I dont know much about laptops. But I do know that if you are really into PC games, then you really should look into getting a desktop. I know why you need the laptop, but like I said, they arent ideal for PC games because of how quickly they change. By the end of this year you wont be able to play too many of the newer games on that. It will become more andmore difficult as time goes by. You can upgrade your desktop for faily cheap. You can get a 2 gig processer for maybe $70. A great vid car for I guess around $150-200. And 1 gig of RAM goes for about $70. Just estimating these prices. So maybe for like $350 you can upgrade it and it should be good for a couple years.

02-13-06, 01:09 PM	#12
Greatgraddage Watch Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 26 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I would do in a flash if I had the money! University eats my cash so I'll have to make do with what I have for a few years yet! May start slowly beefing up my desktop. But I can't really justify spending that much money just for games....

02-13-06, 01:12 PM	#13
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yeah I know what you mean. Money is always tight when you're in school. Well in the video option, try taking down the particle density to 50 rather than the default 100. Or try taking it all the way down if you have to. That might help with the bow spray which while looking through the scope, can cause some slow down on lower end vid cards. Might help a little.

02-13-06, 01:14 PM	#14
trenken Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 565 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Also, check your video card settings. You card should have some sort of control pane. Check the different settings in there. For example, make sure the anti-aliasing isnt all the way set at 8X. Thats too high. Try 4 or 2x. Or turn it off completely if you have to. But I believe every time you change this, you need to restart the game. You cant just keep changing it while the game is running. Im pretty sure it doesnt see the change until it restarts.