Worse gets to worse...help!

[gunner154]

Okay Doc Nyar, I have another problem. Does this forum support other games by WW (If you're not Mahdi, SpoonRanger, Gobalopper, Doc Nyar or any other moderator, do not post in reply to this)?

Question:

Games Involved: C&C Renegade

Regarding: Extensive loading time, jerky game, sound choppiness

Body Text: No doubt, Doc, but Renegade, another WW product, is at it again. It seems that the voices of the soldiers walking around are a little choppy, but, surprisingly, the music is fine! But the videos are choppy (Bink Video) and the game is a little jerky at times. Also, loading a single mission/gamee takes like 10-15 minutes.

Do take note that Renegade failed to install before (exit to windows at the start of the install program, with the next and cancel buttons at the bottom of the screen). So I got my Video Card upgraded from NVidia Riva 128.something (4MB) to GeForce something (64MB), and Analyse my PC claimed that my game is 1000% or more than minimum requirements. It seems that my C: only has like 500MB or so, which is the amount for my Virtual Memory.

Can you solve the problems above? Thanks.

[Nyarlathotep]

I support every game the best I can. I'm a big fan of Renegade, so I am able to help you here as well..

This seems the same problem as the one you have with EBFD..

Although I think your system plays a great part in this, I'll try to sum up some suggestions you might want to try and get back to you ASAP..

[gunner154]

Analyse my PC:

Now it only says 12%!

[Nyarlathotep]

Besides the C drive, what other drives do you have ?

Have you updated Renegade to the latest patch (one of the patches should contain a lag improvement) ?

Like said before, the system you're running the game on isn't that up to date.

Things I can suggest are to lower the ingame resolution (you need to run Renegade config for that). Also, stick to the soundcard that's detected by the system. If you choose another, you might choose one that's draining more resources from the system.

Basicly, what I suggest is to do whatever it takes to gain system resources (closing down background programs, lowering resolutions, ect).

Thing is, I've noticed that Westwood games (or at least the 3D games, like EBFD and Renegade) demand a LOT from ones system, compared to (again, sorry) Serious Sam:2nd encounter. If you like FPS, try that game. You'll be amazed by the graphics and you'll see how smooth it runs.

If you want to invest in your system, try to add more ram. That might aid a bit in the resource depletion as well, but remember that the processor ain't that up to date.

[gunner154]

I have 192MB ram.

To play Renegade I've upgraded my Video Card to a 64MB one (NVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX400). Still not up to date?

I have long upgraded my version to the latest one. Something like 1.0300 or 1.300? I know some 3 was added.

[Nyarlathotep]

When I stated not up to date, I didn't mean the video card, more the processor (400Mhz isn't up to date). I'm not saying that it's the culprint of your problem..

But do you have another drive next to the C drive and did you tune down the ingame grapical settings ?

[gunner154]

I have tuned Emperor to lowest graphics (I have not played Emperor since I got renegade) and here are my drives.

Diskette Drive A:

CD Drive H:

Hard Disk Drives

C:

D:

E:

F:

G:

Renegade is in E: and Emperor is in D: Redalert 2 is in D:

[Nyarlathotep]

Are you in anyway able to free more harddrive space on C by uninstalling programs from C and reinstalling them on another drive ? What I'm trying to accomplish is to free more harddrive space for your virtual memory..

Another thing you might want to check is two settings in the BIOS:

1) Try different settings for the AGP aperture size in the BIOS (assuming your new videocard is an AGP card).

2) If the video card is an AGP, check if it's set for AGP x 4 and if so, if your BIOS supports it.

Another thing you might want to check, is if your video card is using the IRQ by itself (I believe it may share it with PCI steering)..

[gunner154]

Oh yeah a few days ago I had noticed that Renegade missions now take less than a minute to load. It's pretty strange, but good news anyway, same for multiplayer games.

[Nyarlathotep]

Did it also solve the choppiness ?

[gunner154]

*shakes his head* no

[Nyarlathotep]

I have tuned Emperor to lowest graphics (I have not played Emperor since I got renegade)

Did you do the same for Renegade (you need to run Renegade config for that) ? I would suggest to try the lowest setting available and put details to low..

Remember that you're not the only one with this problem. I have a P III 1000Mhz, 512mb and a Asus GeForce 3 (64mb) and I need to run Renegade on 800x600 16bit, with detail settings set to medium..

If I change anything slightly higher, the game becomes unplayable.. As said many times before, I can't understand why Westwood 3D games require so much system resources and hardware specs to make it playable compared to other recent games..

[gunner154]

Mine are at 800X600 too but I play at the highest bit, but graphics set to Low, but it's quite smooth, except for Internet lag problems >:(

[Nyarlathotep]

Try to set it to 16bit. Also, try disableing your virus scanner..

[gunner154]

Before I start Renegade I always do the traditional ctrl+alt+del tactic and clear everything off the board except Explorer and Systray before I play.

[Nyarlathotep]

When you're going to play a multiplayer game, try the following:

When you're ingame, press "F8" and type "FPS".

While playing, check the ping rate you see on the top right corner, together with FPS. The FPS probably won't be that great, but I'm more interested in the ping responses you get.. (make sure you join a server which gives you a green ping)..

Let me know..

[gunner154]

Using the US server I think (I only player non-laddered games) fast ones are nexgen's dedicated server (each match is 1hr long) and KEEGS dedicated server (which is laddered).Sometimes I get frequent disconnections from a server, gameplay pending, but normally recovers from it (restored). Happens very often in the blazers dedicated server. After a while I'd eventually get disconnected and booted.I'll check my PING.

[Nyarlathotep]

Using the US server I think (I only player non-laddered games) fast ones are nexgen's dedicated server (each match is 1hr long) and KEEGS dedicated server (which is laddered).

Sometimes I get frequent disconnections from a server, gameplay pending, but normally recovers from it (restored). Happens very often in the blazers dedicated server. After a while I'd eventually get disconnected and booted.

I'll check my PING.

I have the same problems. I found out that sometimes it's my provider who screws up, but often it's WOL..

Let me know about the ping. When I get "gameplay pending", I often have an extremely high ping (while the ping to server showed as good/green).

[gunner154]

Well let me enlighten u more on my problem.

I live in Singapore.

I use SCV (not space-construction-vehicle but Singapore-Cable-Vision)

It has a cable modem.

This cable modem is connected to a base station (not an Atreides base in my house or a GDI tiberium refinery on top of my electronic organ)

This base station works by waveLAN or wireless LAN, giving several computers internet connection.

This also connects me to several computers.

Because my computer is on the 2nd storey while the basestation and SCV modem r downstairs.

There's an iron railing, and we think it interferes with the waveLAN (which is why i get frequent disconnections from Emperor games, which does not reconnect at ALL, as well as from IRC servers)

But every game i join i also get booted...

sounds like u have the problem too...we're WOL mistreatment victims....

maybe not u...

[Nyarlathotep]

Well, I got so fed up with Westwood/EA that my recent experiences with EBFD and Renegade have made me decide that Renegade has been the last game I bought from Westwood/EA. Renegade has still some major issues that need to be fixed. I know for a fact that you and I are not the only ones with the disconnect problem in Renegade. I know because I can't keep up with the help requests I get via mail (the amount of mail is more then the total amount of posts here on the tech forum :O).

This is just one of the many things I find annoying. I also believe there are signs that they are abandoning Renegade like they did with EBFD. I don't blame the mods or the devlopment team for that, they do what they are told to do, but the CEOs and who ever make those desisions are simply bad for the company if you ask me. It's not the way you're supposed to treat paying customers..

[gunner154]

If they abandon I'll kill the entire WW team with a personal Ion cannon or a railgun.

You mean you also have the disconnection problem? it always happens at night time for me (I'm in Singapore, so my night is your day for US people out there)

[Nyarlathotep]

"You mean you also have the disconnection problem?"

Had the disconnect problem. I have quit playing Renegade. To bad though, I was ranked 74 world wide when I stopped :-

The disconnect happened frequently on several hours of the day and several servers.

[gunner154]

has it got anything got to do with WOL or is it my ISP?

[Nyarlathotep]

Believe me when I tell you that we are not the only ones with this problem. Some of the disconnects might be caused by your ISP, but what I've experienced is that 95% is related to WOL or PC. How ever, if it was pc related, I do not think so many people have the same problem..

[gunner154]

I had suspected my ISP because it now has constant breakdowns (it's cable 512k!).