[SOLVED] 3.2.2 WinXP Home, FPS slow normal slow normal

[kwifler]

Hi, just found this game. I almost uninstalled it because it started all choppy, but then it got fast while I was trying to see the tutorial, so I decided to continue playing, but then it got slow again.
I thought my computer was running an antivirus scan or something, but every program was on idle.
Everything else was great. I am getting tired of playing Starcraft 1 and Populous: The Begining, need some fresh (free) stuff.
My guess would be that there is either an error in the framerate meter, or there is some slowdown/bottleneck in the graphics card.

Similar problems
https://forum.megaglest.org/index.php?topic=4193.0
https://forum.megaglest.org/index.php?topic=4202.0 (maybe)

I was going to post in there but the red text said to start a new topic.

keywords: choppy, intermittent, slow, speed, sometimes, frame rate, FPS, fluctuate

Game Version: 3.2.2 ( direct download from homepage (en) Feb 10, 2010 )

System Properties: (as shown)
Microsoft Windows XP
Home Edition
Version 2002
Service Pack 3

Dell Vostro VOSTRO_200
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU
2.19 GHz, 1.99 GB of RAM

( freshly updated graphics drivers )
Adapter Type (as shown)
Intel(R) G33/G31 Express Chipset Family

Chip Type: Intel(R) GMA 3100
DAC Type: Internal
Memory Size: 128 MB
Adapter String: Intel(R) G33/G31 Express Chipset Family
Bios Information: Ingel Video BIOS

Display Settings (as shown)
Color Quality: 32 Bit
Screen Resolution 1680 x 1050
60 Hertz

Notes:
Scenario: tutorial basic mission, no noticeable pattern
Also affects main menu
During normal running, program consumes full available CPU capacity
Program consumes minimal CPU as seen in Windows Task Manager, resource use spikes from 0 - 10% during events
Durations: game can run fast for several minutes, then runs slowly for several minutes, repeat
Special features toggled (via in-game options and Glest Configuration), no effect

Considerations:
I have minimal experience with debuggers, so please explain very clearly and well.
I have weak eyes and average/slow reading, so I can't wade through foreign code or documentation pages for hours.

Thanks

Update:
Memory usage:
 ~117,000 k  before slowdown event 1
~ 56,000 k after slowdown event 1
~ 25,000 k after slowdown event 2

In each case, memory usage is reduced almost instantly.
Events seem to last for around 1-3 minutes, and return after 3-10 minutes. I have been playing a game of solitaire while waiting for the CPU usage to return to maximum. Finally got through both tutorials.

[softcoder]

You're using an integrated Intel video card and running Glest at 1680 x 1050?

Hahaha... thats funny.

I think you'll need to spend $45 for a new video card.

[-Archmage-]

Yah, you probably should get a video card.
If you don't run it at a higher resolution you should have less lag.
Put it at 1024*768, then tell us if it still lags like that.

[kwifler]

My graphics card is pretty powerful for an integrated system, it runs many high quality 3D programs at good settings.
As was stated before in the previous topics, this game is not so graphics intensive.

I humored you anyways, and I even ran it at 300x500 windowed, and the slow/normal/slow/normal pattern continued.

What is the most perplexing to me about this issue is that if I exit the program, it does not seem to break the pattern, if I exit while it is slow, it will start back up slow.
I don't know much about graphics cards, maybe it is some residual structure that gets reloaded, but that seems extremely unlikely to me.

My only other guess is that there may be some kind of FPS tracking within the program's data files that causes the instability.
What led me to suspect this is that the CPU usage becomes very erratic during the slowdown events.

I am going to check two other possibilities in the meantime.

[softcoder]

I'm fairly new to working on the glest code, but it could be that the code used to render graphics in glest may use older techniques which relied more on CPU speed. If that is the case then we will eventually modify the rendering system to properly use the performance of the graphics card, but I cannot confirm this is the case until I get into the rendering side of things.

This is described for another open-source project called "xreal" where they took the old id software engine and changed up the rendering to use GPU hardware instead of more CPU intensive rendering.

Thanks

[silnarm]

Glest's use of OpenGL is indeed a bit 'old school', but it is OpenGL none the less, if there are hardware accelerated functions available, they are being used.  Of course there is plenty of room for improvement, Glest uses immediate mode for water and the surface, and the models vertex data is kept in 'normal' memory, interpolated in normal memory, and sent to the video card each frame (lots of copying).  Using newer OpenGL techniques (VBOs) this can all be done in video memory... but I digress...

Only guessing myself, but I suspect what may be happening here is that your video card (which was not made for gaming btw, it might do 3D 'apps' ok, but it will not do 3D games very well at all) is coping at first, but getting very hot, a sensor on the chip detects the raising temperature and throttles the GPU so that it doesn't fry itself.  After a while on the throttled 'setting' the temperature drops and the card goes back to normal, then it starts getting hotter again, etc, etc, etc.

[kwifler]

Good explanation, silnarm. Thanks.
Confirmed. It makes so much sense now.

That 5 degree (C) ambient-operating temperature limitation is annoying.
Luckily for me, I have a temperature controlled room to run my computers in.
Also installed a fan control program. Now I can play without interruption!

Well then, good luck on your future ventures everyone. Haha, I was just thinking it would take one or two people a day or two to "clone" this game in Game Maker. Too bad it's only for windows.