Game is Unplayable on my XP rig

nosleepdemon · 05-09-2012, 09:22 PM

Hi folks,

I've noticed a couple of threads here about the unplayable state of this game on certain XP machines, mine happens to be one such configuration. I'm running XP SP3, 4gb ram, Geforce GTS 250 and the game is unplayable. My symptoms include frame rates somewhere in the 1 every few seconds range, and chunks of the screen simply vanishing.

Is there any ETA on a fix for this? I'd really like to play the game but right now it's just a $10 E-Coaster, failing a fix, how would one go about getting a refund?

maghnusplus · 05-12-2012, 09:59 AM

This is the same exact problem I have with the game, although someone else with the same problem seemed to suggest a reformat fixed it for them. I'm not yet willing to try that, though.

nosleepdemon · 05-12-2012, 10:04 PM

Yeah reinstalling windows isn't really an option and it's certainly no guarantee that the game will work. Any developers got a solution to this? Is there any info from us e.g. log files that you think could help solve the problem?

Gumball Crash · 05-13-2012, 05:47 PM

A suggestion I used from the introductory thread seemed to help some on both my machines. Try starting the game, then going into task manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-Del). Find Really Big Sky.exe, right-click, and set the affinity to only run on a single processor. It's a bit tedious for sure but it gave me a noticeable improvement on both my machines, bringing my XP box with an aging 7600GS to reasonably playable.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5622351/ExampleRBS.png

Windows 7 pictured, process is virtually identical for XP. Set it for the highest-numbered cores as those are generally the least utilized by other processes and the OS itself.

nosleepdemon · 05-14-2012, 12:58 PM

Thanks, I'll try forcing the game to run on a single core, though the performance increase will have to be a lot more than noticeable, we're talking orders of magnitude here =)

nosleepdemon · 05-14-2012, 02:29 PM

Setting cpu affinity didn't do anything, but when I set the process priority to high I was at least able to navigate to the tutorial game over the course of about 5 minutes. I noticed that the number of colours seemed to be low, like in the 16 bit range, almost as if the game was trying to run off my cpu instead of my gpu. Alas, it's still totally unplayable. Do the devs read these boards?

maghnusplus · 05-16-2012, 10:57 AM

Oh, that's one of the other symptoms I forgot about. The game completely ignores the GPU, which is probably why it runs at less than 1 FPS to begin with. I believe during a load test, it was using something like 4% of my GPU's ability, like it wasn't even trying.

nosleepdemon · 05-23-2012, 04:08 PM

An update: I left a message on their Facebook wall and they replied quickly. They're aware of the bug and they're trying to get it nailed down for the next patch, so here's hoping!

scatlin89 · 05-25-2012, 07:09 PM

buy a proper OS

nosleepdemon · 05-27-2012, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scatlin89

buy a proper OS

As you use the word "buy" in your message, I assume you mean windows 7. Implying that windows 7 is a "proper" OS over XP is sort of funny, that you'd also imply that I'd buy it is just ludicrous.

renbear · 09-02-2012, 12:39 AM

Unplayable here as well, exactly as the other 32 bit XP users are describing. Seems to be using the CPU for graphics, rather than the GPU.

I have to say, this feels familiar... similar to when I was trying to do stuff in Win2000 over Terminal Server. Is it possible that MMF2 on XP does something Odd with the built-in terminal services stuff?

(Before you ask, no, I haven't done anything with terminal server on my windows XP installation, although I *may* have used Remote Assistance once or twice to help a friend a few months back.)

maghnusplus · 09-15-2012, 11:44 PM

I upgraded my PC a few weeks ago. CPU, OS, pretty much everything except the GPU. This game plays beautifully now.

05-09-2012, 09:22 PM	#1
nosleepdemon Join Date: May 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 6	Game is Unplayable on my XP rig Hi folks, I've noticed a couple of threads here about the unplayable state of this game on certain XP machines, mine happens to be one such configuration. I'm running XP SP3, 4gb ram, Geforce GTS 250 and the game is unplayable. My symptoms include frame rates somewhere in the 1 every few seconds range, and chunks of the screen simply vanishing. Is there any ETA on a fix for this? I'd really like to play the game but right now it's just a $10 E-Coaster, failing a fix, how would one go about getting a refund?

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05-12-2012, 09:59 AM	#2
maghnusplus Join Date: Jul 2010 Reputation: 0 Posts: 90	This is the same exact problem I have with the game, although someone else with the same problem seemed to suggest a reformat fixed it for them. I'm not yet willing to try that, though.

05-12-2012, 10:04 PM	#3
nosleepdemon Join Date: May 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 6	Yeah reinstalling windows isn't really an option and it's certainly no guarantee that the game will work. Any developers got a solution to this? Is there any info from us e.g. log files that you think could help solve the problem?

05-13-2012, 05:47 PM	#4
Gumball Crash Join Date: Mar 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 6	A suggestion I used from the introductory thread seemed to help some on both my machines. Try starting the game, then going into task manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-Del). Find Really Big Sky.exe, right-click, and set the affinity to only run on a single processor. It's a bit tedious for sure but it gave me a noticeable improvement on both my machines, bringing my XP box with an aging 7600GS to reasonably playable. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5622351/ExampleRBS.png Windows 7 pictured, process is virtually identical for XP. Set it for the highest-numbered cores as those are generally the least utilized by other processes and the OS itself.

05-14-2012, 12:58 PM	#5
nosleepdemon Join Date: May 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 6	Thanks, I'll try forcing the game to run on a single core, though the performance increase will have to be a lot more than noticeable, we're talking orders of magnitude here =)

05-14-2012, 02:29 PM	#6
nosleepdemon Join Date: May 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 6	Setting cpu affinity didn't do anything, but when I set the process priority to high I was at least able to navigate to the tutorial game over the course of about 5 minutes. I noticed that the number of colours seemed to be low, like in the 16 bit range, almost as if the game was trying to run off my cpu instead of my gpu. Alas, it's still totally unplayable. Do the devs read these boards?

05-16-2012, 10:57 AM	#7
maghnusplus Join Date: Jul 2010 Reputation: 0 Posts: 90	Oh, that's one of the other symptoms I forgot about. The game completely ignores the GPU, which is probably why it runs at less than 1 FPS to begin with. I believe during a load test, it was using something like 4% of my GPU's ability, like it wasn't even trying.

05-23-2012, 04:08 PM	#8
nosleepdemon Join Date: May 2012 Reputation: 0 Posts: 6	An update: I left a message on their Facebook wall and they replied quickly. They're aware of the bug and they're trying to get it nailed down for the next patch, so here's hoping!

05-25-2012, 07:09 PM	#9
scatlin89 Join Date: Jul 2011 Reputation: 22 Posts: 381	buy a proper OS

09-02-2012, 12:39 AM	#11
renbear Join Date: Dec 2008 Reputation: 4 Posts: 7	Unplayable here as well, exactly as the other 32 bit XP users are describing. Seems to be using the CPU for graphics, rather than the GPU. I have to say, this feels familiar... similar to when I was trying to do stuff in Win2000 over Terminal Server. Is it possible that MMF2 on XP does something Odd with the built-in terminal services stuff? (Before you ask, no, I haven't done anything with terminal server on my windows XP installation, although I may have used Remote Assistance once or twice to help a friend a few months back.)

09-15-2012, 11:44 PM	#12
maghnusplus Join Date: Jul 2010 Reputation: 0 Posts: 90	I upgraded my PC a few weeks ago. CPU, OS, pretty much everything except the GPU. This game plays beautifully now.