BioWare: "most" people aren't having SWTOR performance issues

[mattdell]

So, are you running shadows on "high?"

 

No, I don't. That's my choice, though. My video card simply isn't strong enough to run strong shadows. Admittedly, the shadowing in this game needs work, but I'm not playing this game for it's graphics. I'm playing for the storyline and the "new" gameplay style. MMOs are inherently designed for a multitude of PC budgets. Give them a few months to dial in the fine tuning, and all will be well. You can't expect everything to work 100% at launch, that's ludicrous.

[tchad]

Every single encounter of poor performance I've found with this game as been resolved with disabling shadows and bloom.

[Mannic]

Because marginalization is exactly what is needed. The game runs flawlessly for 95~ % of the playerbase. Those other 5%, sure they may have performance issues, but Bioware isn't responsible for fixing the driver errors or router firmware clashes that these people are having. There very well may be a problem with the optimization of the coding, but if a high end rig can't support this game, the simple fact is that that high end rig isn't setup properly.

 

This is just plain wrong. This is the same high-end rig I use to play Rift at 100 FPS constant, and Rift is far more detailed in its graphics quality than TOR. Skyrim runs at 60 FPS constant on high settings with V-synch. LoTRO runs at 120 FPS on the very highest settings.

 

TOR is less graphically sophisticated than any of those games. AA is friggin disabled for god's sake and no one runs shadows on high because it kills performance. I go from 90 FPS constant to 20 for no explicable reason, and I'll wager that if you were paying attention you would notice it happens to you too.

 

That people are so gullible as to deny the obvious terrible graphics performance of TOR relative to much more sophisticated games just tells me why Ohlen would feel so comfortbale obfuscating it.

[Kirazy]

Did you actually read the article, or just skim it and start complaining?

 

What Ohlen said was absolutely correct.

 

Only 5% of people have low performance overall... and yeah that's usually the result of lower end PCs. Where people are having problem is with localized performance issues, meaning they're fine in some places, but have trouble in other specific places.

 

That's a complete separate issue. That has nothing to do with the game as a whole, but localized areas of the game that need optimization. It's a bug, and it'll get fixed.

 

This. Certain places in-game cause performance to drop, but other places perform exceptionally.

 

Not the same as overall low performance.

[Zeppelin]

This is just plain wrong. This is the same high-end rig I use to play Rift at 100 FPS constant, and Rift is far more detailed in its graphics quality than TOR. Skyrim runs at 60 FPS constant on high settings with V-synch. LoTRO runs at 120 FPS on the very highest settings.

 

TOR is less graphically sophisticated than any of those games. AA is friggin disabled for god's sake and no one runs shadows on high because it kills performance. I go from 90 FPS constant to 20 for no explicable reason, and I'll wager that if you were paying attention you would notice it happens to you too.

 

That people are so gullible as to deny the obvious terrible graphics performance of TOR relative to much more sophisticated games just tells me why Ohlen would feel so comfortbale obfuscating it.

 

 

 

Re-read the article. Those are localized issues. Bioware knows about them. They're bugs. They'll get fixed.

[Drewser]

How does saying the problem only exists for a tiny minority of people who have low-end machines (which is a lie, by the way) serve as "confirming a problem?" It's not confirming the problem, it's marginalizing the problem.

 

Did you always have reading comprehensions issues or is this a new problem for you?

 

Here is his exact quote,"However, we know that it's important that there is a smaller group of people usually with lower end machines that are having problems in some areas."

 

Not sure how you could read that as Ohlen saying it is "only" people with low end machines.

[TomWhiting]

You don't need a mega machine to get decent performance.

Fully agreed

I have a comparable system to yours , Q6600, 6G ram, gts 450 (first part of upgrade) and this thing actually roars. The 450 is soooo much better than the 250, in temperature control and FPS... Can't wait to see what happens when I put together the new system this month/next month.

[Kirazy]

That people are so gullible as to deny the obvious terrible graphics performance of TOR relative to much more sophisticated games just tells me why Ohlen would feel so comfortbale obfuscating it.

 

I run all the settings on high, no graphics issues. Just because you're having an issue does not mean I nor anyone else is having them.

 

Some people have graphics issues with good rigs. A lot of people don't. Don't go so far as to extrapolate a handful of user's issues to the entire playerbase and say they have a fundamental problem.

 

Presently, the games high-texture graphics aren't functioning. THAT is a problem with their graphics.

[Mandrax]

This is just plain wrong. This is the same high-end rig I use to play Rift at 100 FPS constant, and Rift is far more detailed in its graphics quality than TOR. Skyrim runs at 60 FPS constant on high settings with V-synch. LoTRO runs at 120 FPS on the very highest settings.

 

TOR is less graphically sophisticated than any of those games. AA is friggin disabled for god's sake and no one runs shadows on high because it kills performance. I go from 90 FPS constant to 20 for no explicable reason, and I'll wager that if you were paying attention you would notice it happens to you too.

 

That people are so gullible as to deny the obvious terrible graphics performance of TOR relative to much more sophisticated games just tells me why Ohlen would feel so comfortbale obfuscating it.

 

I pay attention, have an inferior rig to yours and mine does NOT have these major jumps in FPS unless I enter the fleet when it's busy. I get 80+ fps for the most part with an i5-2500k, 8GB RAM and GTX460 (MSI OC version).

 

It's not everyone, the likelihood is that James Ohlen is correct, it's mostly a problem for those with lower end rigs, and those that have higher end rigs with problems are probably even more of a minority.

[Mergon]

I have a fairly old computer and the game runs fine for me.

 

For the most part, I have no fps issues. I run a NVidia GTX 460 card. I do get the annoying green graphic flashes and the fps issues around the Sloop track on Taris. And seem to have issues is I've been running for hours on end.

 

But I don't think most of these are related to graphics as more towards server end issues.

[Mannic]

No, I don't. That's my choice, though. My video card simply isn't strong enough to run strong shadows. Admittedly, the shadowing in this game needs work, but I'm not playing this game for it's graphics. I'm playing for the storyline and the "new" gameplay style. MMOs are inherently designed for a multitude of PC budgets. Give them a few months to dial in the fine tuning, and all will be well. You can't expect everything to work 100% at launch, that's ludicrous.

 

It has nothing to do with your video card. Shadows kill your CPU performance because TOR is terrible at utiliziing multiple cores.

 

But you guys wouldn't know this because you're just shooting from the hip and buying whatever BW tells you. You're perfectly content running on "medium" settings and getting good performance. Hi-res textures aren't in the game at all, AA is disabled, AF is 8X rather than 16X, you can literally watch grass grow around you as you move, and no one runs shadows on High because it kills performance.

 

But there's nothing wrong with TOR's optimization. It's all in the terrible systems of the users.

[Yfelsung]

This is just plain wrong. This is the same high-end rig I use to play Rift at 100 FPS constant, and Rift is far more detailed in its graphics quality than TOR. Skyrim runs at 60 FPS constant on high settings with V-synch. LoTRO runs at 120 FPS on the very highest settings.

 

TOR is less graphically sophisticated than any of those games. AA is friggin disabled for god's sake and no one runs shadows on high because it kills performance. I go from 90 FPS constant to 20 for no explicable reason, and I'll wager that if you were paying attention you would notice it happens to you too.

 

That people are so gullible as to deny the obvious terrible graphics performance of TOR relative to much more sophisticated games just tells me why Ohlen would feel so comfortbale obfuscating it.

 

Do you understand the concept of different people having different experiences?

 

Is there any part of this concept you find particularly difficult to grasp?

 

Any words that you require the definition of?

 

"Because my computer can't handle it, no one's can"

 

Do you know what makes that sentence incorrect?

[PopPunkRocker]

This is just plain wrong. This is the same high-end rig I use to play Rift at 100 FPS constant, and Rift is far more detailed in its graphics quality than TOR. Skyrim runs at 60 FPS constant on high settings with V-synch. LoTRO runs at 120 FPS on the very highest settings.

 

TOR is less graphically sophisticated than any of those games. AA is friggin disabled for god's sake and no one runs shadows on high because it kills performance. I go from 90 FPS constant to 20 for no explicable reason, and I'll wager that if you were paying attention you would notice it happens to you too.

 

That people are so gullible as to deny the obvious terrible graphics performance of TOR relative to much more sophisticated games just tells me why Ohlen would feel so comfortbale obfuscating it.

 

My system isn't great, admittedly. Quad core 2.3, 8gb ddr3, 1gb GDDR5 graphics, but I have no problems playing this game. Rift I would consistantly get 25 or less fps. Not here.

[Ruthlessboy]

So, are you running shadows on "high?"

 

I am. with i5-2500k clocked to 4,4ghz, radeon 6870 and 8 gigs of 1600mhz ram. I wish they would make an ultra version of the game graphics so i could boost this up even more. I have a constant 100-110fps, in fleet i have about 60-70 fps wich isn't bad either. My loading times are only few seconds anywhere and game starts in about 10-15 secs from character selecting screen.

 

My point is that people with good machines do NOT have problems. Ofcourse the problem might be that some people buy PC components and have no idea how to tweak them, but that's not game designers problem.

[Waupli]

I have a 4 month old, relatively mid range (about $800-900) computer and have had a grand total of ZERO performance issues. I have all settings and view distances on the highest possible with AA forced. Nobody I know in my guild (with a wide range of computers, from new to old) has had any issues at all either.

 

It seems to me that the performance issues must be being blown out of proportion because the only complaints regarding performance I've heard are people on the forums who seem to be looking for a reason to hate the game anyway.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Waupli

[Pekish]

maybe if the player with the TOP pc would stop playing with the .ini file and would stop forcing AA and all the other things they are forcing they wouldn't have any problem

 

i have a

i5-2500 oced @4.5mhz

8gb ram

gtx580 oced @900mhz

 

and my FPS are ALWAYS 60fps in PVE (v-sync on) and around 40 in PVP at worst

 

a) don't play with your .ini

b) pick a server that is populated but not overpopulated

c) better if the server is close to you (i live in west cost and a west cost server ping 20 I tried to play on European server because i have friends there and my ping was 160)

 

true is lot of super fancy pc owners believe they can modify the ini to make use of the useless tri-sli they got and then they complain if it runs bad... if they didn't put the option of AA in game it's because probably it gives problems and if u force it just because u can and have a tri-sli doesn't make it works magically "floweless"

 

game is fine if you accept it for what it is a cool story with a mediocre graphics.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Pekish

[QuantumDarkness]

There's no problem as long as you have at least a 4 core and good enough parts to go with it. Perfect example being my recent upgrade from 2 to 4 cores, as well as some other much needed upgrades.

 

You need the proper computer to play this without very noticable slowdowns and FPS loss, even on lowest possible settings for this game.

 

Can't be further from truth. Game engine does not utilize multi-core as it should nowadays. 1 core running at 100% while another at 20% and 3 + 4 sleeping. Doesn't seem right to me.

[Mannic]

Do you understand the concept of different people having different experiences?

 

Is there any part of this concept you find particularly difficult to grasp?

 

Any words that you require the definition of?

 

"Because my computer can't handle it, no one's can"

 

Do you know what makes that sentence incorrect?

 

Did I say "no one's computer can handle TOR?" Please tell me where I said that.

 

I would hope any toaster could handle a game with medium-res graphics, no AA, 8X anisotropic filtering, and shadows turned off. There is almost no such thing as "too low" of a system to run this game well.

 

The fact that any hi-end systems are not able to run this game smoothly is the part that's shocking. It would be like finding out I can't run WoW smoothly even though I can run BF3 at 100 FPS.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Mannic

[gabrielhead]

Being as none of you are running at true "High res" your feelings about how well the game is working is moot http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5493/hirez.jpg

 

the game has been patched to fun at medium quality no matter what you set... so your high end system may play the game on medum just fine... but the high setting you all keep claiming to be set to is bogus.

[Aaric]

I agree with Bioware. The FPS problems are localised. I'm playing the game on my 2 year old HP laptop, and I know it is not the best for gaming on at all, and yet, I manage to run the game smoothly with between 30-40 frames. It is only in select areas I have problems and I look forward to these being fixed. However until that time my enjoyment of this game will continue.

[Blackfriar]

Read the full article here: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-10-bioware-most-people-arent-having-swtor-performance-issues

 

Perfectly shows how detached BioWare is from its community and confirms my decision not to continue playing this technological POS.

 

lol.

 

I have a Digital Storm custom gaming rig. Not an off-the-shelf, but custom, with everything over-clocked and liquid cooled. I paid a lot of money for it because I like a machine that will last for years with minimal problems and won't need upgrading.

 

Even though it's a year old, there's not a un-over-clocked machine on the market that can meet or exceed its specs. Even with top-of-the-line components.

 

And I keep the machine as stable and up-to-date as possible. No bells, no whistles. Operating system, virus checker and that's it. No launchers. No TSRs. No meebo, or skype, or MSM... None of that junk.

 

So while I don't have GPU FPS issues because my rig is totally over-spec to these requirements, I still have issues. Most of them seem to be memory leak issues. After five hours, or so, of gaming the memory leak is so bad I have to reboot. And the first sign is increasing skill lag (beyond the normal skill-lag we get because there's something wrong on their side). Then comes FPS issues. The comes severe-stuttering. Then Windows demands a reboot...

[Mandrax]

Did I say "no one's computer can handle TOR?" Please tell me where I said that.

 

I would hope any toaster could handle a game with medium-res graphics, no AA, 8X anisotropic filtering, and shadows turned off. There is almost no such thing as "too low" of a system to run this game well.

 

The fact that any hi-end systems are not able to run this game smoothly is the part that's shocking. It would be like finding out I can't run WoW smoothly even though I can run BF3 at 100 FPS.

 

I have shadows on I have AA forced in my ini file and STILL don't have these problems. I know that when they do eventually have high textures, my PC is ready to cope with it because at the moment, it's handling it with ease.

 

Ohlen said the people with issues are a minority. You are part of that minority. He said that there are some localised bugs that will be fixed. What exactly don't you understand about all of this?

Edited January 10, 2012 by Mandrax

[Blackfriar]

I am. with i5-2500k clocked to 4,4ghz, radeon 6870 and 8 gigs of 1600mhz ram. I wish they would make an ultra version of the game graphics so i could boost this up even more. I have a constant 100-110fps, in fleet i have about 60-70 fps wich isn't bad either. My loading times are only few seconds anywhere and game starts in about 10-15 secs from character selecting screen.

 

My point is that people with good machines do NOT have problems. Ofcourse the problem might be that some people buy PC components and have no idea how to tweak them, but that's not game designers problem.

 

lol. No. My computer eats your computer. I still get memory leaks issues.

[Vikassi]

Because marginalization is exactly what is needed. The game runs flawlessly for 95~ % of the playerbase. Those other 5%, sure they may have performance issues, but Bioware isn't responsible for fixing the driver errors or router firmware clashes that these people are having. There very well may be a problem with the optimization of the coding, but if a high end rig can't support this game, the simple fact is that that high end rig isn't setup properly.

 

I have a 3 year old PC with a 1 year old video card & matching power supply. I sit at 30-45 fps no matter where I am. You don't need a super computer to play this game, you need a computer that is maintained and setup properly.

 

wait, you think 30-45 fps is good?

[Holt]

I have a mid-priced PC and it runs SWTOR just fine. Considering there are over a million players right now, what they state in the article is probably true. A small percentage can seem like a lot on the forums.

 

Here's what I play SWTOR on:

http://swordinbox.com/post/15353265223/computer-specifications-and-my-swtor

Edited January 10, 2012 by Holt