Xezr Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 While I completely agree with loading screens for area transitions, because they make sense, I must say that I find it odd that I have to watch the loading screen for some 10-15 seconds after tabbing in. I The game's loaded the area just fine. I've got a high-end computer. Someone explain to me why this is necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mordresh Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) Dozens of them. Staring at the loading screen for absolutely *********** nothing. Outrageous! Also do note that you actually stand in the same place for those minutes during the "fake" loading screen. If they weren't in you'd click to change zones, run around or whatever you were planning to do during those dozens of minutes then suddenly change zone a little while after you clicked, which would be incredibly counter intuitive. Edited March 29, 2012 by Mordresh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kthx Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I have also noticed such instances in an MMO built using CryEngine 2, for example, where seams might appear, or you might fall through the game environment due to a bug, and you can see how the rest of the world is built with elements like lighting effects, glow effects, mists, and other assets. And I heare I thought "CryEngine" was a reference to the posters on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goretzu Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 While I completely agree with loading screens for area transitions, because they make sense, I must say that I find it odd that I have to watch the loading screen for some 10-15 seconds after tabbing in. I The game's loaded the area just fine. I've got a high-end computer. Someone explain to me why this is necessary. Yeah it's puzzling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterData Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 The only reason that's there is to hide the redraw. In the beta the loading screen was displayed far less often, but any time you entered a new area you'd see the entire area redraw shape by shape. It's just another flaw with the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelinCarnate Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Loading screens are fake. In a related story, water is wet. More at 11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjmc Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) No budget for creating a star wars like animated digital panel or show an elevator/landing/departing animation? Really...facepalm.I expect at least some of the "loading" is the loading of graphics into video ram. This would take longer if the video ram was also being filled with changing animations at the same time (being fed from different parts of the harddrive). They have been working on improving performance and reducing loading times. However, it appears that their primary focus has been on situations where the game was unplayable. For example, my computer is relatively low end (first generation mobile i5 with integrated Intel graphics). Back in January, when I visited Tatooine, it would take several minutes to load the zone. If I took a taxi to another base, it would often take a full minute before I could move after arriving. Taxi rides were slideshows. Now, Tatooine is just fine and most planets load relatively quickly. I can even drive my own scooter around the fleet -- which used to be impossible. I can even automatically requeue for Warzones now -- it used to be that it would take so long to unload a warzone when it was done that I would timeout from the next one. I don't run at full graphics, but I am not at the lowest settings any more, either. They are working on things. However, as loading screens almost always happen somewhere safe where you are standing still, the removal of unneeded ones is probably a lower priority for their development team. Edited March 29, 2012 by sjmc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazednconfuzed Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I've known this for a while. Anyone that has done an instance where you "zone" knows the loading screen is BS. Why they do it? No idea. Actually, this is true. I've seen, on more than one occasion, my character load up at a new location (when quick travelling, ro example) before it goes to the loading screen and blackout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NimosSolar Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 While I completely agree with loading screens for area transitions, because they make sense, I must say that I find it odd that I have to watch the loading screen for some 10-15 seconds after tabbing in. I The game's loaded the area just fine. I've got a high-end computer. Someone explain to me why this is necessary. Play the game in full screen windowed mode if your computer is good enough. No loading screen just pure alt tabbing goodness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReckonerH Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 They could put a working elevator there instead and make you wait for the platform to reach the bottom, and then slowly take you to the top through the entire space station. No? You don't want to have an actual elevator? An actual elevator sounds cool to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthAnaethil Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 check it out anyone know how to remove these, id rather not have the annoying black spalsh screen dude, every game does this. Loading screens come up to HIDE the fact that there are textures and models loading. get a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mordresh Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 An actual elevator sounds cool to me. Okay but it had better play this song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieAlteHexe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Actually, this is true. I've seen, on more than one occasion, my character load up at a new location (when quick travelling, ro example) before it goes to the loading screen and blackout. Yup, me too. And I am not in the least outraged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazednconfuzed Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Yup, me too. And I am not in the least outraged. Personally, I'm more confused than outraged by it. I mean, if you QT from one place to another, and you see your charcater standing in the new location, why do you then need to have a loading screen? It makes no sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jett-Rinn Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 This is how loading screens work in nearly EVERY game. Things pop in one at a time, not magically all at once. A loading screen is there so you don't see the ugly pops. /whiney voice But it can't work that way in TOR because then it's uninspired and a rip off of WoW!!1111111. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenjaminminU Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I've noticed this as well, sometimes when using quick travel it instantly ports me to the quick travel point, i see the area i've just travelled to fully loaded for a second, then i get hit with a 10 second loading screen where i can move around, open any UI tabs i want, i can even activate my lightsabers using z. So what is actually loading? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjmc Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I've noticed this as well, sometimes when using quick travel it instantly ports me to the quick travel point, i see the area i've just travelled to fully loaded for a second, then i get hit with a 10 second loading screen where i can move around, open any UI tabs i want, i can even activate my lightsabers using z. So what is actually loading?Perhaps it is also unloading the previous zone and/or rearranging things in memory (which might depend on how much ram/video ram you have)? If you are moving to an area that needs more RAM, perhaps it takes a little bit of time for Windows to assign it? There are numerous technical reasons why such a thing might happen that don't directly involve "loading" but are byproducts of the loading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazednconfuzed Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Perhaps it is also unloading the previous zone and/or rearranging things in memory (which might depend on how much ram/video ram you have)? If you are moving to an area that needs more RAM, perhaps it takes a little bit of time for Windows to assign it? There are numerous technical reasons why such a thing might happen that don't directly involve "loading" but are byproducts of the loading. But if you can access anything in your UI, or your lightsaber, move around, or whatever, and see the location around you, with all NPCs, mobs, etc, and then it starts the loading screen, what is the point of it? Your game has already obviously loaded the place you just QT'ed to. If this stuff hadn't finished loading, you wouldn't be able to do anything, because you need the loaded data stored in the RAM of your PC to do anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjmc Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Another possible option is that they are currently using code optimized for low memory situations while they make continual adjustments. Once everything is working and stable, they can try out shortcuts to allow those with more memory to avoid loading screens which might very well be unnecessary (but might very well have been necessary back in January or February). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnu Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) nvm too weird to think about Is it just me or are the Rakata transports on Balsavis instant? Shouldn't that mean they could do instant teleports for quick-travel? Also, why to go into a hanger? Isn't it simply another room in the same zone literally through a door on the map? Edited March 31, 2012 by Darnu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevlarto Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 on alderaan there was a fern that had an extra pixel. /unsub NOOOOOOOOOOO not that pixel, there was one of those in lotro to, i burned my disks and stomped the box over that pixel out of place..LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieAlteHexe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Personally, I'm more confused than outraged by it. I mean, if you QT from one place to another, and you see your charcater standing in the new location, why do you then need to have a loading screen? It makes no sense. I believe it has to do with loading priority. A few times I've gotten no loading screen, my character and my companion were loaded but everything else was still loading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halfadozen Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Of course, you could argue that it's bad, the player not being allowed to see what they can do until every aspect of their immediate experience is loaded. Though I'd imagine, if that were the case, people would complain that they weren't allowed to do everything they could see they were able to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ujest Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 The real reason loading screens are in the game is because your toon got mugged and is slowly return to consciousness... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeux Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I say we just push for an option like they added for loading characters, only for background nonsense. I don't need every skyscaper on coruscant, every cab on nar shada, and every mountain on alderaan to all load simultaneously. let me choose to just load my immediate area and have it load dynamicly as i move about the planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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