The online racing simulator
Searching in All forums
(310 results)
Slopi
S2 licensed
Some info such as what OS you're using, NIC and connection type would help. Also, are you using a router?

No one can help you if they have no idea what you're using

If you don't know any of the above things, I would reccomend researching your type of computer (if mass produced) and try to come up with more info for those who can help you, to help you.
Not Really a Beginner, but this is a n00b question
Slopi
S2 licensed
If this was already posted somewhere, I appologize for missing it. In patch V, the mini-map now sits in the upper right corner of the screen. This blocks my rearview mirror at times. Is there any way to put it back to the left side of the screen like in version U?
Slopi
S2 licensed
Went ahead and posted my stats as well. If Boris could do the same, along with anyone else with this issue, that would help.

If you are having Stutter issues, please post your computer's hardware config and stats in this thread:

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=17581

Dx-Diag Instructions
If you wish to post a DirectX Diag as well, go to your Start Menu, then Run. Type in "dxdiag" and hit enter. In the following window that opens, click the button to "Save All Information...". Save the resulting .txt file somewhere, then upload that txt file as a post attatchment.

Thanks!
Slopi
S2 licensed
Specs here are:

Asus K8N-E mobo
AMD Sempron 3300+
1.5gig DDR
WD 200gig (game drive) IDE
Maxtor 250gig (system drive) SATA
Creative Live SB Gamer 5.1 Sound Card
Radeon x850 XT AGP 256MB Graphics
Antec Neo HE 550w Power Supply

Windows XP Pro (Full updates/patches)
Dissabled AV
Dissabled Firewall
Connection: 8mbit down - 864kbit up (Cable)
Slopi
S2 licensed
I don't feel computer stats are to blame for this, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to run a DirecX Diag and post that txt to the Patch V Stutter Thread in Tech Assist. The reason I don't feel the computer stats are to blame, is so far everyone with this issue seems to have no issues before patching to V, and were racing smooth and fine on the same systems V is now installed on.

I've personally played with audio acceleration down to minor tweaks in my Vid drivers. Have switched from 5.1 audio to 2 channel stereo. Nothing seems to make a difference.

The only noticeable difference I've seen is when I close mIRC, my Firewall and completely closed out my AV instead of just dissabling it. At that point I was able to race several more races without the stutter. Sadly, the stutter resumed the very next day with those exact applications and services closed.
Slopi
S2 licensed
Patch V was installed to my existing U version of LFS.

I'll give the full install package a run tonight to see if there's any difference, but from what I've read it doesn't seem to matter if it's fresh install or a patch upgrade of LFS.
Slopi
S2 licensed
Based on your suggestion, I went ahead and made a post in the Tech. Assist. board, with links to the video, quote describing the problem and a link to this thread as well.
Patch V Stutter Thread
Slopi
S2 licensed
Starting this thread here so people can post similar issues. To sum up the stuttering...

Quote :The "Bad Stutter" happens for about 4-5 seconds. You lose all feedback from your wheel and you have no idea where you are on the track anymore. When the stutter clears, you're often times thrust into a wall or off the track as your wheel regains FFB and you are warped to where you should be on the track.

An Example Of The Stuttering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuj5tynjF_U
Quote :Let me explain this video. Yes, Fraps was recording, no that is not the source of the lag you see in this replay. Although during the race, I had no lag at this corner, during the replay, the exact lag I normally experienced online occured while recording.

And here's the Pole Thread in the General Disscussion about the Stutter: http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=17515&page=2

As mentioned in the Pole thread, those who are affected by this stutter did nothing (at least in my case) to change their systems before or after patch V. All that was changed before not having problems, to having these issues now is the installation of patch V.

So, if you have found a remedy for this, please post it here. Keep in mind, I'm not asking for "Basic PC Optimizations" here, so please keep those to a minimum. Please post what you have do to effectively remove the stutter if you had the stutter before and you have fixed it yourself.

Thanks!
Slopi
S2 licensed
Much quicker than I hoped on YouTube...

Let me explain this video. Yes, Fraps was recording, no that is not the source of the lag you see in this replay. Although during the race, I had no lag at this corner, during the replay, the exact lag I normally experienced online occured while recording.

My game drive and Fraps drive (seperate) are both defragged, not dying and have plenty of room. As you see me come up on the inside of TypeR and start to pass on the corner, you will notice the screen 'snag' and the sound 'pop' a couple of times. This is very "light" stuttering compared to the bad type that will wreck you without much chance of recovery. Although this is much lighter, it displays the exact same symptoms of the stutter that Boris and I have been talking about.

The "Bad Stutter" happens for about 4-5 seconds. You lose all feedback from your wheel and you have no idea where you are on the track anymore. When the stutter clears, you're often times thrust into a wall or off the track as your wheel regains FFB and you are warped to where you should be on the track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuj5tynjF_U
Slopi
S2 licensed
Not upset at you. What I get upset at is the droves of people that this doesn't apply to, trying to throw out suggestions that no one knows will work or not, while apparently ignoring the fact that the only change made was patch V.

And yes, my bad, this pole was to ask about the overall experience, not just about those who had lag. Though, that was the entire intention of Boris. I say that only because I was on the server with him when he suggested making this pole.

Right now I'm waiting on YouTube to churn out my tiny video (sure I'll be waiting an hour on this...) so I can link it here and show exactly what the problem looks like.

So, I ask you to please forgive my frustrations while Boris and I and the rest of the people that are affected by this try and sort it out.
Slopi
S2 licensed
Quote from JTbo :
If there is few people with problem, majority without problem, why majority should agree there is problem in LFS?

Not even what was being asked of 'the majority' ok? This is a simple poll, to ask who MIGHT have this issue, then we can work on resolving it based on similarities. NO ONE asked for you, or anyone else to just fall in and agree with us, but by no means does that give you the right to pretend it doesn't exist.

Not to mention this is only being discussed on the forums. How many people don't use these boards? How many of them have this problem? Who knows...

Point is, if you don't have this problem, good for you. But there's no reason to come here and suggest "fixes" that don't work. Especially when NO FIXES were needed before patch V (the fact that some people seem to be overlooking).

Simple questioning of "What's been changed?" in a trouble shooting aspect is the normal route to go about fixing a problem like this. So, what's been changed? The install of Patch V, and that's it.
Slopi
S2 licensed
Quote from JTbo :...as I want good experience, immersion, whatever, without anything coming to drag me out from enjoying LFS, no hiccups or popups, phones or whistles are allowed when I go online

The problem some of are having is, that's EXACTLY what U was offering without us having to jump through hoops to hope for a stutter-free race.

How is that going overlooked? Bunch of tech-wannabes jump in this thread suggesting to disable this, close that. Do you not understand that before patch V, all we had to do was click on the LFS icon and race with NO PROBLEMS? And now V is out we have to flinch at any slight indication of lag, because it could be ''The Stutter" comming to wreck us and all cars around us.

With Boris and I, can you not see how this concerns us? We try and race on servers with strict admining. It would be stupid of us to not be concerned over a NEW problem that could potentially get us banned from those servers (wrecks).

It's obvious to me that this problem exists. Regardless of arguing over what percentage claims it exists or not, all I know is it exists FOR ME and is close to RUINING the sim experience. All I want is the same experience I had before, without having to alter the way I run my system in hopes that it MIGHT fix the stutter.
Slopi
S2 licensed
An interesting note. Some games that track stats in the community actually have very strict restrictions on how you can host a server and still be tracked for stats globally.

In that sense, it's not unheard of for devs to restrict server modding, if that's what they feel needs to be done. It's very simple to block from the global server as well.

The point that I think Quint999 was trying to make is this, and I assume only because I'm rather casual at racing also. When we get on to race in LFS and we go look at the server browser to see who's doing what, if you filter out empty servers you are left with litterally a handfull of servers with people actively racing. Sure, you can join an empty server and HOPE someone wants to race with you, or you can jump into the already populated servers, as is what I normally do. Now, if this system was more popular and not just on STCC servers, you'd find the more populated servers to be the ones running licenses. Therefore you have a lot more people starting to get their licenses and populating those servers. The servers without licensing and already active racers will stay inactive.

How many people here race without knowing anyone else in the game? A lot of us also follow our friends or teams around, so word of mouth would also draw more people to these license servers, all in the eventual hope that they will be racing with more experienced players later on, in later tiers. Afterall, no one likes being stuck with new racers. Sure, you might win a lot, but the fun is in the competition, which you find with experienced racers, the ones you know have put in a lot of time.

And in that sense, yes it does worry me to a degree. I already have a hard time finding a server racing the cars I want to drive, and in fact that's why I wound up going through the first 2 licenses and working on Silver now, just so I can race on a well populated server with better cars. A lot of people will have this mentality and it does have the possibility of making non licensed servers undesirable to race on.

While I like the idea of licenses to force people into racing more, and having a better understanding of racing in general, I think the potential for harm is there as well and whatever is decided should be done so very carefully (which is exactly what's happening in this thread). Regardless, I think a lot more talking and brainstorming needs to be done though.

Sorry if that was a bit long-winded just my :twocents:
Slopi
S2 licensed
I was there with Boris and I commented that I was having some similar issues. After a while I decided to sit out a race (before I wrecked someone else) and see if I could remedy it.

As is I leave my web browser open so I can download new sets if need be, so I left that be. I closed my AntiVirus completely (just had it dissabled before) and also shut down my firewall along with mIRC (IRC program). That's all I closed, then went back into the game and raced at least 6 more races with no serious stutter while driving.

I did vote this as worse than U, because with U I never had to close any background apps and just raced fine, online or offline. But, on a whole, asside from the stutter, it would appear that everything seems more fluid, especially in larger races with more cars, so it's hard for me to say I'm totally unhappy with patch V
Slopi
S2 licensed
Quote from csurdongulos :there was something similar to this back in S1, namely the credits.

however it was nowhere near as complex and relatively hard to achieve to drive your chosen car as the stcc system, and of course you could get credits for offline racing as well.

the concept is similar, but the stcc system serves the purpose much better.

Yeah... I remember buying S1 and asking "Why can't I drive the cooool cars???"
Slopi
S2 licensed
Can we have electronic voting machines? I certainly hope so! illepall

I like where this is going. Though I have to ask, why couldn't the devs simply take from your idea and build it into the game? You would have to maybe sign up to be licensed. Also, servers could run the option of licensing or no licensing.

I suppose that belongs on the suggested improvement thread... But would be it difficult for the devs to put the system in LFS?
Slopi
S2 licensed
What about wearing a Wii like sensor on our shifting hand, and having it calibrated in the game for the distance from our wheels to our shifter, and it would scale the animation accodingly?

No?

Why not?!?!

I can still dream though :haha:
Slopi
S2 licensed
+1 with a suggested change...

Make the option server-side. When hosting, you would have the option to turn on "Long Damage" or something similar. That way, when racers join the server, any extensive damage caused would carry on to the next race(s). Not sure if that would lower the amount of people going to those servers, but I do think the ones that would continue to race on those servers are ones who are safer racers to begin with.

Of course, there's nothing to stop someone from racing until they wreck, then just joining another server to start over fresh.

I've already seen some servers that run credit mods, where you need a certain amount of credits to get the next car to race. If there was an option to selectively repair car parts (Kind of CMR series), then these credit servers could assign a cost per repair, making people chose what to fix and what to put off.

Honestly though, I think it would be a PITA to put into the game
Slopi
S2 licensed
Maybe they upgraded the cars you can't hear it on now to recycle the waste-gate pressure back into the turbo to keep it spun up?

Just a thought

(Watching the turbo guage, I know this isn't really the case lol)
Slopi
S2 licensed
I almost can't even play online as is. I get some wierd lag spike (hardware? connection? who knows...), usually mid-turn. The framerate drops for a second or so, I lose feedback in the wheel and when it clears up the wheel snaps back to place and usually makes me spin out. Seems to happen with more than 4 people on a server, near the pits, opposite side of the track from the pits and when anyone joins with a custom skin.

Beyond frustrating. I've patched, updated did all the usual stuff that gets tossed out as standard suggestions and nothing works. Thinking I might just take a break for a while...
Slopi
S2 licensed
My question would be, why would we even need it? People on single core systems or dual core, running basically single on this game with high-end graphic cards are maintaining 100FPS or more during races.

I fail to see how multi-threading the game will add any more performance.
Slopi
S2 licensed
Hey neighbor! St. Pete huh? Welcome to LFS

I'll give that update a try when I got time to reboot lol. Thanks for the link though.
Slopi
S2 licensed
Terribly sorry about the typo in the topic too ... oddly enough FireFox spellcheck must of assumed that's the word I wanted there...

If any Forum Mod wants to fix that, or delete this thread if they can't change the word, that'd be great... again, sorry!
Slopi
S2 licensed
Ok, apparently it was that easy

Thanks, bud!
Slopi
S2 licensed
Geeze I hope it's not that easy, I just shut down FRAPS and everything lol...

*Goes to check*
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG