SC4 continues to lag with every solution.

[skylar15 3]

OS: Windows 8.1

GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7480D (3072 MB of total graphics memory, 512 MB is dedicated)

CPU: AMD A4-5300B APU (Dual core, 3.40 GHz, 64-bit) About 64% CPU usage while running the game

RAM: 6 GB DDR3, running at about 1444 MHz. 600 MB being used by the game.

Target settings: -CustomResolution:enabled -r1366x768 -intro:off -EH:off -CPUCount:1 -CPUPriority:high

Plugins Folder: 1.20 GB

 

I've tried setting the game to software, lowering the settings to medium, turning shadows all the way down, editing the Graphics Rules and Video cards to add my GPU, I've tried setting the priority to high, ETC.

 

Nothing worked, and it is really bothering me. I get about 23 FPS. I tried forcing the game into OpenGL, and it gave me 100 FPS, but since OpenGL mode was never finished, the cities were white, and the screen flickered a lot.

[MushyMushy 3,617]

Your computer seems more than capable of running SC4 on Software settings with everything to max, so my only guess would be an issue with Windows 8.1. You have to remember that this game is quite old now, and is so ancient it actually works on Windows 98 (so I've heard), so it would be no surprise (to me) if it has issues with Windows 8.1.

 

I'm no expert on these things and I'm sure someone will post a much more intelligent response later, but problems with SC4/Win 8.1 is something I've heard about.

[skylar15 3]

Seems to average about 250 FPS while in windowed mode which is nice. But I have to play in a tiny window (800x600). I'll keep this open for awhile, just in case there is a better solution.

[APSMS 1,892]

Seems to average about 250 FPS while in windowed mode which is nice. But I have to play in a tiny window (800x600). I'll keep this open for awhile, just in case there is a better solution.

Why a tiny window? Just add the -f tag to the target, and leave the other parameters intact, and you should be just fine.

[skylar15 3]

 

Seems to average about 250 FPS while in windowed mode which is nice. But I have to play in a tiny window (800x600). I'll keep this open for awhile, just in case there is a better solution.

Why a tiny window? Just add the -f tag to the target, and leave the other parameters intact, and you should be just fine.

 

The issue with adding -f is that the -f causes the lag to return, full screen causes the lag. But I think making the game run with windowed borderless may help with the lag and will allow the game to still take up my entire screen.

[skylar15 3]

So I set it to 1366x768 windowed, and the issue with that is it wouldn't quite fit, so I had to use 800x600. Which would suck too much. But I forced it into windowed borderless at 1366x768, and now it is like I am in full screen again, but with the high performance!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I just ignore problems with lag.  This is a stochastic simulation and not really a "snappy" game.  As you get more and more objects into the simulation the program approaches the knee of an exponential hyperbola which will cause nearly infinite lag no matter how fast a system may be.  It all depends on the universe of discourse which includes trivia such as trees.  The more, the slower; until CPU time goes to 100% and the simulation loop cannot be completed in a reasonable time.  Eventually the simulation will appear to have stopped, but in fact will continue to eat the CPU.  Worrying about frame rate in this program is a mug's game.  We are not running WoW.

[APSMS 1,892]

 

Why a tiny window? Just add the -f tag to the target, and leave the other parameters intact, and you should be just fine.

The issue with adding -f is that the -f causes the lag to return, full screen causes the lag. But I think making the game run with windowed borderless may help with the lag and will allow the game to still take up my entire screen.

 

Doh!   I meant the -w tag, but it seems you figured it out anyways.

 

How do you run the game windowed borderless? I run the game windowed, and use the to get the UI visible again, but without borders would be nice as well.

[skylar15 3]

Doh!   I meant the -w tag, but it seems you figured it out anyways.

 

 

How do you run the game windowed borderless? I run the game windowed, and use the to get the UI visible again, but without borders would be nice as well.

 

I set the window to the resolution my monitor is set to (1366x786), and then I used a program called Borderless Gaming, and then it was like I never was in Windowed mode!

 

Also, I don't think the game will crash while alt-tabbing in this mode, so this is nice for full screeners who hate alt-tab crashes.

  Edited August 22, 2014 by skylar15