Fix for performance problems at prototype gungame.

[Mitne 724]

1. If you didn't already had it, download USPStyle advanced APB launcher (it is MUST HAVE in that case or if you performance is poor): https://kevkof.be/advancedlauncher - don't worry, APB advanced launcher is ALLOWED custom launcher - meaning NO, you WON'T be banned for it (it just changes configs files in APB and launch game bypassing APB default launcher after all).

2. Open it up, click update APB, quit default APB launcher (just in case files are missing or there's an update - i do it always before firing APB to prevent potential errors).

3. Get into settings in advanced launcher.

4. Get into APBCompat Other tab.

5. Find option for Particle Space Area (should be fourth option).

6. By default it's 5000. Lower it to 2500, 1250, 500, 50, 5 or turn it off (Nades, explosions and all special effects will be disabled though and at too low number some effects might not show up anyway. Shouldn't matter anyway.) - you need to experiment with it tho. for best results - but for crappy computers lower settings (500 and lower) should help and for stronger PCs (which got problems only because of APB old engine) higher settings should help (1250+).

 

P.S. From now on fire game only from Advanced Launcher and follow simple procedure when firing APB from it. Click update game, allow default APB launcher to update it, quit default APB launcher, go to settings, apply them and start APB from advanced launcher. If you fire it from default APB launcher, it will overwrite config from advanced launcher.

 

Have fun.

Btw. you might want to pin it, mods.

Edited July 3, 2020 by Mitne

[Kevkof 806]

1 minute ago, Mitne said:

If you didn't already had it, download Kevkof advanced APB launcher (it is MUST HAVE in that case or if you performance is poor): https://kevkof.be/advancedlauncher - don't worry, APB advanced launcher is ALLOWED custom launcher - meaning NO, you WON'T be banned for it (it just changes configs files in APB and launch game bypassing APB default launcher after all).

Thx, but I didn't make it. I just made a shortlink to the official download. 

All credits go to @USPStyle for the launcher

[Mitne 724]

Just now, Kevkof said:

Thx, but I didn't make it. I just made a shortlink to the official download. 

All credits go to @USPStyle for the launcher

Changing.

Thanks for info. I made oopsie in research.

[Sakebee 2270]

This is some good information, Mitne. Thanks for posting! And pinned~ 

[TheMessiah 430]

voting to play it or not - best fix

[Rolpack 99]

1 hour ago, Mitne said:

6. By default it's 5000. Lower it to 2500, 1250, 500, 50, 5 or turn it off

Isn't turning off smoke is against TOS though? Plus turning off particles doesn't even save your FPS, only making it a low count does, like 5 or more.

[SkittyM 287]

1 minute ago, Rolpack said:

Isn't turning off smoke is against TOS though? Plus turning off particles doesn't even save your FPS, only making it a low count does, like 5 or more.

I could be mis-remembering but i recall Reloaded making it so you can't actually turn off particles/smoke, only turn it down.    Could be wrong though, that was years ago.

[Rolpack 99]

1 minute ago, SkittyM said:

I could be mis-remembering but i recall Reloaded making it so you can't actually turn off particles/smoke, only turn it down.    Could be wrong though, that was years ago.

Well turning it down to 0 actually disabled smoke, which is against the TOS, its the only TOS thing advanced launcher can do.

[KyoukiDotExe 231]

5 minutes ago, Rolpack said:

Isn't turning off smoke is against TOS though? Plus turning off particles doesn't even save your FPS, only making it a low count does, like 5 or more.

This is a .ini edit in APBCompat.ini it directly effects the SMOKE particles of the nades/osmaw/volanco, it doesn't disable explosions.

 

For anyone curious it's this value in APBCompat.ini it modifies:
 

Quote

ParticleMaxWorldSpaceArea

 

The lower, the less.

0.0 = unlimited. (everything)

0.x = how much you want.

I would recommend anything between 0.x to 50000 (some but not all the time), the lower the less.

 

 

Edited June 25, 2020 by KyoukiDotExe

[Mitne 724]

9 minutes ago, Rolpack said:

Isn't turning off smoke is against TOS though? Plus turning off particles doesn't even save your FPS, only making it a low count does, like 5 or more.

Checked EULA and user conduct rules - no entries about it there.

Shouldn't be issue - that isn't freaking wallhack... even through smoke you see name and crosshair turns red.

And I tested it on my most crappy PC - Duo Core, 1 GB GPU PC. Increase in FPS in prototype district was gigantic on 500 setting while still leaving some of effects in close distance (from 1 fps to 20 fps).

In normal districts it won't make such impact... unless we talk about high intensity ones like both FCs.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Mitne

[Rolpack 99]

3 minutes ago, KyoukiDotExe said:

 

Except you can put it to "none" on advanced launcher, which just disabled it, and its still against the TOS.

[Mitne 724]

5 minutes ago, Rolpack said:

Except you can put it to "none" on advanced launcher, which just disabled it, and its still against the TOS.

This launcher is allowed by LO.

If any of it options breach ToS then it's not on me.

I just used what is legally allowed (and everyone got access to it anyway...).

Also I need point from TOS about it, if you got it in front of you.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Mitne

[Kommaranda 44]

I think i went with a little bit fire and smoke the last time, iirc i got me killed some times while standing next to a burning car thinking, haha what a bad enemy cant even hit me.....booom XD

[Rolpack 99]

I stand corrected, "none" still has smoke from nades, but it disperses way quicker than normal grenade smoke, but you also cant see burning cars so, i guess its fine afterall lmao.

[Mitne 724]

3 minutes ago, Rolpack said:

I stand corrected, "none" still has smoke from nades, but it disperses way quicker than normal grenade smoke, but you also cant see burning cars so, i guess its fine afterall lmao.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Mod pinning this thread instead of removing should be a clue.

[Rolpack 99]

12 minutes ago, Mitne said:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Mod pinning this thread instead of removing should be a clue.

Yeah, I most likely remember the older advanced launcher 1.13.5.0 instead of the current 1.13.5.5

 

Pretty sure the old one acutally removed the smoke entirely, havent had to use the advanced launcher ever since a week ago since they readded BE.

[Sakebee 2270]

Hey guys!

 

I wanted to jump in and make sure there wasn't any confusion regarding our stance on the advanced launcher. Using the advanced launcher that we have hosted (and/or is available from https://kevkof.be/advancedlauncher ) is okay. We have verified the code in this version and it is the only accepted version of the advanced launcher. You use any other versions at your own risk, as we can't guarantee that something which is against our TOS hasn't been added.

 

That said, if you are using the accepted version of the launcher, all settings within that launcher are okay. Eventually we want to phase out the need for the launcher by providing better options within the client itself, but until that point we want you guys to have the best play experience possible.

[TheSadest 0]

Hey The link doesn't work idk why

 

Merged.

 

It give me the link is deleted or suspended 

[Amayii 398]

4 minutes ago, TheSadest said:

Hey The link doesn't work idk why

 

Merged.

 

It give me the link is deleted or suspended 

There was a minor issue in the link by @Sakebee which has now been corrected, please try again.

 

~@mayii

[Metal-Janah 3]

1 hour ago, Sakebee said:

...we want you guys to have the best play experience possible.

 

If that was true, NA wouldn't be so empty and the cheaters plaguing the game would either be gone or locked away in their own districts.

 

We're literally celebrating 10 years of terrible game management and rampant cheating.

 

Don't follow in G1's footsteps, make a difference. Please.

[BlatMan 706]

4 hours ago, SkittyM said:

I could be mis-remembering but i recall Reloaded making it so you can't actually turn off particles/smoke, only turn it down.    Could be wrong though, that was years ago.

They changed grenade explosions so they don't get disabled.

[Latsha 71]

1 hour ago, Metal-Janah said:

Don't follow in G1's footsteps, make a difference. Please.

phew they almost did thank god you stepped in at the right time buddy

[Genobee 143]

Never really occurred to me that not too many people know about this. Thank you for letting everyone know!

 

Speaking of, I didn't know the default for the advanced launcher tool was so low (5000). If you've got a pretty good machine you'd probably be okay with that value as-is. Almost definitely enough to stop the crazy dips without nuking the quality in my own experience. Would only really go lower if you have to. I used to run a much higher value, as by default the higher end graphics options in-game would set it to an unlimited 0 value as I recall. Caused all kinds of crazy dips until you put a reasonable limit in place.

 

Believe I used to run it at 10000. Which caused dips but they were far more reasonable. Anything past that was a bit annoying, I think, I haven't actively played in forever but I doubt that's changed. That or I'm remembering it completely wrong. I might be. Anyway, thank you again for posting this @Mitne. Seems like it's helped out a lot of people!

[Mitne 724]

11 hours ago, Genobee said:

Never really occurred to me that not too many people know about this. Thank you for letting everyone know!

 

Speaking of, I didn't know the default for the advanced launcher tool was so low (5000). If you've got a pretty good machine you'd probably be okay with that value as-is. Almost definitely enough to stop the crazy dips without nuking the quality in my own experience. Would only really go lower if you have to. I used to run a much higher value, as by default the higher end graphics options in-game would set it to an unlimited 0 value as I recall. Caused all kinds of crazy dips until you put a reasonable limit in place.

 

Believe I used to run it at 10000. Which caused dips but they were far more reasonable. Anything past that was a bit annoying, I think, I haven't actively played in forever but I doubt that's changed. That or I'm remembering it completely wrong. I might be. Anyway, thank you again for posting this @Mitne. Seems like it's helped out a lot of people!

Well it was just a bit of experimenting on my side just to find way to play in prototype gungame without this horrible dips (about which threads showed up suddenly - I even left some post in them).

 

In normal circumstances - sure. 5000 is okey. This though were hardly normal circumstances in prototype district and many players (among them me) were rightfully angry about tier 3 and tier 5 FPS dips (weaker PC pretty much got guaranteed single digit numbers of FPS, stronger considerable dips on bordercore "playable" FPS count - if 15 fps is considered "playable"). Volcano NFAS generated 10 volcano rockets + effects related to them while flare gun fired shittons of firework-like flares - stack it up to 20-30 players in constant fights and you got recipe for particle FPS dips. Add that to small sized beacon and at 5000 range every single explosion within district had to be counted by CPU while 32-bit architecture of game limited resources usable by game to do that.

 

After event players can simply set it back up if they really want but if they experinced FPS dips at for example FC districts - they should consider having lower range for particles to play.

 

Btw. you are welcome.

Edited June 27, 2020 by Mitne

[USPStyle 10]

On 6/25/2020 at 9:05 AM, Kevkof said:

Thx, but I didn't make it. I just made a shortlink to the official download. 

All credits go to @USPStyle for the launcher

Glad it's still useful.

On 6/25/2020 at 9:05 AM, Mitne said:

Changing.

Thanks for info. I made oopsie in research.

Your research probably didn't go back 7 years lol

On 6/25/2020 at 12:55 PM, Sakebee said:

Hey guys!

 

I wanted to jump in and make sure there wasn't any confusion regarding our stance on the advanced launcher. Using the advanced launcher that we have hosted (and/or is available from https://kevkof.be/advancedlauncher ) is okay. We have verified the code in this version and it is the only accepted version of the advanced launcher. You use any other versions at your own risk, as we can't guarantee that something which is against our TOS hasn't been added.

 

That said, if you are using the accepted version of the launcher, all settings within that launcher are okay. Eventually we want to phase out the need for the launcher by providing better options within the client itself, but until that point we want you guys to have the best play experience possible.

Pretty much the last version I made. The only other one out there is one that fixed server status but that one only fixed it for a short time so meh lol.

Also if you seen the code my apologies as it is a bit of a mess...

On 6/26/2020 at 3:28 PM, Genobee said:

Never really occurred to me that not too many people know about this. Thank you for letting everyone know!

 

Speaking of, I didn't know the default for the advanced launcher tool was so low (5000). If you've got a pretty good machine you'd probably be okay with that value as-is. Almost definitely enough to stop the crazy dips without nuking the quality in my own experience. Would only really go lower if you have to. I used to run a much higher value, as by default the higher end graphics options in-game would set it to an unlimited 0 value as I recall. Caused all kinds of crazy dips until you put a reasonable limit in place.

 

Believe I used to run it at 10000. Which caused dips but they were far more reasonable. Anything past that was a bit annoying, I think, I haven't actively played in forever but I doubt that's changed. That or I'm remembering it completely wrong. I might be. Anyway, thank you again for posting this @Mitne. Seems like it's helped out a lot of people!

Just looked I made the original in like 2013 pretty much just celebrated it's 7th birthday. It's so old that I could imagine newer people don't know about it.

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by USPStyle