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Forums > Home› Star Trek Online General Discussion

Hiding the HUD-UI (ALT+F12) gives GREAT performance boost!!!

plaztikman64plaztikman64 Member Posts: 725 Arc User
edited December 2014 in Star Trek Online General Discussion
So I've got a rather old system, not the worst in the world but still, I'm always happy to get some more FPS here and there. Now, I know about this shortcut for a long time and was curious, how can a HUD-UI draw so much performance out of my system? It's like day & night... enabled, I have got like 30- 40 FPS max... but disabled, its like three to four times more FPS... I don't bother to actually check the numbers really... the question is, why...

WHY does a has to be like that & is there any way to improve it? Can we have some tools to tweak the HUD-UI? Make it look worse but gain performance in return? PRETTY PLEASE :o
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • lebtronlebtron Member Posts: 296 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    Noticed this on my old machine too, the UI eats up a lot of performance. Shutting it off, gives a great boost.

    Most lags in game I do not get by fighting enemies, but by speaking to the boff trainer. Thats really weird.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • hyplhypl Member Posts: 3,719 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    It's been like this for a looong time, probably since launch. The UI definitely needs fixing under the hood. I'm tired of unnecessary framerate drops just because I'm browsing my reputation tracks, looking up foundry missions, or setting skill points.
    HyperLimited - UNUSED ROMULAN NOTIFICATIONS
    cNpFfly.jpg
  • cecil08cecil08 Member Posts: 163 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    With the latest patch, my framerate drops every time I press "K" and go into my skills.

    Hopefully Cryptic can look into this.
  • plaztikman64plaztikman64 Member Posts: 725 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    Yeah it really needs an overhaul. Question is though, is there actually any room left for improvements, performance wise? Or do we really have to accept the fact that at some areas, it gets even worse, and we do have to wait a few seconds after we've clicked at something, in order to continue? I really hope for some more love on this matter from the devs :rolleyes:
  • blakes7tvseriesblakes7tvseries Member Posts: 704 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    Great tip I will pass it along.
    download.jpg
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    A couple of the maps in DQ really brought me to a crawl...I just chaulked it up to failure to optimize...can't turn off the Ul, I'd have no moles to whack in combat, and all of my ships are different.

    Outside of those few DQ mission maps, mine runs like a top (when the server is up anyway)
  • swatopswatop Member Posts: 566 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    The UI is pressed messed up since S7.
    Even on pretty good hardware you noticed massive problems with the interface and performance.
    I know many people which can only play the game if they turn off the interface completely.
  • simeion1simeion1 Member Posts: 898 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    Have you tried hiding some parts of your UI, might be able to put a bare bones UI setup together.
    320x240.jpg
  • cruzistcruzist Member Posts: 163 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    generalklang wrote: »
    A couple of the maps in DQ really brought me to a crawl...I just chaulked it up to failure to optimize...can't turn off the Ul, I'd have no moles to whack in combat, and all of my ships are different.

    For these maps, try turning down the display resolution in OPTIONS - DISPLAY.
  • plaztikman64plaztikman64 Member Posts: 725 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    swatop wrote: »
    The UI is pressed messed up since S7.
    Even on pretty good hardware you noticed massive problems with the interface and performance.
    I know many people which can only play the game if they turn off the interface completely.

    yeah i've tried that as well today, changed it to ALT+C for quicker access but it's still no solution really because it is impossible to interact or see important informations like enemy health and such. Like you've said, it's gotten worse with every other patch and personally, some of the new DR missions are almost unplayable...
  • kerfokerfo Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    This has been something that has apparently been a problem in multiple MMOs. (Although, STO does specifically have some very bad UI problems, not excluding that fact.) Often times I have noticed most of this performance issue may often relate to the power tray with abilities.

    This power tray performance problem I have seen in others as well and it often relates to actually having abilities within the tray. In other words, empty out the powers tray completely and you may notice a boost in performance. (Switching tray number may not always work.)

    What's more unfortunate is this will go to the fact that you won't be able to use any abilities during combat, which makes a severely conflicting solution to the problem.

    I have had a few occurrences of this performance drop in the game. I even started hiding all the other things on the screen, yet nothing worked. It all led back to the fact that the power tray being the last of things still there. So, like in other games, it is most likely the culprit.
    STO forum term definitions for newbies: Piloting Skill: That thing you do where you fly around and avoid big scary green plasma balls of death. Pressing F and spacebar may also relate to skill. Taco: A very sacred thing. Do not speak I'll of the Taco or things will happen. Terrible things! Humor: Something not found here. Don't bring it. This forum is serious business. Fun: Something illegal. Don't have it and don't bring it
  • rsoblivionrsoblivion Member Posts: 809 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    Well for some hard numbers, without UI I have 107 FPS @ Romulan Command at the Exchange desk.

    With UI and no windows I have 77 FPS (30 FPS for just the basic UI???)

    With Reputation Screen open (nothing else) it's down to 22/23 FPS.

    That's horrendous at best...

    PC Specs:

    CPU - i7 3930K @ 4.25GHz
    RAM - 16GB RAM @ 2000 MHz
    GFX - R9 290 OC @ stock
    HD's - OS on Intel SSD and STO on WD Black Edition 1TB

    So the PC isn't exactly a slouch ;)
    Chris Robert's on SC:
    "You don't have to do something again and again and again repetitive that doesn't have much challange, that's just a general good gameplay thing."
  • bobbydazlersbobbydazlers Member Posts: 4,534 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    all very well but unless you have a photographic memory its very dificult to access all the tray icons and other functions without the hud present, theres far to many to remember them all and and the keyboard hotkeys that activate them, especially when your in the heat of battle and every second counts between success and failure.

    if it wasnt for the hud i would never be able to play the game beyond the most basic elements.

    its bad enough sometimes when i accidentally hit some never used hotkey combo and then spend ages trying to work out what i have done.

    even one time funnily enough accidentally hit ALT+F12 and took me nearly 1 hour to find out how to get the hud back.

    When I think about everything we've been through together,

    maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,

     and if that journey takes a little longer,

    so we can do something we all believe in,

     I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.

  • lan451lan451 Member Posts: 3,386 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    I often do this when running around from place to place or flying in sector space. Set a destination and then turn the horrible UI off. It always amazes me how much of a performance boost I get when I turn it off.

    STO desperately needs a full UI overhaul, and not one to just make it look pretty. Everything from performance to usability (exchange in particular) needs to be redone. The way that your users interface with your game can boost or harm the gameplay experience. STO's UI, in my opinion, significantly harms the experience. Particularly from a performance point of view.

    Redo all of it.
    JWZrsUV.jpg
    Mine Trap Supporter
  • rsoblivionrsoblivion Member Posts: 809 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    I'd be happy to redesign it, as long as there's a paycheck in it for me. Not going to do it for free ;)
    Chris Robert's on SC:
    "You don't have to do something again and again and again repetitive that doesn't have much challange, that's just a general good gameplay thing."
  • lan451lan451 Member Posts: 3,386 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    Here's a pic I saw someone post the other day about it:

    http://i.imgur.com/LaaNnZv.png

    Amazing, no?
    JWZrsUV.jpg
    Mine Trap Supporter
  • rsoblivionrsoblivion Member Posts: 809 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    lan451 wrote: »
    I often do this when running around from place to place or flying in sector space. Set a destination and then turn the horrible UI off. It always amazes me how much of a performance boost I get when I turn it off.

    STO desperately needs a full UI overhaul, and not one to just make it look pretty. Everything from performance to usability (exchange in particular) needs to be redone. The way that your users interface with your game can boost or harm the gameplay experience. STO's UI, in my opinion, significantly harms the experience. Particularly from a performance point of view.

    Redo all of it.
    lan451 wrote: »
    Here's a pic I saw someone post the other day about it:

    http://i.imgur.com/LaaNnZv.png

    Amazing, no?

    It's amazing it got to this state. It's not the number of beams or ships, but the damn UI that's preventing things working right. I don't know how they managed to do that!
    Chris Robert's on SC:
    "You don't have to do something again and again and again repetitive that doesn't have much challange, that's just a general good gameplay thing."
  • tgo533tgo533 Member Posts: 192 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    Most of my lag was solved when i removed every damage floating number besides my own. Those numbers were what was nose diving my cpu anytime i entered battle. Its the number one thing that fixed a lot. I would be nice to see those numbers, but its better to see what i am shooting at.
  • plaztikman64plaztikman64 Member Posts: 725 Arc User
    edited November 2014
    tgo533 wrote: »
    Most of my lag was solved when i removed every damage floating number besides my own. Those numbers were what was nose diving my cpu anytime i entered battle. Its the number one thing that fixed a lot. I would be nice to see those numbers, but its better to see what i am shooting at.

    Already tried that too, didn't changed that much though and like you, I'd like to see them infos too every now and then.
    lan451 wrote: »
    Here's a pic I saw someone post the other day about it:

    http://i.imgur.com/LaaNnZv.png

    Amazing, no?

    That's insane and exactly what it feels like for me as soon as i turn off the hud. Turbo button anyone? ^^
  • joshmaaaaaaansjoshmaaaaaaans Member Posts: 32 Arc User
    edited December 2014
    Bump.

    Plox fix.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • hyplhypl Member Posts: 3,719 Arc User
    edited December 2014
    Took this yesterday. lol

    I think I'm going to start playing without the UI from now on.
    HyperLimited - UNUSED ROMULAN NOTIFICATIONS
    cNpFfly.jpg
  • lan451lan451 Member Posts: 3,386 Arc User
    edited December 2014
    I've tried playing with the UI off a few times before. I found it to be doable while playing solo since I don't have to pay much attention to my cd timers. Group play didn't work so well since I really do need to pay attention to my timers so that things go smoothly.
    JWZrsUV.jpg
    Mine Trap Supporter
  • equinox976equinox976 Member Posts: 2,305 Arc User
    edited December 2014
    The trouble is most developers do not know how to code anymore. Everything they create is bloated and takes up far more resources than is necessary. This is partially down to the availability of cheap storage space and internet bandwidth which means efficiency is no longer paramount - but its also down to pure laziness too.
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