Ever since the 11.5 update with the introduction of the new skill tree and another secondary specialization the power related lag in this game seems to be back with a vengeance. My friends and I consider it even worse than it was 1-1,5 years ago. Misfiring gravity wells, full CD on Evasive Maneuvers upon activation with our starships remaining steady and entire map freezes when someone engages Focused Frenzy. The latter we can basically coordinate over team speak and it takes multiple seconds to resolve.
At the moment some of the engaging maps like Hive Onslaught, Infected Space and Crystalline Catastrophe are as close to unplayable as it gets the moment multiple maxed out players meet on the same instance and start using their powers.
Are the Devs aware of the situation and have plans to clear it up? Is it best to regularly check, reddit, twitter, facebook and the daily television news or could we please get info about it here?
What about the rest of the community? How has your STO experience been the past two weeks the moment you team for some intense PvE action?
Trying to get more details on this (and for anyone who is NOT experiencing any bad game performance, please respond as well):
What do you typically do in game?
Do you run any Ground STF's with a team?
Do you run any Space STF's with a team?
Do you play any missions with a team?
Do you join any Red Alerts where you participate with others?
Do you PvP? If so, where/which map?
Please discuss and thanks for any participation in advance.
Pete Connor
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
Not had any lag problems at all myself. Could it be a regional thing?
While most parts of the game run rather smooth (social zones, stories), the trouble really only starts when you are in a PvE instance with likeminded players that make the best use of the available skill powers. The server seems to have a hard time handling that. I was the same a year ago when new, especially team interacting, abilities kept on being introduced.
What makes me worried is that with so few peeps left in game that tend to engaging team PvE this could be handled by cryptic like a niche problem (so not at all).
Post edited by peterconnorfirst on
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I never thought about that console in particular but now that you mention it… those 2 of mine 9 toons that make use of it the most seem to experience lag the most.
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Not sure if the sci ult adds to it too, it's a fair bit of debuffing being added. Certainly noticed it with FF activation. I've done runs where things like vortex would not activate at all, either from key or clicky activation attempts. Please do something about this devs, there's only so much space barbie, exchange PvP and doff manager one can do before just going sod it and logging off.
Definitely had issues with misfiring boff powers, grav well, DRB, torp spread. Also had some issues where when starting a run server all powers are on max cool down before I've even fired them, it's almost like the game thinks they've been used when they've not (things like resonance beam, attack patterns). The speed of some runs these days means those wasted seconds trying to get powers to activate can really TRIBBLE up your run. Not really noticed any major lag with the gameplay apart from the UI not responding too well. I'm guessing the sheer number of passive and clicks powers going on at the same time is starting to get heavy on the game performance.
Yep...Frenzy is a real issue. FWA from the Tac Flagship Console can also be a problem in terms of lag. Team-wide haste abilities can really turn runs into slideshows at times. Lag, firing cycles being interrupted, abilities misfiring; these seem to be the main symptoms.
Team-wide haste abilities can really turn runs into slideshows at times.
I concur. This is reminiscent of the Kemocite lag we used to get when that ability was still double-proc'ing. It's like the game can't cope with all the haste sources and the calculations it needs to do per shot fired.
Not sure if the sci ult adds to it too, it's a fair bit of debuffing being added. Certainly noticed it with FF activation. I've done runs where things like vortex would not activate at all, either from key or clicky activation attempts. Please do something about this devs, there's only so much space barbie, exchange PvP and doff manager one can do before just going sod it and logging off.
Definitely had issues with misfiring boff powers, grav well, DRB, torp spread.
Also had some issues where when starting a run server all powers are on max cool down before I've even fired them, it's almost like the game thinks they've been used when they've not (things like resonance beam, attack patterns).
The speed of some runs these days means those wasted seconds trying to get powers to activate can really TRIBBLE up your run.
Not really noticed any major lag with the gameplay apart from the UI not responding too well.
I'm guessing the sheer number of passive and clicks powers going on at the same time is starting to get heavy on the game performance.
Thanks for the comment guys.
On one of my more sci heavy builds I think I noticed it as well. Perhaps it’s the new control amplification. It has similar effects like AP beta has when distributed by fire at will. This time we just distribute it each time we use our science powers. Depending where we use them we easily cover the same number of targets simultaneously, perhaps even many more in CCA for example. Things just keep on adding up there by 10 players…
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
I get absolutely no actual game lag at all and I still see this happen.
The game runs totally smooth, no skipping.. no rubber banding.. none of the typical things you see with lag. However, there are times when I click a power 2, 3, or even 4 times and it just won't fire. The game just doesn't register me clicking it and it's annoying as hell. Especially if you're in a fragile escort, you're at 12% hull, taking heavy fire and you want to click Go Down Fighting and pop your Aux2Sif/Engineering Team, etc and the power just won't activate.
This problem existed heavily right after Delta Rising and was eventually fixed. It does seem that 1l.5 has brought it back. I don't have it happen as bad as I did right after DR, but it's still an obvious and annoying problem.
Some of the stfs work alright, or at least a level of lag I've come to expect and work around, but cca is nothing but a flashing stuttering slide show since the launch. The powers seem fun and I'm interested to explore and try other variations but I haven't even bothered with picking skills on the rest of my characters because, well, it's not fun at all to play at the moment. Skills revamp might have seemed like a good way to attract new players or reduce the intelligence needed to pick a functional "tree" but it's kind of saying at this point: look!! New shiny features! Aren't they great! But then you realize they don't work and you can't enjoy them. On a side note I've noticed I'm gambling on lock boxes more than usual. Nothing like going to the casino when you e nothing else to do haha. Might have been the plan all along, Idk.
By far, the biggest issues seems to be haste abilities and abilities that stack when you shoot a target. Timeline stabilizer can cause an issue while fleet weapons accelerator is worse. Focused assault has caused us problems in the past so we have dropped it, but focused frenzy is pretty much a perfect storm of lag causing abilities. Frenzy is a stacking teamwide haste buff. Click that guy and watch your weapon fire drop to zero.
It kind of hurts Cryptic's new skill tree launch. They want us to experiment with different things, but people who have invested into the tac ultimate can't use it. We could respec, but I am saving my free one until they swing the nerf bat on currently over-performing abilities.
On a side note I've noticed I'm gambling on lock boxes more than usual. Nothing like going to the casino when you e nothing else to do haha. Might have been the plan all along, Idk.
For me it is Kerbal Space Program and forum pvp. I would like to play, the current lag won't let me.
The system has been fine for me. No issues. I did have issues with the crawler mines ut I got past that on my last FE run through. I really don't see why all the negativity.
Defending The Galaxy By Breaking One Starfleet Regulation After The Next.
This game generates cash by selling a ton of abilities that you can use simultaneously, and those abilities largely involve lots of small things happening all at once. If this game's available abilities were based on balance rather than on the need to sell a new lockbox every month, and if those abilities were more along the lines of "cast a fireball every two seconds" rather than "fire 200 cannon bolts every second," we wouldn't be facing this problem.
This game generates cash by selling a ton of abilities that you can use simultaneously, and those abilities largely involve lots of small things happening all at once. If this game's available abilities were based on balance rather than on the need to sell a new lockbox every month, and if those abilities were more along the lines of "cast a fireball every two seconds" rather than "fire 200 cannon bolts every second," we wouldn't be facing this problem.
We´re living in 2016 and not the Stone Age for crying out loud...
This has barely anything to do with Computing Power or overly Complex Simulation, if you havent noticed it yet, STO isnt exactly a Simulator, there are no 200 cannon bolts simulated and computed or anything of that sort.
Its simply optimization and bugs causing this.
Happened before, got fixed, now it happens again and hopefully will get fixed too.
This game generates cash by selling a ton of abilities that you can use simultaneously, and those abilities largely involve lots of small things happening all at once. If this game's available abilities were based on balance rather than on the need to sell a new lockbox every month, and if those abilities were more along the lines of "cast a fireball every two seconds" rather than "fire 200 cannon bolts every second," we wouldn't be facing this problem.
We´re living in 2016 and not the Stone Age for crying out loud...
This has barely anything to do with Computing Power or overly Complex Simulation, if you havent noticed it yet, STO isnt exactly a Simulator, there are no 200 cannon bolts simulated and computed or anything of that sort.
Its simply optimization and bugs causing this.
Happened before, got fixed, now it happens again and hopefully will get fixed too.
There certainly are a vast number of cannon bolts simulated and computed. When someone hits CRF or CSV and activates five dual cannons and three turrets, each of those projectiles has a chance to proc any of several abilities that the player may have, each one of which must be rolled on. I don't recall seeing such displays of weaponry on the shows, even during the Dominion War, but that's how STO turned out.
Contrast that with WoW and its clones, where characters have an autoattack plus an ability every second or two. STO's ground combat is like that, but ground combat is the red-headed stepchild in this game because you can't fly a lockbox on ground missions. What's the last time you lagged out due to ability overload on a ground mission?
The only time I get lot's of lag, is when I visit New Romulus.
Doesn't matter if I am on the planet surface, or in the command building, it just lags really bad.
The only time it stops is when I go down to the ship area or beam up to space..
Same here, but that's due to your computer having trouble rendering complex graphics rather than to delays in communication between your computer and the server.
New Romulus and Risa have lots of shadows. If you turn shadows off entirely like I did, you'll eliminate a major performance bottleneck.
The only time I get lot's of lag, is when I visit New Romulus.
Doesn't matter if I am on the planet surface, or in the command building, it just lags really bad.
The only time it stops is when I go down to the ship area or beam up to space..
Same here, but that's due to your computer having trouble rendering complex graphics rather than to delays in communication between your computer and the server.
New Romulus and Risa have lots of shadows. If you turn shadows off entirely like I did, you'll eliminate a major performance bottleneck.
Hmm, I will have to check that out, as I have no problems in other zones..
I use both timeline stabilizer and frenzy and both characters have seen no problems.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "We think we've come so far. Torture of heretics, burning of witches, it's all ancient history. Then - before you can blink an eye - suddenly it threatens to start all over again."
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
I use both timeline stabilizer and frenzy and both characters have seen no problems.
This can be done on lower performance toons in pug queues. Once you start using a lot of powers in a more logical combinations, things grind to a stand still and the entire instance gets to do the rubber band dance. This problem is multiplied when there is more than one higher dps person in a run.
Hey guys, first of all thanks a lot for participating in this thread.
After a couple of dozen PvE over the weekend with pugs, friends, fleet mates and fellow DPSer I made myself a simple lag likeliness quick check. 3 performance players on team seem to be the magic number here. Stay below that and have fun, pick more and break. It’s as simple as that. I also noticed the lag probability a bit higher in EU primetime.
If all the haste abilities that have been pointed out are indeed responsible for this then I’m afraid I have bad news because we have some more lag coming up.
Comments
While most parts of the game run rather smooth (social zones, stories), the trouble really only starts when you are in a PvE instance with likeminded players that make the best use of the available skill powers. The server seems to have a hard time handling that. I was the same a year ago when new, especially team interacting, abilities kept on being introduced.
What makes me worried is that with so few peeps left in game that tend to engaging team PvE this could be handled by cryptic like a niche problem (so not at all).
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
| USS Curiosity - Pathfinder | USS Rift - Eternal |
The Science Ship Build Thread - Share your Sci Ship builds here!
"Use Temporal Skills to NERF EVERYTHING before it happened!" -Unknown source.
Ouch!
I never thought about that console in particular but now that you mention it… those 2 of mine 9 toons that make use of it the most seem to experience lag the most.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
Also had some issues where when starting a run server all powers are on max cool down before I've even fired them, it's almost like the game thinks they've been used when they've not (things like resonance beam, attack patterns).
The speed of some runs these days means those wasted seconds trying to get powers to activate can really TRIBBLE up your run.
Not really noticed any major lag with the gameplay apart from the UI not responding too well.
I'm guessing the sheer number of passive and clicks powers going on at the same time is starting to get heavy on the game performance.
I concur. This is reminiscent of the Kemocite lag we used to get when that ability was still double-proc'ing. It's like the game can't cope with all the haste sources and the calculations it needs to do per shot fired.
| USS Curiosity - Pathfinder | USS Rift - Eternal |
The Science Ship Build Thread - Share your Sci Ship builds here!
Thanks for the comment guys.
On one of my more sci heavy builds I think I noticed it as well. Perhaps it’s the new control amplification. It has similar effects like AP beta has when distributed by fire at will. This time we just distribute it each time we use our science powers. Depending where we use them we easily cover the same number of targets simultaneously, perhaps even many more in CCA for example. Things just keep on adding up there by 10 players…
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
The game runs totally smooth, no skipping.. no rubber banding.. none of the typical things you see with lag. However, there are times when I click a power 2, 3, or even 4 times and it just won't fire. The game just doesn't register me clicking it and it's annoying as hell. Especially if you're in a fragile escort, you're at 12% hull, taking heavy fire and you want to click Go Down Fighting and pop your Aux2Sif/Engineering Team, etc and the power just won't activate.
This problem existed heavily right after Delta Rising and was eventually fixed. It does seem that 1l.5 has brought it back. I don't have it happen as bad as I did right after DR, but it's still an obvious and annoying problem.
Skills revamp might have seemed like a good way to attract new players or reduce the intelligence needed to pick a functional "tree" but it's kind of saying at this point: look!! New shiny features! Aren't they great! But then you realize they don't work and you can't enjoy them.
On a side note I've noticed I'm gambling on lock boxes more than usual. Nothing like going to the casino when you e nothing else to do haha. Might have been the plan all along, Idk.
It kind of hurts Cryptic's new skill tree launch. They want us to experiment with different things, but people who have invested into the tac ultimate can't use it. We could respec, but I am saving my free one until they swing the nerf bat on currently over-performing abilities.
For me it is Kerbal Space Program and forum pvp. I would like to play, the current lag won't let me.
Defending The Galaxy By Breaking One Starfleet Regulation After The Next.
This has barely anything to do with Computing Power or overly Complex Simulation, if you havent noticed it yet, STO isnt exactly a Simulator, there are no 200 cannon bolts simulated and computed or anything of that sort.
Its simply optimization and bugs causing this.
Happened before, got fixed, now it happens again and hopefully will get fixed too.
There certainly are a vast number of cannon bolts simulated and computed. When someone hits CRF or CSV and activates five dual cannons and three turrets, each of those projectiles has a chance to proc any of several abilities that the player may have, each one of which must be rolled on. I don't recall seeing such displays of weaponry on the shows, even during the Dominion War, but that's how STO turned out.
Contrast that with WoW and its clones, where characters have an autoattack plus an ability every second or two. STO's ground combat is like that, but ground combat is the red-headed stepchild in this game because you can't fly a lockbox on ground missions. What's the last time you lagged out due to ability overload on a ground mission?
Doesn't matter if I am on the planet surface, or in the command building, it just lags really bad.
The only time it stops is when I go down to the ship area or beam up to space..
Same here, but that's due to your computer having trouble rendering complex graphics rather than to delays in communication between your computer and the server.
New Romulus and Risa have lots of shadows. If you turn shadows off entirely like I did, you'll eliminate a major performance bottleneck.
Hmm, I will have to check that out, as I have no problems in other zones..
Thanks for the tip!
What exploits?
| USS Curiosity - Pathfinder | USS Rift - Eternal |
The Science Ship Build Thread - Share your Sci Ship builds here!
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
This can be done on lower performance toons in pug queues. Once you start using a lot of powers in a more logical combinations, things grind to a stand still and the entire instance gets to do the rubber band dance. This problem is multiplied when there is more than one higher dps person in a run.
Completely locked out of the game.
After a couple of dozen PvE over the weekend with pugs, friends, fleet mates and fellow DPSer I made myself a simple lag likeliness quick check. 3 performance players on team seem to be the magic number here. Stay below that and have fun, pick more and break. It’s as simple as that. I also noticed the lag probability a bit higher in EU primetime.
If all the haste abilities that have been pointed out are indeed responsible for this then I’m afraid I have bad news because we have some more lag coming up.
From last tribble patch notes:
It would be dull if my lag-likeliness-quick-check-number would turn out to be 1 after it. I guess we find out next week…
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.