Terrain LOD transition : IV

» Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:21 pm

On my old PC, I was able to set uGridsToLoad to 11 before seeing any noticeable problems. Now, for some reason, I can't even set it to 7. This ensures I can't load decent quality mesh and texture information unless it shows up right in front of me. What's interesting about this is once the resources are loaded, they continue to show up until I am much farther away before the lower quality meshes are loaded again. When I explore Tamriel, I have to endure terribad transitions all the time, such as going from http://yfrog.com/13screenshot1yyj to http://yfrog.com/1qscreenshot2szj. Sometimes it happens with the IC. I'm wondering if there is any mod that could remedy this problem... Or maybe one of my mods is doing it?

The relevant INI settings (to the best of my knowledge) are:

uGridsToLoad=5
uInterior Cell Buffer=16
uExterior Cell Buffer=102
iPreloadSizeLimit=262144000
bBackgroundCellLoads=1
bUseBackgroundFileLoader=0 (this was said to cause instability)

Oblivion - Textures - Compressed.bsa has been repackaged uncompressed.
Oblivion - Meshes.bsa has been PyFFI'd and packaged into a separate BSA uncompressed.

My load order:

Spoiler

00 Oblivion.esm
01 All Natural Base.esm [Version 0.9.9]
02 Francesco's Leveled Creatures-Items Mod.esm
03 Francesco's Optional New Items Add-On.esm
04 Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm [Version 1.34]
05 Mart's Monster Mod.esm [Version 3.7b3p3]
06 FCOM_Convergence.esm [Version 0.9.9MB3]
07 Kvatch Rebuilt.esm
08 TNR ALL RACES FINAL.esp
09 TNR - ShiveringIsles.esp
0A Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp [Version 3.2.0]
0B UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp [Version 1.0.0]
0C Oblivion Citadel Door Fix.esp
0D DLCShiveringIsles.esp
0E Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch.esp [Version 1.4.0]
0F MMM.esp
10 Francesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Bosses.esp
11 Francesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Enemies.esp
12 Francesco's Optional Chance of More Enemies.esp
13 Francesco's Optional Leveled Guards.esp
++ FCOM_Francescos.esp [Version 0.9.9]
++ FCOM_FrancescosItemsAddOn.esp [Version 0.9.9]
14 FCOM_FrancescosNamedBosses.esp [Version 0.9.9]
** LoadingScreens.esp
15 All Natural - Real Lights.esp [Version 0.9.9]
16 All Natural.esp [Version 0.9.9]
17 All Natural - SI.esp [Version 0.9.9]
++ All Natural - EW + AWS.esp [Version Final]
++ Symphony of Violence.esp
18 MIS Low Wind.esp
19 MIS New Sounds Optional Part.esp
1A Atmospheric Oblivion.esp
1B Map Marker Overhaul.esp [Version 3.4]
1C Map Marker Overhaul - SI additions.esp [Version 3.0.2]
1D DLCHorseArmor.esp
1E DLCHorseArmor - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.5]
1F DLCOrrery.esp
20 DLCOrrery - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.3]
21 DLCVileLair.esp
22 DLCVileLair - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.5]
23 DLCMehrunesRazor.esp
24 DLCMehrunesRazor - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.4]
25 DLCSpellTomes.esp
++ DLCSpellTomes - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.1]
26 DLCThievesDen.esp
27 DLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.5]
28 DLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch - SSSB.esp [Version 1.0.4]
29 Oblivion WarCry EV.esp
2A FCOM_WarCry.esp [Version 0.9.9MB3]
2B Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esp [Version 1.34]
2C OBSE-Storms & Sound SI.esp
2D FCOM_Convergence.esp [Version 0.9.9Mb3]
++ Fransfemale.esp
++ EVE_StockEquipmentReplacer4FCOM.esp
2E Kvatch Rebuilt.esp
++ Kvatch Rebuilt - OOO Compatibility.esp
2F Kvatch Rebuilt - Leveled Guards - FCOM.esp
30 DLCBattlehornCastle.esp
31 DLCBattlehornCastle - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.4]
32 DLCFrostcrag.esp
33 DLCFrostcrag - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.4]
34 Knights.esp
35 Knights - Unofficial Patch.esp [Version 1.0.9]
++ EVE_KnightsoftheNine.esp
++ FCOM_Knights.esp [Version 0.9.9Mb3]
36 Harvest [Flora].esp [Version 3.0.0]
++ Harvest [Flora] - Shivering Isles.esp [Version 3.0.0]
++ Harvest [Flora] - DLCVileLair.esp [Version 3.0.0]
37 Harvest [Flora] - DLCFrostcrag.esp [Version 3.0.0]
38 EVE_ShiveringIslesEasterEggs.esp
39 Quest Award Leveller.esp
++ Quest Award Leveller - Battlehorn Castle.esp
++ Quest Award Leveller - Vile Lair.esp
++ Quest Award Leveller - Mehrunes Razor.esp
++ Quest Award Leveller - Knights of the Nine.esp
3A Alternate Start Revamped.esp
3B SupremeMagicka.esp [Version 0.90]
3C SM_ShiveringIsles.esp [Version 0.86]
++ SM_DLCSpellTome.esp [Version 0.80]
++ SM_OOO.esp [Version 0.89]
++ SM_MMM.esp [Version 0.89]
++ SM_UnlockSpells.esp [Version 0.70]
++ SM_Scrolls.esp [Version 0.84]
3D Oblivion XP.esp [Version 4.1.5]
++ EVE_KhajiitFix.esp
** All Natural - Indoor Weather Filter For Mods.esp [Version 0.9.9]
3E Bashed Patch, 0.esp
3F TES4LODGen.esp
(This is a dummy ESP to load the DistantLOD BSA I created.
I don't much like 4.6 megs consuming 728 megs of allocation space, and cluttering up my indexes.)

In addition, I have OSR and weOCPS installed. QTP, RAEVWD, and other world enhancers are not installed.

Could anyone offer some insight?

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 12:47 am

What are your system specs, and what are you trying to do? What is you uGridDistantCount?

Edit: TOPP - http://sites.google.com/site/ballofflame/theoblivionperformanceproject <-- You may want to read the INI edits section here.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 5:58 am

uInterior Cell Buffer=3 ; leave it at that
uExterior Cell Buffer=72 ; maximum I'd recommend

» Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:54 pm

Generally useless to mess with most ini settings. The buffer ones mentioned here do have an effect but are usually detrimental to game performance. uGridsToLoad should never be raised above 5 due to serious bugs it causes.

Basically it boils down to the LOD issue being something you just have to learn to live with if you value a stable game.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:11 am

Generally useless to mess with most ini settings. The buffer ones mentioned here do have an effect but are usually detrimental to game performance. uGridsToLoad should never be raised above 5 due to serious bugs it causes.

Basically it boils down to the LOD issue being something you just have to learn to live with if you value a stable game.

The TOPP site gives a more detailed explanation of the problem with modifying the cell buffer settings as well.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 4:10 am

What are your system specs, and what are you trying to do? What is you uGridDistantCount?

Edit: TOPP - http://sites.google.com/site/ballofflame/theoblivionperformanceproject <-- You may want to read the INI edits section here.

Further tweaked my INI settings. No change.

My uGridDistantCount is reduced to 20.

My system is this:

Win7x64
Q6600 @ 3.0GHz
8GB PC2-6400
8800GT (256MB

)

I run textures at medium so I don't run out of VRAM. I've so far never exceeded ~185MB texture memory (~300 at high).

As to what I am trying to do, it should be fairly obvious. Everything in oblivion is running smoothly, and I have more than enough resources to spare. No stuttering, lagging, crashing, or anything of that nature. I just want the damn landscape to be pre-loaded like it should be. If the landscape is perfectly fine when it's loaded, and remains perfectly fine after moving away several times the distance, then it isn't pre-loading. I'd like that to be resolved. It's simple resource handling.

» Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:48 pm

If the landscape is perfectly fine when it's loaded, and remains perfectly fine after moving away several times the distance, then it isn't pre-loading. I'd like that to be resolved. It's simple resource handling.

What you ask the game simply cannot deliver without problems. You can either raise your uGridsToLoad and deal with the bugs, or you can play at the default setting and live with what comes of it. There isn't a magic cure for what you're seeing because it isn't actually a problem. It's exactly how things were designed to work.

You need to keep in mind this game was released in 2006, likely in development for 3 years prior to that, making it probably some sort of sick hybrid of 2003-2006 technology. PCs back then weren't capable of the awesome things they are now and making Oblivion behave like Crysis would require it to use a different engine, or be updated to a more recent version of the one it has. Neither of which is happening. The game is > 5 years old. That's all there is to it.

I know some people don't want to hear that or won't accept it, but reality is what it is.

» Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:46 pm

And besides, some of the better compromises (IMO) are not going to run - and allow you your sanity - with a 256MB GPU.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:00 am

On my old PC, I was able to set uGridsToLoad to 11 before seeing any noticeable problems.

Consider yourself extremely lucky. If you raise that setting to anything higher than 5, you're just asking for problems in this game. I'd take Arthmoor's advice and just learn to live with it. Or play Fallout 3. That game engine is optimized a bit better so raising that setting isn't the issue that it is with Oblivion.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 2:51 am

I'll have to try that some time. I wonder if they fixed the bouncing landscape bug in FO3? I somehow doubt it, but we can wish

Maybe it'll be something that gets fixed in TES V.

» Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:17 pm

I'll have to try that some time. I wonder if they fixed the bouncing landscape bug in FO3? I somehow doubt it, but we can wish

I was running Fallout with UGrids set to 7 for awhile and never ran into any bouncing, so it kind of looks like they did. In fact I had no problems with it at all, not even water distortion. Granted, the bouncing issue is pretty sporadic so I may have just gotten lucky. I suspect it's fixed though because the author of the tweak guide for the game mentioned never running into the problem either. Unfortunately my video card just wasn't up to handle those extra grids in certain areas, so I went back to 5 for the extra performance. One difference with the Fallout setting, if you do make a change you won't be able to change back to 5 and still have your save games work. Before you try it out, it would be a good idea to back up all your saves that still have UGrids set to 5 in case you want to switch back.

PS: Sorry,I just noticed I spelt your name wrong in the previus post. Fixed now.

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 4:36 am

Interesting. Makes you wonder why changing the uGrids value in FO3 would affect the save. Does it just crash when you load up or have some other problem?

» Sat Feb 19, 2011 9:28 am

Interesting. Makes you wonder why changing the uGrids value in FO3 would affect the save. Does it just crash when you load up or have some other problem?

Hmm, I almost forgot about this thread. Sorry. It will just crash to desktop, just like it does if you have a missing master.