Post by Xarious on Aug 21, 2016 12:55:43 GMT -5
This post will be separated into two parts: FPS improvement, and networking. The first half of this will be my own guide to settings to fix FPS.
So, you love the game but can't seem to play because your computer still runs Windows 95 and isn't capable of running Pacman. Well, lucky for you, here's a guide that solves your problems!
First of all, lets find out how many Frames Per Second (FPS) you have. To do this, type the command "/cg_drawfps 1" and a tracker will appear in the top right hand corner of your screen to tell you how many frames you are currently getting. Since the default of a standard computer is 60, make sure you press Esc > Settings and disable v_sync. Alternatively, you can disable it from the console (r_swapinterval 0). This will allow you to choose the frame rate of your choice instead of being forced to 60.
Next, lets try to get you to a stable FPS count. The command "/Com_maxfps" will allow you to set the maximum FPS value. In JKA, you will general prefer the values of 125, 142, 200, or 333, depending on what kind of jumping you want. Generally speaking, if you're capable of 142 or 125, those would be the better options for normal gameplay.
So now, lets try to get you some more frames! Below is a list of commands that will reduce the quality of your graphics and effects in exchange for improving the quality of your gameplay.
/r_dynamicglow 0 : This will disable dynamic glowing. By far, this is one of the most effective commands to improve your frame rate, so start here first.
/r_fastsky 1 : This will disable the skybox and appear as just black. I'd argue this is the second-most effective way to quickly improve your frame rate.
/r_shadows 0 : Removes shadows, minor improvements to frame rate.
/r_flares 0 : Removes some flare from the game. Particularly useful on maps like Rift where you have a lot of crystals with this effect that can tank your framerate.
/cg_sabertrail 0 : This disables the sabertrail so that it looks like you're fighting with a stick.
/cg_hudfiles 1 : Drastically simplifies your HUD. To be fair, I'd rather play on hudfiles 1 anyway.
/cg_draw3dicons 0 : Makes all pickups 2D instead of 3D.
/cg_deferplayers 1 : Doesn't load playermodels until you press tab or on your next respawn. Alternatively you can use /cg_forcemodel but that is not recommended.
/cg_fov : If you REALLY don't have any other choices, every lower value of your fov increases your frame rate slightly because there is less to render on the screen.
/r_picmip (1-15) : Every value you move up will degrade the quality of your graphics more. At picmip's highest value, your game is basically minecraft with a lightsaber mod.
This is a copy-paste of Black's great work on the FL's forum, placed here with LemonLime's permission. The link at the bottom is a valuable resource to players new and old for console commands.
Anyone who wants to seek reference on the original post, can use this link to the FL forums: fallenlegendclan.proboards.com
Thank you for the contributions!
I've created this post in the hope to help people who don't know about gaming lag and are looking for ways to reduce it or, at the very least, understand what it is and what may cause it.
To start, 'Lag' refers to the delay between what people input or see, to what actually happens according to a server. Know that lag is unavoidable and will happen to some degree. Preferably, we want lag to happen on such a small scale that we are unable to notice it. To improve performance and to reduce lag, you should understand the effects of the client(player) settings and connection speed and the server's settings and connection speed.
Note: I'm using Jedi Academy's Networking Config as a template so these principles aren't exactly universal.
---The Client's Settings---
The most easy to understand and yet most overlooked aspect, the client's settings determine the visual 'complexity' of the game. A majority of the commands you can change will only affect the FPS (frames per second) aspect of lag. This FPS lag is related to internet lag, but they are not necessarily dependent on each other (you can have one and not the other). On servers, it may be difficult to notice the difference between the two 'types' of lag so the best option is to ensure that you do not have FPS lag before you try to play online with other people.
If your playing by yourself ingame on your own server and notice delay, this is FPS lag. The most common causes are game effects such as shadows or saber glow. Other times it's the rendering of the game such as how map lights and textures are 'viewed'. All of these settings come together and ultimately affect your computer performance. Likewise, your computer's capabilities either improve or hinder your gaming experience. Jedi Academy is a versatile game in this aspect however, and can be altered visually to work with even very low-end hardware. To point out a specific case, r_Dynamicglow had a dramatic effect on my FPS. To fix it, I simply set r_Dynamicglow to 0. At the bottom is a link to a Config guide that lists commands and their function in Jedi Academy.
---Client Connection Speed---
This is pretty basic. How fast and how much you can send via the internet. There are fewer commands to work with, but they too are limited by your internet equipment. If you have a slow computer or bad means of connection, this will effect how fast you can send information. Some commands are listed in the Config guide link at the bottom.
Note: Your location and the server's location does have a large effect on your ping, or network latency. Ping is read according to milliseconds. EX: a Ping of 100 means you have 0.1 second of latency.
---Server Settings---
This is mostly out of your control, but it doesn't hurt to know about. The two biggest concerns of a server are the host's internet speed and the number of clients on a server. Ingame effects, models, and maps do not affect server performance.
The connection speed of the server really determines it's capabilities. After receiving information, a server sends information via information 'packets'. A server's ability to receive, interpret, write, and return these packets are what determines the efficiency of the server and the smoothness of client gameplay. Interpreting and writing the packets is coded into the Jedi Academy game so the only aspects that hosts can control are how fast they can receive packets and how fast they can send them.
Config Guide: www.chopshopservers.com/education/mjzs_config_guide.html
*Note: The link to the config guide no longer works. I apologize for the inconvenience.
For a decent commands list outside of the commands I gave above, see TJA's Holocron entry here: thejediacademy.net/holocron_detail_page.php?f_id=60
Please note that some of the entry's commands are based off of JK2 and will not work in JKA (outside of JA+) such as all the am-commands.
Alternatively, you can look through the rest of this database where I have several posts on basic bindings and on other commands.
So, you love the game but can't seem to play because your computer still runs Windows 95 and isn't capable of running Pacman. Well, lucky for you, here's a guide that solves your problems!
First of all, lets find out how many Frames Per Second (FPS) you have. To do this, type the command "/cg_drawfps 1" and a tracker will appear in the top right hand corner of your screen to tell you how many frames you are currently getting. Since the default of a standard computer is 60, make sure you press Esc > Settings and disable v_sync. Alternatively, you can disable it from the console (r_swapinterval 0). This will allow you to choose the frame rate of your choice instead of being forced to 60.
Next, lets try to get you to a stable FPS count. The command "/Com_maxfps" will allow you to set the maximum FPS value. In JKA, you will general prefer the values of 125, 142, 200, or 333, depending on what kind of jumping you want. Generally speaking, if you're capable of 142 or 125, those would be the better options for normal gameplay.
So now, lets try to get you some more frames! Below is a list of commands that will reduce the quality of your graphics and effects in exchange for improving the quality of your gameplay.
/r_dynamicglow 0 : This will disable dynamic glowing. By far, this is one of the most effective commands to improve your frame rate, so start here first.
/r_fastsky 1 : This will disable the skybox and appear as just black. I'd argue this is the second-most effective way to quickly improve your frame rate.
/r_shadows 0 : Removes shadows, minor improvements to frame rate.
/r_flares 0 : Removes some flare from the game. Particularly useful on maps like Rift where you have a lot of crystals with this effect that can tank your framerate.
/cg_sabertrail 0 : This disables the sabertrail so that it looks like you're fighting with a stick.
/cg_hudfiles 1 : Drastically simplifies your HUD. To be fair, I'd rather play on hudfiles 1 anyway.
/cg_draw3dicons 0 : Makes all pickups 2D instead of 3D.
/cg_deferplayers 1 : Doesn't load playermodels until you press tab or on your next respawn. Alternatively you can use /cg_forcemodel but that is not recommended.
/cg_fov : If you REALLY don't have any other choices, every lower value of your fov increases your frame rate slightly because there is less to render on the screen.
/r_picmip (1-15) : Every value you move up will degrade the quality of your graphics more. At picmip's highest value, your game is basically minecraft with a lightsaber mod.
This is a copy-paste of Black's great work on the FL's forum, placed here with LemonLime's permission. The link at the bottom is a valuable resource to players new and old for console commands.
Anyone who wants to seek reference on the original post, can use this link to the FL forums: fallenlegendclan.proboards.com
Thank you for the contributions!
I've created this post in the hope to help people who don't know about gaming lag and are looking for ways to reduce it or, at the very least, understand what it is and what may cause it.
To start, 'Lag' refers to the delay between what people input or see, to what actually happens according to a server. Know that lag is unavoidable and will happen to some degree. Preferably, we want lag to happen on such a small scale that we are unable to notice it. To improve performance and to reduce lag, you should understand the effects of the client(player) settings and connection speed and the server's settings and connection speed.
Note: I'm using Jedi Academy's Networking Config as a template so these principles aren't exactly universal.
---The Client's Settings---
The most easy to understand and yet most overlooked aspect, the client's settings determine the visual 'complexity' of the game. A majority of the commands you can change will only affect the FPS (frames per second) aspect of lag. This FPS lag is related to internet lag, but they are not necessarily dependent on each other (you can have one and not the other). On servers, it may be difficult to notice the difference between the two 'types' of lag so the best option is to ensure that you do not have FPS lag before you try to play online with other people.
If your playing by yourself ingame on your own server and notice delay, this is FPS lag. The most common causes are game effects such as shadows or saber glow. Other times it's the rendering of the game such as how map lights and textures are 'viewed'. All of these settings come together and ultimately affect your computer performance. Likewise, your computer's capabilities either improve or hinder your gaming experience. Jedi Academy is a versatile game in this aspect however, and can be altered visually to work with even very low-end hardware. To point out a specific case, r_Dynamicglow had a dramatic effect on my FPS. To fix it, I simply set r_Dynamicglow to 0. At the bottom is a link to a Config guide that lists commands and their function in Jedi Academy.
---Client Connection Speed---
This is pretty basic. How fast and how much you can send via the internet. There are fewer commands to work with, but they too are limited by your internet equipment. If you have a slow computer or bad means of connection, this will effect how fast you can send information. Some commands are listed in the Config guide link at the bottom.
Note: Your location and the server's location does have a large effect on your ping, or network latency. Ping is read according to milliseconds. EX: a Ping of 100 means you have 0.1 second of latency.
---Server Settings---
This is mostly out of your control, but it doesn't hurt to know about. The two biggest concerns of a server are the host's internet speed and the number of clients on a server. Ingame effects, models, and maps do not affect server performance.
The connection speed of the server really determines it's capabilities. After receiving information, a server sends information via information 'packets'. A server's ability to receive, interpret, write, and return these packets are what determines the efficiency of the server and the smoothness of client gameplay. Interpreting and writing the packets is coded into the Jedi Academy game so the only aspects that hosts can control are how fast they can receive packets and how fast they can send them.
*Note: The link to the config guide no longer works. I apologize for the inconvenience.
For a decent commands list outside of the commands I gave above, see TJA's Holocron entry here: thejediacademy.net/holocron_detail_page.php?f_id=60
Please note that some of the entry's commands are based off of JK2 and will not work in JKA (outside of JA+) such as all the am-commands.
Alternatively, you can look through the rest of this database where I have several posts on basic bindings and on other commands.