FF8 is running slowly.

[Enkixx]

I don't know why but when I am walking about in a frame, the game is quite slow until I hit the party screen button or enter a battle. Afterward, while in that particular frame, I works at normal speed. The moment it changes frames again, I starts playing slowly again. What seem most confusing is that it doesn't always run slowly but just most of the time. Any information that may be useful, I'll post it.

[blueknavish]

knowing your pc specs, windows version, and what upgrades you have installed would probably expedite help from other forum users.

[Enkixx]

System Specs:
OS Name: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium
Version: 6.0.6002 Service Pack 2 Build 6002
System Model: HP G60 Notebook PC
Processor: Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU   T4200  @ 2.00GHz, 2000 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
Installed Physical Memory (RAM): 3.00 GB
Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
Resolution: 1366 x 768 x 59 hertz
32 bit OS

Upgrades:
Official patch 1.2
Aali's OpenGL .0.7.8b:

Code: [Select]

# ff8_opengl config file

# use shaders, if available and supported
# turn shaders off to use the OpenGL 1.1 backend
use_shaders = yes

# vertex and fragment shaders
vert_source = shaders/main.vert
frag_source = shaders/main.frag

# post-processing shader, used to apply fullscreen effects
post_source = shaders/bloom2.post
enable_postprocessing = no

# display frames per second counter in upper right corner
show_fps = no

# display some real-time debug information
show_stats = no

# set the window size (and fullscreen resolution) of FF8
# 0 means use original resolution (whatever ff8.exe provides)
# preserve_aspect adds black borders as needed to preserve a 4:3 aspect ratio
window_size_x = 1366
window_size_y = 768
preserve_aspect = yes
fullscreen = yes

# prevent glitches due to rounding errors by rendering in the nearest (larger, if supported)
# multiple of the original resolution and up/down-scaling
prevent_rounding_errors = yes

# check your driver settings if this option doesn't seem to work
enable_vsync = yes

# allow FF8 to use linear filtering for its textures
# some things look slightly better with this option on, but alot of textures just lose their detail
linear_filter = off

# enable alpha blending for textures without an existing blending effect
fancy_transparency = on

# store external textures in a compressed cache for increased performance
# compression is not lossless, some artifacts may appear when this option is in use
# texture cache does NOT update automatically if the source image changes, however, deleting anything from the cache
# will cause that file to be recreated from the source
compress_textures = yes

# show every failed attempt at loading a .png texture
# this option is for modders only, it's useful to find out which texture to replace and which palettes it needs
show_missing_textures = no


[Aali]

Performance is not great with FF8 in general but since that resolution is not an even multiple of 640x480 your intel card will have alot of tough work to do. Stepping down to 640x480 should give you a massive speed boost.

[Enkixx]

One problem...after I enter a battle or enter the menu screen it works fine until I change frames. I will try changing it to a more reasonable multiple though.

[Aali]

Yeah I've seen similar reports, there's definitely something odd going on with FF8. It might not have anything to do with the custom driver though.

[Enkixx]

I wouldn't guess so. Just tried changing the ratio to a somewhat more reasonable number... nothing changed...

If these reports have been noted before, why hasn't anyone tried to fix this sort of thing. I haven't gotten to far in but the story and gameplay seem solid, I've read that this game is comparable in level of greatness with ff7, and the modders working on FF7 can only do so much... I'm not saying that some modders should just drop what they are doing on work on this but I do find it strange that almost no one has.

[pyrozen]

just a question, but have you tried using the alternate shaders that Aali posted up? I had a similar issue with FF7 when he released the new version, and i too have the Intel "piece-o-crap" Mobile drivers. As soon as i replaced them everything was working fine again.

http://backup.ninjaloot.se/share/ff7_opengl-0.7.9b-nolight_shaders.zip

[Enkixx]

No I hadn't and in fact was using the previous version of the driver because of my problems with the upgrade but just tried using the newer version and the no light shaders and there was no change in the status of my problem...

[Kranmer]

I have also had this problem, i first noticed that at the start of the game if you go into the library pathway then go back into the garden hall in-front of the library the FPS drops (it does this everytime i have tried on both the Geforce and none geforce 1.02 EXE's) until you go to the menu or switch screens, it happens many times after this as well but that was the first point i found this to happen,
But i have also found that using 0.7.6 didn't have this problem (well i have only tested until after the dollet mission so i can't say that the problem wont ever happen since i haven't tested enough) but all versions after 0.7.6 did have this problem.

[Enkixx]

Well, I tried 7.6 and there was little or no change...