Constant momentary freezing. Stupid BV? Stupid computer? Or something else?

[SaraMK]

Ever since BV, my game freezes for a few seconds on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes I can play for an hour with no freezes, and sometimes they come every few minutes. Even on the loading screens, I get them. The music stutters for a few seconds and then starts up normally again. This is not only happening when something unusual happens, like a walk-by or day/night change or an NPC generating. In fact, many things that are known to cause lag do not cause the freezes. It just seems random. Also, this is not just happening on big lots. I tried out a 2x2 with lot view off and no beaches in the neighborhood, and still had freezes every few minutes.

So, is this a BV "feature?" Is my computer finally unable to run this game anymore (it is getting kind of old). Or is this a known problem caused by something else?

I have all EPs and Stuffit packs. Running BV with a crack. Not infected with SecuRom as far as I can tell.

I'm hesitant to update drivers because that usually causes a huge mess. Here are my specs:

WinXP Home
AMD Athlon XP 2800+, ~2.1GHz
2GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 6200, 256 MB, 6.14.0010.9371 driver

Defrag was done a couple of weeks ago. No spyware or malware. All programs and unneeded crap are turned off before starting the game. My game used to be freakin' GREAT before BV! I rarely had lag! This annoys me a lot.

I have noticed that it says my page file is "2523MB used, 2406MB available" -- is this normal? I don't recall what it used to be, but this sounds bad to me. What's it being used for? That's 2GB!

Anyway, this is just one of my computers, so I suppose if I had to stop playing on it it wouldn't be a tragedy, but it is the one I mainly play on. My best computer just has Base Game+ NL+Seasons on it and I would rather keep it that way. 


EDITED to add that of course I ran tests without CC. That was my first thought. But no, it's the same with no CC. Also, I always play with Debug Mode on, and there are no errors being generated.

[morriganrant]

Have you ensured that auto patch is not enabled on your game? Have you fire walled BV?
I had massive pause lag from BV even after bypassing the launcher, I fire walled it and it stopped. No idea if it was SecuRom exactly or whether it was something with BV. I read somewhere that Securom sends a message to ea if ou are running an illegal copy, no idea if any of that is actually true, I just know that BV was on my log a few times from trying to get to the net.

[SaraMK]

Firewalled yes (always do with cracked games), auto patch... no, I don't think I changed those settings, so it might be enabled. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll go and check.

[J. M. Pescado]

Ever since BV, my game freezes for a few seconds on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes I can play for an hour with no freezes, and sometimes they come every few minutes. Even on the loading screens, I get them. The music stutters for a few seconds and then starts up normally again. This is not only happening when something unusual happens, like a walk-by or day/night change or an NPC generating. In fact, many things that are known to cause lag do not cause the freezes. It just seems random. Also, this is not just happening on big lots. I tried out a 2x2 with lot view off and no beaches in the neighborhood, and still had freezes every few minutes.

Music stutter is RAM overload. BV seems to exceed the critical chunk that can fit in RAMs, and thus wit CC load, it may stutter. Lot stutter is caused by numerous causes. What do the lots you lag on look like? Do you allow your sims free will, or do you rule with a 42-pound, allegedly portable fist? Are any visitors present?
I'm hesitant to update drivers because that usually causes a huge mess. Here are my specs:

WinXP Home
AMD Athlon XP 2800+, ~2.1GHz
2GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 6200, 256 MB, 6.14.0010.9371 driver

Pretty craptastic computer there.

I have noticed that it says my page file is "2523MB used, 2406MB available" -- is this normal? I don't recall what it used to be, but this sounds bad to me. What's it being used for? That's 2GB!

Probably all your CC crap. That's probably part of your thrashing right there.

[pioupiou]

In the same topic (freezing/slow-down) since BV I have an incredible lag each time sims stop playing chess (the moment they take the pieces back into the chess table), it goes from 2 to 5 seconds (real time). Any idea/advice concerning that particular lag ? Thanks.

[Emma]

I have incredible lag at the Jade Exclusive Villas vacation hotel lot. Every other lot is fine, but something is causing serious lag there. No error logs to report.

[pioupiou]

I have incredible lag at the Jade Exclusive Villas vacation hotel lot. Every other lot is fine, but something is causing serious lag there. No error logs to report.

Isn't it this lot with water all around ? If it is I think the lag is reated to the different sims on the lot trying to find a spot to fish (I have the same problem on the witch doctor lot on Twikki Island). It is the worst lag I have ever had.

[J. M. Pescado]

Water lots are extremely terrible for lag, yes. I have an anti-lag which fixes this, but it's sorta hamhanded in its approach, and also, Fat Gwilly People haven't asked.

[pioupiou]

Hamhanded ?? Sorry I don't understand...
Do you happen to have something for the chess-related lag ? Or am I the only one experiencing it ?

[J. M. Pescado]

It is unclear what "chess related lag" entails. It could actually be the same thing, as when your sim stops chessing, it may immediately begin seeking a new annoying thing to do. More information, particularly exact timing details, are required.

[pioupiou]

I have a big lag at the exact moment the sim who is playing collects the pieces to put them in the chess table.
It goes like that :
Sim is playing. Sims stops playing (autonomously or because I cancel the action).
Sim takes the pieces in hand and lift the table thing.
Then, bam !! lag, that last between 2 to 5 five real-time seconds. During lag everything is freezed, time not moving, and the sound (voices, sound effects etc...) are stop and start (like an old disk with a scratch). Then suddenly sim finally put the pieces in the table and everything is back to normal.
It does the same thing when a second sim joins an already playing sim, that then put the pieces in the table to take them back out and start a new game. It does exactly as discribed previously.
It doesn't matter if the playing sim is playable or NPC, the size of the lot doesn't matter, it does it on community lot as well as home lot or dorm....
I have never experienced this before BV....

[Emma]

Water lots are extremely terrible for lag, yes. I have an anti-lag which fixes this, but it's sorta hamhanded in its approach, and also, Fat Gwilly People haven't asked.

Please explain the 'hamhanded' before I get on my knees and beg Gwill to jump up and down.

[MissDoh]

What I personally notice is sims seems to be trying to fish threw the floors which is kind of impossible and instead of looking for a usuable spot (there are not many on that lot to start with), they will stomp, scream and try over and over again to fish at the same silly spot instead of getting any knowledge and stop and find the usuable spot, all this is causing a huge lag.

I ended up totally removing the pond on that specific lot but unfortunately, I cannot on the witch hut lot since it is a special lot.

I asked fat gwilly people to release it twice with no luck, I am joining you in this request Emma jump as high as you can. 

It is a must fix that should have been release at least one month ago.

As for the lagging problem, since I install the patch it did reduce the lag for no reasons (not the fishing one though) problem a lot.

[morriganrant]

I've noticed that BV is not nearly as tolerant about my amount of CC as  Seasons was, at least for me. I don't know if other people have noticed. Much more loading time and a good deal more lag, it's just fine without the custom, Seasons had the same amount in and it wasn't nearly this bad.

[SaraMK]

Music stutter is RAM overload. BV seems to exceed the critical chunk that can fit in RAMs, and thus wit CC load, it may stutter. Lot stutter is caused by numerous causes. What do the lots you lag on look like? Do you allow your sims free will, or do you rule with a 42-pound, allegedly portable fist? Are any visitors present?

The lots have been varied, from a huge beach lot with lot view enabled, to a 2x2 lot with lot view disabled and no beaches anywhere in the neighborhood. There was no difference in the amount of freezing. That's what I don't understand. If it was due to an overload, wouldn't the bigger lots suffer more?

Visitors/walk-bys don't seem to make much difference.

Probably all your CC crap. That's probably part of your thrashing right there.

Still freezes with no CC at all. The CC (which I admit I have a lot of) does not increase the freezing.

Have you ensured that auto patch is not enabled on your game? Have you fire walled BV?
I had massive pause lag from BV even after bypassing the launcher, I fire walled it and it stopped. No idea if it was SecuRom exactly or whether it was something with BV. I read somewhere that Securom sends a message to ea if ou are running an illegal copy, no idea if any of that is actually true, I just know that BV was on my log a few times from trying to get to the net.

Okay, I looked, and besides the "Auto login to sims2.com,  I didn't see anything. Is there a separate place for auto patch that I need to disable?

[morriganrant]

I haven't looked at it in so long, I just remember it being in in game options and being a little box that you clicked that was "autopatch". 

[veilchen]

Yes, I remember that too. It was in the UI panel. Either under 'settings' or under 'gameplay'. I don't know if those are the right words, but one has the monitor icon and the other one the two cogs.

[phyllis_p]

Some people have reported that the patch helped with music stuttering and lag issues.  I think I read somewhere on this board that there's a crack that's compatible with the patch ....

Ham-handed (from http://dictionary.reference.com/)

-adjective
 clumsy, inept, or heavy-handed: a ham-handed approach to dealing with people that hurts a lot of feelings. 

Also, especially British, ham-fisted

(I knew what it meant, but I figured a dictionary could say it better than I :-)   )     

[Emma]

I know what hamhanded means I wanted to know what Pescado actually meant by it-what does one have to do with the non-released shiny to fix the stupid laggy lots.

But thanks anyway

[edit] Oh and I am patched. God knows what the lot would be actually like if I wasn't. I shudder to think.

[phyllis_p]

I know what hamhanded means I wanted to know what Pescado actually meant by it-what does one have to do with the non-released shiny to fix the stupid laggy lots.

But thanks anyway

[edit] Oh and I am patched. God knows what the lot would be actually like if I wasn't. I shudder to think.

Oh!  Duh    Well, let's see ... I'm not ElfPuddle, but ...

Water lots are extremely terrible for lag, yes. I have an anti-lag which fixes this, but it's sorta hamhanded in its approach, and also, Fat Gwilly People haven't asked.

Sounds like he thinks his anti-lag dohickey is rather clumsy in the way it works, meaning, I guess, that he thinks .. or maybe wishes .. it could be done more efficiently. So maybe if it's not his best work, he doesn't want to release it untl Gwill jumps up and down?  Just a guess.

[Zazazu]

My guess is that it just stomps autonomous fishing all together.

[neriana]

My guess is that it just stomps autonomous fishing all together.

That would be fine by me. Stop fishing in my coy pond!

[LadyLiberty]

GWilly?  Please request?  I was informed, just today, that this is the proper procedure and there will be a ritual involved   

[Emma]

Yeah, if we want any shinies released, we have to beg Gwill to shake her maracas.

[floopyboo]

So..... you're pretty much saying Pes likes to ogle Gwill..... my brain went to a bad place, courtesy of the emma train...

ta muchly.