Vista Inventory and Character Lag

Latest unofficial patch, and I have Windows Vista. Got it right after I installed it. No other add ons or any mods. Was so glad, running great. Then I noticed the inventory and character screen lagging like high hell. SO annoying. I've tried DoubleBuffer tags and TripleBuffer ones. Tried setting Arcanum.exe to high priority, and to realtime priority. Running in XP compatability. I've been tweaking everything I know how to in the properties tab on the shortcut...

Googling for answers a ton. I'm at the point where I'm just going to install XP solely to play Arcanum.

...but I'd prefer not to. So if you guys have any suggestions on how to fix this, let me know. Also... If this has already been answered, then please forgive me. Just so damn frustrated at this. My favorite game, and I can only play it so long before the massive loot lag pisses me off to high hell and I quit.

 

I'm on Vista 32-bit, with UAP and a few additional mods, and my inventory/character screens do not lag.

Have you disabled Desktop Composition for Arcanum? That's the feature that gives you a preview of a window in the taskbar when you mouse over it - but under the covers it does a lot more - it fundamentally changes the way applications render their windows. Many old applications have a problem with that.

Do you notice anything else not working normally? Both in Arcanum and out.

 

No - Everything else is working fine. Games included (well...there's a few that Vista keeps from working, damn it). But I just tried what you mentioned, and it teased me by working smoothly and fine for about the first two minutes... Then just reverts back to the same old lag.

It's so odd though. Because as you said you don't get it, and it's ONLY the looting screen/inventory/character. Nothing else. It all works perfectly.

 

Read through my stickied thread. I don't think it'll help, but it's worth a shot. There's a lot of good information in it. I'm about to go to bed, but update this thread with where you stand after glancing through the stickied one, and I'll respond sometime later.

 

Well... Technically I read through the whole thing. But I must admit to cheating. Magically Control + F with key terms like Inventory, Lag, and Character Screen. Didn't find anyone with similar problems I had and as such any solutions.

I could check through it more thoroughly though, of course.

Also - your help is greatly appreciated. As is your patch.

 

I know I'm asking the obvious question, but did you patch to the official 1.0.7.4 before you installed the latest UAP?

 

No sir. Unofficial patch was the first thing I did. And nothing else. No mods or anything.

 

That's probably your problem.

You need to first bring Arcanum up to the latest official state (the afore mentioned 1.0.7.4 patch) THEN add Drog's UAP.

 

Snap. /facepalm Thanks! I'll give it a try now.

 

We seriously need to brand something like that under the forum's logo. Or above it. Or both, whatever works.

 

Or perhaps modify UAP's installer - make it refuse to install without 1.0.7.4, and give a message saying so.

 

Or even better, integrate it into the UAP. If it detects it already installed, it installs as normal. If it is not already installed, the UAP installs both.

Probably way too much work to implement though. How hard is it to read the readme anyway?

 

Drog already announced that the installer of the next UAP's version will check for the 1.0.7.4 patch and refuse to install if it won't be detected. But until then, we will continue to realise how, apparently for most people, readme equals leaveme.

 

So I just did all of that... And I still have the same problem.

 

How did you go about rectifying the installation issues?

Did you uninstall and do a clean reinstall? (Game, then official patch, then UAP)

Did you just install the official patch then UAP over what was in your directory?

Did you uninstall the UAP, install the official patch, then install the UAP?


Are you using an old save?

The only one I can guarantee would work would be the first. If you did anything else, I don't know what would've occurred on patch installation and it may be making the game fubar... or it may not. Try option one with a new game if you haven't.

 

The lag in the I and C screens is awful. The only way to get something to do anything is to hold down and drag the mouse click. Thus resulting in buying and canceling a spell at the same time.

So I have to save, quit the game, start and hurry up and level up my spells. Because, as I said, it works fine for the first minute or two.

Ugh... So annoying. = (

 

Usually -no3d or -doublebuffer helps with such issues. Command line arguments are used like this:
C:\Sierra\Arcanum\Arcanum.exe -no3d

Also, yes, with the official patch missing some parts of the interface won't be displayed correctly, e.g. the options screen.

 

I've tried the doublebuffer and triplebuffer, but haven't tried the no3d one... Might that actually mess the graphics up though? Excuse my ignorance. Guess I'll just find out myself...

Thanks!

Edit: ...lol. That reversed it. Now ingame it lags, while the inventory, character screen, and map all work fine.

Sigh...

 

It seems to have regressed... I am at the point where I have to restart the entire game for any level up. When I get the 2 point bonus at the 5 multiples, it'll pump two into whatever I select, and won't allow me to take them back, as it'll just do it again. It's driving me crazy.


Testament to how much I love this game though, level 30 now, playing this way, with a damn Dwarven Mage.

 

Don't double post.

Anyway, there's definitely something wrong with your system. Try updating the video card drivers. Incidentally, do other games function properly?