GRAND PRIX 2: Processoer Occupancy

Hi all Happily playing GP2, but having never played F1GP, what does the processor occupancy value mean? If this goes above 100%, does that mean that the game no longer runs in real time, or that it is running slower than the frame rate estimate in the gfx option menu? Or something else completely? Thx, Julian _____________________________________________________________________ University of Oxford

On Mon, 22 Jul 1996 08:18:15 +0100, John Wallace

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>This is something a bit confusing about GP2. >When you set up your frame rate as 25fps, that means that GP2 *WILL* >show 25 frames per "simulated second". Now that means that if the screen >gets very busy and your system can only draw 10fps, it will take 2.5s >for every one "game second" - that's why you see the slow downs. >Anything over 100% means the game cannot draw in real-time the frame >rate you have requested. >If someone says that frame rates <25fps don't give a true impression of >speed, it's because their system can't handle the frame rate they wanted >- so it looks slow. I've got mine setup for 20fps and it's very smooth >with a good impression of speed. >I'm not sure if it's a good (or easily understood!) system, but that's >they way it works anyway.

Good explanation, John, and a _very_ important point. If you want to play GP2 as a simulator, try and keep your graphic options such that the occupancy rarely (and preferably never) goes above 100%. I have a pretty reasonable system (P133, 16MB, Matrox), but have decided to switch _all_ detail off (except for trackside objects as I like to have a feel for the circuit). This gives an estimate of 23.2 FPS (SVGA with all trackside objects) but I select 21.3 to keep occupancy low. At Monaco & similar I will reduce the amount of trackside objects to keep the occupancy low. I know that a lot of you will disagree with this as you prefer to have the great graphics. Personally, I prefer the graphics to be as smooth as possible without the eye candy. Rather like in Indycar, when I had a 486DX33, I had all details off & waited until I could afford a better system to have the eye candy as well as the smoothness. BTW, if you are reading this and are thinking "$*%ing hell, P133 & all details off, I'm not buying that, I've only got a P90..." don't be put off. You can get very smooth graphics in VGA with most of the details on. I just happen to prefer SVGA with very smooth graphics. Now, if only I could afford that Pentium Pro 200.... (or was brave enough to overclock my P133 to a P200 like John has done - a case of braveness boardering on insanity perhaps <VBG>) Richard

This is something a bit confusing about GP2. When you set up your frame rate as 25fps, that means that GP2 *WILL* show 25 frames per "simulated second". Now that means that if the screen gets very busy and your system can only draw 10fps, it will take 2.5s for every one "game second" - that's why you see the slow downs. Anything over 100% means the game cannot draw in real-time the frame rate you have requested. If someone says that frame rates <25fps don't give a true impression of speed, it's because their system can't handle the frame rate they wanted - so it looks slow. I've got mine setup for 20fps and it's very smooth with a good impression of speed. I'm not sure if it's a good (or easily understood!) system, but that's they way it works anyway. Cheers! John _________________________________ __ _____| |_____ __ ________| |__| :| John Wallace | |__| |________ \ :| |::| :| Team WW Racing TSW | |::| | / > :| |::| :|_________________________________| |::| | < / :|__|::|____/ * Sim Racing News * \____|::|__| \ /______:/ \::/ http://sneezy.dcn.ed.ac.uk/simnews/index.htm \::/ \._____\ http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~harmon/simnews

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> On Mon, 22 Jul 1996 08:18:15 +0100, John Wallace > >This is something a bit confusing about GP2. > >When you set up your frame rate as 25fps, that means that GP2 *WILL* > >show 25 frames per "simulated second".

<snip> <snip> Thank you both for explaining this, as you can tell I'm not an F1GP veteran. This is what I assumed happens from what it looks like in the screen. Richard, like you I have a P133, and I too have found that I have to turn most things off to get occupancy <100%. It's a shame, but it's the only way I can make it feel like I'm driving an F1 car. Sometimes I drive in VGA just to get the sensation of speed, but it looks SO ugly :( Julian _____________________________________________________________________ University of Oxford

On Tue, 23 Jul 1996 01:50:44 -0700, Julian Love

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>> On Mon, 22 Jul 1996 08:18:15 +0100, John Wallace >> >This is something a bit confusing about GP2. >> >When you set up your frame rate as 25fps, that means that GP2 *WILL* >> >show 25 frames per "simulated second".

etc.... im still unclear about this matter.....If I set a frame rate of say 16 fps......and when Im racing I get an occupancy % of 160% does this mean that the lap time I get...say 1min 50 seconds actually, in real time, will take 1min 50 seconds x 160%. sorry to be a bit slow on the uptake Stuart Leeds

No, your lap time IN THE SIM will still be 1:50.xxx, but if you were to time it with a stopwatch it would be 1:50.xxx X 160% (if your occupancy remained at 160 for the full lap). The reason being that you told GP2 to draw those frames, so it will draw them even if it takes longer. My system gives 25+fps, but I still either reduce detail or set the frame rate to 18ish just to guarantee no slowdowns. It makes a big difference to lap times. Cheers! John _________________________________ __ _____| |_____ __ ________| |__| :| John Wallace | |__| |________ \ :| |::| :| Team WW Racing TSW | |::| | / > :| |::| :|_________________________________| |::| | < / :|__|::|____/ * Sim Racing News * \____|::|__| \ /______:/ \::/ http://sneezy.dcn.ed.ac.uk/simnews/index.htm \::/ \._____\ http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~harmon/simnews

>im still unclear about this matter.....If I set a frame rate of say 16 >fps......and when Im racing I get an occupancy % of 160% does this >mean that the lap time I get...say 1min 50 seconds actually, in real >time, will take 1min 50 seconds x 160%. That's what I believe happens. I haven't tried to measure it in GP2 but that is definately what happened on the old Atari ST version of F1GP (didn't have an "occupancy" display, but stopwatch times were about 10% longer than those reported by the program). No problem - it is a rather strange approach. Dropping the framerate seems more logical to me.... Richard PS I got the figures wrong in my previous post - it's 25.6 fps which I reduce to 23.2 (so the performance is better than the 23.2/21.3 that I reported <g>)

>When you set up your frame rate as 25fps, ..<snip> Thanks for posting this info John. Just wanted to say it has been appreciated & of assistance. Could I inquire as to what CPU, video (chipset/card) & detail level are your running for 20fps? Regards, --- Cogito Ergo Sum --- * * Fidonet: (temporarily unavailable) * Keiron Rado, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia *

Sure :) ET6000 chipset 2Mb MDRAM (sky HURTS!). Cheers! John _________________________________ __ _____| |_____ __ ________| |__| :| John Wallace | |__| |________ \ :| |::| :| Team WW Racing TSW | |::| | / > :| |::| :|_________________________________| |::| | < / :|__|::|____/ * Sim Racing News * \____|::|__| \ /______:/ \::/ http://sneezy.dcn.ed.ac.uk/simnews/index.htm \::/ \._____\ http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~harmon/simnews