Workaround for Massive FPS drop near stations/bases - Xbox

[Arch3rAc3]

Hey.

I'm having a massive FPS drop near space stations or planetary bases since KSP wants to calculate every single unit, making the game unplayable (docking at 10fps with only the first docking port unlocked was a nightmare!)

I was thinking about some solutions, and 2 possible solutions came to mind, although the 1st is a more definitive one:

1. Disable physics calculation for every single object. We simply don't need the game calculating everything in a base or station. So if I already have a base built or a station in orbit and stable for x seconds, the game should just stop calculating everything but the main parts (maybe this could be activated once we rename the ship and make it a station or a base, each having it's own parameters to disable physics calculation);
2. Bring Max physics delta-time per frame back. Why is this not available in the console version of the game? We need more performance options in the game setting.
   For the ones that don't know what this is, it basically slows time down so the computer can better calculate the physics. For example, if the physics calculation is pretty heavy on the CPU and frames start to drop, the game will basically slow down time (so 1 second in game takes 10 seconds in real life).
   The problem with this is that it would take more time for things to happen, but the experience would be way smoother (no more trying to click on a tiny ship part at 10fps during emergencies with the cursor controlled by the analogue stick axis).

[Cheif Operations Director]

I like it plus the kraken would not happen

[Superfluous J]

6 hours ago, Arch3rAc3 said:

cursor controlled by the analogue stick axis

This actually made me involuntarily shudder. It is the one and only reason I will never recommend KSP on console to anyone. Even if it's the only way you can play it.

Regarding your request, it's not a magic bullet, physics delta. Too many parts is too many parts and you're going to get bad framerates when you have too many. Especially those open docking ports checking each other over and over to see if you're docking.

Regarding stopping calculating physics I agree but neither of us are game programmers (I am assuming about you but am sure about me) so we have no actual idea if it'd work or not, or what problems it would cause.

Edited August 4, 2018 by 5thHorseman

[Gargamel]

Not only what 5HM said, but it would probably require a complete rebuild of the game, from the ground up, as the physics per piece was part of the original core game.

You're pushing into KSP 2 territory here. 

[Arch3rAc3]

1 hour ago, Gargamel said:

but it would probably require a complete rebuild of the game, from the ground up, as the physics per piece was part of the original core game.

Ah, I was afraid to hear that. But not allowing parts to be merged to reduce the physical units count from the beginning of the game development would only lead to the situation we have now, so I was hoping that the devs had thought about this, not allowing the game to be so limited - if I find out about a mod that can change this, though, my hopes will be going up.

2 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

it's not a magic bullet, physics delta. Too many parts is too many parts and you're going to get bad framerates when you have too many. Especially those open docking ports checking each other over and over to see if you're docking.

As for the Physics Delta calculation, I do get it, it's not a solution, but a workaround. It would sure make it a lot easier to dock, make burns and click on parts while everything is shaking and cursor is lagging, so it's good enough for now.

I can't see why the devs would not include this in the console version as well... starting to get tired of being frustrated with the console version of this game over and over again haha.

[Cassel]

I like this idea. Maybe space stations could be treated as one "brick" with one center of mass?
Or turn off the physics completely, as if the station was during warp, then you could dock to it, but it would move on rails.

[Rocket In My Pocket]

It's likely max Delta physics time isn't exposed as an option on console because it's already turned up to max.

You're just dealing with the weak CPU of consoles, not much anyone can do about it. (I used to play on an absolute potato of a laptop, so I feel your pain.)

Building with less parts in the first place is about all we can recommend. That and start saving up for a decent PC. (Even something in the same price range as the consoles will play KSP better, you've got a weak CPU and a strong GPU on Xbox which is exactly the opposite of what KSP needs.)

Edited August 4, 2018 by Rocket In My Pocket

[Arch3rAc3]

On 8/4/2018 at 10:50 AM, Rocket In My Pocket said:

It's likely max Delta physics time isn't exposed as an option on console because it's already turned up to max.

Sorry, what you do you "turned up to max"?

Maybe I didn't quite get what the option is then, since I believed it would slow down real life time so the game could better process the physics, no?

There simply is no time slow down in game on consoles, only FPS drop. Instead of it going into some kind of slow motion, it prefers to run at normal speed at 10fps for example, as if the max Delta physics was at minimum.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Arch3rAc3

[Rocket In My Pocket]

21 minutes ago, Arch3rAc3 said:

Sorry, what you do you "turned up to max"?

Maybe I didn't quite get what the option is then, since I believed it would slow down real life time so the game could better process the physics, no?

There simply is no time slow down in game on consoles, only FPS drop. Instead of it going into some kind of slow motion, it prefers to run at normal speed at 10fps for example, as if the max Delta physics was at minimum.

It's a slider bar, it can be turned up or down as desired.

It's a subtle effect and a bit like accelerating over time in an elevator; you may just not be noticing? It's not like some ridiculous "slow mo bullet-time" effect after all.

If it's turned entirely off then I have to assume there was some reason particular to consoles that it was not able to be implemented?

As far as an alternative solution, I suppose something like the welding mod could be implemented on console?

I'm not sure I'd hold your breath for that though.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Rocket In My Pocket