advice for old computer users/users who get lag in game

[billycop32]

Do not use the steam version. I love steam, but the simple fact is the program takes up too much power in the background when rim world is running ; and I just discovered a nasty feature of steam-if you attempt to close out steam while a steam bought game is running, it will forcibly close said game without asking permission. Just stick to the email version.

[codyo]

I imagine you're preaching to a very tiny demographic.

[passi965]

I dont think anyone has a computer that slow that it cant even run Steam+Rimworld, my smartphone could probably handle more than that

[billycop32]

yeah I would not be surprised if I'm the only one who has this issues thanks to how old my computer is. (vista)

[hector212121]

Smaller maps.

Also, you can close out steam via task manager. Doesn't do squat to the game you're running.

...

(Note to self: That may be a way to get around the *bullshit* library sharing requirement that the person sharing the library not use ANY of their fucking games)

[Gennadios]

I dont think anyone has a computer that slow that it cant even run Steam+Rimworld, my smartphone could probably handle more than that

This game is built in Unity, it's a good, cheap, full featured engine for indie devs, but it doesn't have a particularly small footprint. I compiled a reasonably simple 3D game on my Galaxy S4 (Back when the Galaxy S4 was the bleeding edge,) and it ran like a dog with no legs.

Your smartphones (and particularly old computers) mileage may vary.

[billycop32]

I dont think anyone has a computer that slow that it cant even run Steam+Rimworld, my smartphone could probably handle more than that

This game is built in Unity, it's a good, cheap, full featured engine for indie devs, but it doesn't have a particularly small footprint. I compiled a reasonably simple 3D game on my Galaxy S4 (Back when the Galaxy S4 was the bleeding edge,) and it ran like a dog with no legs.

Your smartphones (and particularly old computers) mileage may vary.

yep. Rimworld has issues on mid-late game for lag, yet I can play sins of a solar empire on medium quality and never encounter issues no matter how many units are on screen. so unity isn't really the best for old computers....

[Coenmcj]

Don't go over speed 2, even decent computers will lag at Speed 3 at times.

[taha]

I dare say 4-500 wargs or 3-400 raiders & 20+ colonists would lag any average comp.

[Fluffy (l2032)]

Given that virtually any PC built after 2000 will have at least two CPU cores, and RW only uses one, I don't think steam will have any impact.

[Coenmcj]

You'd be surprised.
It's not much of an impact, but any impact when your PC is already having a hard time will affect it.

[falcongrey]

Depending on the how long it has been from a fresh install, one thing I have found with many computers I have serviced is going through the control panel of Windows and uninstalling applications no longer used or not needed. Some are hogs that chew up your computer's ability to run quickly. Additionally, after this I have found on many of these computers running a decent Registry cleaner through it to pull out the sludge will help a LOT.

My personal favorites that backup then clean (to ensure if something DOES go wrong it can restore) are AVG PC Tuneup and Raxco PerfectRegistry. I have never had a computer fail or not thank me for using it. Sadly, neither is free. Another that I have tried and appears safe is Speedzooka. Though after testing it on a PC, I didn't like the interface so uninstalled it and returned to AVG PC Tuneup. I haven't used Speedzooka enough to vouch for them as safe or as good as many say, however.

The third thing that often helps is a good Defrag. Windows 8.x and Windows 10 have fairly decent ones built in. Windows 7 is OK. Anything older than Windows 7, I would suggest a program like Raxco PerfectDisk for a proper defrag. That program does 1 step more than Windows 10/8.x which is it optimizes the programs and files for faster boot and reading depending on how often you use them. This is a GREAT boon to an older computer or any that doesn't use SSD (like me).


In a nutshell, don't go down your menu looking for programs to uninstall, go into your control panel (settings in windows 10) and then the programs and features (apps and programs for Windows 10). Most often any program you do not recognize or at least recognize what it does can be uninstalled (have parents help if you are minors living at home and not sure). Next, clean up your registry with a GOOD registry cleaner. (AVG was offering a free 30 day trial last I checked. Not sure if it still is offered.) Do not use any registry cleaner that is free unless you KNOW it is safe and does what it claims without adding malware or worse into your computer or really cheap ones (often they will demolish your poor computer). Lastly, give your computer a GOOD defrag. There actually are some good free ones out there if you want to search for them. PerfectDisk does have a 15 day trial last I checked but only get it from Raxco's website! There are a few fake variants out there.

So there you have it from someone who majored in Computer Network Security and minored in Computer Repair and even for years had his own computer business before becoming disabled (life is a bitch sometimes...).



After all that, there is sometimes that the game will simply lag on a good machine, not just older due to TOO much going on while having it at max speed. I often lag trying to move around the map at max speed and usually pause the game as I move around the map then restart it when I find what I am looking for. If you zoom too far out while at high speed, same lag. I believe this is due to simply TOO much going on that this is relying primarily on the CPU to do it all as this game is NOT a graphics intensive game relying on the video card to do most of the weight lifting work.

[billycop32]

thank you falcon. I don't know if any of those tips will help, but I'm gonna run through them all and hopefully I will see some improvement. (I didn't know vista's defrag was bad. that should help.)

[skullywag]

Also setting core affinity can sometimes help. Windows will reset this after you close the program so i use process lassoo to set mine. This basically means i can tell a process to use an underused core i do this a lot with most games as they arent multi cpu aware. That leaves core 0-3 to handle windows etc and i chuck games on any other cores.

[billycop32]

welp this is embarrassing. perfect registry found over 400 (edit) 600 errors. so yeah thank you falcon, you probably just saved my colonies from death by lag.