Zoo Admin Archive
Zoo Tycoon 2 => ZT2 General Discussion => MM2 Bug Reports => Topic started by: seaworldgurl1 on November 27, 2006, 04:40:17 PM
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this might be a toughie to figure out but...i had ZT2, ES, AA, & DD (installed in that order) as soon as i got MM2....the game has slowed down sooooooooooooooooo much....the lagging has increased by a HUGE amount.....it was running fine w/out it (like super fast) then it just slowed down.....help??: :( :
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You have to remember that you just added 20 animals, more scenery objects, more foliage, new tanks, new buildings, etc. That in itself will add more lag.
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And the graphics are way better. I reccomend changing your options to "Best Preformance" or "Balanced"
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ok thanks....i was wondering if it was just me...i am supposed to get a new computer soon with more RAM on it so i should be fine after that...thanks though!!
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plus all of the animations on the plants tend to slow the game a bit.
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yah..i noticed that the plants starting moving as soon as i installed MM2!! :)
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Here's another tip, you can save good quality grahics on some things if you make some of your graphic settings really low or disabled that you don't care about, and ones you do care about max out to high or enabled. This way you can save quality and not lag so much.
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thanks...i will try that! :)
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Yeah...The same thing happened with me. Like evryone is sayin' i had 2 lower my graphics
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yeah i did it and it worked i just wish it could go higher....well i am getting a new computer soon w/ more ram sooo it should run faster!! :)
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It may not be a RAM issue. MM2 requires a faster processor 1 ghz vs 733 mhz and a video card with more on-board memory 32 mb vs 16 mb.
These are two things you may want to consider when ordering/buying the new computer.
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well i just added the zookeepers collection to my ZT2 (already had zt2, the ZC was cheaper that buying es and aa) and now i can go underwater (in the deep) and the plants sway in the breeze..so...
-brett.
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well on the back of the mm2 box..it says at least 256 megs of ram...i have that...but sometimes when i start the game it says you need at least 256 megs of ram (224 detected) i don't know what to do
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well on the back of the mm2 box..it says at least 256 megs of ram...i have that...but sometimes when i start the game it says you need at least 256 megs of ram (224 detected) i don't know what to do
delete stuff...
i had to delete a bunch of music and videos (that i dont need) from my computer
i had 340mb or ram, and now i have 1280mb...
-brett.
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Try shutting down some of your background programs, like your virus program, screensaver, instant messengers (like yahoo, msn, aim). Just be sure to turn on the virus program before you get back on the internet.
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well on the back of the mm2 box..it says at least 256 megs of ram...i have that...but sometimes when i start the game it says you need at least 256 megs of ram (224 detected) i don't know what to do
I have the same problem, only I have 254 MB. Just a tip, don't have any other programs running while you are playing this, and don't build a large zoo all at one time.
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i had to delete a bunch of music and videos (that i dont need) from my computer
i had 340mb or ram, and now i have 1280mb...
That's not RAM, that's hard disk space. You can't delete suff to create more RAM, it's a physical componenet of your computer.
Anyway, that does raise an issue. To get more performance out of the RAM you have got, do not run many programs at once - it may be advisable to run some spyware/virus scanning software to make sure there is nothing leeching your RAM anyway. It is also advisable to not have a very full hard disk drive, as Windows will try and use some of your hard disk when the RAM is fully used, and if there is not enough space to do that your computer will become very slow.
Really, the only way to avoid -all- lagging is to upgrade your RAM, another 256MB of RAM would be enough.
MM2 added a lot of animation detail and water details are very stressful and resource hogging (You think MM2 is bad, see RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 with Soaked and add a pool in a large park :whistling ), so it is no wonder the lagging increased.
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well on the back of the mm2 box..it says at least 256 megs of ram...i have that...but sometimes when i start the game it says you need at least 256 megs of ram (224 detected) i don't know what to do
Most likely the reason your game is only detecting 224 is because your RAM is probably sharing with the video RAM in the system (meaning your graphics card is using 32 MB of RAM).
If you really are running Windows XP with 256 MB of RAM I'd definitely look into upgrading if possible. I believe 256 MB is the minimum for running Windows XP alone, so it would definitely be rough on your system to use a graphics intensive game without any extra RAM to use.
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ok...thanks for all the suggestions....just one ?.....should i set the screensaver to none??? also...i press alt+ctrl+delete to make sure i don't have any other programs running and if i do...i close them...i also stopped the virus scan thing...it still lags incredibly...it didn't help :(...is HP a bad computer brand???
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If you only have 256MB of RAM, then really there is nothing you can do that will stop the lagging apart from to buy -more- RAM. That is why your computer is slow. Anything additional you do will only help -a bit- if at all.
As Peacenote said, Windows XP itself uses up a huge amount of resources anyway, and as 256MB is the absolute minimum it should be run on, I'd really consider upgrading.
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so i should get more ram...upgrade computer and close other programs...got it. wut should i upgrade to? windows xp professional?
never mind the windows professional part!! (i am a blonde...i am veeeerrryyyy slow!!)
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Purchasing more RAM would probably be enough, and no, you don't need to upgrade the whole of your computer. ;)
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ok...sumthing is really eating away at my computer...(i don't have internet on it)...so it couldn't be a virus...it freezes up really bad...wut do i do? :(
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First of all, get good anti-virus and other scanning software. Run them regularly and keep them updated! This doesn't matter how much RAM you have. Make sure the stuff that is installed and running on your computer is the stuff that should be installed.
I recommend free software (and if you look around, you will see many people and sites, including Google, that agree with me).
The Google-Pack (http://pack.google.com/) includes Ad-Aware SE Personal. Lavasoft no longer distributes this on their own; they just sell the pro versions on their site. You can download just this without the rest of the pack.
The Google-Pack also includes Norton AntiVirus. I recommend you do not get this. Avast (http://www.avast.com/) anti-virus software is free and just as good (if not better). You will have to register every year or so with a valid email address, but they are a trustworthy company, so this is safe. If you are paranoid, just create a disposable Yahoo email account or something.
Now, as far as RAM goes, yes - 256 is the bare minimum for running XP and maybe one instance of Notepad. :original: You really need to at least double that. There are many tips (probably in these forums) related to turning off other apps, lowering graphics details, and so on. Maybe if you use all these tips and turn the graphics down to the very minimum, you can get by with 256. But if that is the case, you might want to download some old-fashioned text adventures instead of playing MM2. :original:
So save up for some RAM just like you would save for the next ZT expansion. In fact, it is better than an expansion, since it is something that will impact everything you do on your computer.
p.s. The first computer viruses pre-date the Internet. Just because your computer is not connected to the net does not mean it is clean. I've read studies where someone "dropped" an infected (but harmless) thumb drive outside an office, and then tracked how quickly it spread in the office network (which was not on the net.)
Of course, if your computer is not on the net, this makes it a bit harder to install the software I recommened above. But you should be able to transfer it on a CDRW, thumb (USB) drive, etc.
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ok...thanks...well i am not allowed to changed the firewall and anti-virus on my computer because my parents want to use norton :(....i don't like it.. i will do a full system scan though later this afternoon....hopefully....thanks for the advice...oh yeah...so i should get at least twice as much ram? will it run 2x faster?
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You could mention Avast to them and let them decide. It is free, after all.
RAM doesn't work that way. Nothing does, really. If your CPU is now 2X the rating as before, it doesn't equate to an exact 2x speed-up. Also, if you have more RAM, you may be less likely to turn off background apps since you (think you) have RAM to spare.
Basically, if your computer runs out of RAM, it starts moving stuff from memory to the hard drive and back. Even the fastest modern drives are slower than the slowest modern RAM, so you will feel the impact. More RAM means more stuff in memory before this happens.
So, to simplify an example, if you had 256MB of RAM, and the program neeed 257MB, even a tiny increase in RAM would give an increase in performance. However, you only saved yourself from that 1MB of data swapping, and you might not even notice the performance boost.
If instead, the program needed 513MB, then doubling your RAM to 512MB still leaves a little bit that must get swapped in and out. Now, however, you have almost doubled what can get kept in memory, so that 1MB left over becomes trivial and you will probably feel a huge boost in performance. In fact, since you are measuring RAM vs. hard drive speed, you could even see well over 2x speed up!
There is no hard and fast rule for RAM vs. speed. Many factors are involved. About the only rule there is simply says: get the most RAM you can afford.
p.s. There is also fast RAM vs. normal RAM, etc. But if you are going to get into all that, and want the ultimate 3D gaming PC, you owe it to yourself to do the research yourself and start learning these terms.
p.p.s. Computer experts: yes, my examples are inaccurate, but I think they serve the explanation.
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thank u 4 your help...umm...how much would another 256 megabytes of RAM run for??
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I had the same issues after installing MM and it continued after uninstalling it.
No viruses or spyware and I have avast.
Ended up having to replace the power supply thingy.
havnt tried reinstalling mm after that.
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what power supply thingy??
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Its a unit in the computer that turns the machine on and off.
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256MB of RAM cost from $35 to $60 according to http://www.pcclub.com. Make sure you get the right type for your computer.
Just to add: The Power Supply converts electricity from the wall outlet into a form that the computer can use.
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ok..i can affor that..but i already have a 256 mg card...are there a few slots? like can i add a new 256 one and still keep the old 256 one in there? also...for the power supply thing...it changes electricity into ram? i dont get it...i just plug my desktop in and it runs...help?
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The power supply doesn't convert the power per se, it reduces the voltage and portions it out to the various parts of the computer. It functions sort of like the fuse box in your home.
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You can probably keep your old RAM since computers these days usually have at least three RAM slots. Most likely you have one 256MB stick or perhaps two 128MB sticks. Either way there should be at least one slot still empty. You can find out exactly what you have by opening up the case and look for the RAM slots. Might want to ask your parents or someone who knows more about computers for help if you are not confident about it. As an alternative, there are some programs out there that can give you information about your computer, including how many RAM slots and etc. The one I know that does that is a free program called "PC Wizard".
Yeah, the power supply doesn't have anything to do with the RAM. It just supplies power to the computer.
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ok....so if i get the power supply thing, it will help my computer run faster? also....can u install the ram yourself, or do u have 2 pay someone 2 do it?
I'm srry if i am annoying u w/ all these ?'s...but i am blonde...soo i am really slow..
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No the power supply thing has absolutely no effect on how fast your computer runs. Ram is extremely easy to install.
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And you already have a power supply - without it the computer will not boot up. Kind of like gas for the car - no gas/power supply = no start.
And it is possible to install your own RAM, but if you are not familiar with the inside of a computer, I would STRONGLY recommend having a computer technician do the installation for you. Also, there are several types of RAM and some are not compatable with others. There is a cost to have the computer tech do the job but your computer will be much safer.
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I agree with both mikaboshi and tazlover. RAM (like most computer hardware) is easy to install once you know how to do it. It's that first time that can be daunting. Once you see someone do it once, you'll be like "it's so easy, anyone can do it." But for the first time, probably a good idea to get help.
And some RAM slots are such that you have to apply a lot of force to get the board in, so it may not be that easy.
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yah..i noticed that the plants starting moving as soon as i installed MM2!! :)
My new graphics card for some reason wont do the foliage animations! :boohoo: :crash:
The foliage animations worked fine before i installed the graphics card :loony: