# Performance fixes

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [January 20, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805 "2014-01-20T00:06:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JohnieRWilkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@JohnieRWilkins](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/JohnieRWilkins)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/1 "2014-01-20T00:06:51Z")

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My game lags badly sometimes when huge quantities of items are present. The only times when huge quantities of items are present are when I stash a bunch of stuff or burn a house down. Solution:

Dimensional Stasis Unit  
Acts almost exactly like a trunk, can be installed in vehicles or used standalone. Offloads all items placed inside of it. They can’t be interacted with until you take them out. Can’t place edible items inside of it to make it balanced. (Alcohol is ok though)  
Craft-able with high electronics and fabrication (6+)

Additionally, please make acid rain better at cleaning up items dropped outdoors. Also, make it clear offloaded sectors of items placed outside. Remove the above-ground dead soldier/drug dealer/scientist groups and add them to dungeons. Add new dungeons.

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**Author:** ![John\_Candlebury](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/john_candlebury/32/6437_2.png) [@John\_Candlebury](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/John_Candlebury)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/2 "2014-01-20T00:13:40Z")

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Its possibly the fire what is causing your CPU to lag, Im pretty sure that nails have nothing to do about it, I have been burning complete cities to the ground for a while now and it has never been a problem. (then again my computer is rather strongish).

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**Author:** ![JohnieRWilkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@JohnieRWilkins](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/JohnieRWilkins)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/3 "2014-01-20T00:28:28Z")

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I’m positive it’s items that are causing my lag. I lag every time I enter a location with a few thousand items. The houses that lag me have no active fires or smoke going on. My shelter lags me. My car lags me only when it has lots of items inside it.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/4 "2014-01-20T00:28:49Z")

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It’s probable it’s the fire. How old is your PC, how large is the save?

It’s better to fix the problem than make a work-around.

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**Author:** ![JohnieRWilkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@JohnieRWilkins](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/JohnieRWilkins)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/5 "2014-01-20T00:38:22Z")

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I’m lagging because I have a really crappy HDD that can’t read/write fast.

This would be an okay solution and would actually add to the game. People would be able to have their stash items not show up on the “V” interface. That would be boss.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/6 "2014-01-20T00:42:15Z")

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[quote=“JohnieRWilkins, post:5, topic:4805”]I’m lagging because I have a really crappy HDD.

This would be an okay solution and would actually add to the game. People would be able to have their stash items not show up on the “V” interface. That would be boss.[/quote]

So because your computer is sub-par you want a quantum storage bin added to the game?

Here’s a little quick fix I’ve used to clean up areas I’m in: Open the debug menu, go to the map editor, select the whole damn area under effects, set it to the maximum depth acid-pool, clear the area under you and any of your things, then skip turns using 5 until it’s clear, if items remain, repeat until they don’t.

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**Author:** ![JohnieRWilkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@JohnieRWilkins](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/JohnieRWilkins)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/7 "2014-01-20T00:44:37Z")

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[quote=“EkarusRyndren, post:6, topic:4805”]So because your computer is sub-par you want a quantum storage bin added to the game?

Here’s a little quick fix I’ve used to clean up areas I’m in: Open the debug menu, go to the map editor, select the whole damn area under effects, set it to the maximum depth acid-pool, clear the area under you and any of your things, then skip turns using 5 until it’s clear, if items remain, repeat until they don’t.[/quote]  
Yes.

Thanks for the debug tip!! Cheers.

Edit: Game runs very smoothly in ASCII so I take back all of the performance complaints. However, from an OCD perspective it’d still be cool.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/8 "2014-01-20T00:51:23Z")

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[quote author=JohnieRWilkins link=topic=5075.msg81086#msg81086 date=1390178677]

> [@EkarusRyndren](#):
>
> Edit: Game runs very smoothly in ASCII so I take back all of the performance complaints. However, from an OCD perspective it’d still be cool.

…That seems really odd and frankly sounds like a RAM problem.

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**Author:** ![JohnieRWilkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@JohnieRWilkins](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/JohnieRWilkins)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/9 "2014-01-20T00:52:43Z")

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From IRC:  
19:48 The tiles code, no offense to whomever implemented it, is basically a hack  
19:48 yea, I think in tiles mode it has to access every item to figure out what to draw  
19:49 yea it’s fairly bad 😛

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/10 "2014-01-20T00:54:58Z")

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[quote=“JohnieRWilkins, post:9, topic:4805”]From IRC:  
19:48 The tiles code, no offense to whomever implemented it, is basically a hack  
19:48 yea, I think in tiles mode it has to access every item to figure out what to draw  
19:49 yea it’s fairly bad :P[/quote]

_Uses the non-tiles build and doesn’t know about tiles anyway_ WELL ALRIGHT THEN. …TILES ARE FOR THE UNIMAGINATIVE ANYWAY.

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/11 "2014-01-20T00:55:37Z")

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Thus is why I turn off tiles or use the console build.

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**Author:** ![wad67](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/wad67/32/7_2.png) [@wad67](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/wad67)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 10:39am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/12 "2014-01-20T10:39:04Z")

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Graphical build lags for me regardless of tiles are on or off.  
It generally seems a bit unstable too.

In terms of computer performance, you do need a fairly average computer to get a playable version of cataclysm (with the occasional slowdown).

I have 1 older machine dedicated to cataclysm development, it can run the game but there is a definite 50-100 ms delay between movements and such.  
That machine has a rather old dual core, however it is running lubuntu which really makes up for the low performance.

My two other computers have i7’ in them, the only difference being a slightly better graphics card in one.  
And windows 8 on the other.

Both of these run cataclysm without a hitch, waiting a whole day typically takes around 10 seconds, depends what’s going on around me 🙂

On my linux machine it takes 2-8 minutes. Depending on environmental factors.

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**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/performance-fixes/4805/13 "2014-01-21T20:28:05Z")

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Tiles does suffer from lag when there are large quantities of items present. That said fire is a much, much worse source of it, and is actually one of the larger causes of performance hits in the game currently.