Odyssey Optimization Needs to be Fixed

[Old Duck]

Following the many threads on performance, I am often asking myself what must be wrong with those PCs which are supposed to have more than enough resources to run ED:O in a decent manner. Therefore, I agree with Ratcatcher that it may have to do more with the configuration and updates of these underperforming machines than it has to do with ED:O itself.

There's something weird going on that's beyond just the PC that Odyssey is running on. People can run much more graphically demanding games at better framerates and smoothness (for example, MSFS 2020) on the same PC that bogs down to single-digit fps in Odyssey. Or, take this last update, where we have videos from Burr and his wife showing a serious performance nerf. I use them as an example because normally they are putting out some of the best video content for Odyssey, showing that on a normal day Odyssey performs fine for them.

And then there are people who are supposedly getting a locked 60 fps with no stutters on relatively older hardware. It doesn't make any sense to me, but I'm not convinced it's just the PC, otherwise all games would be equally affected, not just Odyssey. My PC runs all the games I have installed perfectly well (which includes some demanding modern titles), but I'm not going to roll the dice on Odyssey - its reputation is just too bad ATM.

 

[Morbad]

You folks are incredibly optimistic. Over a year and 12 major updates since release, I think any major optimizations that could be done would've been done by now. Sure, they may add a frame per second here or there, but I just don't see Horizons performance coming to Odyssey, ever.

In my worst-case GPU-bound test (in a very specific, perfectly repeatable, area of the suit tutorial) minimum frame rate went from 73 to 77 from update 11 to 12, all other things equal.

In a worst-case CPU limited scenario (same high CZ in the same large settlement at similar times of day), 1% low frame rates went from ~70 to almost 80, all other things being equal.

Other than a few issues with improper culling, I haven't see any real graphics downgrades with this update either, unlike some prior ones, which generally didn't improve performance quite as much. Losing the Alpha's 'ultraforcapture' LOD tables; the high quality fire we used to have prior to update 4 or 7 or whatever; the skybox reflections on cockpit glass, or the silly low terrain texture LOD distances U11 introduced...not one of those changes was worth the hit to graphics quality. The only update that was bigger for performance that also didn't destroy something, image quality wise, was when they fixed the glass shaders...which almost doubled my frame rate in concourses.

Anyway, there are still fundamental problems that will probably never be addressed, but overall, I'm pleasantly surprised with U12's performance.

 

[Old Duck]

Losing the Alpha's 'ultraforcapture' LOD tables; the high quality fire we used to have prior to update 4 or 7 or whatever; the skybox reflections on cockpit glass, or the silly low terrain texture LOD distances U11 introduced...not one of those changes was worth the hit to graphics quality.

Are any of these graphic nerfs reversible via buried graphic config files? I absolutely HATE it when quality is thrown out in the name of performance, at least in ultra settings (if they want to nerf medium and low settings, go ahead).

 

[Frop]

(if they want to nerf medium and low settings, go ahead).

 

[Morbad]

Are any of these graphic nerfs reversible via buried graphic config files?

Not as far as I've been able to tell, no.

 

[Caydran]

Are any of these graphic nerfs reversible via buried graphic config files? I absolutely HATE it when quality is thrown out in the name of performance, at least in ultra settings (if they want to nerf medium and low settings, go ahead).

Since you asked, I am making changes to "GraphicsConfiguration.xml" and "GraphicsConfigurationOverride.xml" for both Odyssey and Horizons, and using your mod for Horizons. After doing a file compare of both GraphicsConfiguration.xml, for Odyssey and Horizons, they are fairly close, with of course, many added options for Odyssey.

I don't see why someone like yourself, would not find settings in Odyssey's GC file that could be changed or improved.

 

[Bottom Hat]

Since you asked, I am making changes to "GraphicsConfiguration.xml" and "GraphicsConfigurationOverride.xml" for both Odyssey and Horizons, and using your mod for Horizons. After doing a file compare of both GraphicsConfiguration.xml, for Odyssey and Horizons, they are fairly close, with of course, many added options for Odyssey.

I don't see why someone like yourself, would not find settings in Odyssey's GC file that could be changed or improved. But, you would have to own Odyssey. For your work on your mod, which you freely shared, I would gift you a copy of Odyssey for you to play with?

 

[Jaguarious]

Odyssey's broken optimization needs to be fixed urgently.

I'm seeing that for me, even with above average settings, I still suffer from drops, freezes and extremely low fps in stations and settlements.

This is something that had to be focused on to be corrected, because in addition to alienating new players and even the oldest, it still creates a "bad reputation" for the game. And it's not just me saying this, it's the community itself that evaluates the game through Steam, Epic and other media.

In terms of content, immersion, fun and the like, I can't criticize ED: Odyssey, as the game and its expansion give me all of that. But in terms of optimization and problems currently existing, I wouldn't recommend buying the game to anyone.

One of the experiences I've currently had really put me off even playing it. After a group of friends (8 players) bought ED: Odyssey, in a few hours they all asked for a refund, precisely because they played ED: Horizon without any optimization problem and in ED: Odyssey it becomes annoying and breaks any experience.

Yet I keep seeing the exact opposite. As well as several people I know, and many comments on reddit and other places... Each update brings a better experience with very few exceptions.
So much so, that today I actually feel "clumsy" while I've been getting used to the unexpected ease and fluidity of flying inside a space dock. Last week I rarely saw framerates higher than 30 in a space station. Today I've enjoyed an amazing 55+ FPS.

 

[Sakashiro]

Am I the only one who plays Odyssey without problems? I constantly see people complaining about things that never happen to me. Maybe it's my old system, but I'm surprised that more modern systems seem to have so many problems. I guess, though, that those who have no problems, don't go around telling everyone that Odyssey is perfect for them. That's not a complaint against the OP or anyone, just a more general observation.

Now, my system is, for want of a better term, 'ancient'. It's an old AMD FX9590, with a Sapphire Pulse Vega 56 GPU. Yes, I only run the game at 1080p 60Hz, but that's all my old monitors will do (I was intending to upgrade just as the mining boom hit and GPU prices skyrocketed), but I still get a constant 60fps in all areas and aspects of the game. I've not measured my fps in VR though, but my GPU does go a bit nuts with the fans when I run in VR (Pimax 8K-X native res, so 2x 4K screens).

If it's newer hardware bringing problems, I'm more inclined to stick with my old kit, and play Elite without any of those problems...

1080p is the key here. I'm playing EDO on hardware even older than yours (Core i5-6500, Nvidia 1070).

Still, in comparison to graphically more intensive games such as Cyberpunk 2077, EDO's performance is poor, and it doesn't look half as good. Its anti-aliasing is a joke, even in comparison to much older games, and there are lots of issues with lighting and shaders even after the 12th update. And this is despite the fact that VR and console support have been dropped. At this point you have to wonder if FDev should be in the game development business at all; maybe everyone would be happier if they just licensed the Elite IP to a capable third party.

 

[Mogen Teras]

That's already happened, Paul. Multiple people gifted him Steam cards (he refused to accept a copy of Odyssey bought for him, since he didn't want Frontier seeing any money), but rather than perform any work on that shader mod, he used the cards to buy different games instead, and then duly threw a tantrum when called out on it.

For what it's worth, I'd hardly call that a tantrum/fit. The man can do what he wants with his money, and I can't remotely blame him for not seeing the worth in spending that money on something he KNOWS he will hate.

What's more ridiculous is people donating money to him thinking they can dictate specifically what he does with it.

 

[Mogen Teras]

In my worst-case GPU-bound test (in a very specific, perfectly repeatable, area of the suit tutorial) minimum frame rate went from 73 to 77 from update 11 to 12, all other things equal.

In a worst-case CPU limited scenario (same high CZ in the same large settlement at similar times of day), 1% low frame rates went from ~70 to almost 80, all other things being equal.

Other than a few issues with improper culling, I haven't see any real graphics downgrades with this update either, unlike some prior ones, which generally didn't improve performance quite as much. Losing the Alpha's 'ultraforcapture' LOD tables; the high quality fire we used to have prior to update 4 or 7 or whatever; the skybox reflections on cockpit glass, or the silly low terrain texture LOD distances U11 introduced...not one of those changes was worth the hit to graphics quality. The only update that was bigger for performance that also didn't destroy something, image quality wise, was when they fixed the glass shaders...which almost doubled my frame rate in concourses.

Anyway, there are still fundamental problems that will probably never be addressed, but overall, I'm pleasantly surprised with U12's performance.

Personally, even if it has improved, the raw framerate results are still...inexcusably poor. If only the top tier of hardware is able to experience the expansion at the same fluidity as everyone else experienced Horizons, I'm not exactly going to be rushing to dole out praise.

 

[Old Duck]

Since you asked, I am making changes to "GraphicsConfiguration.xml" and "GraphicsConfigurationOverride.xml" for both Odyssey and Horizons, and using your mod for Horizons. After doing a file compare of both GraphicsConfiguration.xml, for Odyssey and Horizons, they are fairly close, with of course, many added options for Odyssey.

I don't see why someone like yourself, would not find settings in Odyssey's GC file that could be changed or improved. But, you would have to own Odyssey. For your work on your mod, which you freely shared, I would gift you a copy of Odyssey for you to play with?

I had the misfortune of looking at this thread while logged out, which means my finely curated ignore list didn't filter out all hate mongers and cyber bullies I usually ignore. Let me tell you the true story, since you're a nice guy. Because of my work on that mod, two individuals offered to give me some sort of financial reward for that work. Here is part of my reply to them via private message:

To be honest, I was saying that [give me a Steam card] tongue-in-cheek. I never expected anyone to seriously make the offer. While I'm anxious to play with Odyssey, I really think it would be wise to wait for things to stabilize a bit before I do. I'd also have a really hard time rewarding Frontier with money for Odyssey right now, even if it isn't my own money.[..]

and

See my post on the mod thread. My biggest concern in accepting any gifts is the "for the continued efforts" aspect, since I really don't want my free little hobby mod to become a paid service. Next thing I know I'm getting all the flack Braben currently is because I'm taking money and not delivering on expectations. That is definitely NOT a boat I want to be in.

In response I got back:

That is absolutely fine - no strings attached. I'm doing some stuff myself for FPGA retro computing and I know that this is a hobby that goes as long as I have fun with it.
I just love to give something back to other people, who seem to enjoy their hobbies also.

The day one of my hobbies becomes a paid service I would stop it, enough responsibilities in real life already for all of us.

Thanks for being this honest

Anyway, we agreed to a Steam card, since that allows me to maintain my anonymity (and based on the disturbing stalker tendencies of certain forum members, I'm glad I did) while allowing an actual gift exchange, kinda like Bitcoin. I made it clear that if they wanted to do this, it would be for the work I already did, not for any future work. At the time I truly believed I would use those gift cards to buy Odyssey, but then Odyssey actually released and I saw how terrible it was, and I decided I just didn't want it. I made some public posts regarding this (read the entire thread, not just the soundbites cherry-picked to craft a false narrative), but I also PMed both individuals who actually gifted me the cards, offering a full refund if they didn't approve of me spending the card on something beside Odyssey. Neither donor asked for that refund but instead said they were fine with my decision to spend their gift however I wanted.

Think about it - is anyone in this "angry mob" claiming that THEY bought me a gift card and I spent it in a way THEY disapproved of? No, of course not. They are making up an offense on someone else's behalf that doesn't even exist in order to cyberbully me just like they cyberbully Obsidian Ant, Drew Wager, and everyone else they don't like because of whatever bizarre reason.. Look at their own post history, and you'll see this is their MO.

But I did learn my lesson - I definitely will NOT be asking for or accepting any donations on or through this public forum. No way! Someday I'll likely buy Odyssey with my own money, perhaps during the Steam Summer Sale if the price is right. If I come up with any clever tricks to improve performance or visuals, I share them just like I did my original mod, no strings attached.

EDIT - my offer still stands, if either of the two people who gifted me a Steam card last year is not happy with that decision and would like a refund, just PM me on Steam and I'll return your card!

 

[Mogen Teras]

I had the misfortune of looking at this thread while logged out, which means my finely curated ignore list didn't filter out all hate mongers and cyber bullies I usually ignore. Let me tell you the true story, since you're a nice guy. Because of my work on that mod, two individuals offered to give me some sort of financial reward for that work. Here is part of my replies via private message:




From the reply I got back:


Anyway, we agreed to a Steam card, since that allows me to maintain my anonymity (and based on the disturbing stalker tendencies of certain forum members, I'm glad I did) while allowing an actual gift exchange, kinda like Bitcoin. As you can see from the quotes above, I made it clear that if they wanted to do this, it would be for the work I already did, not for any future work. At the time I truly believed I would use those gift cards to buy Odyssey, but then Odyssey actually released and I saw how terrible it was, and I decided I just didn't want it. I made some public posts regarding this (read the entire thread, not just the soundbites cherry-picked to craft a false narrative), but I also PMed both individuals who actually gifted me the cards, offering a full refund if they didn't approve of me spending the card on something beside Odyssey. Neither donor asked for that refund but instead said they were fine with my decision to spend their gift however I wanted.

Think about it - is anyone in this "angry mob" claiming that THEY bought me a gift card and I spent it in a way THEY disapproved of? No, of course not. They are making up an offense on someone else's behalf that doesn't even exist in order to cyberbully me just like they cyberbully Obsidian Ant, Drew Wager, and everyone else they don't like because of whatever bizarre reason..

But I did learn my lesson - I definitely will NOT be asking for or accepting any donations on or through this public forum. No way! Someday I'll likely buy Odyssey with my own money, perhaps during the Steam Summer Sale if the price is right. If I come up with any clever tricks to improve performance or visuals, I share them just like I did my original mod.

Don't let them get you down; they are not your parents, or your boss. They don't have any authority to dictate what you do either with what you have or what is given to you.

The people who are accusing you of "throwing fits/tantrums" are just reminding me of why I left this community for the last 2 and some months.

 

[Old Duck]

Opps, I did not know about not funding the Duck.

BTW, I tried PMing you, but I was unable to.

 

[Old Duck]

Don't let them get you down; they are not your parents, or your boss. They don't have any authority to dictate what you do either with what you have or what is given to you.

The people who are accusing you of "throwing fits/tantrums" are just reminding me of why I left this community for the last 2 and some months.

Normally I just ignore them (literally), or report them for moderation, but I'm not going to let them keep spreading lies about me over and over and over again without setting the record straight at least once.

 

[Mogen Teras]

Normally I just ignore them (literally), or report them for moderation, but I'm not going to let them keep spreading lies about me over and over and over again without setting the record straight at least once.

I respect it. Frankly Elite has become too much of a hassle for me to engage with, both because Odyssey is so frequently borked, and because the community is so aggressively sensitive to any and all criticism. I've been devoting my scifi time to X4 and Stellaris (the latter of which is new for me).

 

[Coppermine]

Okay, looks like no Odyssey for me. Good to know. Thanks, guys. (I do not intend to play ED in pancake mode. I could, obviously, but I have no desire to, and that clinches it.)

Odyssey only a problem in playing the foot game. I don't bother with it. I play Ody as a upgraded and beautiful version of Horizons, just much better. I never had any problem when I had my 2080ti and 8700k in VR either. If you really want the foot game, you'll most likely join the doom squad. (at some point or other)

 

[Kallan Shen]

I've really been enjoying Odyssey. But update 12 has made it so that I CTD when landing at settlements. It also introduced a stutter when transitioning from orbital flight -> glide -> end glide, which did not exist before. :/

 

[Sethioz]

When will lag be fixed in Odyssey? :/

Dear Devs .. do you even care anymore? Could you please fix the horrible lag in odyssey? game literally runs 8x worse than horizons, not just inside settlements or on-foot, even when comparing same place on planetary surface inside SRV (not close to settlement). In horizons I get 8x higher...

forums.frontier.co.uk

Exactly what I came here to say yesterday, not sure why that topic was closed ... probably because people flooded it with offtopic faf faf nonsense, but I didn't expect any replies anyways, I made that post in hope that devs or someone from the team sees it and forwards it to devs.
Those screenshots in that topic of mine are clearly showing WHY the game is badly optimized (please see the screenshots in linked topic and you understand).

 

[Dragsham]

I don't care for who's done what or why, I just want someone to fix this game. Clearly fdev can't. But o) we have much smarter folks here who can cull and whatever is needed to get oddity to work.

Duck redeem yourself...install and fix this sodding mess.