Details about your experience: low FPS, freezes/crashes, unknown error, etc before & after Update 3

tinythinker · August 2014

Hello. There are lots of individual reports on these issues, but I am curious (and I am hopeful it might be helpful for the bug fixers) to have a collection of examples with a little more data.

If you wouldn't mind, if you are experiencing low FPS, world freezes/crashes, or disconnects associated with unknown error could you provide some info in a comment here? I'd appreciate even answering just a few of the following:

1. Which of the three listed difficulties are you experiencing?
2. Are there other problems as well that seem correlated to any of those?
3. When (exactly or approximately) did these issues begin for you?
4. How often do you experience them and do you submit bug reports?
5. Which server are you on? In which game zones do these problems occur?
6. What are your basic computer specs? PC/Mac, CPU/GPU, etc?
7. Have any patches or upgrades helped with any these problems, recently or in the past?
8. Have any of your own efforts (switching computers, upgrading your graphics driver or wifi router firmware, etc) helped at all with any of these problems?
9. How does this effect your game experience: your enjoyment, how often you play, etc?
10. Is there any other information that you think might be helpful concerning the issues you are experiencing not covered by the previous questions?

Thanks for sharing.

tinythinker · August 2014

My own answers:

1. Which of the three listed difficulties are you experiencing?

All three.

2. Are there other problems as well that seem correlated to any of those?

Maybe. Since patch 1.3.3 I've been getting crashes without everything around my character freezing first.

3. When (exactly or approximately) did these issues begin for you?

I experienced some micro-stuttering in the animation after patch 1.1.2. After Update 2 I noticed the start of some fps issues in Cyrodiil. Like many others after patch 1.2.5 the fps issue worsened and I started noticing big world freezes (i.e. everything stops but me for up to 15 or 20 seconds, can't use weapons or abilities, then the client crashes due to an unknown error) and small world freezes (I can't move but everyone else can, lasts several seconds, client doesn't crash).

The fps is still extremely low near Cyrodiil combat (15-22fps on the margins, under 10 fps for big battles) and the world freeze issues remain (and have become much more frequent), while other issues associated with that patch like invisible enemies and weapons were fixed.

4. How often do you experience them and do you submit bug reports?

On wifi I experience freeze-crashes (or freeze and force quits/restarts) up to a dozen times per hour in Cyrodiil. This wasn't a problem prior to patch 1.2.5 and again that frequency has been on the rise over the past few weeks. I tried a direct connection to the modem and it seemed to fix the world freezes, but then one happened anyway even with a strong/stable hardline connection, so it isn't a total solution.

Yes I've submitted a couple of bug reports.

5. Which server are you on? In which games zones do these problems occur?

North America. The fps issues can be anywhere, but are worse in Cyrodiil. Also the freezes seem to be restricted to Cyrodiil.

6. What are your basic computer specs? PC/Mac, CPU/GPU, etc?

Just an average notebook PC from 2012: Intel Core i7-2670QM CPU @ 2.20GHz, Radeon HD 7690M TX @ 1GB, 8GB RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit version.

7. Have any patches or upgrades helped with any these problems, recently or in the past?

Not as far as I can tell for these specific problems.

8. Have any of your own efforts (switching computers, upgrading your graphics driver or wifi router firmware, etc) helped at all with any of these problems?

I've been playing on minimum graphics (as opposed to high, or medium during like spikes) for many weeks. Software updates for my PC and peripherals like my wireless router haven't seemed to have made a difference.

9. How does this effect your game experience: your enjoyment, how often you play, etc?

I still enjoy the game but it would be more fun if I could use better graphics and if I didn't miss most or all of big battles because I am busy force-quitting and restarting the game several times in a row. Sometimes everything is still frozen when I log back in and then its another force quit/restart.

10. Is there any other information that you think might be helpful concerning the issues you are experiencing not covered by the previous questions?

A 2008 desktop PC (Intel Core 2 Quad6600 @2.40GHz, ATI Radeon HD 4550 @ 1GB, 3GB RAM, Windows 7 32-bit version) can also run the game fine and is usually connected directly to the modem. There are no world freezes. The only world freeze that has occurred so far when connected to the modem came from hooking the cable up to the notebook PC.

It seems like there is some underlying issue that is present for all computers but which may or may not manifest symptoms and whose symptoms may be mild or severe, like a biological "flu bug" that hits some people worse than others based on age, overall health, genetics, etc. Not everyone sees these problems crop up (or manifest as severely) on their own machines, but it is still there, and each code tweak for a big patch might be the "mutation" that causes your own system to experience these problems. I'm hoping more data might help find a cure. Or at least better symptom management.

Panda244 · August 2014

Only expierencing the crash, right after log in. Like alot of other people. Fatal Error 11, and some report that repairing their client has done nothing.

Korozenn · August 2014

Hoping they actually see these threads made since v1.3.3 and do something about what we're all going through sooner than later, or else I smell another hiatus for me until this game finally manages to stand on its own two feet.

1. Which of the three listed difficulties are you experiencing?

Data Load Failure crash to desktop and very odd framerate stuttering. I should add that the new Dye Stations also have me accounted for achievements I never even remotely got close to unlocking.

2. Are there other problems as well that seem correlated to any of those?

Since updating my Nvidia video driver to 340.52, nope. No other issues so far on my end.

3. When (exactly or approximately) did these issues begin for you?

The crash happened just recently after the v1.3.3 update. The odd framerate stuttering and drops in FPS while in towns such as Vulkhel Guard, Daggerfall, or Davon's Watch has been going on since launch.

Did not have any of these issues in beta, ironically.

4. How often do you experience them and do you submit bug reports?

Every single time I experience any issue in-game, I send a bug report. Doesn't look like it does much of anything because the same bug reports I've sent in since launch have still been left unresolved months later. Don't have any idea why I decided to come out of hiatus at this point in time now, to be honest, if ZeniMax doesn't even remotely care to look at the Bug Reports or Feedback we send to them in-game.

How are we supposed to know they even receive them if we don't get a message back from Customer/Tech Support that they got the message, in the case of a bug report or feedback we send in?

5. Which server are you on? In which game zones do these problems occur?

NA Server, and the CTD happened in Vulkhel Guard. Otherwise, any area with a light amount of population begins to take a hit in framerate and drops below 30 FPS in most occasions.

6. What are your basic computer specs? PC/Mac, CPU/GPU, etc?

Windows 7 64-bit
Specs: Intel Core i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50 GHz and 16 GB RAM
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 670
- Driver Version: GeForce 340.52 Driver

7. Have any patches or upgrades helped with any these problems, recently or in the past?

Nope.

8. Have any of your own efforts (switching computers, upgrading your graphics driver or wifi router firmware, etc) helped at all with any of these problems?

Nope.

9. How does this effect your game experience: your enjoyment, how often you play, etc?

It pisses me off. The game was more stable in beta and on release than it is now for me, and all of these issues we've been having along with such vague error codes and responses from Customer Support have all been making the game's experience abysmal these past few months.

I thought that by now the game would be able to stand on its own and be able to be played again without all of these faults, but it's clear that Customer Support doesn't give any care in the world about players like myself who have been here and trying their best to support them since beta.

I feel both annoyed and uncomfortable with the fact that all of us veteran ESO players from Beta have been getting the cold shoulder when we send feedback to ZeniMax for them to fix existing problems that plague the game's experience for players, as a whole. It's the reason we've seen such a large drop-out rate of the more experienced, hardcore ESO players that were there from Beta so early in the game's release, and it's the same reason why many of them aren't coming back.

10. Is there any other information that you think might be helpful concerning the issues you are experiencing not covered by the previous questions?

If ZeniMax wants to save themselves from losing another round of potential subscribers and prevent ESO veterans like myself from leaving, then they'll get their act together, look at these forum posts, and start setting up tickets with users here to get their problems resolved in a timely manner.

Error codes and other issue reports need to be more descriptive as well. Right now, they're as vague as the spells/ability descriptions you see in-game. Crashing users to their desktop is never the answer to anything, which was a huge mistake they made with v1.2.X. v1.3.X seems to have just magnified the issues the prior version had before it on top of adding in even more bugged achievements, guild functionality that had to be disabled shortly after the update because it didn't work properly, and the Dye Stations that give you colors of dyes you haven't even gotten close to unlocking.

With each update they've had, the game just continues to get broken more-and-more. I'm sorry, but I'm pissed off that there are users out there still losing out on all of their progress made with their characters, which is a problem that has plagued this game since launch.

ZeniMax has a lot of explaining to do in their next Road Ahead article this month.

Evergnar · August 2014

All of the above. PvP (NA) was bad last night but it's not the old fps near keep problem. It's animation delays, rubberbanding, and overall glitchy. I had a loaf of bread stuck to my hand for half hour.

PvE today not much better. Massive 3-5 second animation delays. Bow went invisible. Can't tell If I've killed stuff or not. Enemies just stop for several seconds and then fall dead.

After nearly 6 months since release Zos continues to break too many things with every patch. Equally important is they take too long to then fix it. Weeks and months to fix mistakes that went live is unacceptable. Get a better testing system Zos.

daveb16_ESO40 · August 2014

I have experienced the Unknown Error since the server move and have been unable to stay logged in for more than 30 seconds since then. The patch has made no difference other than the Unknown Error now being called just an Error. I have now unsubscribed, this was the last straw, I'm done.

RinaldoGandolphi · August 2014

The game runs worse now then it did before.

I asked on the other thread a few days ago "what's the rush with the patch"

I was ridiculed by some, but now here we are with a broken guild system, broken guild permissions, error 11, fps drops, major fps drops in cyrodil, etc.

I would have rather them delay this patch and make sure it works before rushing it out.

now you have a number of people who have an unplayable game and its a shame.

patch day for eso is becoming the kiss of death, everytime they roll out a big patch a lot of things get broken...its a shame is what it is.

Lioki · August 2014

I am getting 3 second or more game freezes at irregular intervals. What zone I am in makes no difference at all. This happens on all my characters at any combination of game visual settings. I had no game issues prior to the latest patch.

DuelWieldingCheesyPoofs · August 2014

Fatal error 11 cannot play

tinythinker · August 2014

I can confirm that the issues I listed are happening in any zone where several players (8-12 or more) are all fighting at the same time, not just Cyrodiil and PvP battles. So, putting off PvP isn't going to help : /

Epona222 · August 2014

Which of the three listed difficulties are you experiencing?

FPS peaks and troughs, lag spikes causing rubber-banding and failure of abilities to work when the key is pressed/display of mobs, in PvE and in Cyrodil. Since the last update, I have been experiencing random and frequent loss of connection with the server, which is NOT due to a problem with my connection locally.

Are there other problems as well that seem correlated to any of those?

Difficulty picking locks because the pins are affected by lag/latency in terms of a difference between my display and the server - the pins move erratically and do not release promptly. Problems with utilising actives in combat, they do not fire, or when they do there is a delay.
Critical charge often fails and leaves me in a state where all I can do is move, my character has sword in the air and legs running and can use no abilities, including roll-dodge. Relogging is the only reliable fix to get out of this stuck state, but since I enter combat using this move, it usually means I am dead when I log back in.

When (exactly or approximately) did these issues begin for you?

To some extent, they have always been there, but worsened (on the US server!) right after the EU server migration, and worsened again with the latest update.

How often do you experience them and do you submit bug reports?

Fairly frequently, I submit bug reports when it's particularly bad

Which server are you on? In which game zones do these problems occur?

I play on both servers, the US server has got noticeably (and bizarrely!) worse since EU server migration and the latest update, and some issues still exist on the EU server even though it is now nearer. But there are issues on both servers.

What are your basic computer specs? PC/Mac, CPU/GPU, etc?

Win 7 PC, 3.4 GHz quad core AMD CPU, 2Gb nVidia GTX 670 GPU, 8Gb RAM. Internet connection 70 mbps fibre-optic, PC connected via ethernet cable (my ping to Frankfurt is 21ms and 140ms to Texas - ie. EU server should be excellent, and NA playable).

Have any patches or upgrades helped with any these problems, recently or in the past?

No, it seems to get worse with every update

Have any of your own efforts (switching computers, upgrading your graphics driver or wifi router firmware, etc) helped at all with any of these problems?

No, and I am now utterly convinced that the problem is not at my end.

How does this effect your game experience: your enjoyment, how often you play, etc?

I would prefer not to die so often due to unresponsive commands, or just have my character become unresponsive in the middle of a dungeon. I love the game, but it is frustrating to play when that happens, especially when I die unnecessarily and am faced with a repair bill.

Is there any other information that you think might be helpful concerning the issues you are experiencing not covered by the previous questions?

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, I think the questions and answers covered it quite nicely

wolfguard101 · August 2014

Since latest patch I get error crashes every time I am in pvp. They occur randomly and dont include the other crash rollbacks that still occur from the patch before this one. Also getting same error crashes in pve just not as regularly. More worrying is the blue screen crashes . Have had all bardware and software checked by llocal IT shop and as this only occurs in ESO was told by them not to use that game. WHILST I like the guild stuff and dyes added hows about you fix the crap left over from last patch Zenimax

theyancey · August 2014

I have had 3 crashes that brought up the auto report box. That was over a period of 10 hours of game play. I can live with that until the fix is released.

tinythinker · August 2014

I got this error box when relogging after a world freeze. Hadn't done anything, just popped up as soon as my character loaded. Not sure if it is part of the issues described here or some other random thing.