Skidding around, sometimes can't stop

shiva7663 · September 2014

Often I find that when I'm running around using the WASD keys, when I let go of W, I keep moving; sometimes for a second, sometimes for ten seconds or more. When this happens in the middle of combat, it's an effort to try to stay near enough to hit anything in melee.

keywords: keyboard, buffer, lag

shiva7663 · September 2014

Here's someone else with the same issue. I'm going to scour my startup programs and see if that helps:

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/119720/character-movement-locked

shiva7663 · September 2014

More testing: apparently, ESO doesn't want to run in Safe Mode with Networking.

shiva7663 · September 2014

Tried a different way, using MSCONFIG (under Windows 7) to uncheck all non-Microsoft services and startup programs, then add back only firewall and basic antivirus programs, and my NVidia video driver. Still no joy, still skidding around.

I want to be sure I have performed due diligence before taking this up with ZOS technical support.

I died by sliding off a cliff in Coldharbour. sigh.

shiva7663 · September 2014

Ticket submitted. Now we wait and see.

shiva7663 · September 2014

Support had me make some changes: make sure the NVidia card was in control, and set the Power profile to High Performance.

It didn't help. We'll see what the next round of suggestions brings.

There's a new WHQL signed NVidia device driver available today; I'm downloading that now.

shiva7663 · September 2014

Tried setting all in-game video properties to absolute minimum. Didn't help.

ZOS_GaryA · September 2014

Hey there @Shiva7663,

It's great to hear that our CS team is working with you and that you're performing your own troubleshooting to work towards a solution. We'd like to offer some additional insight to the problem.

There is an auto-run feature in the game that you may be toggling by accident. By default, this is set to the Num Lock key, but it also sometimes maps to a side button on the mouse. If you don't use the auto-run feature, try unbinding the keys for it in the Controls menu and see if that helps.

This may also be a hardware issue with the keyboard that you're using. If you have an alternate keyboard to test it with, give that a shot and let us know if it helps.

Rune_Relic · September 2014

I wonder if this is a key buffer + lag issue ?
ie...extra key presses are stored..so when you change direction...it finishes playing the buffered keys before the new direction key presses or key release.

shiva7663 · September 2014

Performed repairs and resets as suggested, but it didn't help. Sometimes pressing W for a very short time will set off the running around. I can temporarily interrupt it by double-tapping S, but after the backward roll, it starts going forward again until it runs out of whatever is making it happen.

shiva7663 · September 2014

I'll unbind the Autorun feature next.

update: didn't help

Seravi · September 2014

I've had this bug for months as well as others. Nothing like running off a cliff only to die because you can't stop no matter what. The way I get out of it is I run into a wall, cliff something solid so I will at least stop moving forward, then I have to hit ESC four times and the W key twice. Crazy I know but it takes me out of it.

I am using a Logitech G510 keyboard but I have tried other keyboards, different brands and it still happens.

shiva7663 · September 2014

My keyboard is the utterly unremarkable standard PS/2 keyboard that comes built into my Lenovo Ideapad Y570 laptop.

shiva7663 · September 2014

It's a good thing I used to do Tier 3 Windows technical support for a living, because otherwise, the fiddly configuration bits I have to do next would give me the yodeling fantods. We'll see how that goes.

shiva7663 · September 2014

Reconfiguring my router as per instructions did not help.

I tried @ZOS_GaryA's suggestion of trying a different keyboard (this time, an external USB keyboard) and that seems to have helped a lot. My internal PS/2 laptop keyboard may well be failing.

I'm going to hammer away some more at this before declaring it fixed, though.

ZOS_GaryA · September 2014

Hey there @shiva7663,

We're glad to hear that a new keyboard is helping, though it's always distressing when a piece of laptop hardware goes haywire. If you have additional info after a few days of testing, or whenever you feel comfortable, let us know and we'll be happy to follow up with you.

shiva7663 · September 2014

Apparently my original internal keyboard is failing, as I've noticed unintended key-bounces while running other programs. I'll get used to the USB keyboard eventually. Thank you for the suggestion.

Rune_Relic · September 2014

shiva7663 wrote: »

Apparently my original internal keyboard is failing, as I've noticed unintended key-bounces while running other programs. I'll get used to the USB keyboard eventually. Thank you for the suggestion.

I often strip, clean and rebuild keyboards. 9/10 times it is just dirt and grime that stops keys from contacting properly or physically make them stick. If you aren't upto this perhaps a tech can do this for you rather than the expense/needle in haystack of a new laptop board.

shiva7663 · September 2014

I think I have some canned air around someplace....

bugmom · October 2014

I get this too. I'm on a Mac with a Razer Naga mouse and Black widow keyboard. The point yourself at a wall till it runs out technique works for me -- but it gets me killed if combat is going on.

Ignotus · October 2014

I too am getting this behavior. It isn't as bad as some people are saying in my case. I can be running forward and then stop pressing the keyboard button and my character will keep moving forward for maybe 2-3 seconds. The most noticeable thing that I experience is when I'm sprinting forward and try to turn with the mouse, the character continues straight. Eventually it will respond to my mouse, but it may take several seconds and then it seems to over-correct. I would call it "input lag" but I don't know if that's appropriate or not. Skills seem to fire fine when I press the buttons, and the character moves when I press a key, so that's not an issue. It's just getting him to STOP moving or getting the mouse to register when I'm moving sometimes.

My keyboard is a fairly standard Logitech multimedia keyboard. I don't like it anyway, so I'm going to try switching to a different one. The mouse is a Logitech G9 laser. I tried enabling mouse smoothing which didn't work. I also tried running ESO at "above normal" priority, but that caused sound to break up a little and didn't help the mouse lag. I haven't tried changing the CPU affinity to 1 core yet, but will try that. I had some mouse jerkiness in Skyrim, but nothing like this. WoW runs fine, as did Bioshock Infinite when I last played it. Never had any issues with New Vegas. I can't recall any other keyboard/mouse games that I've played recently.

Ignotus · October 2014

I switched to a standard HP keyboard with no extra functionality. This one is a PS2 keyboard vs USB. Thought I'd try that out of curiosity. Still no change. I'm not going to be able to keep playing the game like this. I'm having trouble just moving around in the game due to the mouse not responding when I try to look around in 1st person and having the character keep moving after I release the movement key. Character movement is very basic functionality. I can't play if I can't move my character reliably.

EDIT: Well, I may have figured out what the culprit was in my specific case. It's a little odd because this software has never caused me any issues with any other game that I've played. The software that is causing the issue for me is "DisplayFusion". It's software for using multiple monitors. I disabled all hooks in DisplayFusion for the ESO client back when I started playing, but that apparently wasn't enough. I assume it's a performance issue, but I'm not sure. Once I exited DisplayFusion, the game seems to perform as expected so far. I'll report back if it crops back up. I hate that I have to disable it, but I guess that's what it will take.