PC Choppiness (long theory and rant to EA)

[Taylor87]

I get crazy choppiness too but mostly on throws. I am not even sure if my graphix card is good or what, someone tell me.

It's a NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra. I have 1GB ram and a 3Ghz processer. Hopefully EA patches it but I read somewhere else that you can change some system settings. I can't find that thread though now.

[Smokin_Joe]

I get crazy choppiness too but mostly on throws. I am not even sure if my graphix card is good or what, someone tell me.

It's a NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra. I have 1GB ram and a 3Ghz processer. Hopefully EA patches it but I read somewhere else that you can change some system settings. I can't find that thread though now.

That's a good card and your system should run this game fine.

[KrGAce]

My system is a dual Athlon MP 1800+ with 1GB of memory, and I am running the ATI Sapphire Radeon 9000 with the latest driver, and I too am getting the "stuttering effect." I have tried every configuration I can think of, and nothing works. I do agree that the game is a major improvement over last years, however this choppiness, and a lack of a fix, is ruining things.

AceMan

[Rangers67]

Athlon FX-53, 6800GT, 1GB memory, and choppiness on throws, some hits, and replays.

[Avordo]

Same exact problems here . I have a new Dell Inspiron XPS Laptop (3.2 Ghz P4 w/1 Gig PC3200 Dual Channel RAM, 60 Gig 7200 RPM Hardrive, and ATI Mobility Radeon 9800 Video Card (256 MB). I have tried various settings (AA, AF, VSYNC, etc.) and nothing really seems to help the stuttering. I get the horizontal line tearing across the center of the screen no matter what setting I have. I also have Madden 2K5 (PC) and that runs a little smoother but not great. NBA Live 2k5 runs great! Also have MVP 2K5 (XBOX) and that is somewhat choppy compared to ESPN MLB 2K5. EA really needs to work on these issues (just wish other companies would get involved in the PC sports game arena to keep the product process improvement competition alive and well). Although MVP 2K5 does have some noticable improvements over MVP 2K4 I think they failed miserably in fixing the obvious framerate issues. With that said, if it were not for EA, we would not even have a PC baseball game to complain about! Baseball for life . Take care.

[D.M.Z.]

Has anyone written to technical support over at EA.com. I'm curious as to what their response might be to this issue and if anyone hasn't, i will.

[kals38]

I wrote them several days ago and I'm still going round and round with them. I've got a P2 2.4G, Radeon 9600SE 128MDDR card with all the latest drivers installed. I attached the DXDIAG file as they requested then have been getting basically one email a day from them with a new question each time that could be answered if they just looked at the DXDAIG file they requested be attached.

I'll post a response when I get one.

[PeterOS]

I've uninstalled my game and watiing for Ea to release a patch to fix it soon.

I'm dissapointed that this was not fixed, since this was a problem last year.

[D.M.Z.]

I've uninstalled my game and watiing for Ea to release a patch to fix it soon.

I'm dissapointed that this was not fixed, since this was a problem last year.

Agreed, i think that it was the third patch last year that addressed the choppiness but because the did fix it last year, i am holding out hope for this year's version.

[Trues]

I was looking forward to this year's game on the PC.

Over the last year I have beem miffed by the ghosted, stuttering ball issue on high-end PCs. Why do I say high end PCs? Well it's simple. Through my research over the last year collecting countless posts on boards, newgroups and with some friends about this problem my conclusion was that MVP 2004 (and now MVP 2005) runs better on lower-end computers then it does on higher-end systems.

I have a theory behind this. I really think EA coded this game to run on lower-end systems. The specs on this game are very low. 800Mhz, 256 ram, and many users can run it on a Geforce 4MX card (3-4 years old) with no problems.

I have tried new drivers,(and properly uninstalled old ones). I have disabled sound cards and tried new ones. I have no conflicts, nothing much runs in the background when Windows starts. I can run Half Life 2, Doom 3 etc with full AA and AF with no problems. I have an Athlon XP 2800, with 1Gb ram and a Geforce 6800 card.

Back to my theory. I think that when the ball is thrown around it is not "in-sync" with the camera movement. Perhaps with higher-end computers the camera is moving faster than the framerate "locked" ball is, causing a stuttering issue. Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube processors are much lower than your typical nice machine of the XP 2800 range.

What I don't understand is how something like this makes it out of the door two years in a row.

Unfortunately I will not be playing MVP 2005 this year on the PC and this may be the final nail in the coffin for me and EA. I really hope someone at EA reads this and understands.

Here's what i have. A64 3200+ overclocked and water cooled to 2650 (that's faster than A64 FX-55 a $900 chip) PC3200/4400 G.Skill GBLE @265mhz, x800xt @ 570/590 and got 30,500+ pts in 3DMark2k1 and 14,700+ in 3DMark2k3 so in other words it's a monster. it eats up Doom3 and HL and any other game i throw at it except this baseball game which is major bs.

i have to agree with you if this game supposedly runs better on older setups. then it was designed to do so because it's just baffling that my rig can't run this stupid game as smooth as DOOM3. that's just insane.

[endeavor]

Here's what i have. A64 3200+ overclocked and water cooled to 2650 (that's faster than A64 FX-55 a $900 chip) PC3200/4400 G.Skill GBLE @265mhz, x800xt @ 570/590 and got 30,500+ pts in 3DMark2k1 and 14,700+ in 3DMark2k3 so in other words it's a monster. it eats up Doom3 and HL and any other game i throw at it except this baseball game which is major bs.

i have to agree with you if this game supposedly runs better on older setups. then it was designed to do so because it's just baffling that my rig can't run this stupid game as smooth as DOOM3. that's just insane.

Mr Guest, I have posted something very similar to your post previously, and I couldn't agree more!!! This is a bunch of BS, and really limits the fun at times, and that is not an exaggeration, shame on EA, I have to say!

[qpontiac]

I thought you had to be a member to post on these forums? :?

[Trues]

i have the same problem; its happening to everybody

[endeavor]

i have the same problem; its happening to everybody

Well, my latest settings 4xAA, 8xAF, 1280x1024 32 bit, and the video card clocked @ 385/1.00Ghz (6800GT). I have maybe 2-3 times stuttering, during the entire game, its unbelievable, but it is just very smooth now, and I can finally truly enjoy it!!!

[p_rushing]

no offense, but i think your system is what has the problem, not the game.

i run.....

amd 3200+ (2.2ghz)

768mb 3200 ddr sdram

radeon 9800 128mb

250gb 7200 8mb cache HD

-------------

works fine

if other games have the same issue, did you ever stop to think that it was your system not being configured properly in general (either hardware, or more than likely software).

the game is fine. it's your system

what drivers are you using? I have a amd64 3200 and 9800 and it is choppy.

[Rangers67]

I called tech support and the guy would not accept that the problem is with the game. EA does not recognize this as their problem; they see it as our problem. I kept asking him if a patch to fix the problem was in the works, and all he said was check you drivers, etc. **** poor customer relations, EA.

[PeterOS]

Well all Im saying is that it better be fixed soon, or Im going to demand my money back from EA.

**Cannot return open PC games to store.**

[llcmac]

I called tech support and the guy would not accept that the problem is with the game. EA does not recognize this as their problem; they see it as our problem. I kept asking him if a patch to fix the problem was in the works, and all he said was check you drivers, etc. **** poor customer relations, EA.

HAHA, that's how EA has always been.

[kals38]

OK...7 days since contacting EA Tech Support online regarding the choppiness. I've received four seperate responses.

1) Send us the DXDIAG file (Done)

2) What kind of monitor are you using because if its an LCD you'll need to run in its native resolution? (Response...not using an LCD..the monitor is specified in the DXDIAG file you requested.)

3) You need to download the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility. (Did this when DOOM3 came out. Did it again. Uninstalled & reinstalled Catalyst 9.2 drivers. No change. In fact, worse.)

4) MVP 2005 is more graphic intensive than MVP 2004 so what you may want to do is to try setting the graphics detail levels lower. Also make sure that there are no hidden background tasks running in the background. (Response...DUH. No programs or unnecessary processes running. Already tweaked every graphical setting in the game up, down, sideways as well as trying every different variation on AA & AF settings in Control Panel. Lowering graphics settings and resolution in game actually makes the problem worse.)

Currently waiting on response #5.

Presently I'm running a P4 2.4G, Radeon 9600SE 128MB with 768M RAM @ 85H refresh with 2x AA & 2x AF, 1024x768 which is the highest resolution I can run at without having a hard time seeing the pitches. Stuttering is less noticeable but still annoying. It's like the ball is moving backwards and forwards while the camera pans across the field.

Very frustrating.

[gepetto]

I think we should all contact ea sports and let them know whats happening, I just did. Here is the exact link to technical support. In addition to writing about this choppyness problem attach a dxdialog.txt document to the email so they know your system specs. If you don't do this they'll just ask you for it the next time and it delays the process. In order to get a dxdiag.txt document go to start>programs>accesories>system info. Then go to directx diagnostic tool and save all information... Alright hope you all have time to do this. Thanks and peace.

EA Sports Tech support link:

http://eatech.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/eatech....M*&p_srch=1

[PeterOS]

Thanks for the link gepetto.

I sent them an email with the dxdiag.txt attached.

Hopefully we'll get enough people to complain and for them to release a patch soon.

[ezdriver]

Not gonna hold my breath waiting for a reply that's worth anything, but I sent my complaint to EA as well. Told them all drivers (video, audio & chipset) are latest and WHQL. Included DxDiag also. Tech Support tends to generate "blanket responses" at first, so keep at 'em and press the issue. I'll let you know what I hear.

ez

[madman59]

Here's the outline of my "help" from EA. Have EA tech support staff even used a computer, much less understand different configurations? I've tried on both my desktop (which is outlined in last customer response) and my notebook which is a Gateway 7405GX (AMD 3200 64, 512 RAM, 64MB ATI mobility 9600). I used DH Mod tool to modify catalyst drivers to work on mobility chipsets, cranked all settings up to best quality and game is 90% playable. Now I just need to figure out how to configure a custom resolution in 1280x800.

At this time we are not aware if any patches are being developed for MVP 2005. Please refer to the link below periodically to stay updated on the latest news regarding this game.

http://www.easports.com/games/mvp2005/home.jsp

Also, you may want to consider checking our FTP site below occasionally for patch availability.

ftp://ftp.ea.com/pub/easports/patches/

If you do not find it here, we no longer provide the update. You will need to search on third party websites to see if it is still distributed.

Customer 03/04/2005 11:28 PM

Here's the thing though, I've also installed this game on my desktop computer. Athlon 64 3200, 1GB DDR Ram, Nvidia 6800 video card, all updated drivers and still the same problem. Either computer regardless of it being a notebook or desktop should run the game just fine. I'm pretty sure that nowhere on the box does this game say that is doesn't support notebook configurations (this notebook like many others is a desktop replacement). I don't understand or buy "Unfortunately, our games do not support laptops" as explanation as to why the game doesn't run properly. As to your recomendations on how to remody the problem, I understand that most users aren't super users and overlook the fact they may have spyware/adware, viruses, or tons of temp files on their HD's; but trust me, I addressed these issues way before asking any questions. Bottom line, should I be expecting a patch for this game or are we just going to have to live with the short commings?

Response (Paul G.) 03/04/2005 12:02 PM

Hello,

Thank you for contacting EA technical support. I am sorry that you are having difficulty.

Unfortunately, our games do not support laptops. Due to the very high number of models/manufacturers, it makes it very difficult to test on all these models. There is also a factor of the drivers that laptops are installed with. We only support the hardware manufacturer's drivers and often times the only laptop drivers that can be obtained are form the system manufacturer (which we do not support). I'll try to help you out, but I'm not too sure how far I can take it.

Here's some suggestions for you to try:

Make sure that you have all the latest drivers. You can visit their support site for drivers:

https://support.dell.com/productselection.aspx

Choose the Product Model on the right drop-down menu. The most important updates that you will want to make sure you have are the Video/Grahpics, Sound, IDE, and Chipset. Be sure that you restart your computer after each update. If you have difficulty locating the drivers on their website, contact the Dell's support team to assist you.

Then conduct the following:

For Windows XP

Make sure that you have closed any programs or tasks running in the background as sometimes one of the programs can conflict with the game. Background applications such as anti-virus programs are often the cause of conflicts.

Hold down the Ctrl, Atl, and Delete keys at the same time

This will bring up the "Task Manager", follow the steps bellow in order:

1) Click the "Processes"

2) Click on the User Name button to sort by user name

3) Click on anything besides EXPLORER and TASKMGR for this User Name or other user names. Do NOT select anything for SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE, or NETWORK SERVICE.

4) Click on END PROCESS

5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 until only explorer.exe and taskmgr.exe are open for this user profile.

Try clearing out your Temp folder. To do this, click Start->Run and type in "temp" then press OK. Highlight all of the files by pressing CTRL A, and press the delete key to remove all of the files.

Then try the game again.

-----------------------

If you wish to return the game, here is your warranty information:

More then likely the store you bought it at will not accept the return because the box has been opened. In this case, you can send the game back to our Warranty department and we will give you a sealed copy of the game so that the store will accept the return.

Limited Warranty

Electronic Arts warrants to the original purchaser of this computer software product that the recording media on which the software programs are recorded will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 90 days from the date of purchase. During such period defective media will be replaced if the original product is returned to Electronic Arts.

For information how to send in your software for a sealed copy please click on the following link:

http://warrantyinfo.ea.com

If you have questions you can Email our Warranty Department:

http://eatech.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/eatech....enduser/ask.php?

Select Warranty from the Category pull down menu.

Customer 03/04/2005 09:10 AM

Is there any way to manually change my resolution to 1280x800 for native screen resolution?

Customer 03/04/2005 08:10 AM

Is there a patch on the way for MVP Baseball 2005 to solve the choppiness when a ball is thrown. This is most noticable when ball is thrown accross infield or from outfield to infield, but only slightly noticable when batting. In either situation it is very frustrating. I have used driver cleaner to remove all drivers, downloaded newest drivers for my video cards, insured dx9c is installed properly, windows updates are current, defragged HD. I know others have done the same with little result, please advise or release patch. Much thanks

[gepetto]

ea just contacted me and said to update my drivers at nvidia.com. this basically insulted my intelligence and is clearly 'work around response' to cover their ***.

[RedSoxFox7]

I've never had a problem with the choppiness. Not in 04, and still not in 05.

I've got an Athlon 2500+, Asus A7N8X, Radeon 9700 (NP), and 1GB of PC2700.