Surviving Mars - [Mac] Extreme FPS drop when a lake is in view

[CookieMNSTR XL]

Description
Extreme FPS drop when a lake with water in it is in view on MacOS Mojave



Mac


Steam

What is your game version?
244677
Do you have Space Race installed?
Yes

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
I built a small lake and the game immediately started stuttering as the FPS dropped immensely. As long as the lake remains in view, the game is barely playable but plays normally when I scroll away. Turning the lake off and letting the water evaporate completely also restores proper FPS. Also, the water seems way too bright (even during night), it's basically a glowing white pool of despair .
This happens on a 21.5" 2017 iMac with Core i5 @ 3.4Ghz, 8GB RAM and Radeon Pro 560 4GB.

Can you replicate the issue?
Scroll the view onto a lake and the game becomes nearly unplayable while it remains in view as long as there's water in it. Happens also if the map view is opened.

Attachments

 

[TekScep]

I'm about to give up on this game because of this specific issue. It's a great pity, as otherwise, it was very good.

 

[AndrewT]

I'm about to give up on this game because of this specific issue. It's a great pity, as otherwise, it was very good.

Does the mod linked above not help the problem for you?

 

[itsMeDOUG]

Does the mod linked above not help the problem for you?

I really appreciate the linked mod's developer's support, but that shouldn't even be a question the official Support Rep is asking considering the warning when activating mods mentions that they are not screened or approved by the game's developers. Take some accountability for this issue, it's been a month and a half.

 

[aa65537]

At time of writing I clocked 1100+ hrs, all on Mac, since the initial release. This bug makes game almost unplayable, and real _shame_ to release untested stuff on Mac.
It seems that rendering of lake surfaces is culprit, just as many have observed already.

@Paradox - don't you have Beta tester program for Mac users? I would love to help, if I can. It is pity to have Mac related problems, to otherwise great game.

/* I did manage to finish one generic game, just for the sake of it... Workaround was not having any lakes and instead create rains (this is possible in late stage of the game, when you've got other technologies researched). Certainly, this means that very the first Challenge, Breath of Fresh Air is impossible to play on Mac.
This Challenge is opens another topic; I doubt that given deadlines to finish are possible. I may be mistaken here, however this smells like another one of not-properly tested features.. but hey, I can't play due to "Lake FPS bug" */

 

[MrIncredible]

Gah, I was trying to figure out why my game slowed to a crawl, then I found this thread. It makes the game unplayable on Mac. Would be nice to get an update on this from someone?

 

[Willaw]

Me too...

 

[natec16]

Can confirm that this is indeed still an issue for me as well.

MacBook Pro 15", 2017
Running macOS 10.14.5

 

[dokMixer]

Hi there.
Confirming it's still happening, and preventing any progression in the game (4fps is not playable).
Osx mojave, hackintosh, RadeonRX 580 8gb.

Thanks for the mod : it enables me to play "without" the lakes enabled visually.
To the moderator(s): no, the mod is NOT a fix. The visual of the lake IS a white polygon, plane, instead of a lake. In terms of looks there is nothing fixed about it.

I hate to rant about a missing feature on mac, as i'm grateful to have mac games at all. But yeah. The features of having liquid water is kinda important for the expansion, and the current bug makes the DLC not playable / finishable at all. Waiting for a fix. Thanks !

 

[AndrewT]

To the moderator(s): no, the mod is NOT a fix.

I hope I did not imply it was a fix. It is indeed a workaround, of course, until the devs get a patch out.

 

[dokMixer]

I hope I did not imply it was a fix. It is indeed a workaround, of course, until the devs get a patch out.

Yep i thought you were saying the issue was addressed for a few complaining users thanks to this mod. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[zmo]

Having this same issue - it makes the game pretty unplayable, but the lakes are pretty important to terraforming.....

Description
Extreme FPS drop when a lake with water in it is in view on MacOS Mojave



Mac


Steam

What is your game version?
244677
Do you have Space Race installed?
Yes

Please explain your issue is in as much detail as possible.
I built a small lake and the game immediately started stuttering as the FPS dropped immensely. As long as the lake remains in view, the game is barely playable but plays normally when I scroll away. Turning the lake off and letting the water evaporate completely also restores proper FPS. Also, the water seems way too bright (even during night), it's basically a glowing white pool of despair .
This happens on a 21.5" 2017 iMac with Core i5 @ 3.4Ghz, 8GB RAM and Radeon Pro 560 4GB.

Can you replicate the issue?
Scroll the view onto a lake and the game becomes nearly unplayable while it remains in view as long as there's water in it. Happens also if the map view is opened.

Attachments

 

[dokMixer]

Issue still happening FYI.

 

[ChoGGi_2]

Hasn't been any update to SM FYI.

 

[DominusNovus]

Forgot why I took a break and never bothered to really terraform Mars last time I played. Then, bam, dug a lake and was instantly reminded.

Should we assume that the H’mont team is on European time and not expect any progress at all until fall?

 

[tsherb]

Another Mac user that ran into the same issue originally reported: Once the temp hit 25%, the lakes thawed and frame rate went down the toilet.

Kudos to @ChoGGi_2 for the helpful mod; it's the difference between playing the game or not. Since the mod is not rendering the lakes (leaving dark pits instead) it would be nice to have a permanent fix from the Haemimont team.

 

[cascadecanyon]

Wow. Now I understand why the game became so jumpy. This is still an issue as of Oct 4 2021

 

[ChoGGi_2]

Updated the mod:
v0.3
Picard/etc compatibility