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Anyone considering AC4 on PC BEWARE! Yet another port with terrible optimization!

While the detail this article provides on CPU usage is commendable, it misses the real cause of the poor performance. Bizarrely, the biggest determining factor for this game's performance is vsync. I'm running it with a 7970 and 4670k with all settings maxed outside of shadow quality, which is at "very high," and getting constant 60 fps aside from areas with very dense foliage, forcing vsync with D3DOverrider instead of the in-game setting. The in-game vsync caps the framerate, a la Dead Space. Everyone that buys this needs to know that vsync must be enabled externally if you want good performance.
 

-Deimos

Member
It runs like shit. I can be standing in an area where nothing is moving or changing and my FPS dips from 60 to 45 for 8 seconds and then back up to 60. One time it dove to 25! This all happened running at 1080P, turning shadows to normal, using FXAA, turning god rays off, Volumetric fog off, and motion blur off.

Great.....

Honestly though, as long as it doesn't go under 30 fps on max settings, I can enjoy it. I guess I'll wait for a few patches before I pick this up.
 
While the detail this article provides on CPU usage is commendable, it misses the real cause of the poor performance. Bizarrely, the biggest determining factor for this game's performance is vsync. I'm running it with a 7970 and 4670k with all settings maxed outside of shadow quality, which is at "very high," and getting constant 60 fps aside from areas with very dense foliage, forcing vsync with D3DOverrider instead of the in-game setting. The in-game vsync caps the framerate, a la Dead Space. Everyone that buys this needs to know that vsync must be enabled externally if you want good performance.
Not to be an asshole, but I call bullshit on this.

Unless your system is magic there is absolutely no way you're getting "constant 60 fps aside from areas with dense foliage". Constant 30 maybe, but not 60. If you are I want to know exactly what you're doing because my game runs like shit on the same card.

Everyone with an AMD card needs to check and double check that PhysX is turned off.
I don't see an option for PhysX.
 

pa22word

Member
If you're changing the settings and your FPS isn't improving I'm guessing it's because you're changing graphical settings and you're CPU bottlenecked.

Easy way to test this: try dropping your res. If performance doesn't instantly boost in the trouble areas then you're CPU isn't up to the job.

Fool proof way to test this: OC your CPU then try the troubbling sections. If you see performance increase then it's the CPU.

Far Cry 3 and AC3 before it was the same way with CPU optimization, so yeah it's really not surprising to see it crop up again. Another thing worth pointing out is that with environmental quality set to very high the game applies tessellation to like, everything...which is a massive performance hog. Try taking that down to just high and see how that turns out for you.

If you turn off vsync it tears like crazy. I can't play with screen tearing.

use d3d overrider and force triple buffering
 
The neat thing is that most PC ports with shitty performance eventually become perfect with better hardware. Console versions are doomed for good.

I mean, in theory. In practice, the difference between console and pc versions of AC games is narrower than it has any reason to be.
 
Don't remind me. So disappointing. Still runs like shit, Ubi still refuses to acknowledge a problem.

Last time I went on all my times had been reset. I said fuck it and haven't played the game since. Goes down as one of the worst PC ports I've ever had to experience.
 
I have the same specs as the OP, how does it run? I never really noticed many performance issues with AC3 but I'm not really sensitive to that with these types of games.

If it didn't bother you in AC3 it's not going to bother you here. It runs about as well and looks better.
 

-Deimos

Member
Did AC3 ever not run like shit after patches? Serious question.

I'm not sure myself, but I never care about performance in games other than shooters and racers unless it goes under 30 fps. If it goes under 30, it starts to annoy me.

Also, I NEVER noticed screen tearing in games until I heard about it and even then, it took me a few years after discovering screen tearing for me to notice.

If it didn't bother you in AC3 it's not going to bother you here. It runs about as well and looks better.

Oh, that's good to hear then. I just hope I don't subconsciously start to notice sub-60 fps performance after reading all this negative feedback. I'm pretty sure that's how my screen tearing problems started.
 

Odrion

Banned
What are you even talking about?
Console ports are unoptimized as shit, and every console cycle closes the gap between consoles and computers.

You'd think things would be different this time around. What with the next-gen consoles being comparatively underpowered and every third party title being cross-gen. But noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope.
 

Lingitiz

Member
Played until the first section in Havana, everything maxed with MSAA x2, no vync. It runs like shit by PC standards but it's still the version to get I supposed. Going from 40-60 FPS variable with it mostly holding at around 55. Runs about in line with Splinter Cell Blacklist, although I think that game looked and ran better despite the similarities.

i5 4670k @ 4.2 GHZ
GTX 670 2gb
8 gb ram
 

Zoned

Actively hates charity
The definite reason why I'm switching to PS4 now.

Recently, developers have totally neglected the optimization of PC games.

Games like COH 2, Rome 2, FC III, AC III, SC blacklist, COD ghosts, BF4 (shit everywhere though), NFS, AC IV, Japanese game ports all run shit.
 
I hate asking the same question in two different threads, but this one seems to be getting more traffic. So here it goes


I really want to play this game, but Im afride of the people saying how poorly optimized it is. What kind of quality would I get with a 770 (2 gigs of Vram), 8 gigs of general purpose ram, and a core i5 4570 at 3.2 ghz?
 

unbias

Member
Ubisoft at their finest.



And with those PC requirements, you SHOULD be!

Ya... I have a pretty top of the line rig that I keep updated, but ya, I have no faith in it running smooth, which is a damn shame. I guess one of the perks of never pre-ordering anything.
 
After Blacklist ran so well I was honestly expecting this to be a big improvement over AC3. I'll still get it, but man that's disappointing.
 

pa22word

Member
The definite reason why I'm switching to PS4 now.

Recently, developers have totally neglected the optimization of PC games.

Games like COH 2, Rome 2, AC III, SC blacklist, COD ghosts, BF4 (shit everywhere though), NFS, AC IV, Japanese game ports all run shit.

"Recently"?

Did you start pc gaming somewhere around 07/08? This is par for the course for a console transition, if not tame considering we're in here complaining about 40-60 FPS which is still completely playable.

And lol Creative Assembly has pretty much always botched their launches since the dawn of time man >.>
 

Odrion

Banned
The neat thing is that most PC ports with shitty performance eventually become perfect with better hardware. Console versions with poor framerates are doomed forever.
You can always play it on a console now with no hassle, and then when consoles become stagnant again build that $600 supercomputer and buy AC: Black Flag for $5 on steam.
 

-Deimos

Member
The definite reason why I'm switching to PS4 now.

Recently, developers have totally neglected the optimization of PC games.

Games like COH 2, Rome 2, AC III, SC blacklist, COD ghosts, BF4 (shit everywhere though), NFS, AC IV, Japanese game ports all run shit.

Well, the game may run shit in PC standards, but compared to consoles it still runs better. You're only going to get 30 fps on console whereas you're getting 40-60 on PC, which is considered crap. So basically PC's crap is still better than what you'd get on PS4.

I hate asking the same question in two different threads, but this one seems to be getting more traffic. So here it goes


I really want to play this game, but Im afride of the people saying how poorly optimized it is. What kind of quality would I get with a 770 (2 gigs of Vram), 8 gigs of general purpose ram, and a core i5 4570 at 3.2 ghz?

The general consensus has been 40 min on a 670, so you should be getting slightly higher than that. If you're happy with 40 min, you're fine.
 

Lingitiz

Member
The definite reason why I'm switching to PS4 now.

Recently, developers have totally neglected the optimization of PC games.

Games like COH 2, Rome 2, FC III, AC III, SC blacklist, COD ghosts, BF4 (shit everywhere though), NFS, AC IV, Japanese game ports all run shit.

It still looks and runs much better than the next gen versions, it's just shitty by PC standards since the game doesn't look anywhere as good as what it's demanding.
 
The definite reason why I'm switching to PS4 now.

Recently, developers have totally neglected the optimization of PC games.

Games like COH 2, Rome 2, FC III, AC III, SC blacklist, COD ghosts, BF4 (shit everywhere though), NFS, AC IV, Japanese game ports all run shit.
The worst part is that I intended to get the game for PS4, but figured I would get at least 30 FPS on PC so the experience would be the same, if not better.

Feels bad man.
 

USC-fan

Banned

Zoned

Actively hates charity
"Recently"?

Did you start pc gaming somewhere around 07/08? This is par for the course for a console transition, if not tame considering we're in here complaining about 40-60 FPS which is still completely playable.

And lol Creative Assembly has pretty much always botched their launches since the dawn of time man >.>

I went PC only with Max Payne 3.

But now switching back to consoles.
 

Lijik

Member
Has the first AC been the only one that wasn't totally fucked on PC? I remember AC2 had issues with drm, don't remember how Brotherhood and Revelations were.

I remember it had weird port issues like taking 8 menus or something ridiculous to quit out of. Also one of the few PC games I know of that flat out will not let you play it if it thinks you cant run it ala CoD Ghosts
 

pa22word

Member
You can always play it on a console now with no hassle, and then when consoles become stagnant again build that $600 supercomputer and buy AC: Black Flag for $5 on steam.

You do realize if he locks the framerate at 30FPS he'd still have a better experience than on consoles due to all the extra eyecandy stuff anyways, and still have a better performing and better looking game than any of the console versions, right?

So what the fuck is the point in buying a console version if he has a PC up to par?

I really just do not understand this line of thought.

I went PC only with Max Payne 3.

But now switching back to consoles.

That seems ludicrously wasteful, but hey to each his own I guess?
 
Well, the game may run shit in PC standards, but compared to consoles it still runs better. You're only going to get 30 fps on console whereas you're getting 40-60 on PC, which is considered crap. So basically PC's crap is still better than what you'd get on PS4.



The general consensus has been 40 min on a 670, so you should be getting slightly higher than that. If you're happy with 40 min, you're fine.

You know, Im kinda okay with that. I take the stance that anything below 30 fps is just bad. Anything above 30 is above average. What about frame drops? Is it constant, or does it drop like 10 FPS for no good reason?
 

Madness

Member
So while it's still the best version, it's nowhere close to the potential it should be on high end rigs? It's a bit disheartening hearing all the problems the biggest publishers/devs are facing and how poorly their games are running. Hopefully it improves.
 

Zoned

Actively hates charity
Well, the game may run shit in PC standards, but compared to consoles it still runs better. You're only going to get 30 fps on console whereas you're getting 40-60 on PC, which is considered crap. So basically PC's crap is still better than what you'd get on PS4.



The general consensus has been 40 min on a 670, so you should be getting slightly higher than that. If you're happy with 40 min, you're fine.

That's true. But these days days developers are totally neglecting optimization of PC games. You will get better FPS than a PS4 that's because of brute force. But with the way things are going it seems that you will have to spend money every 2 years pn high end cards.

Even a TITAN failed miserably with a game like COH 2, can't believe this shit.
 

Daingurse

Member
You do realize if he locks the framerate at 30FPS he'd still have a better experience than on consoles due to all the extra eyecandy stuff anyways, and still have a better performing and better looking game than any of the console versions, right?

If the game is gamepad compatible, I don't even hesitate to lock that shit at 30fps anymore. That's how I played Tomb Raider w/TressFx and Crysis 3. Hell, I'll downsample and lock the framerate at 30fps lol. 60fps plays soooo much better, but I'm a fucking graphics whore.
 
Christ. AC4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Need For Speed: Rivals. Did everyone suddenly forget how to make PC games? Thank goodness for Battlefield 4 not completely shitting the bed.
 
this is disappointing by pc standards, but i never understand the "this is why i stick to consoles" stealth troll posts.

you can lock the framerate if you wish to 30fps and still end up with a game that looks infinitely better than the console versions because of max settings (i assume the console versions run at a mixture of mid to high end settings?)

at worst, youll get equal to console performance depending on your machine. at best, youll get 60+fps with max settings.

this does *not* run, look or play any worse than the console versions at all. it just doesnt seem to run at the best it can, considering hardware.
 

Tripon

Member
http://www.dsogaming.com/pc-perform...-creed-iv-black-flag-pc-performance-analysis/

I 100% agree with everything written. I have turned down and off most of the settings and it makes no difference. My specs are as follows:

Intel Core I7 2600K
EVGA Nvidia GTX 670 FTW running the latest drivers
8 GB RAM

I think the publishers answer to the question of why should people buy a next gen console if the game is going to be on PC is that they're just going to make shitty PC ports.
 
I am playing the game on absolute maximum even the AA cranked as high as it can go and I feel like it's one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen. That EQAA is seriously impressive!
 
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